Smart homes continue to get smarter and the Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (either battery or wired) is everything you would expect from the people who brought you the Nest thermostat.
We have had this 5 inch x 5 inch x 1.5 inch smoke and CO detector on the ceiling of our kitchen since it became available. What I think is especially cool about it is…
- It can be checked for readiness from a simple smart phone app indicating its state as well as that of the battery (if that's your choice of model).
- When it does go off for reasons other than an actual fire (like your bacon is burning) or CO2 alert, simply waving your hand underneath it, turns the alarm off. The Nest also gives you a gentle verbal warning rather than an unexpected shriek. when an actual alarm is coming.
- Testing consists of pressing the center most button and the Nest announces its intentions – to perform a simple test including a countdown. All steps are verbally communicated so you know exactly what's happening.
- Should you be a Nest thermostat user as well as a Nest Protect user, and should there be an actual fire, the Nest thermostat will shut down the gas furnace as that could be a further source of fire or ignition.
- And, should the alarm go off for any reason, a message is sent to your smart phone.
- Especially cool is that the illuminated ring around the center of the monitor acts as a night light when the lights in the room are turned out and also does such in the event of a power failure.
- And for those who really care about such things, it's beautifully designed.
Worth the $100 when you can get one for $15? If you're into the smart home thing, certainly. But, even if not, it just seems more than worth it given the long lasting battery with no chirping to awaken you at night when batteries run low, really easy testing and just a bit more gentle on the senses than the standard howling alarm. — Neil J. Salkind
