Customer Ratings & Reviews

Frequently gives false alarms. Would not recommend

It has started. The smoke alarms that came with my house are starting to need to be replaced and I had to decide on going with a simple smoke alarm or upgrade. After checking the laws for my state for smoke alarms, I decided to give the First Alert - Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Battery Powered Detector a try. I mainly decided on First Alert by reputation and recommendation by the company that services the fire extinguisher at my job. Due to getting more paranoid as I get older, I liked the thought of having an app that will alert me to a problem when I'm away from home. I'm happy that it meets state code for all detectors in my house except for the one that needs to be sealed. The detector came well packaged and was easy to set up. I decided to set it up on the wall rather than the ceiling so I can reach it with a simple step stool rather than needing a stepladder. It went outside my bedroom which is off the kitchen where there is a gas stove. The mounting went up easily and the detector slid into place with a twist and click without issue, The app is easy to download and setup. I pulled the tab where the batteries are and it started working immediately. The green light on the detector acts as a bit of a nightlight. Testing was easy but be aware, it is loud. I also like that this is a detector that is portable so I may get one for travel if there is long battery life. Another feature I like is that these can interconnect so instead of individual devices I can make my own network. One warning is that the batteries can be expensive so hopefully they are long lasting.

First Alert by Resideo Smart SC5 Smoke and CO Alarm It was time to replace my six year old fire alarm and I decided to try First Alert by Reisdeo Smart SC5 Smoke and CO Alarm. My previouis safety devices were separate, fire alarm plus a CO2 detector. The First Alert combines both devices into one. Included in the box is the First Alert SC5 Smoke and CO Alarm, CR123 installed batteries, wall mount, screws, and the instruction manual. The setup is very simple: pull the plastic tab attached to the batteries and then download the First Alert App from the AppStore or Google Play Store. This unit is compatible with Google Nest however, you must first download the First Alert App. If you previously owned Google Nest Protect Alarms, there is no need to change mounts as the SC5 Smoke and CO alarm will fit the base. First Alert recommends that you run a safety test weekly, which can be done using either the First Alert App or Google Nest App. During the test you will hear the voice command count down for 5 seconds then you will hear 3 very loud beeps for fire while the middle of the device is blinking red. For the Carbon Monixide test you will hear 4 short beeps with halo blinking. If you have multiple SC5 devices, each one will randomly test. Highly recommend.

Like many others I have used the Nest Protect on every floor of my home for years. Until Nest/Google decide they no longer want to support it. First Alert has been in the Smoke/Co game for a while and I don't see them going away anytime soon. Hopefully the support is there. At the core the SC5 Smart Smoke and CO Detector is a combination unit so I don't I need 2 different units which in it of itself is a plus. It's loud and obnoxious as any other Smoke/CO Detector and quick to pick up smoke in my testing (have not tested CO and I hope I never have to hear that alert). But like the Nest Protect the SC5 has Wi-Fi connectivity, which lets the detector link up to the First Alert app on your phone. Primary reason that is a benefit is that if an alarm goes off, you'll get a push notification on your phone, no matter where you are. The alarm can also be tested and silenced remotely as well as the battery status which is super convenient. This dectector can even tell you what kind of threat it's detecting—smoke or carbon monoxide—and unit (if you have multiple) in your house it's happening. The SC5 is powered by 6 123A Lithium batteries, which I have been familiar with for over a decade, but I'm sure there are many that have never heard of it. These batteries will cost more than the typical AA/AAAs but First Alert projects 3-5 years of use out of a set of 6. So 2 at most 3 battery changes throughout life of this detector. Speaking of batteries, because of the connection to the app, the SC5 will alert you via a notification when the batteries need to be replaced so you don't have to listen to that dreaded middle of the night low battery chirp. My biggest gripes; with not just this unit but all smart home devices, is that the SC5 is advertised to be able to integrate into the Nest ecosystem. I was unable to get it to connect. Although it's not a huge deal. I used to have the Nest Video Doorbell, Thermostat and Protect. One by one support ended for the older products forcing you to buy their newer products. I do not like that business model and have begun to move away from that ecosystem. First Alert is not without it's own issues. I have an older First Alert Onelink Smoke/CO Detector that has been discontinued and no longer supported. It would have been nice if they roped in some support for their own legacy devices, but we are in a new age of waste and disposable everything. Nothing is meant to last and everything is made to be upgraded every year. While I will continue to look for and use smart devices for my home, I will hesitate to outfit my entire home with these SC5 (especially at $150 per detector) and use it in conjunction with standard Smoke/CO detectors, unless I can see that First Alert will support their product for it's full life. This way (at the cost of ANOTHER smart home app added to my page of smart home devices) have some piece of mind to monitor an aspect of my home while I am away from it.

This by far the most functional and reliable smoke and carbon monoxide detector I've used. First Alert is a leader in this space and this device incorporates all of their advanced features. You have the option of getting this in a hard-wired version, but this one gives you freedom to place in any location. Basic setup is straightforward and once you remove the battery protector tab, it is ready to go as basic detector. It does use a lot of expensive CR123 batteries, but these should last a long time. I don't have an issue with this because I had rather of plenty of power to make sure it is working effective. There is a QR code on the box and highly recommend downloading the software. This will allow you to connect it to your WiFi and get notifications directly to your phone. This will allow you to get notified of alerts no matter where you are at. There is also an option to connect this to other units have them all activate when one detects an issue. The battery light is a little hard to see, but the mobile app will allow you to easily see the device status at any time.

As an along time user of Nest products, my devices were reaching their 10 year life and needed to replace them. Nest smoke and co detectors are no longer made and the First Alert device is the sanctioned replacement from Google. My experience with these types of devices is very good. Thankfully I have not had a real alert but enough information and testing is provided that I felt comfortable I would be alerted as needed. I prefer the battery powered device since it is much easier to use where you want. I have not had issues with battery life and they last a reasonable amount of time. Installation was very straight forward. If you have current Nest fire and co detector you use the same mount with this device so you don’t need to remount the ring which is great. You do need to install the First Alert app. It would be great to only need to use the Google Home app but it does connect during setup. My only glitch with setup was my iPhone did not see it when scanning for the device but I just hit next and it was connected to my phone via Bluetooth. Beyond that everything works great. If you are a current Nest user this is the logical choice. I would recommend it.

There’s likely plenty of good smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors out there but what sets this particular one apart is that it’s both smart as well as portable. The smart part is handy being able to integrate into my Google home network so I can monitor it both at home as well as when I’m away. You’ll first set it up using the First Alert app but do note that it will require you to create an account - I wish I didn’t have to create yet another account with another login. However, setup was fast with both the app as well as Google Home and I was up and running in less than 5 minutes. But having the peace of mind of being able to be alerted of possible smoke or fire while away from my house as well as while I'm at home is comforting. I specifically wanted the battery powered version because I wanted the portability to not only use in different places in my house but also for travel. I’m sure most AirBnBs are outfitted with reliable-enough systems but being able to have an extra layer of assurance is comforting. Related, a bonus for me is that I’m planning to rent my house in the near future so this provides a bit of extra assurance to make sure my tenants and house are safe.

Starting with the aesthetic, this is a plasticky looking device that doesn’t justify the price. Second, the nightlight feature of the Nest camera is gone. It may be compatible wirh your remaining 10 year Nest cameras but this is not something i want to look at for 10 years. It also requires SIX lithium batteries whereas Nest required 3 AA alkaline batteries. This is a serious downgrade if you are replacing expired Nest cameras.

It does work with the nest app, you just need to link it. I do agree, i wish it had the path light but so far everything else works fine.