Replacing your smoke detectors with a “smart” version is a great next step for any SmartThings home owner. They might not be the first smart product you think of purchasing when designing your smarthome, but if you’re already invested in the SmartThings ecosystem, there’s a good chance you’ll upgrade them at some point. This guide was recently updated for 2021.
Even though SmartThings isn’t in the hardware business anymore and Aeotec has taken over the hub market, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any great zwave smoke detectors to add to SmartThings.
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During my research to find the best SmartThings smoke detector, I realized that there isn’t very many SmartThings compatible smoke detectors on the market today. There are, however, smoke alarm listeners, which are basically devices that “listen” for your regular smoke alarm to go off and can notify you then. So, there are definitely options for those of you on the fence.
In A Hurry? Here’s our Top 2…
Amazon productFirst Alert Zcombo 2-1 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Smoke Alarm
- Help keep your family safe with this battery powered smoke and carbon monoxide detector alarm
- Unit uses wireless Z wave technology to send mobile alerts if the alarm goes off, so you are aware whether you're at home or away
This gets on our best SmartThings smoke detector list because of its ease of install, battery life, price, and reliability. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries and is both zwave and zigbee wireless. To pair, simply install the batteries, hold the ON button down, and push in the battery compartment while adding the device to the ST app.
After much research on Amazon, Reddit, and the Smarthings community, this is the most recommend and highest rated SmartThings compatible smoke detector. Also, if you’re looking for a smoke detector that can be added as a regular zwave device in Smarthings – this is the ONLY option.
It will still work normally even if your SmartThings hub goes offline, you just won’t receive the alerts. I personally use this one in my house and haven’t had any issues for the last 9 months.
What We Like:
- 3 beeps for smoke, 4 beeps for Co2 alert
- 85 Decibels loud
- Ability to view status and battery life from within SmartThings
- Long battery life; 94% remaining after 1 year
- Ability to create “Low Battery Alert” in Automations tab
What We Don’t Like:
- No way to disarm remotely
- Only battery powered
- 1 alert for either smoke or Co2
Samsung SmartThings ADT Smoke Alarm
Amazon productIf you already have an ADT security system, the SmartThings ADT Smoke Alarm is a great option. Setup and installation is super easy, just point your phone camera at the barcode.
It’s important to note that you will need to purchase the ADT Security Starter Kit for this smoke alarm to work. It will not work directly with SmartThings like the First Alert ZCombo does. This smoke alarm will work without the hub or SmartThings integrations; you just won’t receive the notification. Although this alarm only gets 3.5 starts on Amazon, most of the lower reviews are caused by user error or by not reading that an ADT hub is required.
And if you don’t already have ADT, their monitoring service will run you between $15-$35 per month depending on the type of monitoring you want for your home.
Things We Like:
- Manufactured by a trusted, reputable brand
- 24/7 Peace of mind
- Alerts and notifications work well
- Battery powered, easy to install
Things We Don’t Like:
- Smoke alarm only (no Co2)
- Requires ADT Starter Kit hub
Nest Protect
- Smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector that speaks up in a friendly voice to give you an early warning when there's smoke or CO in your home
- Split Spectrum Sensor looks for both fast burning and smoldering, and tells you where the danger is
This guide is mostly about SmartThings, but I had to point out one more highly recommend one: The Nest Protect.
The Nest Protect smoke alarm will work with your existing Nest security system and is not directly compatible with SmartThings. However, there are some really nice features only available on the Protect that may make it worth your while. After all, not every device needs to be integrated into SmartThings; it just simplifies you from having to open a bunch of different apps.
Purchasing Nest Protects in every room in your house might not make sense financially for you, but we do recommend purchasing at least one near the kitchen or laundry room, which are two rooms of the house most likely to catch on fire. And if you have kids, an added bonus of the Nest Protect is that it will will announce which room in the house detects smoke instead of just beeping throughout the entire house.
Things We Like:
- Motion pathway lights (no more walking around the house in the dark at night!)
- Voice-announced location (ie. – Smoke in Master Bedroom)
- Ability to mute/silence alarm from phone app
- Smoke + Co2
Things We Don’t Like:
- Price
- Little control over smoke alarm test times (more of a time range that a specific time)
Best SmartThings Audio Listeners for Smoke Alarms
Rather than replacing all of your existing smoke detectors, another option for smart home owners is adding an audio listener device into your ecosystem. These basically sense when your smoke alarm goes off and triggers whatever you want. For example, send a notification, turn off all appliances, unlock the front door, etc.
Most homes only need one audio listener, which makes these one of the most affordable options.
