Securing your home doesn’t have to break the bank. The new smart alarm systems are simple to install and more affordable. You don’t need to pay hefty prices for professional installation, and you’re no longer tied to lengthy contracts.
If you’re on holiday and just want to take a peek at your house, you can do that with a few simple buttons on your phone when you install the home security cameras. You can even make your smart home security system more holistic when you get integrated smart alarm parts such as sirens, sensors and keypads in addition to the security cameras to take your home safety to the next level.
Here, we’ll list the best smart alarm systems, and we’ll discuss their features and costs to help you find the right security system for your home.
Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit
Ring’s mission is to “Make Neighbourhoods Safer.”
This do-it-yourself wireless alarm system is a breeze to set up and use and gives you complete control over your home security.
The Ring combines robust performance with sleek design to create a safe home. It can be installed in 30-60 minutes, depending on the number of sensors. The Ring Alarm system is loud and remarkably responsive.
The Ring Alarm works effectively without an internet connection.
For added security, you can choose to opt-in for a subscription service to a mobile data connection. You can select 3 emergy contacts to be contacted if you don’t respond to the alarm. The cost of this service is £8/month or £80/year.
Ring Alarm - What’s in the box?
Simple to set up, easy to use and completely customisable to suit your needs, Ring Alarm Packs offer the power of a smart security system in an affordable package that puts home protection in your hands.
Ring Alarm pack includes a Base Station, Keypad, Contact Sensor, Motion Detector, and Range Extender.
- Base Station: “The brain behind it all” keeps your Ring Alarm online and connected to your devices. Connect the base station via Ethernet or wifi. If the power goes down, you’ll still be protected with battery power for up to 24 hours.
- Contact Sensor: Compact, secure and now featuring a removable slim magnet for easy installation, even when space is limited. Mount Contact Sensors to doors or window frames, so you always know when they open.
- Motion Detector: Mount the discreet Motion Detectors to room corners or flat walls and get real-time notifications on your phone when motion is detected at home. It’s your pet’s home too! Let them roam when you’re not at home. Smart motion deception settings allow you to ignore your pets and detect intruders.
- Keypad: Control your system inside your home with battery-powered convenience. Munt the new look keypad to any flat wall or simply leave it on a nearby surface for everyday convenience. Add multiple keypads around the house for easier access.
- Range Extender to cover your home. Add a Range Extender throughout your home to extend the signal from your Alarm Base Station to all Alarm components, so you can make sure your security coverage stays strong and clear.
The Ring Alarm features
- Five-piece alarm kit – makes it easy to customise your home security
- Quick and easy setup and installation.
- Compatible with iOS and Android operating systems.
- Get real-time notifications when any of your Alarm sensors are triggered
- The base station connects to your Wi-Fi.
- It has a 24-hour backup battery to keep your home safe and secure, even if the power goes out.
- Pet-friendly sensors – built-in motion sensitivity to prevent unnecessary notifications caused by your pet.
- Works with your Alexa – you can arm or disarm the Ring Alarm system with your voice.
- Optional Cellular Backup – continue monitoring your home in the event that your system goes offline.
- Optional Assisted Monitoring – Add an extra layer of protection with our optional Assisted Monitoring service.
- Maximum volume – 104 decibels.
- Warranty – One-year limited warranty and service included. Read the T&Cs here.
- Subscription costs – Basic package (£2.50/month or £24.99/year) for one device. Plus package (£8/month or £80/year) for your whole house.
- Price – Starts at £219.99* for Alarm Pack – S, and it’s suitable for apartments and small houses. Alarm Pack – M starts at £269.97. It’s great for 2-3 bedroom houses. If your home has 3-4 bedrooms, take a look at the Alarm Pack – L (£399.94).
The Ring Alarm installation
Ring Alarm is quick to install and easy to use. Depending on the number of sensors you’ve got, it can be installed in 30-60 minutes.
Just plug in your Base Station, connect to wifi via the Ring app, and place your Motion Detectors and Contact Sensors where you need them most.
