Smoke & CO Detectors

Discover the Best Smoke & CO Detectors for Your Smart Home.

While monitoring air quality is crucial, it pales compared to detecting smoke and carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can cause flu-like symptoms, headaches, and death at high enough concentrations.

Smoke from burning wood, gas, or charcoal fires and vehicle exhaust mainly contain carbon monoxide. Due to its critical nature, smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors alert you immediately when this dangerous gas is in your environment.

This article shares your smart home's top smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, helping you stay safe and alert. Homey makes monitoring carbon monoxide very easy and convenient, allowing you to react quickly and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Choosing a High-Quality Smoke and CO Detector

While combined devices for monitoring smoke and carbon monoxide exist, you usually need separate sensors. Even though smoke can contain carbon monoxide, not all smoke detectors can detect it in time. Here's what you need to know to choose an effective carbon monoxide detector and/or smoke alarm:

Sensor Type

Choose a device with a sensor suitable for your needs. Some sensors are better at detecting slow, smoldering fires that produce a lot of smoke but less flame, while others are ideal for catching fast, flaming fires. If carbon monoxide detection is your primary goal, consider an electrochemical sensor. Due to its precision and durability, this sensor is regarded as the gold standard in CO detection.

Connectivity and Power

Opt for a sensor with a reliable communication protocol like Zigbee or Z-Wave. This allows you to form a mesh network of sensors. Consider the battery type that powers the device, opting for models with good battery life.

Ease of Installation and Maintenance

Select detectors that are easy to install, with clear instructions and mounting hardware included. Look for built-in test buttons and low battery indicators to simplify ongoing maintenance and ensure the device remains functional.

Alarm Features

Besides smart connectivity, consider the importance of an alarm siren. It needs to be loud enough to wake you up from sleep in an emergency. Additional features like alarm lights can also provide added safety during an emergency.

Price

High-quality detectors can be expensive but offer better reliability and advanced features. Before making your decision, consider the price-to-features ratio outlined in our article.

Brand	Model	Protocol	CO	Smoke	Price
Fibaro	Smoke and CO Detectors	Z-Wave			€52.95
Frient	Intelligent Smoke Alarm	Zigbee			€39.95
HeatIt	Z-Smoke Multisensor	Z-Wave			€156.25
Netatmo	Smoke and CO Alarms	Wi-Fi			€89.99
Nexa	Wireless Smoke Alarm	433 MHz			€20.00
POPP	Smoke and CO Detectors	Z-Wave			€69.90
Shelly	Plus Smoke Alarm	Wi-Fi			€44.90
Trust	Smoke and CO Detectors	Zigbee			€35.99

Fibaro Smoke and CO detectors are high-quality air monitoring devices that alert you whenever they detect smoke or carbon monoxide. Available as separate devices, both models are compatible with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro and can operate independently.

The Fibaro Smoke and Fibaro CO detectors have internal temperature sensors that rapidly detect fires and rising room temperatures. These sensors trigger a separate heat alarm in Homey, which can initiate Flows and emergency automation.

Both devices feature an 85-decibel siren for audible alarms, which is loud enough to wake you from sleep. In addition to the siren, the Fibaro sensors have built-in indicator LEDs to visually alert you to potential hazards.

Fibaro detectors are ideal for monitoring gas and fumes around burning furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, oil lamps, generators, and gasoline-powered equipment. They run on a single CR123A battery and last up to two years.

The premium build and reliable feature set of the Fibaro Smoke and CO sensors are more expensive than those of other detectors of the same type.

Frient's Intelligent Smoke Alarm is an excellent choice for a fast and reliable smoke detector. It's equipped with a special photoelectric sensor that can detect small amounts of smoke much earlier than a full fire outbreak.

The Frient Intelligent Smoke Alarm also relies on an internal temperature sensor to detect sudden temperature changes for quick fire detection. Once triggered, an 85dB alarm siren will alert you of a potential fire starting.

This smoke alarm uses Zigbee to communicate and pair with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. Once added, the internal temperature sensor's measurements are available in Homey and can be used to create Flows. A great feature of the Frient Intelligent Smoke Sensor is that it can be triggered manually via Homey, allowing you to periodically check if it's in working order.

Its casing includes a special aluminum mesh screen that encircles its circular shape, preventing dust and bugs from crawling in and clogging the sensor. The detector uses a single CR123A battery, lasting up to three years. It has an affordable price tag and a basic but functional feature set.

It's worth noting that even though the Frient's Intelligent Smoke alarm is not very wide, it's pretty tall and will stick out from the ceiling more than other smoke and CO detectors.

If you prefer deploying Z-Wave devices, consider the HeatIt Z-Smoke Multisensor a solid option. HeatIt offers this model in wired and wireless variants, allowing you to retrofit if you have an existing installation.

As the name implies, the Z-Smoke has a multisensor with smoke, temperature, and motion sensors, which all trigger the alarm. Once activated, the HeatIt Z-Smoke blasts an 85dB siren and blinks a warning light to alert you of detected smoke. The device also has an anti-tamper mechanism, triggering the siren and light whenever someone tries to remove it.

Since the siren is controllable in Homey, users can also use the HeatIt Z-Smoke Multisensor as a security device. The motion sensor can become part of a Homey alarm system. It acts as a trigger and uses the siren to scare off intruders or unwanted guests.

If you opt for the wireless variant, it's worth noting that it relies on three CR123A batteries instead of one. Therefore, if you don't want to deal with battery changes, it's best to go for the wired version. The main drawback of the HeatIt Z-Smoke Multisensor is its high price tag. This makes it the most expensive smoke sensor on our list.

