Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was disappointed when google decided to discontinue the Nest Protect. This fit the bill for me as it works with my other nest protects that havent expired and is aesthetically pleasing to me on the ceiling. So far so good!

We love these at both our old house rental and new . Peace of mind

It’s very new but happy with purchase to date. Phone app is a bonus.

Love it! The best one I ever got!!! I will keep getting this one

What a deal. Works as promised replacement for Nest product.

Easily replaced expired Nest detectors with compatible ones.

Replaced Nest Protect after it's 10 year lifespan. Simple replacement, even used the Nest's mounting bracket.

Disappointing--I wanted to replicate the experience of the Google Nests I have had for 10 years which are now discontinued. These were meant to be the true heirs of the Nest alerts but are barely a shadow of them--gone is the motion-activated ring lights we used to light up our dark hallways, the pleasant voice tests, quiet confidence in the combo CO2/smoke detection, and easy to quiet alarms. These First Alert model alerts are loud, obnoxious, and tinny sounding, the lights are hardly controllable, and emit a cold while LED, with a difficult to press silencing button. One of the two I purchased went off falsely TWICE within three weeks (in the early morning, no less) and I have trashed both of them to be sure they never return. And the 10 day return policy passed, so no money back. Garbage.

Bought 4 of these item and one of them gave me so many false alarms that i had to return it.

Horrible. Goes off everyday for no reaso. I have 8 hardwired and 1 battery operated. At least 6 of them keep going off with false alrams all throughout the day. I wanted these because of the app notifications however it made me rush home multiple times for false alarms.

Bought several of these to replace expired Nest Protect smoke/CO detectors. Was immediately disappointed by the cheap feeling quality and poor design compared to the Nest Protects. The set up process was in their app and getting the detectors to integrate with Google Home was a clunkly process that took several tries. Barely 3 month after installing these First Alerts, they began having constant false alarms, usually in the middle of the night. Junk. Do not buy.

I’ve had the device installed less than 2 months and it is frequently giving false alarms, often in the middle of the night.

For years I have wondered why smoke detectors continue to work as they do... Nothing smart or intelligent about them. They beep for an alarm, beep when the battery is dying, beep when they need to be replaced, cannot be muted, and (depending on where they are located) can be prone to false alarms. I have numerous IoT devices in my house and wondered when smoke detectors would finally join the fold. Well, I do not have to wait anymore. This combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector connects to an application on my smartphone via my home's wireless network. I can monitor its status from my phone and, if it detects anything (smoke or carbon monoxide), I receive a notification on my phone. This hardwired detector was very easy to install. The faceplate is what I would call a standard size that attached easily to the junction box in my ceiling. The wiring matched up perfectly with what was already in place (then again, I believe my previous smoke detectors were First Alert detectors as well). Given the technology built into the detector, there was some setup required through the smartphone app. A nice feature was that the smoke detector actually spoke to me in plain English (I believe Spanish and maybe French is an option too). No mysterious beep patterns to try and figure out! The setup through the app was pretty straightforward and easy. (Hint. Download the app first. It provides step-by-step installation and setup instructions. I kind of did it backward and installed first, then opened the app.) The unit has a special battery built into it that can be disconnected and swapped out. No 9 volt battery, though. It is also supposed to be replaced after 10 years (which is pretty common for smoke detectors; they do not last forever). If you have a lot of detectors in your house, however, that can be pricy to replace them all at once. Unfortunately (or fortunately, actually), I have no idea how well the unit detects smoke or carbon monoxide, so i cannot rate the detector on those factors. Then again, that can be said for essentially any detector unless you physically test it with smoke or bump gasses (CO). This detector is interconnected, so I would assume it beeps when others do. I do not know, though, if it will send a message through the app if another detector in the house goes off. While I am not sure it matters to anyone, the detector is a little larger than a traditional smoke detector, so that may be something to keep in mind (if you are worried about the aesthetic of the detector). So, in brief, as other detectors in my house reach the end of their 10-year life, I will probably replace them with this detector because it can be managed through a smartphone app and they all work together, which is a nice feature.

It is terrible. I bought four and one of them gives me a false alarm.

Not a good product. Tons of false alarms and changed out twice. Will be returning

I'm actually liking that more and more product are gaining wifi connectivity. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should definitely be in the smart home. The setup of this First Alert detector was very simple and frustration free. Just download the app, make an account, and follow along with the directions. Installation is also very simple. Just 2 wires if you have separate hard wired alarms, the 3rd wire (orange) is the interconnect wire if you have multiple alarms linked together. It's nice that this alarm uses a battery pack instead of having to replace batteries every year. You can almost forget about it after it's installed and set up. (for 10 years) Hopefully the only time you have to deal with it, is perhaps a misguided cooking adventure in the kitchen that goes awry. If this happens, it's great to have the smartphone app. You can get the alerts and silence the alarm from your phone. Great if the Smoke detectors are higher up in a peak. The app does work but right now it's pretty slow to respond. Hopefully that will be fixed with an update. I even like the design of this smoke/Co2 detector, looks more modern and updated. I definitely recommend this First Alert alarm.

