Four smart home security systems you can install
Feeling safe at home is something we often take for granted. After all, why shouldn’t you feel safe while you’re in the one place in the world you call your own?
Unfortunately, there may come a time when feeling unsafe at home becomes a reality. Break-ins can happen at any time of year to any home, regardless of what you have inside. While having home insurance is one way to ensure your contents are protected, home security systems are one way to help prevent break-ins in the first place.
Home security systems
While you may think of home security systems as something big, expensive and unsightly, this isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Like many items, these systems are moving with the times, with many joining the smart tech revolution.
To help you find the perfect one for you and your home, we’ve compiled a guide featuring some of the best smart home security systems on the market today.
Ring alarm
One of the latest additions to the home security market, this is perfect for those looking for a starter system. It comes with a hub, keyboard, motion detector and contact sensor – it’s a home security setup that won’t disappoint.
Starting at relatively cheap prices, the ring alarm is a system that can be controlled through an app, and you can even add more comprehensive pieces of equipment as you go. These include items such as doorbells and outdoor security systems. One of the best features of a ring alarm system is that the manufacturer is aiming to make all items compatible with smart home devices soon.
Nest Secure
If you’re worried about installing these systems, then Nest is perfect for you. Simple and easy to use, this is a system that’s found a solution for almost all of your home security needs.
While at the higher end of the pricing bracket, you can set this up easily thanks to the QR codes on each part of the system. All you have to do is scan each with the Nest app to integrate them. Once this has been done, it’ll be tested to check it works, and then you can customise your settings. The pieces are also easy to fit into your home thanks to their adhesive backs.
The system itself has three different security settings: Home and Guarding, Guarding, and Off. While Guarding ensures that the full system is operational, and Off deactivates it, Home and Guarding is a little different.
This setting keeps the alarm on while you’re in the house but won’t set it off as you go about your business. However, if an attempt to break-in happens, it’ll activate. But don’t worry if you need to pop out for a moment, as there’s a button that’ll allow you to disconnect it temporarily.
Simplisafe
While a little bit more complex to use than the Nest, this is still a pretty simple system to use.
Versatile too, this system comes with a base station, keypad, motion sensors, and door and window sensors, which all feature pull tabs. You use these tabs to activate each piece of the system, which involves activating the base station first, followed by the keypad and then the rest. Following this, just press the test button on each device and let them sync themselves – it’s that simple.
Easy to attach around the house due to the adhesive pads, the system has three settings: Off, Home and Away.
While Off deactivates the system, Home is handy for the night when you know no one’s going to be coming and going. If someone does come in, they’ll have to enter a pin to turn the alarm off. Meanwhile, Away will turn on things such as motion alerts – perfect for when you’re on holiday or at work.
Somfy Protect
Another good entry level home security system, the Somfy Protect can be teamed with the Somfy Camera One and is easy to activate.
While consisting of a number of components, such as window and door sensors, motion sensors, key fobs and indoor and outdoor sirens, these all talk to the main hub. What makes it particularly great is how you can choose the type of protection you want, and where.
Operated through an app, which can also be used to monitor live video footage, this system features IntelliTAG sensors – which are key components of the Somfy Protect. These can be placed at the most vulnerable parts of your house, and synced with the main hub.
While home security systems are perfect for helping to prevent burglaries, making sure you have home insurance could be crucial should the worse happen.