If you need help with the installation, check out the setup guides and help centre for step-by-step instructions. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, the Ring support team can walk you through the entire process.
The Ring Alarm compatibility
The Ring Alarm works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can control your system using your voice.
Ring 5 Piece Kit Review
The Ring Alarm system is a Which Best Buy product. Which.co.uk gave the Ring 5 Piece Kit (Second Generation) with Outdoor Siren an excellent score of 88%, and here’s their verdict.
“We were impressed with the Best Buy standard Ring Alarm kit, but lamented its lack of an included external sounder. By adding a siren, this kit becomes one of the best burglar alarm systems you can buy.”
Good Housekeeping described Ring Alarm System as “the best smart alarm for unreliable wifi connections.”
Hive HomeShield
The Hive HomeShield is the perfect tool to keep your home safe.
Hive was created by the energy and home services provider, British Gas, so you know it’s from a household name brand. Hive offers a range of smart home devices such as smart thermostats, energy-saving lights, plugs, home camera security and security systems.
Their product, HomeShield, is easy to set up and works with the complete Hive ecosystem.
Hive HomeShield - What’s in the box?
- Hive Hub: The hub is the heart of your smart home
- Hive Siren: A Siren that deters criminals with sound and light
- Hive Keypad: Arm/Disarm your security alarm with ease
- 2x Hive Window/Door Sensors: Keep your doors and windows safe and secure.
- Hive Motion Sensor: Automatically detect activity within your home (Not pet-friendly)
- 30 days free HomeShield
Hive HomeShield Key Features
- Various smart home security packs – suitable for different size homes.
- Customised security modes (Home, Away and Sleep). This feature lets you customise each mode, so the right parts of your home are protected at the right time.
- Guest access. You can give your visitor, carer, babysitter, cleaner or dogwalker their own unique PIN. This PIN lets them temporarily access your home when they need it without requiring access to the app.
- Instant alerts – The moment your alarm is triggered, you’ll get an instant alert. You’ll get a phone call, notification or text so you (or friends and family) can take action straight away.
- Contact the police through the app – As soon as the alarm is triggered, everyone with access to your Hive HomeShield will receive an alert. The emergency button in the app will quickly connect you straight to the emergency services.
- Voice control – HomeShield works smoothly with your smart speaker. Use your smart speaker to arm or disarm your alarm when your hands are full.
- Maximum volume – 110 decibels
- Subscription costs – Some of the alarm functionality is locked behind the Hive Homeshield, £9.99 monthly subscription service. If you have two cameras, this rises to £11.99, and if you have three or more, you’ll pay £15.99. The first month is free.
- Price – Starts at £149 without the hub and £199 with the hub.
Hive HomeShield Installation
Installing a Hive HomeShield is a bit tricker than the Ring Alarms, but it still can be done. So if you fancy yourself as a bit handy with a drill, you could save a few pennies by installing HomeShield yourself. The installation guide is clear and straightforward – all you need is a tall ladder, drill, screwdriver, and a bit of patience!
If heights aren’t your thing, you could always get an expert engineer to install all the smart devices for you and ensure everything is set up and running as it should.
Hive HomeShield Compatibility
Hive HomeShield works with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can use these smart devices to change the modes and arm/disarm your alarm with your voice.
Here’s how you can set up HomeShield with Alexa and HomeShield with Google Assistant.
Hive HomeShield Reviews
Another great score from Which.co.uk. HomeShield scored 77% and, most importantly, got the Which? Best Buy badge.
Which? summed up the test with a few words “Excellent Hive system with loudest alarm on test
It’s one of our top-scoring smart alarm systems, and so is well worth considering. Rival Best Buys from Ring and ERA are great, too, so make sure you read all three before making your final decision.”
Good Housekeeping, on the other hand, labelled it “The Best home security system for smaller homes and expansion.”
Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm
Yale is known for mechanical locks and has secured millions of homes since 1840.
