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.

Pros: Good for bedrooms, landings and hallways, and near to kitchens as they aren’t as prone to false alarms from cooking. 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.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

Pros: Can suit dustier areas, such as lofts, the area near your bathroom or rooms where people smoke. Multifunctionality: If possible, try to choose a smoke detector that includes more than one function, like a combination smoke and carbon monoxide model. The best smoke detectors generally have both ionization and photosensitive sensors for greater effectiveness. I broke these tests up throughout the day to allow time for the spray to dissipate and the detectors to return to their working levels. Although I didn't personally test the First Alert BRK 7030BSL and X-Sense XSO3-WX, I have experience with other First Alert and X-sense models and consider them a reliable and effective option. Expert interviews Installing the X-Sense SC01 was simple, and with a power drill and pencil, I was able to attach it to the ceiling in about two minutes. The anchors are white, so they blended in with the ceiling and also came in a resealable plastic baggie, which was convenient. con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not sufficient at detecting smoldering fires (doesn't include photoelectric sensor)

The best smoke alarms you can buy in 2023

The best smoke alarms you can buy in 2023 1. Google Nest Protect: Best smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm

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. Heat (thermal) alarms detect heat (hot air) instead of smoke. The alarm is triggered when the temperature within the sensor chamber reaches over 58 degrees Celsius – generally when a fire is well established. The Nest Protect is a hardwired unit, so installation was a bit more elaborate than the other smoke detectors I tested. This will involve working with and reconnecting electrical wiring, so if you're uncomfortable around that type of thing, you may want to hire a professional. It took me about 15 minutes to remove the previous unit and connect this one. The instructions walked me through every step of the process, and the included hardware was effective and easy to use. It also took me about 15 minutes to connect the Nest Protect to my home's Wi-Fi network due to connection issues.

Sealed 10 Year Smoke Alarms

The X-Sense SC01 responded well in my testing and activated its alarm within two sprays of the aerosol. It had a loud alarm that was clearly heard from across the 2,700-square-foot house I tested it in, and its red LED flashed continuously while the alarm was sounding. The alarm and light shut off simultaneously when the sensor no longer detected any aerosol. Different makes and models will be slower or faster to detect smoke coming through and have different alarms working at different volumes. Some even feature voice alarms or strobing lights. However, any alarms sold in the UK have to meet BS EN 14604:2005, which specifies the requirements, tests and performance criteria for smoke alarms using optical or ionisation sensors. Heat alarms are governed by the separate BS 5446-3:2003 standard. Wireless devices communicate with each other and other devices without the use of connecting wires. This can be through interlinking by radio or through wi-fi. If you own a Nest smoke and CO alarm, you will be able to continue to use it but it will need to be in addition to interlinked smoke and heat alarms. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to use optical alarms in living rooms, bedrooms or downstairs hallways where you either have a lot of upholstered furniture and soft furnishings or the alarm is likely to be set off by cooking fumes. Keep ionisation alarms for upstairs hallways or areas where dust or exposure to the elements (say, through an open door) might potentially set off an optical sensor. If in doubt, go optical or use a multi-sensor alarm. Use of ionisation alarms is generally being discouraged by many fire services, and some manufacturers have now discontinued their ionisation products.