Best Smoke Detectors

If you want to make sure your home is well protected from fires, then you can’t go wrong with our list of the best smoke detectors. We spent hours performing market research and product testing to find the best options to make your home a bit safer.

There are some household purchases you can afford to take a chance on. If you buy a shoddy blender and it breaks, you might lose out on your breakfast smoothie, but you’ll get over it by lunch. But there are other purchases you shouldn’t take a risk on. If you buy a second-rate smoke detector and it breaks, you can lose a lot more than your breakfast.

There are devices for all kinds of homes and budgets. But first, let’s review some of the basics of smoke-detector technology. Keep reading to get started finding the best smoke detector for you.

• Ionization smoke alarms: These are best at detecting the small particles released by fast, flaming fires. The only downside to ionization smoke alarms is that they’re sensitive. Even the smoke produced by burnt food or by steam from the shower can trigger them, so you may get more false alarms if the alarm is placed in the kitchen or near a bathroom.
• Photoelectric smoke alarms: These types of smoke detectors are best at sensing smoldering fires that create a lot of smoke without many (or any) visible flames. They’re not as prone to false alarms as ionization smoke detectors, but photoelectric alarms may still be randomly set off if dust builds up inside them.
• Dual-sensor smoke alarms: With dual sensor alarms, you get the best of both technologies. But there are still some drawbacks. Some models require both sensors to be triggered before the alarm will go off, but this may delay the alert from sounding. Other models only require one of the sensors to be tripped, but that also creates the potential for more false alarms.

The best smoke detectors can detect different types of fires using ionization and photoelectric technology while connecting with other units to provide your home with a reliable safety net.

• Dual-sensor smoke alarms with ionization and photoelectric sensing
• A hardwired setup or battery-operated unit with a long lifespan
• The ability to connect with other sensors in your home
• Built-in carbon monoxide detectors for extra protection

When shopping for a smoke detector, the best units will feature dual-sensors. There are two technologies generally used within consumer smoke alarms—ionization and photoelectric sensors. While ionization sensors are excellent at detecting flaming fires, photoelectric sensors do well at detecting smoldering fires. A smoke detector with both types of sensing technology will offer the broadest protection for your home.

If you can hardwire your smoke alarm into your building’s power, that is the best option. However, battery-operated units can also be quite reliable when they offer long operating times. If you select a battery-operated smoke detector, be sure to check how often the battery needs to be replaced or recharged.

You may even be able to connect your smoke detector to other units, allowing one smoke alarm to sound others in the house. This type of setup can be beneficial when a fire starts in one area of your home, but you are in another location, such as the bedroom.

Lastly, for extra protection, select a smoke detector that also includes a built-in carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is known as a silent killer, and it is essential to have a sensor in your home to keep you and your family safe from the odorless gas.

Other features that you might want in your smoke alarm include digital displays, silence buttons, flashing lights (for the hearing impaired), and smart technology that connects with your phone.

You’re having a relaxing evening cooking dinner and sipping on a glass of wine. But your fire alarm doesn’t know that the “smoke” it senses is just your water boiling for the pasta. It’s screaming bloody murder and you have to stand on a stool awkwardly to turn it off.

But what if your smoke alarm could tell the difference between steam from the stove and smoke from a fire? And what if it warned you with a pleasant voice rather than a wail? And what if you could silence it easily just using an app on your phone?

All of that and more is possible with smart smoke detectors like Google’s Nest Protect.

It comes equipped with heat and humidity sensors that can help it differentiate between smoke and steam. Add to that a built-in carbon monoxide detector, and you’ve got one powerful (and good-looking) machine. No wonder it costs a pretty penny.

The Nest Protect can be a perfect addition to your automated home, and can connect to other devices like a smart thermostat. It’s available in both wired and battery-operated models. Just make sure that you have an internet connection and a phone that can support all of its futuristic features.

Experts at the National Fire Prevention Association recommend that you “install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.”³

For single folks or college students, that might mean two or three smoke detectors. But for bigger families in bigger houses, it could be 10 or more. That means if you’re buying high-end smoke alarms like the Google Nest Protect, you could easily spend more than a grand on protecting your house.

But there are smoke detectors out there that cost a lot less and still work just fine. One of those is the Kidde i12060, which is our pick for the best budget smoke detector.

While it may not be the sleekest or “smartest” device you can buy, it should work well for basic fire detection, especially if used in conjunction with a photoelectric fire alarm, like the First Alert 0827B listed above.

Having two or three fire alarms in your home is better than having none at all, but ideally you’d have one in every bedroom and at least one in a common area of each floor (including the basement). Smoke alarms should also be placed at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances to avoid false alarms.

Once you’ve carefully installed your smoke detectors, you’ll want to follow these guidelines for maintenance.

• Replace alarms every 10 years.
• Test alarms once a month to make sure they’re working.
• Replace the batteries once a year.
• Periodically vacuum out detectors to avoid dust buildup.

Here’s a quick review of our picks for the best residential smoke detectors of 2020.

Best for most: The First Alert BRK 3120B is a simple but high-quality smoke detector. With dual sensors and OptiPath technology, it can quickly detect both smoldering and big-flaming fires. It’s a great choice for most homes, and it’s cheaper than many lower-quality devices.

Best smart device: The Google Nest protect S3003LWES is a technology-packed smart alarm that can sense smoke, heat, humidity, and carbon monoxide and communicate with your phone, so that you always know what’s going on in your home, whether you’re there or not. It’s an awesome jump forward in home safety technology, if you can afford it.

Best 10-year battery: The X-Sense SD03 is a photoelectric fire alarm that will guard your home from fires for 10 full years—24 hours a day, seven days a week—on just a single built-in battery. It’s a great option for those who can’t hardwire their alarms and may have a hard time remembering to replace batteries.

Best with carbon monoxide detector: The First Alert SCO500B uses to a photoelectric sensor to detect smoke and an electrochemical sensor to detect carbon monoxide. It’s equipped with a voice alert system that can tell you what triggered the alarm and where it is coming from. It’s a great all-in-one device for bedrooms, living rooms, and basements.

Best budget pick: The Kidde i12060 is an ionization smoke alarm that costs about as much as a movie ticket. It doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as some other smoke detectors, but it’ll get the job done. It’s a great addition to a home that’s already equipped with a few photoelectric or dual-sensor alarms.

Even with a fire alarm, don’t forget to keep a fire extinguisher on hand. And if you’d like to get a new carbon monoxide alarm to go with your smoke detector, check out our review of the best CO alarms.

In the case of a fire you're going to want your valuables kept in a fireproof safe.

We analyzed dozens of smoke alarms available on the market during our research process to find the best for your home. Among the factors that we considered when reviewing, the following played the most critical roles:

• Ionization vs. photoelectric technology
• Wired or battery-powered installation
• Interconnectivity with other smoke alarms
• Carbon monoxide detector
• Included warranty

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