The Netatmo Smart Smoke and CO Alarms are separate devices that detect hazardous gasses in your environment. They are easily distinguishable by their shape and size. The Netatmo Smoke sensor has a fully circular body with a thickness of 44 millimeters, while the Netatmo CO sensor is a square with a thickness of only 23 millimeters.

Both Netatmo detectors have a special non-replaceable lithium-ion battery. For safety reasons, these devices need to be replaced every ten years. However, Netatmo ensures that the battery will last for the sensor's entire lifespan.

When the device detects smoke or carbon monoxide, it activates an 85-decibel siren, alerting you locally to the imminent danger. When paired with Homey over Wi-Fi, these Netatmo smart alarms allow users to receive alerts and notifications whenever the sensors trigger. While limited to simple binary sensors, they respond very quickly to environmental changes. This prompts immediate reaction to the presence of smoke or carbon monoxide.

It's worth noting that you cannot group Netatmo Smoke and CO alarms, meaning each device triggers individually. Additionally, Netatmo prices its devices higher than comparable models, making it quite costly to protect your entire home with Netatmo sensors.

Like other devices on our list, the Nexa Smoke Alarm is a reliable and dependable smart sensor for detecting fire and smoke in your home or office. It uses an optical sensor to detect changes in air consistency, triggering the alarm quickly and efficiently.

What sets the Nexa Smoke Alarm apart from other sensors is its use of the 433 MHz communication protocol, which works flawlessly with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro. This allows you to cover larger distances and monitor outdoor spaces like greenhouses or toolsheds far from your Homey hub.

You can group Nexa Smoke Alarms into a network of up to twelve devices, creating a mesh of sensors that all activate when one detects smoke. The great thing about this Nexa sensor setup is that the device closest to the smoke will emit a different siren sound, helping you quickly locate the fire or smoke source. Smart, convenient, and very useful!

Nexa Smoke Alarms are easy to install and mount. They attach by turning them counter-clockwise into their mounting plate. Since the Nexa smoke alarms are very lightweight, you can mount the plate to your ceiling using a sticker.

The Nexa Smoke Alarms use standard AA batteries for power, which can barely last a year. Even though the Nexa Smoke Alarm is a very budget-friendly pick, it's worth noting that you will be changing batteries more than with any other sensor on our list.

The smoke and CO detectors from the POPP product lineup are highly capable alarms widely used in residential homes, offices, and stores. POPP detectors utilize Z-Wave for communication and are compatible with Homey Bridge and Homey Pro.

The POPP carbon monoxide detector features a top-tier electrochemical sensor that alerts you whenever CO concentration exceeds a preset limit. You can define your own thresholds for CO levels and create alarms in Homey whenever these limits are breached.

Similarly, the POPP smoke detector has a reliable photoelectric sensor, making it suitable for quickly detecting smoke from smoldering fires, even before they fully ignite.

POPP detectors use 85-decibel sirens for local alerts. The CO model also includes LEDs as visual indicators, displaying the current battery level and reporting any potential errors. The central button on the device allows you to test the alarm or mute the siren during false triggers or manual tests.

Both devices feature an anti-tamper mechanism that triggers the siren if the sensor is removed from the ceiling without being turned off first. One of the standout features of POPP models is their battery life, which lasts for the entire lifespan of the detectors, set at 10 years by the company.

The primary drawback of POPP smoke and CO detectors is their size, which is much larger than other devices in our Best Buy Guide.

The Shelly Plus Smoke Alarm is a smart, Wi-Fi-enabled photoelectric smoke alarm designed to detect slow-burning fires that smolder for hours before igniting flames. Once paired with Homey, it allows you to receive instant notifications on your phone and creates safety Flows to protect your family and home.

The Shelly Plus Smoke uses an 85-decibel siren as an audible indicator and an LED light for visual notifications. It has a small button in the middle that can manually pause the alarm and turn off the siren.

It operates on a single CR123A battery, which impressively keeps the device alive for up to 5 years. The photoelectric sensor has a lifespan of ten years before requiring replacement, so the Shelly Smoke Detector would need only one battery change during its lifetime.

If you need to monitor smoke in a single room, the Shelly Plus Smoke is a great pick, although it's worth noting that the Shelly is not a good choice for a full-house smoke alarm system. You cannot group and operate Shelly Plus Smoke Alarms individually.

The Trust Smoke and CO Detectors are a pair of budget-friendly sensors. They are widely used in European households to monitor smoke and harmful carbon monoxide gas. Although these are separate devices, they are very similar in size and appearance. The smoke sensor has an aluminum mesh around its circular shape, while the CO sensor detects the gas from the center of its bottom.

Shaped like a small cylinder, you can easily install Trust Smoke and CO Detectors with a simple twist and turn motion into their holding bracket. There is no need to drill the ceiling—the devices are very light and attachable with a simple sticker.

Both models use an 85-decibel siren for audible alerts and a simple red LED installed beneath their transparent control button. Both activate whenever the sensor triggers to inform the owner of the possible danger.

Even though Trust detectors use an easily replaceable CR123A battery, the battery matches the sensor's ten-year lifespan. Battery replacements will not be necessary for Trust sensors, as after this period, you will also need to replace the detectors for safety reasons.

Final Thoughts

If you have a wood, gas, or petrol stove, it's crucial to have a reliable smoke and CO detector installed. Whether you're watching your garage or greenhouse, detecting fires and carbon monoxide is key to avoiding serious health issues. Setting up a dependable alarm system with Homey and a recommended brand is easy, ensuring your home is safe and monitored for harmful gases and fires.

Are you also interested in monitoring your home's indoor air quality? Check out our Best Buy Guide for Air Quality Monitors.