I've had the Nest Protect for a few years now and another key feature that means I wouldn't exchange them for the Aqara ones (besides the CO alarm), is that the Nest actually talk to you - telling you what the alarm is for and in which room. This is more than just a "nice to have" as far as I'm concerned - studies have shown that children sleep through smoke alarms, but will wake to the sound of a voice - meaning fewer children will sleep through the Nest alarm vs Aqara.
I picked one of these up last week, and am glad it finally arrived. Its one of the most important things for me in a good smart home. Living in the EU I also have it set up to switch off all of my smart plugs so if it is the toaster it will be switched off and hopefully win some time. Also thinking that it could be used in a DIY sprinkler system with the Aqara water Valve unit to actually turn the water on, just not a pretty install.
@@StusReviewsUK Christmas Tree Illumination is also another good place to use the plug. Although they are much safer now with LEDs than those fire hazards that we had growing up.
I have the Nest Protect, two hardwired and one battery only. For what they are, they give me peace of mind. They check themselves periodically, are interconnected wirelessly and have been working fine for years. Aqara is nice in that the hub makes siren noises too and the smart routines that Google does not offer. The Nest Protect only works in the Nest App and not the Google Home App which is also a disadvantage.
Love aqara and will be looking in to adding this in to my ecosystem……just wish they did a smart plug for the UK market. Or better yet a smart power socket
That would be good - they’re getting better that’s for sure! There’s much more variety in the UK now, especially with the new addition of a load more lighting. If they were going to do a smart plug, I hope it has power monitoring 🤞
I do have to disagree with your take on the Nest smoke alarms. They are pretty much the same size as most standard smoke alarms (certainly the ones replaced when we moved in). For the first 5 years here we had the battery operated Nest alarms, and not once did I have to change the battery in any of them (and that's with the ones in the hallway having the motion activated light meaning if someone needed to pop to the kitchen or the bathroom at night, you didn't have to blind yourself turning the main lights on, and they are great). That motion triggered light is a hugely under-rated feature and really nice to have! Looking at reports from others online, people tend to get 4-5 years battery life with the nest alarms, so I've no idea what you're doing that's draining the power 10 times faster than advertised and than the average person is experiencing. We then had work done on the house which meant the house needed to meet certain regulations and we had to switch to wired smoke alarms, so we replaced all of them with wired Nest alarms and they are great. Not only that, they also have batteries, so even if there was a power cut, they'd stay operational for months without mains power.
I have an inter linked smoke and heat detector, ( heat detector for my kitchen) smoke detector for my hall way and rooms. Correct me if I'm wrong, by UK law I believe the kitchen is meant to have a heat detector, while other areas of the home needs to have a smoke detector. That one of the reasons why I didn't not buy the Google nest smoke detector as they did not offer heat detector for the kitchen... If Aquara came out with a heat detector, then I will replace my current set up which are interlinked by the way as required by law. Your thoughts guys
I've had Nest for a very long time. What they don't tell you is that you have to buy a brand new one every 10 years AND they change the wiring connection when you do. So you then have to get an electrician in to install it for you (I'm not risking something so important). And the Nest/Google thing is a nightmare - I don't want Google holding data which could be used to show when I am in or out.
Here are the questions that come to my mind... Does steam set it off? I've seen a lot of alarms that can't tell between smoke and steam. Is that what the different sensors you mentioned do? Can you set the sensitivity or have it to not detect for a time? Our alarm goes off far too easily when we cook. No real smoke is generated, just delicious smells of dinner. And while my wife is in the kitchen, I'm standing under the alarm with a broomstick ready to hit the button to turn the alarm off.
Haha, well I mean my toast test showed that it actually needed physical smoke rather than just a slightly overcooked toast… but as for steam I haven’t tested if it sets off with steam - but yes I think the different type of sensor reads it differently, so depending on what type you’re using now you might find the Aqara one performs better. Re the configurable of smoke sensitivity - unfortunately not, it seems pre configured, although you can see the density reading so they could perhaps open this up to configure… would be a really powerful feature so good shout!
Great review Stu! I have been on a mission to find a smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector that doesn't generate excessive false alarms and doesn't require you to subscribe to a monitoring service in order to get notifications. I have yet to see a long-term review that compares smoke and carbon monoxide detector models and their frequency of false alarms over a 1-year period. I would be curious as to how well the Aqara Smart Smoke Alarm does over a period of time.
