Home Alarm and Security Systems

An unfortunate reality for many of us, keeping our domicile safe and secure both when we’re away as well as at home is vital. Luckily, the technology over the years has developed greatly, which now provides some excellent options in 2019 to protect our love ones and loved things. 

Founded in 1874, ADT is by far the oldest player in the home security market. Can you imagine what their first product looked and felt like in 1874? Something involving ropes, rocks, perhaps a horse, who knows. While the company continues evolving successfully with the times, their Pulse system is one of the preferred systems on the market. At $28.99 per month, ADT representatives will arrive to your house for the installation. A common objection to this system is it is expensive, relatively speaking. It requires a 3-year contract and good luck canceling without an onerous termination process/penalty. Yet, this system offers everything you could ask for, including fantastic interconnectivity with third-party smart home devices. 

Another solid option is the Vivint Smart Home, a PCMag.com Editor’s Choice. One of many in the do-it-yourself smart home security system sphere, with the Vivint apparatus homeowners can monitor their home on their own. Warning, warning – the system will not communicate with local authorities when the alarm is triggered. This is up to you, so when we say do-it-yourself, it’s truly do-it-yourself. But with that said, it is extremely user friendly and steady monitoring can be achieved through any smartphone, PC, etc. 

You’ve likely heard of these folks – SimpliSafe. Along the same lines as Vivint, many people don’t want to get locked into yearly contracts like those of ADT, and would rather pay between $200 and $300 upfront for a system and then monitor their home on their own. SimpliSafe went through some rough times in 2015 when it first debuted to so-so reviews. The biggest gripe was lack of cameras and support for third-party smart home devices. This has changed and SimpliSafe’s high-end package, the Haven package ($489.86) comes equipped with 14 hardware components plus a 105-decibel siren (good grief!). What you get with SimpliSafe is simplicity, just like the name suggests.   

Lastly, we’re going to touch on the Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit. Again, as the name would suggest, if you possess other Samsung devices, this might be the selling point to consider. Set-up is extremely quick with this unit, featuring timely notifications of all movement in the house. Like the other systems mentioned it will also monitor smoke and carbon monoxide levels, and reviews on Amazon and similar sites note that this unit does it better than the rest. The cost is a very affordable $299 and again, if Samsung is one of your preferred brands, this is an excellent choice. 

All in all the options are plentiful and affordable. Consider the peace of mind that comes with being able to monitor your own home and for an extra fee count on a company behind you that will send out flesh and blood folks to your home in the event of real danger. A smart investment, without a doubt.