Kidde announced three new home safety devices that it says respond to dangerous conditions 25 percent faster than the competition: a battery-powered smoke detector, a battery-powered smoke and carbon monoxide detector, and a hardwired smoke/carbon monoxide detector with voice alerts and a 10-year backup battery.
The Kidde model 20SDR Smoke Alarm operates on two AA batteries (included) and utilizes a photoelectric sensor to detect the presence of smoke. An onboard LED glows green to indicate the detector is powered, amber to report a fault or error state, and red if smoke is detected. It sells for $29.95.
This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart smoke detectors.
For bedrooms and other locations that should also have a carbon monoxide detector in place, the battery-powered (2 AAs, included) Kidde model 30CUDR is equipped with both smoke and carbon monoxide sensors inside the same enclosure. It has the same set of LEDs and retails for $44.97.
For homes that have the wiring in place, Kidde’s model 30CUA10-V detects both smoke and carbon monoxide and issues voice alerts, such as “Fire!” “Warning, carbon monoxide,” and “Replace alarm.” If you install multiples of this model on the same electrical circuit, if one detector goes into an alarm state, it will trigger all the other detectors to do the same. In the event of a power outage, an included 10-year battery will kick in as a backup. Kidde has priced this model at $74.97.
All three of the new models promise fewer nuisance alarms typically caused by cooking, and they all have a self-test mode that ensures the alarm is working as designed (although Kidde notes this is not a substitute for pressing the Test button once a week. You do that every week on your smoke detectors, right?) Lastly, all three models share a smaller-than-average 5-inch form factor with a twist-lock mount design.
We’ll be getting a sample of Kidde’s voice-alert smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in soon, so stay tuned for our hands-on review.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.