Pyrexx PX-1 Smoke Alarm Black

Product Information

An interesting by-product of the new breed of smart alarms is the fire-related data being collected, as is the case with Google, which makes the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm. Google told us that it uses data from its alarms to provide ‘meaningful insights’ for its customers and to improve the product. The best smoke alarms you can buy in 2023 1. Google Nest Protect: Best smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm If it does go off inadvertently, the large, central test/mute button makes it easy to silence, saving your ears from a thrashing. As with the Pro Connected, it buys you ten minutes to clear the air, while a “sleep easy” function gets you eight hours of quiet if you press the button once the low battery warning starts. Little touches such as this elevate the ST-622Q above your run-of-the-mill smoke alarms, making it one of the best options for most households. In Scotland, since February 2022, interlinked smoke and heat alarms have needed to be fitted in all homes.

This could be critical if you’re out when there’s a fire. All of the smart smoke alarms we've tested are optical models. As smoke enters, the infrared light is scattered onto the photodiode light receptor, triggering an alarm. They detect the larger smoke particles from slower smouldering fires. This also allows the sensor threshold level to be increased, thereby improving the signal to noise ratio and reducing susceptibility to false alarms. The ALN-EN(BLK) smoke chamber is easily removed or replaced for cleaning and utilises a unique improved baffle design which allows smoke to enter the chamber whilst keeping out ambient light.For kitchen, garage or workshop use, fire services also recommend fitting a heat alarm. These sense hot air rather than smoke, and trigger when the air in the sensor chamber reaches a specific temperature, which is usually 58°C. Heat alarms are slower to respond than actual smoke alarms, but they’re also not as prone to false alarms. They won’t go off when you’re grilling sausages or burning toast, but they still provide ample warning if something catches fire in your kitchen. Now that the alarms law has changed in Scotland, you'll need to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in your home. All of the major manufacturers (Aico, FireAngel and Kidde) make smoke and heat alarms that will work in combination with one another and we have tested pairs of smoke and heat alarms from each of them.

Interlinking when one alarm goes off, all the connected detectors are activated. This can be particularly useful in a larger house. Meanwhile, a system of colour-coded indicators on the central ring gives you visual alerts and updates, and even a subtle night light if you pass it in the dark. It’s more expensive than other smoke alarms, but if you’re invested in making your home smarter, this is the alarm to buy. As of February 2022, the Nest protect smoke and CO alarm no longer meet the requirements of the new Scottish alarm laws. This is because, while it can be linked to other Nest alarms, it has no way of detecting heat rises or of being linked to another heat alarm. The latter are pricier when you buy for the first time, but you won't have to factor in the expense of replacement battery costs.Ionisation alarms ionise the air between two electrodes. These are positively and negatively charged, creating a small current inside the chamber.

Batteries used to be the weakness of most household smoke alarms, requiring replacement every year or so and usually running out of charge, causing the low battery alarm to ring, in the middle of the night. As with carbon monoxide alarms, the trend is now towards alarms with a built-in, 10-year lithium battery, designed to work for the alarm’s effective lifespan. In Scotland, these are now a legal requirement. In England and Wales, however, you can still buy and use alarms with a replaceable 9V battery, and these often work out cheaper. We’d recommend paying extra for the convenience and peace of mind, but the choice is yours. Is there anything else worth looking out for?

The best smoke alarms you can buy in 2023

Interlinked smoke alarms will use the same optical or ionisation technology mentioned above, so, they're not a type of alarm in their own right. We test smoke alarms using an aerosol tester, sprayed in the direction of the alarm for up to five seconds from a distance of 30cm. If the alarm doesn’t respond within four seconds, we don’t recommend it. Having completed this functional test, we take a careful look at any controls, screens, or indicators to see how clear and effective these are. Of course, it is entirely possible to get connected smoke alarms that hook up directly to your home network via Wi-Fi, or through a proprietary connection or a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub. The advantage with these is that they can warn you of a fire through an alarm or alert on your smartphone, and also, with some systems, trigger smart lighting to come on. How we test smoke alarms Smart smoke alarms are designed to sound the alarm when they detect smoke, as a conventional smoke alarm would. But the unique selling point of a smart smoke alarm is the ability to send alerts to your phone when there’s a fire.

Pros: Good for bedrooms, landings and hallways, and near to kitchens as they aren’t as prone to false alarms from cooking. Pros: Can suit dustier areas, such as lofts, the area near your bathroom or rooms where people smoke. These alarms are more sensitive to smaller particles of smoke produced by the flaming stage of fires than optical alarms, and more easily triggered by cooking – causing false alarms.So if you’re out of your home and not near your phone when the messages come through, you’ll have no way of knowing the alarm was sounding.