Which alarm system

There are two types of security systems: professionally monitored and unmonitored. In the former, when an alarm goes off, a professional monitoring company receives a notification and then attempts to contact you and, if need be, your local emergency services. An unmonitored system leaves all the work up to you.

That means you need to be on call, day and night, during work and vacation time, and ready to determine whether police, fire departments, or other emergency services need to be dispatched. Then you need to make that call yourself. Once you decide what type of system you want, you need to pick what that system will include.

DIY systems are also modular, so you can easily add sensors and devices as you need them—perhaps a camera by the garage or sensors on the sliding glass door upstairs. The backbone of a home security system is the base station. This unit is what communicates with all of the security sensors and smart-home components in your house.

Many connect to a home router, but if yours has Wi-Fi or cellular support, placement is more flexible. Contact sensors are the first thing you should buy alongside the base station; these attach to doors and windows and will alert you when they open. Other home security components include motion sensors, keypads, key fobs, cameras, glass-break sensors, and panic buttons. We also insisted on no-contract systems, even though those require you to pay for the hardware up front.

Although some companies provide free or heavily discounted hardware in exchange for a service commitment that can last anywhere from one to five years, we found no-contract systems to be the most flexible.

No-contract systems also cost less in the long run and allow you to be in total control of the equipment you use, as well as how and when you use and pay for monitoring services.

Pro-installed systems usually cost more, despite using equipment similar to that of DIY systems, typically come with long and often onerous contracts, and rely on the same monitoring companies that self-installed systems use, so they offer little advantage. Next, we prioritized systems with consistently good ratings and customer reviews.

The basic packages varied, but we looked for home security systems that include the following:. To thoroughly test each system, we spent several weeks walking in front of motion sensors, opening and closing contact sensors, and setting off sirens. To gauge reaction times for the monitoring company, we triggered each system a minimum of five times, using contact and motion sensors. Many municipalities have rules designed to limit the time and resources that police and fire departments waste on false alarms—you may even be fined if you have too many.

For instance, Salt Lake City requires confirmation of an emergency from a private security guard before police are dispatched. Several cities, such as Los Angeles , also require a permit to even own and operate a home security system. Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and investigates, as much as possible, how the companies we recommend deal with customer data.

As part of our vetting process for home security systems, we looked at all of the security and data-privacy practices behind our picks. We also reached out to all the companies that produced our top picks and had them answer an extensive questionnaire to confirm information that we thought should be of primary concern for any potential buyer. Here are the results. SimpliSafe is a flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use professional-monitoring security system. Setting it up was straightforward, with customizable alarm triggers and consistent monitoring response times.

SimpliSafe also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to arm and check the system using only voice commands. SimpliSafe is a no-contract security system, which means you pay for the monitoring service on a month-to-month basis rather than a long-term commitment. SimpliSafe also offers a free, self-monitored option, which sends smartphone alerts whenever a device is triggered and allows users to arm, disarm, and check the system status via the SimpliSafe app.

The SimpliSafe equipment is now in its third version, and both the app and hardware have a simpler and more stylish design.

The sensors are smaller and the range on the base station is better, which the company claims can stretch to sensors up to feet away.

While our tests only extended about 50 feet in different directions, we had no issues with sensors reacting and triggering the alarm. The base station is the brains behind the system.

It also features a hour battery backup, blue and red lights for alerts, UL certification, and an adjustable 95 dB siren our tests actually found it closer to 98 dB , which, while not the loudest alarm we tested Ring was the standout , would definitely catch the attention of burglars in our 1,square-foot home. If you want to go louder, or if you have a large home and need more than one siren, you can purchase a standalone dB siren.

Unlike the Ring and Abode base stations, the SimpliSafe base station provides voice prompts during setup, as well as when the system is arming and disarming.

All of our endorsed traders have been thoroughly vetted and checked by ex Trading Standards assessors so you can be ensured that whoever you hire is a reliable local trader. Use our search tool below to find a Which? Trusted Trader in your area. Find out more about installing your burglar alarm in our in-depth guide to Burglar alarms and installation costs. However, unlike a monitored, dialler or smart alarm, it won't automatically contact a named person or the police, so there is no guarantee that any action will be taken if you're out.

