Customer Ratings & Reviews

At least Google sold First Alert the NEST specs & design help to make the SC5 detector the advertised go-to Nest Detect wired Replacement. Changing our expiring Nest Detect units for the First Alert was easy, with just a wire harness adapter to plug in to the old Nest plug and the new unit attaches to the NEST ceiling mount. The First Alert app looks under capitalized, and leaves a lot to be desired, but it works. Google Home app sees the First Alert SC5 units. No motion light on this first model, but hopefully they will figure out how useful and simple that NEST feature was to NEST customers and add it to future models.

I bought this as a replacement for a Nest Protect that was failing its hardware self-check. The included wiring adapter connected to the existing Nest harness and the unit attached to the existing base plate as well. Adding it to Google Home (after setup with the First Alert app) was also smooth. The unit doesn't have the night-light LED feature that the Protect has, though. Other than that, a drop-in replacement for the Nest Protect.

For years, I used Google Nest Protect smoke and CO alarms. They were reliable, intelligent, and most importantly, I trusted them. When Google discontinued Nest Protect, I spent considerable time researching replacements and ultimately chose First Alert's smart connected smoke and CO alarms because they appeared to be one of the few products positioned as a modern, connected alternative. Since installing these alarms, my family and I have been repeatedly woken up by false smoke alerts and maintenance notifications. There is no smoke. There is no fire. There is simply another alert demanding attention from a product that is supposed to provide peace of mind. What has been most disappointing is the response from customer support. Being told that I should periodically spray compressed air into the sensors to prevent false alarms is not a serious solution. These are smoke detectors, not hobby projects. I should not have to perform ongoing maintenance rituals to stop a brand-new safety product from waking my household in the middle of the night. The result is that I no longer trust the product or your company. That is the worst possible outcome for a life-safety device. Smoke alarms are supposed to build confidence. Instead, your products have created frustration, alarm fatigue, and skepticism every time an alert sounds. I specifically purchased First Alert because I needed a replacement for a system that was discontinued. Instead of receiving a premium smart safety experience, I received a product that repeatedly interrupts my family's sleep and requires troubleshooting for issues that should not exist in the first place. As things stand today: - I will not purchase another First Alert product. - I do not recommend First Alert to friends, family, or colleagues. - I actively tell people to avoid the product based on my experience. - I am removing these alarms from my home because I no longer trust them. I am sending this message because I believe leadership should understand the real-world impact of these products. Customers are not buying smoke alarms because they want another connected gadget. They are buying them because they want to protect their families. When those products generate repeated nuisance alerts and the solution is "clean the sensor with compressed air," something has gone wrong. You had an opportunity to win over former Nest Protect customers looking for a new home. In my case, First Alert failed completely. Do better.

For starters, the First Alert smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detector was incredibly easy to install. From opening the package to setting up the app - this project took me around 15 minutes. This is my first Wi-Fi enabled Smoke and CO detector as my house was built in 2017 and they installed builder grade hard-wired detectors - this SC5 is a massive upgrade. Installation: As I mentioned, install was easy and straightforward. I would recommend downloading the First Alert by Resideo App prior to install. The printed directions were easy enough to follow but the sep-by-step walkthrough in the app would have made it even easier. The only issue I ran into is what to do with the third orange wire. My system is hardwired which means the detector needs to be wired to the rest of the system but the third wire is capped on the end, making it look like an antenna. After reading the directions a few times, I realized the wire needed to be cut and stripped to connect to the red wire in my system. This step should be clearer in the directions - all 3 wires should be cut and shipped in my opinion. Set-Up: Setup was about as easy as it gets for setting up a new smart device. Do know that you will have to setup an account with First Alert before you can get your new SC5 up and running. The app is solid but I doubt it will get much use. I do plan on replacing the other detectors in the house but until then, The app won't be much help outside of push notifications and the rare case I need to re-arm the unit if it does get triggered. Conclusion: The SC5 Smoke and CO detector was quick to install, easy to setup, and I look forward to converting the remaining detectors in my home. I'll have to see if First Alert offers a bundle deal for 5 or more units. So far, I would highly recommend SC5 for anyone looking to upgrade their whole home system.

