SimpliSafe Home Security An Expert Review (2019)
SimpliSafe is one of the more affordable and reliable DIY (do-it-yourself) security providers currently on the market. In this post we will go over SimpliSafe’s equipment, monitoring plans, pricing and more!
History
Before we dive into what basic services and equipment SimpliSafe has to offer, let us first give you some background information as to who they are.
SimpliSafe is home security company that is based in Boston Massachusetts. SimpliSafe was founded in 2006 by Harvard business students and their goal was to make a system that worked for renters, seeing that most security systems are generally for home or business use only. So they came up with a system that didn’t require contracts.
Since SimpliSafe was founded they have quickly risen to the top of DIY security providers, and are a very highly rated company.
Control panel/keypad
SimpliSafe has an impressive lineup of security equipment, from a state of the art control panel to door/window sensors to carbon monoxide sensors. All of their sensors are wireless and battery operated, and you can install them by using double-side tape or mounting brackets, both of which are included with the sensors.
Base Station
The brains of the SimpliSafe system, the Base Station, has recently been redesigned to give it more modern features as well as a more modern look. The Base Station has a cone shaped design with LED indicator lights at the bottom of the base of the hub that will change different colors to indicate different arm and disarm statuses. It also has an audio voice alert that will let you know when your system has been armed and disarmed or when one of your security sensors has been triggered.
The Base Station is also wireless and cellular, which works by connecting to the intrusion and environmental safety devices that are connected to it through a wireless signal, and transmits alarm signals from your Base Station to the monitoring station through a cellular chip. The new version of the base also includes a second connection for your system through WiFi which gives you a double layer of protection.
The Base Station is powered through an AC power source but also includes a 24-hour backup battery just in case your power goes out. When a security event has been triggered, the SimpliSafe Base Station has a 105-decibel internal siren that will give you an audible alert. Another really cool new feature for this hub is that it now works with Amazon’s Alexa.
Keypad
To control your SimpliSafe Base Station you will use a separate push button keypad. The keypad is battery operated, and allows you to arm and disarm your SimpliSafe system by entering your user code.
The keypad allows you to add new sensors as well as control the features of your intrusion sensors and the Base Station itself. You can also control the Base Station and all devices connected to the Base Station with the SimpliSafe app which works for PC, Apple, and Android devices.
Sensors
Door/window sensor
There are several basic sensors that SimpliSafe offers that will give you total home security coverage. These sensors have also gone through some design changes to make them more compact and easier to place. SimpliSafe’s door/window sensors are meant to be placed on the frames of your door/windows, and will alert you when your doors and windows have been opened or closed.
Motion sensor
The next type of intrusion sensor that SimpliSafe has to offer is the motion sensor. SimpliSafe’s motion sensors are designed to detect motion in the room in which you have placed them. These sensors are perfect for covering multiple windows and doors in a single large room and can often replace the need for a door/window sensor on each and every door and window. The detection angle on this sensor is 90 degrees and it can detect motion up to 40 ft. away. It is also pet immune, which means it will do a fairly good job of not going off in the presence of your furry friends.
Glass break sensor
They also offer glass break sensors that can detect the sound of glass breaking in your home. If your home has a lot of windows then it would be worth it to invest in a glass break sensor. A glass break sensor typically has a (radial) range of 20 ft. and can be mounted on the ceiling or on a wall in front of adjacent to the window or windows you are trying to secure.
External siren
SimpliSafe also has an external 105-decibel siren which is a great option for those of you who have a larger home, and want to make sure you never miss an audible alert.
Keyfob
They also offer key chain remotes. Key chain remotes are yet another way you can arm and disarm your system. SimpliSafe’s key chain remotes have a 3-push button design with an arm, disarm, and panic button.
Panic button
The panic button can be placed anywhere in your home, and when you press it, SimpliSafe’s central monitoring station will immediately be notified of an emergency.