I don't see this replacing my Nest Protect any time soon. I didn't have to replace the batteries in my Nest Protect until 4.5 years after I bought it, so I'm not sure why you are replacing yours twice a year. The current batteries have been in there over a year and my monthly report from Nest states they are still good. Nest Protect doesn't require a hub, can detect CO2 and you can get a wired version. Yes it is more expensive and larger than the Aqara model, but I think the design is much nicer, and I think the night light is a very useful feature, plus I love the fact that it talks to you before sounding the siren. I do have Aqara devices all over my house, so I'm definitely not anti-Aqara, and can see the benefits of adding a smart smoke alarm if you just have stand-alone ones. So all in all, I found your review to be a bit biased, and I think both products have their merits. I think I'll wait for Paul Hibbert to provide a more balanced review ;)
I don't have sufficient smart lights to make such a routine useful. I can't imagine it would be all that useful during the day either. However, where I could see a smart sensor coming in to its own would be if you didn't cancel the alarm after X minutes (to cover false alarms), the fire brigade are notified. Peace of mind knowing that your home is covered for fires for an outlay of less than £50? Aqara would see these flying off the shelves.
Agh, I had to replace my smoke alarms last year and (begrudgingly) forked out for 3 nest protects because there was no other smart alternative. Maybe next house/replacement cycle
Oh bummer… I did the same a few years back… fortunately for the price of new batteries vs the Aqara smoke alarm, it’s not much more to just do away with them one by one when the time comes (which I’ll be doing to all mine when they next need changing)
It would be good making an ‘ultimate’ sensor… but they’d probably have to make it wired, otherwise we’d be back where I was with the nest alarms - changing the battery every six months or so ☠️
Bought one off Amazon and now have routine so all lights come on, sirens wail and every Sonos tells me where the smoke has been detected and best escape route. Only problem now is I’m still waiting on the other three I ordered direct from Aqara with 20% Black Friday discount with no available shipping date
I'd be careful as these may cause issues with insurance claims. I don't believe that these are UK complaint MOST installations for 3 reasons... 1. British Standard, BS 5839-6:2019+A1:2020. The standard states that smoke alarms, heat detectors and carbon monoxide alarms installed in properties need to be mains powered devices with tamperproof battery back-up. Since June 1992, building regulations (Part B) states that every new build home must allow for mains wired, interconnected smoke alarms to be installed. 3. Since 1992 most houses should have had an electrical rewire. As part of the rewire a competent installer should have provided a compliant residential fire alarm system. Therefore as these are not dual mains and battery powered they don't comply. In addition, I'm not sure if the interconnect needs to be hardwired or if wireless is also acceptable.
@StusReviewsUK well, being wired they are interconnected (I have 3 floors, thus 3 detectors) so they ring all together, they light your path at night (even if it's just a candle!), they send notifications, and if connected to a central system, they call the fire department. But you are right that they are utterly expensive. The wired ones being a little bit more than the battery ones even !
The wired ones do have backup batteries as well but shouldn't need replacing for the life of the alarm (think they're rechargeable but don't quote me on that)
The UK standards for residential property fire detection are that they should be dual mains and battery powered (in case of power failure) and interlinked. I'm not sure is wireless interlink is acceptable. I'd be careful as you may not be insured for fire if using non compliant fire detection equipment.
@StusReviewsUK Give Eufy a poke with a stick Stu. They'll listen to you🫵🏼. I've just bought a black Friday deal of the Eufy doorbell and S3 Pro cameras with Homebase 3 based on your other Eufy reviews. I'm very impressed. Keep up the great work. It's like watching Jeremy Clarkson do tech reviews 😉👍🏼
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I've had the Nest Protect for a few years now and another key feature that means I wouldn't exchange them for the Aqara ones (besides the CO alarm), is that the Nest actually talk to you - telling you what the alarm is for and in which room. This is more than just a "nice to have" as far as I'm concerned - studies have shown that children sleep through smoke alarms, but will wake to the sound of a voice - meaning fewer children will sleep through the Nest alarm vs Aqara.
With Homekit and any Airplay speakers you can have Siri read text though the speaker.
@@jeffreymayes907or any Amazon Echo device.
I picked one of these up last week, and am glad it finally arrived. Its one of the most important things for me in a good smart home. Living in the EU I also have it set up to switch off all of my smart plugs so if it is the toaster it will be switched off and hopefully win some time. Also thinking that it could be used in a DIY sprinkler system with the Aqara water Valve unit to actually turn the water on, just not a pretty install.
That’s clever stuff! I didn’t think about that… will be adding a smart plug to my toaster now for this exact reason! Top tip! 🤙
@@StusReviewsUK Christmas Tree Illumination is also another good place to use the plug. Although they are much safer now with LEDs than those fire hazards that we had growing up.
Fantastic review, I've been looking to update my smoke alarms, and with the smart functionality, it's a no-brainer. Thank you.
Glad you found it helpful! And I agree - if you have Aqara stuff, it’s a no brainer!