Living in a multi-level home, we have 10 smoke detectors throughout the house & garage all interconnected. Only one of those was a carbon monoxide, which we kept near the boiler/water heater. None of these are Google/Nest, so this is our first "smart detector" with an app. Unboxing was fairly uneventful, we first downloaded the First Alert app, wanting to make sure the devie would connect before installing it. Android app installed no problem, other than it did take unusually long time (2-3 minutes) to connect with our wifi. We decided to install it on the upper level, which would give us carbon monoxide protection on each level. Removed the old detector, cleaned/vacuumed the area and noticed the our old mounting plate had the same mounting holes as the new one. We did take it down & change it; only for the fact that the new plate had a nice rubber gasket on it which makes for a nicer finish. Next moved on to test phase, wanting to make sure that the new First Alert would interact with the system properly. Tested both ways, the First Alert activated our system, and activating one of our already installed units set off the First Alert as well. Checked the app to insure it was recording the detector, all good. Herein lies the beauty of a smart detector - I can now get notifications 24/7 of problems whether I'm inside, outside, or anywhere for that matter. I've always had visions of detectors going off when I'm not at home and sending the pets into a neurotic friendly. The First Alert comes with a 3V Lithium battery, so theoretically should be good for 10 years, which is about the life of a detector. The only negative I have towards the First Alert is at this price point I'd like to have a night light activate when it goes off for easy/safe exit if the unexpected should occur. Other than that, highly recommend the product.

Purchased bc one of my nest detectors malfunctioned and needed to be replaced so purchased first alert for compatibility with my other nest detectors. So far its been great, it was super easy to install (works with nest wall mount that was already installed) & set up. One functionality i miss is that the nest use to light up when motion was detected, i wish the FA had the same function.

All of my Nest Protects have reached their 10 year expiration so I decided to continue my connected home with these. Nest did all of the R&D and set the gold standard on features. It baffles me why First Alert did not incorporate them into these devices. Relative to the Protect, these seem too expensive since they lack features and a desirable design language. I miss Pathway lighting most! A feature First Alert states they are considering on a future model. Not on these. What I like is their compatibility with the Protect mounting bracket and a wiring connector for a seamless, fast installation. It took me longer to get the ladder out than installing.

After my old nest smoke detectors hit the expiration date, I was looking at alternatives and Google announced these ones as the official partnership replacements. They were easy to install (went from battery to hardwired to save on batteries and was surprised to see they come with a rechargeable battery already, which save me the need to buy extra batteries) and cannot complain. Setup was a little bit cumbersome involving the vendor app plus the Google home one, but nothing major. The only thing I miss is the light functionality from the old smoke detectors, those were quite a bit life savers when walking during the night, but other than that, seem solid.

Decent product to replace Nest that Google sadly discontinued. Easy to install as replacement with included conversion kit. Only negative - is no night light built in. Sadly nobody seems to do this though, now that Nest is essentially gone.

This replaced a Nest device. It came with a wiring adapter that made replacing quick and easy. I wish it had the night light feature like the Nest it replaced.

It's not a Nest but it seems to work well so far. I do wish it had the nightlight feature.

Overly sensitive to steam, don’t put near a bathroom. Otherwise it’s a nice alarm that’s easy to install, app is straight forward.

This was purchased to replace an expired and now non-available google nest detector. It was almost plug and play as all power adapters are included. No need to call an electrician. Plug the new adapter into the old plu and you re ready to go. Even the connecting ring doe not have to be change. I had no issues with bluetooth connectivity.

This was purchased to replace one of several Nest Protect units that are about to expire. This was one of the contenders as a replacement and so it is working fine. The lack of motion lightning is disappointing, but the integration into Google Home was easy and works fine.

So far so good! We were unsure of how transitioning from a Nest device to a First Alert Smoke and Carbono Monoxide Detector would work, and we are satisfied with the instructions, the compatibility with the previous installation, and with adding it to our app for management.

This was suppose to be a replacement for the Nest Protect. I works fine but not the same. I like the Nest protect better. I guess it has the same capabilities when it comes to fire alarm and carbon monoxide sensor and that's it. You could connect to Wifi and download the app. If you are expecting it would be the same as the Nest protect. All I could say Nest protect is better. Too bad they discontinued it. Price wise too its on the expensive side.

I was quite impressed with the ease of replacement with my expiring Nest Protects. It was literally plug and play. The First Alert app is intuitive and has a great guided setup as well. I am also pleased how well the devices integrate into the Google Home app. The only knock on this device is the lack of a path light. Mine is located in my hallway and I miss having it light up when I walked by. Other than that, I've had it up for almost two months without any issues.

Perfect product. Works with nest. Little expensive. But does work great.

Integrates well with my existing Nest smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Easy to setup and use. No false alarms or issues in the years I have used them. I knew about the lack of night light and it doesn’t bother me.

Working fine. Not quite as nice as the Nest it replaced. When 1 alarm goes off they all alarm but do not announce which room has the issue. I believe you have to check the app for that.