We all worry about accidental fires and safety at home, so how do you choose the best smoke alarms to keep you and your family safe?
We explore the different options, from cheap and cheerful to designer styles and talk to fire safety experts too.
What are the different kinds of smoke alarms?
Why do I need smoke alarms?
A spokesperson from the London Fire Brigade says: "Smoke alarms are important, as they can detect fires in their early stages and give people precious time to leave a property in safety. In a standard smoke alarm, the battery will need to be replaced every 12 months to keep it working effectively. This is because smoke alarm sensors degrade over time, leading to a reduced sensitivity in detecting heat or smoke.
“Some alarms can be purchased that are fitted with sealed batteries that last up to 10 years. These alarms will need to be replaced once the 10-year period has elapsed.
Make sure to buy alarms marked with a current British Standards or European (CE) safety mark, so you know they’re approved and safe. Always check a smoke alarm battery regularly, replacing it when necessary and never remove it for other purposes."
Best smoke alarms at a glance
Fire safety specialists Kidde recommend an alarm on at least every floor of your home. A spokesperson for FireAngel says: “We advise a smoke alarm within the circulation area of each floor of the property (hallway and landing), as well as within the main habitable areas such as bedrooms and living rooms, where we usually have more electrical items plugged in. We recommend you install smoke alarms alongside carbon monoxide alarms and kitchen heat alarms in your home for complete protection.”
We’ve rounded up the best options to shop below now
X-Sense Smoke and CO2 alarm
Best for: fewer false alarms, great information display
If you have a home that’s prone to false alarms, due to frequent toast burning or showers that blast steam at the ceiling, this is ideal for you; it takes three readings of the air and alerts you if smoke is detected inside its ring of sensors.
It checks for carbon dioxide too and has both photoelectric and electrochemical CO2 sensors that work independently, so you’ll know instantly if there are dangerous amounts of this dangerous gas.
The battery lasts 10 years and it has an LED display that shows you the status of the alarm at any one time, flashing green when it’s working at its optimum and red for an alarm.
It also shows a yellow light if there is a fault. The display shows you the CO2 levels and the battery level.
Buy now £31.99, Amazon
Jalo Helsinki Kupu 10
Best for: designer good looks
A smoke alarm needs to be functional but, according to Jalo, it can also be beautiful. They make two designs; a moth-shaped alarm that comes in several muted colours including pink, white, beige and green, or this pleasingly curved design that melts into the background of the ceiling. An optical alarm intended for home use, it has a 10-year battery and can be installed instantly using a double-sided sticky pad on its reverse and its power is activated as soon as it has been installed. It sounds a continuous alarm when smoke is detected and has a silence function in case of false alarms; it also has a self-diagnostic function that checks the unit is operational throughout its life. It comes in six colours: white, dark grey, light brown, turquoise, yellow and chrome and it has a fabric surface that feels and looks premium.
Buy now £37.95, Amazon
Google Nest Protect 2nd Generation Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Best for: detecting smoke and CO2
This attractive alarm from Google has it all. Useful features, emergency lights and voice control. It is both a smoke and carbon dioxide alarm that responds to both fast and slow-burning fires. It sounds an alarm and alerts you via your phone if smoke is detected.
It can even speak to you and light your way out in an emergency and it detects poisonous CO2 emissions for 10 years. It alerts you if the battery is running low and it carries out checks 400 times per day to make sure it’s working at its optimum. It won’t react to steam, which is great if you have it near the bathroom.
Once you have installed all your alarms using the easy-to-attach back plates, download the app and then connect them all to create a house-wide safety system controlled from your phone.
Buy now £104.12, Amazon
Aico Ei3016
Best for: detecting fires from a wide range of causes
This mains-wired alarm is excellent at detecting smoke using ionisation and can be linked to a CO2 monitor and to up to 20 other alarms too, so it’s ideal for larger houses when you want all areas covered. It can detect smoke from all kinds of fires, whether from cooking, solvents or household furnishings and it has a loud alarm that you can’t miss. The test button can also be used to turn the alarm off if triggered by mistake.
Buy now £37.99, Amazon
Fire Angel FP2620W2-R Pro Connected Smart Smoke Alarm
Best for: using in areas with poor internet connectivity
This can be installed in several ways; as a stand-alone alarm or connected with others. This is great if you have a remote room, garage or attic that you might not hear an alarm from and you don’t need an internet connection for it to work (good for rural areas with bad connectivity), as they use a radio frequency to connect. You get an alert to your phone or mobile device using the Smart Gateway app and the ‘locate’ function allows you to find out which sensor caused the alarm. In addition to being an optical alarm, it has thermal sensors, so will react to sudden changes in temperature as well as smoke. It has a central button that you use to test and reset.
Buy now £48.99, Amazon
Ultrafire UBS1 Optical Smoke Alarm
Best for: budget option
If you want an inexpensive option with a one-year battery (be sure to check it regularly, about once a week), then this is ideal. The alarm is an optical model and has a large test button on the surface. With no bells or whistles, this is ideal as a standard and simple model.
Buy now £11.99, Amazon
Kidde 10Y29-UK
Best for: adjustable volume and discreet appearance
This optical smoke alarm is a good price, which means you can afford one in each room. It’s inobtrusive too, with the logo in a soft grey and the central hush and reset button in the same white as the rest of the alarm, leaving no flashes of colour to detract from your lovely white ceiling. It has an early low battery warning and lasts for 10 years. You can adjust the volume of the alarm while you are installing it, to make sure you’ll hear it from every spot in your house. It’s easy to instal by screwing the back plate to the ceiling, then simply rotate the front plate onto it.
Buy now £16.95, Amazon
Firehawk FHN250RB Mains Powered Optical Smoke Alarm
Best for: avoiding false alarms and the ability to link to other alarms
A small, neat alarm that’s ideal if you are letting out a property or if you’re refurbishing and are taking the opportunity to wire in your safety equipment. It is powered by your electricity supply (you can run up to 15 alarms on a lighting circuit) and has a backup battery in case of a power cut that lasts an amazing 10 years.
As well as being able to detect smoke, it has Thermal Stability Enhancement, which means it will not be triggered by false alarms – it also has an insect net to stop midges and spiders from setting it off! It has a large test button that doubles as a hush button if you’ve just burned the toast. You can choose a wireless base which means you can connect all your alarms to an app, rather than using a linking wire.
Buy now £22.49, Amazon
Kidde 29HD
Best for: living rooms and bedrooms
Power type: 9V battery
Type: optical
An inexpensive, battery-powered alarm, this uses an optical sensor and is easy both to install and to use. It can be used in any location in your home and is especially good for living rooms and bedrooms. It has a test button to ensure that the battery is still charged and that it’s working and this button can also be used to hush it if it goes off due to a cooking accident or ingress of steam from a bathroom.
Buy now £11.50, Amazon
Verdict
The X-Sense Smoke and CO2 alarm is ideal for most homes and protects you from both smoke and carbon dioxide. It has a clear information display that helps you see what’s happening at all times. If you want your smoke alarm to be beautiful as well as functional, then go for the Kupu from Jalo Helsinki.