I’m really disappointed with this product. It's a significant downgrade from the Nest Protect smart smoke detector. It doesn't have a night path feature or perform nightly checks, and you can't silence it using an app. The green status LED light is overly bright, illuminating half of the room and shining through the detector, making it pointless to try to block it.

Very disappointed with this smoke detector. It malfunctioned just 3 weeks after installed. Made me go in complete panic for no reason.

I recently had to replace an aging smoke detector and decided to upgrade to a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. After some research, I landed on the First Alert Hardwired unit, and I'm very glad I did. This thing is a serious piece of equipment that gives me true peace of mind. Installation Was a Breeze (Mostly) I was a little apprehensive about the "hardwired" part, and while the process was straightforward, I felt more comfortable having an electrician handle the final connection. The unit comes with a quick-connect wiring harness that was compatible with my existing wiring. All the electrician had to do was attach the three wires to the new harness (black, white, and red for the interconnect feature), clip it in, and twist the detector onto the ceiling bracket. The whole process took less than 15 minutes. The battery backup is a nice touch, too—no need to worry about power outages. Design & Features The detector itself is a simple, clean white disc that blends in perfectly with my ceiling. It's not a big, clunky eyesore like some of the older models. The single button on the front is easy to access for testing or hushing a false alarm (like when I burned some toast). I love that it clearly announces whether it's detecting smoke or carbon monoxide with a different tone and voice prompt. The interconnectivity feature is a major selling point for me; now I know that if one unit goes off, they all will, giving everyone in the house a loud and clear warning. Performance & Reliability So far, it's been rock solid. I've done a few tests to make sure it works, and it's loud and effective. I haven't had any false alarms, which is a huge plus. The hardwired connection means I don't have to constantly check the battery life, which was a constant worry with my old, purely battery-operated detectors. The peace of mind knowing that I have both smoke and CO detection from a single, reliable unit is worth every penny. Final Verdict If you're looking for a hardwired, reliable, and easy-to-install combination detector, the First Alert Hardwired is an excellent choice. It's well-designed, packed with the right features, and most importantly, it provides a crucial layer of safety for your home and family. I highly recommend it. Rating: ★★★★★

The ubiquitous and simple smoke alarm has received a major tech upgrade. Behold, the First Alert SC5, which does a lot more than just hang on the wall sniff for smoke.... and sometimes chirp annoyingly (always in the middle of the night) when the battery gets low. This one multi-tasks, keeping tabs on not only smoke but deadly carbon monoxide. It's also smart and well-connected, able to alert you via smartphone of problems, no matter where that may be at the time. And did I mention it talks now too...and has a big square test button in the middle that glows different colors, depending on what the device is doing? Yep, that is how far we have come from the days when smoke alarms were set and forget devices that did just one thing pretty well -- and were pretty inexpensive to boot. About that. This new one from First Alert is not. Inexpensive that is. You have to pay up if want all those new abilities from your next smoke alarm. Keep in mind this is a top-of-the-line model that does pretty anything a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector can be expected to do, and then some. That includes the capability of being tied in to a Google Nest Protect system, if you already have one of those. Or another compatible hard-wired smoke alarm, if your home already is wired that way. That means both alarms go off at the same time if one detects any problems. Even if you don't have either of these setups, this First Alert model is a breeze to install, especially if you are replacing an existing First Alert alarm. That's because it uses the same wiring harness, and can plug right in (this is a wired model with battery backup). You will have replace the round wall mount but that usually is a simple matter since they are typically held in place by two screws. Just pull the old one off, install the new mount that comes with the smoke detector. But I am getting ahead of myself since the overall setup process is a bit more complicated and must be completed first, before the detector is mounted on the wall. That involves downloading the app, which oddly enough, is not found in the app store under First Alert but the company's owner's name, Resideo. You cannot set up this detector without it. Then you have to go through the usual registration nonsense. Then can you pull the clear plastic battery tab on the detector (which provides power) and begin the setup. The app, along with lights and voice prompts from the detector, walk you through each step. You will need to scan a QR code to identify your model and punch in your home Wi-Fi network information along the way. The detector should tell you when you have successfully completed setup. Then you can mount it on the wall. Be aware if you pull the battery tab too soon, the detector may time out mid-install and you will have to start over. (This happend to me) Install the app first, complete the registration, then pull the tab. One big advantage of having an app is you don't have to drag out a ladder and climb up to press the button to do the weekly tests. (Yes, that is recommended) You can do all that from your smart phone app, and then revel in the narration the detector spits out during the tests, including warning you the alarm will be very loud when it sounds. You know that, of course, but it is nice to be reminded. This is also when you get to see the test button glow different colors, since each function is color coded. Otherwise, the button light is off. But there is a small always-on green pilot light, to show the detector is getting power from the house. This particular model is also supposed to be fine tuned to avoid the kind of nuisance alarms that sometimes occur when cooking. And even if it does go off, you can shut it off with the app, instead of climbing the ladder or knocking it off the wall with a broom handle to get it to stop beeping. That's something you don't want to do anyway with a detector this expensive. This model comes with backup batteries and is supposed to work for 10 years. Replacement is recommended after that. And will remind you of that with those now familiar chirps.