I have the Nest Protect, two hardwired and one battery only. For what they are, they give me peace of mind. They check themselves periodically, are interconnected wirelessly and have been working fine for years. Aqara is nice in that the hub makes siren noises too and the smart routines that Google does not offer. The Nest Protect only works in the Nest App and not the Google Home App which is also a disadvantage.
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve loved my nest stuff, but the added smart functionality of the Aqara detectors makes them so much better IMO!
Love aqara and will be looking in to adding this in to my ecosystem……just wish they did a smart plug for the UK market. Or better yet a smart power socket
That would be good - they’re getting better that’s for sure! There’s much more variety in the UK now, especially with the new addition of a load more lighting. If they were going to do a smart plug, I hope it has power monitoring 🤞
I do have to disagree with your take on the Nest smoke alarms.
They are pretty much the same size as most standard smoke alarms (certainly the ones replaced when we moved in).
For the first 5 years here we had the battery operated Nest alarms, and not once did I have to change the battery in any of them (and that's with the ones in the hallway having the motion activated light meaning if someone needed to pop to the kitchen or the bathroom at night, you didn't have to blind yourself turning the main lights on, and they are great).
That motion triggered light is a hugely under-rated feature and really nice to have!
Looking at reports from others online, people tend to get 4-5 years battery life with the nest alarms, so I've no idea what you're doing that's draining the power 10 times faster than advertised and than the average person is experiencing.
We then had work done on the house which meant the house needed to meet certain regulations and we had to switch to wired smoke alarms, so we replaced all of them with wired Nest alarms and they are great. Not only that, they also have batteries, so even if there was a power cut, they'd stay operational for months without mains power.
Do you have to use the aqara hub? Or is it HA native?
will it unlock smart locks for quick escape
I have an inter linked smoke and heat detector, ( heat detector for my kitchen) smoke detector for my hall way and rooms. Correct me if I'm wrong, by UK law I believe the kitchen is meant to have a heat detector, while other areas of the home needs to have a smoke detector. That one of the reasons why I didn't not buy the Google nest smoke detector as they did not offer heat detector for the kitchen... If Aquara came out with a heat detector, then I will replace my current set up which are interlinked by the way as required by law. Your thoughts guys
I've had Nest for a very long time. What they don't tell you is that you have to buy a brand new one every 10 years AND they change the wiring connection when you do. So you then have to get an electrician in to install it for you (I'm not risking something so important). And the Nest/Google thing is a nightmare - I don't want Google holding data which could be used to show when I am in or out.
I’m presuming you can use HomePods as additional sirens if you’ve got this hooked into an Apple Home set up?
Potentially- haven’t tested it through HomeKit, but I’d imagine it’ll be the same sort of process!
Thanks Stu. Cheers.
Thanks Ron 🤙
Here are the questions that come to my mind...
Does steam set it off? I've seen a lot of alarms that can't tell between smoke and steam. Is that what the different sensors you mentioned do?
Can you set the sensitivity or have it to not detect for a time? Our alarm goes off far too easily when we cook. No real smoke is generated, just delicious smells of dinner. And while my wife is in the kitchen, I'm standing under the alarm with a broomstick ready to hit the button to turn the alarm off.
Haha, well I mean my toast test showed that it actually needed physical smoke rather than just a slightly overcooked toast… but as for steam I haven’t tested if it sets off with steam - but yes I think the different type of sensor reads it differently, so depending on what type you’re using now you might find the Aqara one performs better.
Re the configurable of smoke sensitivity - unfortunately not, it seems pre configured, although you can see the density reading so they could perhaps open this up to configure… would be a really powerful feature so good shout!
Also as part of your intruder alarm system with a different siren sound would be great. Maybe for a Pro version?
Fingers crossed 🤞
Great review Stu! I have been on a mission to find a smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector that doesn't generate excessive false alarms and doesn't require you to subscribe to a monitoring service in order to get notifications. I have yet to see a long-term review that compares smoke and carbon monoxide detector models and their frequency of false alarms over a 1-year period. I would be curious as to how well the Aqara Smart Smoke Alarm does over a period of time.
Well, from my brief testing, it picked up the smoke well from the test, minimal amounts but absolutely smoke (didn’t activate unnecessarily )!
Does it connect in to home assistant?