Yale combines this knowledge with the latest technology in their smart locks, cameras and other security products.
Yale Alarm - What’s in the box?
You can choose the right Yale package for your home. The Sync Smart Home Alarm 5-Piece Kit includes;
- 1x Smart Hub
- 2x Motion Detector
- 1 x Door/Window Contact Sensor
- 1x Keypad
This Yale 5-piece kit doesn’t include a camera, so you could either buy a Yale camera or go for the 9-piece kit, which comes with an indoor camera.
Yale Alarm Key Features
- Trusted brand
- Easy set-up and use
- Up to 40 different smart products are compatible with the system, including Yale smart locks and Amazon Echo products for voice control
- Wide range of packages suitable for every home
- 200m (656 feet) range makes it ideal for garages and shed protection
- End-to-end secure encryption
- Geo-location tracking
- Real-time notifications for Alarm and Camera
- Pan and tilt camera control
- Warranty: usually covered by the retailer
- Maximum volume: 100 decibels
- Subscription costs: Unlike other security systems, there are no ongoing subscription fees to pay with the Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm. You’ll only pay for the alarm system upfront, meaning you won’t get help from third-party security companies.
- Price: Yale Alarm packages start at £269.99 for the 5-piece kit
Yale Alarm Installation
You can set up the Yale Sync internal hub by yourself. The external sounder is trickier to install but can be done with the right tools, basic DIY skills and a cuppa!
This video from Yale Smart Living will show you how to install your Sync Smart Home Alarm using step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions.
Or you could get an expert to install your Yale Alarm for you for peace of mind.
Yale Alarm Compatibility
Yale Sync Smart Home works with Philips Hue, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, combining lights and voice to create the ultimate experience.
Yale Alarm Reviews
Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm scored 74% on the Which.co.uk test. Which? Described it as “Good, but lags behind our Best Buys.
Yale’s smart alarm system is good, but it falls short of the Best Buy mark, and it’s more expensive than other options. We found a security vulnerability during testing, but Yale fixed this issue and we have verified that. You can now buy this Yale alarm if you like what it offers.”
According to Good Housekeeping, Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm IA-320 is the “Best smart alarm system overall”.
The Best Smart Alarm Systems in the UK 2023 - Our Final Verdict
The easiest smart alarm system to DIY – Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit
The best smart alarm system for poor Wi-Fi connection – Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit
The best smart alarm system features – Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit
The best smart alarm system for a garage or a shed – Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm
The most affordable smart alarm system – Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm (No subscription required)
The loudest smart alarm system – Hive HomeShield
The best smart alarm system for flats and small homes – Hive HomeShield
FAQs
You can easily and quickly arm and disarm your system with the free Ring app (compatible with iOS and Android devices). You can also use the Keypad if you’re indoors and not near your phone or tablet. The alarm provides three Security Modes to control your system:
- Away activates your entire system.
- Disarmed deactivates your system.
- Home activates select sensors to fit your needs.
The alarm comes with a 24-hour backup battery that kicks in whenever the power at home goes out. You can also get cellular backup with Ring Protect Plus so your system can stay online during an outage.
Yes. Without Assisted Monitoring, you can still choose to receive mobile and email notifications whenever Alarm detects a security threat at your home, so you can self-monitor your property from anywhere. However, apart from Assisted Monitoring, you will also not have access to cellular backup in case your internet goes offline without a subscription to Ring Protect Plus.
If you’re comfortable with a power drill, then yes, you can get HomeShield up and running in a few hours.
To install devices like the Hive View Outdoor external camera and Siren, you’ll need the right equipment; including a tall ladder that allows you to safely drill at the recommended height and a power drill with a masonry drill bit of at least 400mm length.
If you’ve got all the kit and you’re good to go, we can take you through a step-by-step HomeShield installation guide in the app.
You can add on a total of 20 devices. However, a maximum of 6 control or view devices, for example, any combination of the PIR Camera, PIR Video Camera, or the Power Switch.
