Three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working alarms, but Consumer Reports has revealed their top picks to help keep your family and belongings safe. PJ Randhawa has more.
Ratings Provided by Consumer Reports
Three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working alarms, but Consumer Reports has revealed their top picks to help keep your family and belongings safe.
Many house fires today, burn faster, hotter, and are deadlier than ever. That’s because many newer homes have open floor plans with fewer walls and doors, allowing the fire to travel faster and more freely.
Another factor is that many homes have furnishings made with synthetic materials, like plastic or particleboard, which burn much quicker than solid wood, so getting an early fire warning and then getting out is more important than ever.
The ability to sense carbon monoxide (CO) with a smoke and CO detector can also mean the difference between life and death.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400 Americans die from accidental CO poisoning every year and more than 100,000 require emergency care. And, while most detectors look similar and come certified by a testing organization such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Intertek Electrical Testing Labs (ETL), they don’t all respond with the same speed and efficiency.
That’s why Consumer Reports put dozens of models to the test. In their lab, they expose the devices to low CO levels (100 parts per million) and high CO levels (400 ppm) to see how quickly and accurately they detect the colorless, odorless gas. For models that display or announce specific CO levels, we check the accuracy of those readings.
It’s comparable to the way they test smoke detectors, exposing them to flaming fires and smoldering, smoky fires to see how well they handle both.
Most detectors need to be hardwired, battery-powered, or plugged into an outlet. To determine the type you need, remove the detector in your home from its mount.
- Hardwired detectors require special wiring that’s typically found only in newer or renovated homes. It runs from the detector into a wall or ceiling.
- Battery-powered detectors are wireless, which means they can be installed anywhere. They typically use replaceable batteries (usually 9-volt or AA) or lithium batteries that are sealed inside and last 10 years.
- Plug-in detectors receive power from an outlet. Like hardwired detectors, though, they have a backup battery that takes over in the event of a power outage and those batteries need to be replaced annually.
Newer models offer other helpful features—like smart home alerts via a mobile app or the ability to work in unison with other detectors, so when one goes off, they all do.
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To see every model Consumer Reports tested, visit their smoke and carbon monoxide detector ratings (available to everyone, free of charge). For more help in selecting the model that’s best for you, check out CR's buying guide, too. Below are the best smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, depending on your home’s needs.
CR is committed to safety. Ratings of lifesaving products like smoke and CO detectors, car seats, and bike helmets are available to everyone.
Best Hardwired Smoke Detectors
Kidde PI2010
Price: $38.47Shop
Flaming fires
Smoldering fires
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Smoke Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
97
The Kidde PI2010 has dual sensors—an ionization sensor for detecting flames and a photoelectric sensor for detecting smoky fires—and receives the highest scores possible in our flaming and smoldering fire tests. The hardwired alarm features a battery backup, a hush button, and the ability to interconnect with other detectors. To determine which models are compatible, check with Kidde.
First Alert 3120B
Price: $33.98 - $40.45Shop
Flaming fires
Smoldering fires
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Smoke Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
96
The dual-sensor First Alert 3120B receives top scores in our flaming and smoldering fire tests. It’s hardwired with a battery backup, which makes it a good candidate for newer or remodeled homes. Other features include a hush button to silence nuisance alarms and the ability to work in unison with other detectors to alert you to danger in a different room or on a different floor.
Best Battery-Powered Smoke Detectors
Kidde RF-SM-DC
Price: $40.97Shop
Flaming fires
Smoldering fires
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Smoke Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
99
This Kidde RF-SM-DC smoke detector performs excellently in CR’s flaming and smoldering fire tests. It’s wireless and runs on AA batteries. It works together with compatible Kidde detectors. And should the alarm be triggered by cooking, the model features a handy hush button.
SimpliSafe SSSD3
Price: $44.99Shop
Flaming fires
Smoldering fires
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Smoke Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
93
The wireless SimpliSafe SSSD3 smoke detector passed CR’s flaming and smoldering fire tests with high ratings. It’s powered by a CR123A battery and can be interconnected with other detectors for added safety. Like other high-ranking models, it also features a hush button so you can quickly quiet false alarms.
Kidde i9080
Price: $32.00Shop
Flaming fires
Smoldering fires
-Interconnectable: No
See all Smoke Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
93
The top-notch Kidde i9080 runs on a 9-volt battery, includes a hush button, and receives strong scores in our flaming and smoldering fire tests. When activated, it emits an 85-decibel alarm and turns on a safety light for more visibility in smoky conditions. One downside: It can’t interconnect with other detectors.
Best Carbon Monoxide Detectors
First Alert OneLink SCO501CN
Price: $70
High CO levels
Display/voice
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Carbon Monoxide Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
93
If you need a battery-powered CO detector, the First Alert OneLink SCO501CN excels in our tests for detecting high and low CO levels as well as for the accuracy of its CO readings. When the alarm detects CO, an 85-decibel siren and voice alarm indicates what’s happening and where, using 11 programmable locations. The model can wirelessly interconnect with other First Alert-enabled alarms and has a peak memory feature, which logs the highest CO reading so you can see whether there was a problem while you were away from home.
First Alert CO615
Price: $34.99Shop
High CO levels
Display/voice
-Interconnectable: No
See all Carbon Monoxide Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
91
One of the few plug-in CO detectors in our ratings, the First Alert CO615 beats out its hardwired brethren, with strong scores for quickly detecting high and low CO levels, as well as a respectable score for the accuracy of its CO-level display. It features a battery backup and peak memory, so you can check to see if CO levels spiked when you were away from home for an extended period of time. It’s a standalone device, though, which means it can’t interconnect with other CO detectors.
Best Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Kidde i12010SCO
Price: $65
Flaming fires
High CO levels
-Interconnectable: No
See all Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
97
This Kidde i12010SCO combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector earns excellent ratings across the board. It performs well in our flaming and smoldering fire tests and successfully identifies high and low CO levels. It’s a hardwired model, so may not be a good fit in older homes. It’s also not able to interconnect with other detectors in your dwelling or to send smart home alerts to your cell phone.
Kidde Smart P4010DCSCO-W (Battery)
Price: $68.99 - $79.97Shop
Flaming fires
High CO levels
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
93
The Kidde Smart P4010DCSCO-W combination smoke and CO detector earned high scores in CR’s flaming and smoldering fire tests. It relies on a photoelectric sensor, which is typically better at detecting smoldering fires, and runs on a 10-year lithium battery. It offers a voice alarm and can interconnect with detectors across your home, two helpful features if you’re not near the source of the CO leak.
Kidde KN-COSM-IBA
Price: $78.95Shop
Flaming fires
High CO levels
-Interconnectable: Yes
See all Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors Ratings
Overall Score
92
If you’re looking for a hardwired option, the Kidde KN-COSM-IBA also performs well. It receives top-level marks in our smoldering and flaming fire tests, high- and low-CO-level test, and for the accuracy of its CO-level display. The model has the ability to log the highest CO levels it detects, helpful if you’ve been away from home. It also has a AA battery backup and the ability to interconnect with compatible alarms.