It's worth thinking about the kind of area you live in before deciding to get a bells-only alarm. Is there an active neighbourhood watch that gives you confidence that someone will call the police in an emergency?

If not, do you have friends and relatives who live close by who you could count on to take action? You can install one of these alarms yourself, or you can pay a one-off fee to have it installed by a professional. If you're not comfortable with the idea of relying on a neighbour to let you know if your alarm goes off, you could consider a dialler alarm, also called an auto dialler.

With these alarms, the dialler will contact you, or nominated friends and family, when your alarm is triggered. This means that you or they can then contact the police or ask a neighbour to investigate the issue. Most dialler alarms allow you to program a list of between three and 10 phone numbers, which will be called in the priority order you've set. The first person it successfully contacts is able to stop the rest of the numbers from being contacted. Some more hi-tech models can also alert you if there is a fire or flood in your home, or connect to a panic button.

There are two types of dialler alarm:. Smart home-security systems connect to your smartphone or tablet, or those of family members. This means you, or they, will be alerted when your alarm is triggered. These systems also allow you to control your smart security from your phone, even when you're away from home. You will usually need a central hub that connects to all other compatible devices via wi-fi, in the same way that a standard alarm connects to sensors around your home.

You can then connect up the motion detectors and contact sensors, as you would with a normal alarm, but also sometimes other smart devices, such as wireless security cameras and smart locks.

Most people can install a smart security system on their own. Some smart alarms do not come with external sounders, or a box on the wall to act as a visual deterrent. You might have to buy one at an additional cost. As with any smart product, poor security can leave a smart security system open to hackers. We test all alarms for how well they protect your security and privacy. Check our reviews to see whether the one you're considering has passed our in-depth assessments.

If you want more peace of mind that a problem at your home will be dealt with quickly, you could consider a burglar alarm with a monitoring contract.

We spent long hours checking the sensitivity of a wide range of sensors, ranging from motion to noise-activated, while examining their compatibility with their respective bespoke apps, hubs and control panels. And we listened to endless ear-splittingly loud alarms, resulting in short-term tinnitus on more than once episode. On the plus side, you can rest assured: select any one of the below alarm systems and your home will be as secure as Fort Knox.

Well, almost. If homeowners choose not to reduce this risk, insurers may charge a much higher premium, reduce the amount they are willing to pay out or refuse to insure the content at all. Having a technician install an alarm was originally the only option, but technology is evolving. So this removes the added expense of pricey installation and maintenance costs.

Channel your inner burglar. Our favourite bit was the wireless hub — no brick-like lump of cheap plastic best hidden behind a spider plant or speaker, but a vase-like device we were proud to show off. Additionally, a huge range of add-ons can be purchased and incorporated, ranging from smoke detectors to water sensors. Want a little extra protection? PIR sensors detect motion and should be positioned in a hallway or other entry points to your home.

Again, if the alarm is armed and the sensor sees something move, the siren will sound. Some smart alarms include or can be used with wifi security cameras from the same manufacturer. You control your smart alarm, though, through an app on your phone. The one thing to note is that smart alarms do need a hub to get all the different components to connect wirelessly.

Our GHI testers assessed the performance, ease of use and design of some of the best smart alarm systems available now. We looked at how clear and loud the siren is and whether notifications are sent in a timely fashion. Here are our top recommendations:. Keypads and fobs - Some smart alarms feature keypads and fobs that make arming and disarming the alarm easier than via an app. Sirens - Most brands should include a loud siren to deter intruders. For example, you can set up a smart light to turn on if a door is opened or get a radio connected to a smart plug to spring to life if a motion sensor detects any movement.

All the components are pre-paired to the base station, and it was quick to trigger when any of the sensors were activated. We love that it comes with both internal and external sirens and will work with Philips Hue smart lights, too.

The m range of the alarm system means it can be used to protect garages and sheds too. There's no external monitoring option with this one, though. Why we like it: Slightly more expensive than our winning smart alarm above, this system was almost as simple to install and, during testing, the loud, clear siren was quick to sound if one of the sensors had been triggered. We love that the system includes a camera and only alerts you when it spots the same heat pattern as a human so there are no false alerts.