Top Rated Smoke Detectors Buying Guide

Of all the appliances and devices in your home, smoke detectors are among the most important. Reliability is essential when choosing smoke alarms. We researched actual customer reviews and ratings to create our smoke detector buying guide.

Highest rated smoke detectors based on Amazon reviews

Best rated smoke alarms on AmazonLooking at what Amazon customers had to say, we gave the highest rating to two smoke detectors from Kidde. A model from Nest follows. Smoke alarms from Kidde and First Alert take the next two spots on our Amazon ranking. Models from X-Sense, First Alert and Kidde make up the remainder of the list.

Rank Model
1 Kidde i4618 (Firex)Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup
2 Kidde i12040 Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Smart Hush
3 Nest Protect 2nd Gen Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Battery
4 Kidde RF-SM-DC Wireless Interconnect Battery-Operated Smoke Alarm
5 First Alert BRK 9120B Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup, Single
6 X-Sense DS51 Battery-Operated Home Smoke + CO Alarm, Carbon Monoxide Detector & Fire Alarm with Photoelectric Sensor
7 First Alert BRK 3120B Hardwire Dual Photoelectric and Ionization Sensor Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup
8 X-Sense DS32 10-Year Extended Battery Life Home Smoke Detector Fire Alarm with Photoelectric Sensor
9 Kidde KN-COSM-BA Battery-Operated Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Warning
10 Kidde i9050 Battery Operated Basic Smoke Alarm with Low Battery Indicator
11 First Alert SA720CN Smoke Alarm Photoelectric Sensor with Escape Light
12 X-Sense Battery-Powered Home Smoke Detector Fire Alarm with Photoelectric Sensor
13 Fire Sentry i9040E Smoke Alarm

Best rated smoke alarms available at Wal-mart

Top rated smoke alarms at walmartAnalyzing the customer reviews and ratings at Wal-Mart, we gave the highest rating to a smoke alarm from Kidde. Another Kidde model follows, after which are two First Alert smoke detectors. After that is another unit from Kidde, and another First Alert model. The second half of the list from Wal-Mart includes several other models from Kidde and First Alert.

Rank Model
1 Kidde Hardwire Smoke Alarm I4618
2 Kidde Smoke and (CO) Carbon Monoxide Combo Alarm KN-COSM-BA
3 First Alert SCO403 Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detector, Combo Pack
4 First Alert SA303CN4 Battery Powered Smoke and Fire Alarm with Silence
5 KIDDE i12060 Smoke Alarm, Ionization, 120VAC, 9V
6 First Alert SA320CN-2 Smoke Alarm with Smart Sensing Technology and Nuisance Resistance
7 KIDDE 0915E Smoke Alarm, Ionization, 9V
8 First Alert SCO7CN Battery Operated Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Location
9 Kidde Long Life Sealed Battery Smoke Alarm i9010
10 Kidde Intelligent CO/Smoke Alarm KN-COSM-XTR-BA
11 First Alert Onelink Wireless Battery Operated Smoke Alarm With Voice Location Twin Pack
12 First Alert SA9120BPCN Hard Wired Smoke and Fire Detector With Adapter Kit

Conclusion

Overall, the smoke detectors that we gave the highest rankings to were from Kidde. However, there were many units from that manufacturer that did not fare as well. The same is true for other brands including First Alert. We recommend looking closely at the specifications for the smoke alarms you are considering. Make sure they have the features you need, and read some of the comments from buyers to see if there are any recurring issues.

Sources: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Lowes.com, Homedepot.com