The best smoke & carbon monoxide detectors for your home – NBC Chicago

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.