EcoLink Firefighter Wireless Audio Detector
- AUDIO DETECTOR: Listens to existing smoke or CO detectors in the home and sends signal to your Z-Wave network
- NO FALSE ALARMS: No false alarms with patented detection Algorithms and professional security Grade Accuracy and performance
Things We Like:
- Inexpensive
- No need to replace all smoke alarms
- Unlimited triggers
Things We Don’t Like:
- Not a true SmartThings smoke alarm
Wyze Camera w/ Built-In Audio Detection
- 1080P Full HD live stream direct to your smartphone day or night with night vision (up to 30 feet away). works with 2. 4GHz Wi-Fi networks (does not support 5GHz Wi-Fi)
- Motion tagging technology detects and outlines motion in both live stream and playback video modes
The Wyze camera has a built-in sound detection system that will detect carbon monoxide or smoke signals from your existing smoke detectors. The Wyze cam listens for the T4 frequency for CO and listens to T3 sound for smoke.
Although the Wyze cam doesn’t integrate directly with SmartThings, you can still have it send notifications when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected, which works just as well and doesn’t require any monthly subscriptions or additional hubs.
What We Like:
- Inexpensive
- Can be mounted almost anywhere
- No monthly fees
- Detects T3 and T4 frequencies for both smoke and carbon monoxide
What We Don’t Like:
- Not compatible with Smartthings
- Smoke rises, and by default these wyze cams are meant to sit on a desk
Best Smart Smoke Alarm Brands
When trusting you and your family’s life, you obviously want to go with a company that has been around for a very long time. Older companies are trusted and have a more reputable track record. While there were other zwave or wifi smoke alarms on the market a couple years ago, some of those companies no longer exist.
The last thing you want to do is invest time and money into a new product just because it’s compatible with SmartThings, only to discover the company is going out of business. Leeo is a perfect example of this.
Since there are so few options for smart smoke detectors, we recommend sticking with the main brands:
ADT
ADT has been in business since 1874 and is a household name we all know and trust. They provide security to hundreds of thousands of customers. Because of this, Samsung chose ADT to be the primary partner for their very own smart smoke detector. Considering SmartThings is still in it’s infancy, i would expect more integration, better improvements, and better support for the ADT Smoke Alarm than most others.
Nest
Nest has an entire product line of highly rate, consumer grade products. They are pioneers in the smart home and smart security category, and have high ratings and satisfied customers to prove. Now backed by Google, I would expect many more improvements and features added to their existing smoke alarm.
First Alert
First Alert is another common household name we all know. In fact, most of us have First Alert smoke alarms already installed in our house. They were the first brand to introduce battery-powered smoke alarms back in 1980, which makes them why they are one of the first brands to create a zwave smoke detector.
Getting Started with Smart Smoke Detectors
Upgrading your smoke detectors may seem like a daunting task. Because there aren’t very many options to choose from, the decision is even harder. Do you choose one that ties in directly with SmartThings or one that requires a subscription? Do you choose to bypass SmartThings altogether and choose a smart one through a popular brand?
Since we know how difficult it was for us to make a decision, we’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions here for you.
Does SmartThings have a wired smoke detector?
Nope. These is currently no smart smoke detector on the market that can be tied into your existing smoke alarm system. If you are looking for the best wired smart smoke detector, we recommend the EcoLink Audio Detector.
Do zwave smoke detectors work with Google Home?
There is currently no smoke detectors that will audibly announce via Google Assistant or Google Home if there is a fire. Nest is owned by Google now, so I would expect that feature to be available in the near future.
Are smart smoke detectors worth it?
The biggest advantage of smart smoke detectors is peace of mind. Regular smoke detectors can only alert you when you are at home, where smart ones can notify you anywhere in the world. If you’re already invested in upgrading the majority of your “dumb” products in your house, then it makes sense to upgrade.
Final Thoughts
Not every device in your house needs to be automated or smart. It’s a matter of personal preference. When looking for the best SmartThings smoke detector or the best wifi smoke detector, we realized there wasn’t very many options to choose from.
But, the few that are available are distinctly different and each have their own strengths and weaknesses. The best part is that even if you decide to migrate from SmartThings to Home Assistant, you can still add all of you zwave devices such as SmartThings buttons or SmartThings motion sensors directly into Home Assistant quickly and easily.
Even if you aren’t ready to make every room in the house smart, we still recommend replacing at one near the kitchen and choosing one that will send you alerts.
A small piece of mind investment can go a long way.
In case you skipped to the end, here’s out #1 pick in 2020:
- Help keep your family safe with this battery powered smoke and carbon monoxide detector alarm
- Unit uses wireless Z wave technology to send mobile alerts if the alarm goes off, so you are aware whether you're at home or away
My Favorite SmartThings Devices
Below are some of the SmartThings-compatible devices I’ve personally used in my home.
- Hub: Aeotec SmartThings Hub
- Smart Plugs: Securifi Peanut plugs
- Motion Sensors: Aeotec SmartThings Motion Sensor
- Camera: Aeotec SmartThings Indoor Camera
- Garage Door Opener: MyQ Chamberlain (works with all existing garage door openers)
The full list of all zwave & ZigBee devices I use can be found on my Equipment List page.