Environmental sensors
Smoke/heat sensor
SimpliSafe has a variety of sensors that are made specifically to help protect you from fire, CO2, and floods. One of the most important sensors you should definitely add to your SimpliSafe system is a SimpliSafe Smoke Detector. The SimpliSafe Smoke Detector is a photoelectric sensor that will give you increased protection against fire danger. Their smoke detectors responded roughly about 30 minutes faster than other smoke detectors due to the fact that the SimpliSafe Smoke Detector is a photo electric sensor. It has a built-in audible siren that will give you an audible alert when this sensor has been triggered. This sensor connects to your SimpliSafe system wirelessly and is battery operated.
Temperature sensor
The next type of environmental sensor that SimpliSafe offers is their SimpliSafe Temperature Sensor. The SimpliSafe Temperature Sensor will trigger an alert that can be sent as a phone call, text, or email when the temperature drops below 41 degrees Fahrenheit in the area in which this sensor has been placed. This sensor is designed so that you can keep an eye on the pipes in your home when they are about to freeze. This sensor would be a great addition to your home security setup especially if your house is located in a place where the temperature is known to drop drastically. This sensor is also wireless and battery operated.
Water sensor
The last environmental senor that you can add to your SimpliSafe system is the SimpliSafe Water Sensor. These alarms will trigger an audible alarm any time they have detected a water leak. This could save you from having to pay thousands of dollars from the damage that can be done by floods. You can also receive an SMS, phone call, or text when these events happen. You simply place these wireless and battery-operated water sensors near water source in your home that may have the potential to form a leak.
The placing of SimpliSafe’s fire, water, and temperature sensors was pretty easy, and it only took us a few minutes to get them all connected to our SimpliSafe system. The only thing we really don’t like is the fact that SimpliSafe does not offer a CO2 detector. CO2 is an odorless gas that is responsible for thousands of deaths in the USA, and a lot of homeowners don’t really think about having these sensors. We believe that SimpliSafe needs to offer this type of sensor to help protect your home. When it comes to style and the way that SimpliSafe’s environmental sensors work, they are similar to how other companies’ environmental sensors work. They are designed smaller than most of these other companies’ environmental sensors which is one of the reasons they were so easy to place.
Video Cameras
When comes to video surveillance equipment, SimpliSafe is limited in what they can offer you. In fact, they currently only have one brand of security camera which is called the SimpliCam. The reason why they have such a limited variety of video surveillance equipment is that SimpliSafe makes their own equipment, so you must get SimpliSafe branded equipment with your SimpliSafe System. Compare this with our video camera offerings - we have a host of different options available.
The SimpliCam is a wireless camera that is powered through an AC power source, and connects through your home’s WiFi network. It can produce HD quality audio and video, and it has a 120-degree diagonal field of view. It has night vision technology that will allow you to see images in low light settings, or even when there is no light. Your SimpliCam has an LED indicator light that allows you to know the different statuses of the camera such as on or recording. The SimpliCam has a 2-way audio feature that will allow you to directly communicate with whomever is around the camera. It is meant for indoor use or only, but it is made of pretty resistant materials so it can be placed outside in an area that will protect it from the elements. Video can be seen live through the SimpliSafe website or through the SimpliSafe app. It comes with built-in motion sensors that trigger the camera to start to record. Motion alerts are then sent as push notifications to your phone so you can instantly view a live recording.
Camera installation
We have had the pleasure of giving this camera a try, and it was really great camera at a great value. When it came to installing this camera, it only took a few minutes to get everything up and running. The video from this camera is great even when the night vision is being used. You can clearly hear the sounds going on in the room around the camera, but when it came to responding to someone in the room the sound sounded distorted. The motion alerts seem to work very well, and we were immediately sent a push notification when the SimpliCam captured motion.
Home Automation
When it comes to what add-on equipment you can get from SimpliSafe, you come up being limited. Unfortunately, you can’t buy any home automation devices through SimpliSafe. This really limits the ability of you being able to make your system into a smart automation system as well. The add-on products they do for their SimpliSafe system are really well made. The quality and pricing are great for what SimpliSafe has to offer.
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