So if you stumbled across this article, you’ve decided to take the security of your home seriously and don’t mind a bit of legwork, especially if it will lighten the load on your bank account. That decision alone is a step in the right direction. The next decision you make requires a glimpse into how the industry of home security has advanced over the last few years and how you can leverage those advances to your own benefit. Ways to protect your homestead have expanded vastly in quality and quantity, specifically in the realm of technology. We created a list of products available to you that actually do their job. We help ease option paralysis when it comes to the DIY part of a Smart Home Security System. It also helps you take things into your own hands and combine the best products available in the market to create a high-quality system catered to your needs. Including what’s affordable, what’s a luxury, and what works best if you already have a Smart Home product ecosystem.
1. Screech… 2. Ring… 3…
Okay, so you decided you want the BEST smart home security system for your home. That puts us past the 1st step, which has been “single-sensor entry alarms“. These devices could be dual magnets or invisible beams placed upon windows/doors that when separated or breached respectively, trigger a screeching alarm that could alert residents themselves or neighboring parties. The 2nd step is a “dial-out system“, these devices can alert your smartphone, an important family member, or the security company of your choice. The 3rd step is “24/7 cameras“. This important step makes sure you have evidence of anything ever attempted in the vicinity of your home, and can be started on the low-end with the all too popular but revolutionary doorbell cameras. The broader version of these systems could include sensors for flooding, smoke accumulation, or sudden temperature changes. The fourth and final step is “smart home security.”
1 & 2: To dial or not to dial…
These steps go hand in hand because you have the choice of what you want your entry alarms to do when breached, as in, to dial or not to dial. Depending on your household and daily routine, you can have any door or window on your property respond differently. For example, you may want your front door to send you a silent notification to your phone and your rear door to trigger a loud alarm. Each action could be followed by a dial-out to you, a loved one, a security service, or directly to an emergency department. A reason you may not want to dial out directly to an emergency department is due to a fine that can be incurred with more than 2 or 3 false alarms. The times forgiven and the amount incurred will vary from state to state. These sorts of issues can be lessened or all-around avoided by choosing a quality system. The following entry alarms are the best we’ve found on the market. They have the lowest frequency of failure when installed properly and send the notification of your choice instantly. We also included which Smart Home hub they work best with.
RING alarm pieces: The best Alexa Compatible
Smoke and CO Listener *Listener must be placed by existing sensor*
SimpliSafe: The Best Google Assistant compatible
3rd Step: The All-Seeing Wi-Fi
Cameras are an area of technology that is constantly and rapidly improving. Whether that’s driven by the Fashion and entertainment industry or increasingly needed security measures in a chaotic world. We all can reap the benefits of 1080p becoming a baseline for video quality. You won’t catch me watching a YouTube video on how to make an omelet in 720p, let alone anything of importance. A lot of customers share those same sentiments with me, and because of that, the race for video quality has skyrocketed. Now the price of a competent security camera for your home no longer breaks the bank and if you have a higher budget you can opt for a camera that has face recognition and even vehicle recognition. In the mid-range, you’ll find indoor options that include stationary 360-degree surveillance and drone-like alternatives that follow a pre-determined path throughout your house. Also in the mid-range, you’ll find outdoor cameras that integrate floodlights and even speakers for communication with guests or even unwanted visitors. The following cameras are the best we’ve found on the market including the most Smart-Home Hub Compatible, and one for a high budget.
*The incredibly new and innovative mobile option for Ring is still invite-only at the time of this post.
RING: The best Alexa Compatible
SimpliSafe: The Best Google Assistant compatible
GWSecurity Cameras: The highest quality and luxury cameras.
4th and Final: The Smart Hub
Here we begin to dive into those advances in technology we spoke so fondly of at the beginning of this article. Smart home security not only includes the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd steps, being entry alarms, dial-out systems, and 24/7 cameras, but adds the final step focused on control of your property. The amount of control you have over your home with a smart home security system is completely up to you and can be started minimally on a budget with something as simple as a doorbell camera or fully outfitted from day one including night-vision and face recognition as you’ve read above. The options are expansive, but sadly not all the products are worth it. The smart home devices we recommend make up a security system worthy of being tasked with the security of your precious new 98″ Samsung Neo QLED 4K Smart TV… *silence*, I mean loved ones. All jokes aside, the devices we recommend are connected through your smart home hub using one or more wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, or a proprietary mesh network. This allows you to not only monitor but make live changes to the security and comfort of your home in-app from your smartphone or tablet no matter where you are. Never pay your lazy brother-in-law to house sit again because TechNeatHome is here to save the day. That reality is a future we have been striving towards. Chances are, if you are learning about smart home security, you already have a smart hub for something mundane, such as changing the color of your light bulbs or telling you what the weather is today. If not, we recommend the following hubs to tie all the products we have discussed together.
Top Smart Hubs
Amazon Echo (Premium Version): The Echo is the best option if you like the Ring products listed above, or you’re already in the Amazon ecosystem of products.
Google Nest (Premium Version): The Nest is the best option if you like the SimpliSafe products listed above, or you’re already in the Google Ecosystem of products.