I don't see this replacing my Nest Protect any time soon. I didn't have to replace the batteries in my Nest Protect until 4.5 years after I bought it, so I'm not sure why you are replacing yours twice a year. The current batteries have been in there over a year and my monthly report from Nest states they are still good. Nest Protect doesn't require a hub, can detect CO2 and you can get a wired version. Yes it is more expensive and larger than the Aqara model, but I think the design is much nicer, and I think the night light is a very useful feature, plus I love the fact that it talks to you before sounding the siren. I do have Aqara devices all over my house, so I'm definitely not anti-Aqara, and can see the benefits of adding a smart smoke alarm if you just have stand-alone ones. So all in all, I found your review to be a bit biased, and I think both products have their merits. I think I'll wait for Paul Hibbert to provide a more balanced review ;)
I don't have sufficient smart lights to make such a routine useful. I can't imagine it would be all that useful during the day either. However, where I could see a smart sensor coming in to its own would be if you didn't cancel the alarm after X minutes (to cover false alarms), the fire brigade are notified.
Peace of mind knowing that your home is covered for fires for an outlay of less than £50? Aqara would see these flying off the shelves.
does it work by itself without hub or wifi?
Agh, I had to replace my smoke alarms last year and (begrudgingly) forked out for 3 nest protects because there was no other smart alternative. Maybe next house/replacement cycle
Oh bummer… I did the same a few years back… fortunately for the price of new batteries vs the Aqara smoke alarm, it’s not much more to just do away with them one by one when the time comes (which I’ll be doing to all mine when they next need changing)
@@StusReviewsUK Only 9ish more years until they need replacing, I'll be sure to pop back here when I do 😁
A pro version that was a CO detector would be awesome. But an Ultra version with an air quality sensor would be amazing.
CO detector? Co2 isn’t all that useful in an alarm
@@slipknottinCO and CO2 are two different things
It would be good making an ‘ultimate’ sensor… but they’d probably have to make it wired, otherwise we’d be back where I was with the nest alarms - changing the battery every six months or so ☠️
@@whirlpoolvalley I’m aware. The original comment I replied to asked for it to be a co2 detector
Is this a new version or the same version that I picked up from Aliexpress in June 2023? It was only available for the Chinese market at the time.
I've had this up a few months ordered from AliExpress have the Chinese manual in the draw
Might not be too helpful in a pickle 😂
Does it work with HomeKit
I believe it can through the hub
This review is definitely not all smoke and mirrors!
🔥🔥
Bought one off Amazon and now have routine so all lights come on, sirens wail and every Sonos tells me where the smoke has been detected and best escape route. Only problem now is I’m still waiting on the other three I ordered direct from Aqara with 20% Black Friday discount with no available shipping date
I was thinking about setting up the same Alexa routine to announce the alarm throughout the home. Great idea!
That’s a solid routine 👌 and it would seem like these have been massively in demand!
will it work in usa?
I'd be careful as these may cause issues with insurance claims. I don't believe that these are UK complaint MOST installations for 3 reasons...
1. British Standard, BS 5839-6:2019+A1:2020. The standard states that smoke alarms, heat detectors and carbon monoxide alarms installed in properties need to be mains powered devices with tamperproof battery back-up.
Since June 1992, building regulations (Part B) states that every new build home must allow for mains wired, interconnected smoke alarms to be installed.
3. Since 1992 most houses should have had an electrical rewire. As part of the rewire a competent installer should have provided a compliant residential fire alarm system.
Therefore as these are not dual mains and battery powered they don't comply. In addition, I'm not sure if the interconnect needs to be hardwired or if wireless is also acceptable.
Make a thread/matter one that can be mains powered and I'm in.
Oioo
Aqara has released a smoke detector and its absolute crap
My Nest fire alarms are wired, thus dont need batteries at all.
Ahhh interesting. Didn’t realise they did wired versions 👀. Still - limited functionality in comparison!
@StusReviewsUK well, being wired they are interconnected (I have 3 floors, thus 3 detectors) so they ring all together, they light your path at night (even if it's just a candle!), they send notifications, and if connected to a central system, they call the fire department. But you are right that they are utterly expensive. The wired ones being a little bit more than the battery ones even !
The wired ones do have backup batteries as well but shouldn't need replacing for the life of the alarm (think they're rechargeable but don't quote me on that)
The UK standards for residential property fire detection are that they should be dual mains and battery powered (in case of power failure) and interlinked. I'm not sure is wireless interlink is acceptable.
I'd be careful as you may not be insured for fire if using non compliant fire detection equipment.
@@ontheflyby270 who cares about UK ? We share a "king" which is fucked up enough already ! I am not in th UK
Come on Eufy ..... Make a smart smoke alarm that integrates with the Homebase 3 🫵🏼
That would be useful. Strange they haven’t!
@StusReviewsUK Give Eufy a poke with a stick Stu. They'll listen to you🫵🏼. I've just bought a black Friday deal of the Eufy doorbell and S3 Pro cameras with Homebase 3 based on your other Eufy reviews. I'm very impressed. Keep up the great work. It's like watching Jeremy Clarkson do tech reviews 😉👍🏼