Alder Home Security: Expert Review (2019)
There are many companies that offer home security systems and today we will be taking a look at one of the more well known regional home security companies called Alder Home Security.
Alder Home Security is one of the fastest growing security companies in the United States. Their head office is in Utah, and they were named as one of the top 10 fastest growing companies in Utah in 2019. Their mission to consumers is to provide them with the very best in home security, home automation, and medical alert services. They recently came out with a DIY kit, which they sell in all 50 states, and they help protect hundreds of people from burglaries, fires, flood, and medical emergencies every day.
Control panel
There is a lot of information to cover when it comes to what Alder Home Security has to offer you, and today we will only be going over what type of basic equipment they have to help keep your home protected.
Control panel
The main brain of the Alder Home Security system is called the Simple Panel. This a full colored touchscreen central hub that allows you to control your Alder Home Security System with a simple touch of a button. The Simple Panel is a wireless panel which means it connects all your sensors and transmits your data all wirelessly.
Alder Home Security’s Simple Panel can be wall mounted and placed on a desk top surface which makes it very portable. Alder Home Security doesn’t list much information about their panel on their website, but we can assume that it has 2-way audio feature due to the picture of the panel on their website. It also looks like the Simple Panel uses cellular data to transmit your security information to their monitoring stations. We can also assume that this is a battery-operated panel which means you will need to have an AC power source nearby to keep its battery charged.
We really wish that Alder Home Security had a little more information about their panel on their website. From what we can tell it looks like it is very simplistic to use. We like the fact it is portable which means that placing your Simple Panel should be pretty easy. We also really like the fact that it is a touchscreen panel. Touchscreen security panels are much easier to use and control then those that have a push button design.
Intrusion sensors
Door/window sensor
Alder Home Security also has a variety of basic sensors that will work great with their Simple Panel in keeping your home protected. The first type of basic sensor they have to offer you is their door/window sensors. These sensors are wireless and battery operated, and they come in two parts. The first part is meant to be placed on the frame of your door or window and the second part is meant to be placed on the actual door or window itself. These sensors have magnets that will detect when your door or window has been opened and send you an alert. To install these sensors, you simply need to place them using the double-sided adhesive tape that is included with these sensors.
Motion sensor
The next type of basic sensor that Aler Home Security has to offer you is their motion sensors. Their motion sensors are also wireless and battery operated. Motion sensors are meant to be used in the corner of your larger room to help protect the doors and windows in that room. Motion sensors are really great alternatives to door/window sensors due to the fact that they can cover more and less of them are needed. Motion sensors, when armed, when detect motion in the area in which they are place and will send an alert when they have detected motion. Alder Home Security’s motion sensors can be installed using double-side adhesive tape of the included wall mounts. Alder Home Security also offers key chain remotes.
Keyfob
Alder Home Security’s keyfob is battery operated and will allow you to quickly arm and disarm your system with a simple push of a button. Alder Home Security’s keychain remotes also have a built-in panic button that quickly alerts your monitoring station that an emergency is happening, and that you need immediate assistance.
Setup
There is some additional information that our readers should know about the equipment and system that Alder Home Security offers. The first thing you should know is that this is a DIY (do it yourself) type system. You will need to set up all the equipment yourself, but Alder Home Security does give you a step by step guide on how to do so.
Life safety sensors
Smoke/fire sensor
The most common type of life safety sensor that most home owners have are fire detectors. Alder’s smoke detector is a wireless and battery-operated sensor that will give you an audible alert any time the Alder smoke detector detects smoke or a rise in temperature.
It is really important for home owners to have at least 1 smoke detector in their home seeing that fires are one of the top causes of damage to homes.
Flood/water sensor
The next type of life safety sensor that Alder Security offers is the flood sensor. This sensor is also battery-operated and wireless, and is made up of two parts - the sensor itself, and a probe. The sensor can detect a flood when only 1/16 of the probe has been covered with water, and when the sensor has been triggered it will make an audible alert letting you know this event has taken place.
Alder’s flood sensor is extremely important for home owners who live in areas prone to floods or areas where drastic decreases in temperature take place which can cause pipes to burst. One of another top cause of damage to a home is caused by floods, and even if you do not live in an area that is prone to floods it is always a good idea to invest in one of these sensors because you never know when one of your pipes may burst.
Medical pendants
The last type of life safety sensor that Alder Security has is medical pendants. Alder’s medical pendant is a battery-operated sensor with a single push button design. When the button on the Alder Security medical pendant has been pressed, emergency services will be immediately dispatched. This pendant would be a great addition to your Alder Security system especially if you have someone in your family that has medical issues.
Alder Security’s life safety sensors are pretty standard in terms of the kinds of features they offer. One sensor we really like is their flood sensor. Its design is quite different than the ones that other companies have to offer you. The one thing we didn’t quite like is that it doesn’t seem like Alder Security is currently offering a CO2 detector, but it does seem like they may be working on one to release soon.
Home automation
Alder Security does not have any home automation devices listed on their website. They do however offer Arlo security cameras which is a brand of security cameras we really like. Alder Security offers a couple of different well-known brands; Arlo and YI.
YI indoor camera
The first camera that they offer is the YI indoor camera. This camera is a wireless camera that works by connecting to your home’s WiFi network. It is powered through an AC power source so you want to make sure you have one near the camera. It has a video resolution of 1080p with a 111-degree field of view. It has night vision technology that allows you to see images in the dark. The Yi also has a 2-way audio feature that will allow you to hear and communicate with whomever is around your camera. The Arlo YI has motion sensors that will trigger the camera to start recording along with sending you a push notification letting you know that this event has taken place.
Arlo Pro indoor/outdoor camera
The next camera that Alder Security offers is the Arlo Pro. The Arlo Pro can be used indoors or outdoors. The Arlo camera works by connecting to your home’s WIFI network and can be powered through an AC power source as well. You can also use the camera without an AC power source by using its rechargeable battery.
You can stream video in HD with the Arlo Pro, and it has advanced night vision that allows you to capture images up to 25 feet at night. It also includes a 2-way audio feature that will allow you to directly communicate with whomever is in front of the camera. The Arlo Pro also uses motion sensors that will trigger the camera to start recording and also send you an alert that this event has taken place. The video from any Arlo camera can be viewed through the Alder Home Security app.
The drawback to using third-party cameras is that you cannot control them or view live video from the same app as the security system - they will require their own separate app. Having said that, Arlo and YI cameras are also made from high quality material and score really highly with users across the board.
Alder Security offers a lot of equipment to really help you expand your Alder Security system. Their life safety sensors have a modern design, and will not only look great in your home but will work great as well. The Arlo cameras they have to offer you are a well-known brand of cameras that can be easily placed in whatever location in your home that you want video surveillance protection for. In our final part on Alder we will going over what services they have when it comes to the monitoring of your home.
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