31 Mar Ultimate SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Review
Are you concerned about your home security? Do you want to protect your home from burglaries, fire hazards, carbon monoxide poisoning and a range of other potential hazards? Do you lack the time or inclination to research specific products for all of those issues separately?
If you’ve answered Yes to the aforementioned questions, then SimpliSafe Home Security Systems is perhaps the best solution for you. This is essentially a box solution comprising a range of different home security devices that can be connected to a single mainframe. As such, whatever your need may be, you can use the same security system for all of it.
In this article, I’ll give you a detailed overview of SimpliSafe Home Security Systems. I’ll review all of the individual equipment you can purchase, show you how the system works and is installed, and answer any other questions you may have.
Table of Contents
About SimpliSafe Home Security Systems
SimpliSafe isn’t yet a household name. However, it is a well-reputed company that’s been developing security products for over a decade. The company started a decade ago by Harvard students after one of their friend’s had their house burgled. As such, they decided to come up with an easy tech solution that made it easy to install and remove and didn’t include any complicated contracts.
Their latest third-generation SimpliSafe Home Security Systems effectively fulfills that vision. Itis one of the smartest, most secure, and most stylish systems for overall protection and is perfectly equipped for a DIY setup.
You can either shop for a complete SimpliSafe home security system or you can compile your own setup by selecting the specific equipment you need. Following that, you can install the system yourself without any professional help, contracts, or complicated hardware. In order to engage monitoring, you have to pay a modest monthly fee. However, you can shut off monitoring during some months while still retaining the hardware for future use.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems comprise a mandatory base station and keypad, along with a wide range of equipment for burglary and hazard detections. They offer packages that already include these devices in various combinations but you also have the ability to pick and choose specific equipment, add them to the setup later, remove them, etc. It is completely versatile and upgradable.
Furthermore, you can use a cell chip or landline connection to alert operators at C.O.P.S. Monitoring. In case some disaster occurs, their agents can immediately make sure that your home is kept safe.
SimpliSafe Home Security Equipment
SimpliSafe Home Security offers a total of 14 different components to the users. Two of those components are necessary for the entire system to work so those are mandatory. However, you can choose amongst all other equipment and components.
There are a total of 5 burglary-related equipment that can alert you in case there’ an intruder. There are 3 hazard detectors that can alert you about environmental hazards or other dangers to your home. And finally, there are some non-essential additional components you can get such as an additional siren and a yard sign that can prevent your home from becoming a target in the first place.
Starting Components
Starting Components — Base Station and Wireless Keypad — come with all SimpliSafe security systems because they’re essentials. They are both used to control the entire SimpliSafe ecosystem in their own ways.
Base Station
All of the equipment in the SimpliSafe ecosystem need to be paired with this base station in order to make sure that they interact. Furthermore, the base station is responsible for acting on the information transmitted by the detectors and equipment.
If there has been a break-in, the base station will blare a loud 95dB siren. In case you’re wondering, that is about as loud as the inside of a subway car, a wood shop, or a food processor — i.e., it is pretty loud and you should be able to hear it around the house, wherever you are.
The base station also sends information to the user’s smartphone apps. If there’s a break-in or hazard detected, the base station will send an alarm to your phone.
Wireless Keypad
The Wireless Keypad serves as a distraction — a decoy. If burglars break into your home, the keypad will start loudly beeping. This will draw the burglars’ attention and they’ll probably smash it to prevent the authorities from being alerted. However, the keypad is only a distraction and the main system — the base station — will silently work in the background to warn the authorities, set off the alarm, and send you a notification.
Since the Wireless Keypad is meant to be detected by the burglars, you should install it in plain sight near the door. If the intruders are actively looking for a security system to break, they’ll smash the keypad and drop their guards. Meanwhile, the base station should be hidden away.
Burglary Sensors
These are a range of devices that get triggered when someone breaks into your home. All of them serve their own unique purposes and you can get them in any combination to protect your house.
Entry Sensor
As the name suggests, an Entry Sensor’s purpose is to detect when someone enters your home. These are small devices that should be installed in any and all entry and exit points around your house such as windows and front/back doors.
The entry sensor needs to be attached to the door or window’s frame while a magnet is attached to the entry/exit point. If the entry sensor moves more than two inches away from the attached magnet, the sensor will get tripped and the base station will start chiming.
Motion Sensor
A Motion Sensor is a device that can alert you when there’s some motion detected. As such, if the burglar has someone managed to get in without tripping the entry sensor, the motion sensor will still be able to capture their movements and trip the alarm.
These sensors should be installed near the main entry rooms — generally the living room and kitchen. These sensors can detect movement within 30 feet so they’ll get tripped the moment the intruders enter these rooms. They have a 90-degree field of view, however, so you should install them in the corners of rooms for most accurate results.
If you are home and don’t want the sensors to get activated, you can set them on Home Mode. However, you can also leave some sensors on depending on the rooms you’re not using. For example, if you’ve left a small child in the living room while you’re away, you can set the living room’s sensors to Home Mode but still leave the kitchen’s sensors active in case someone breaks in from the kitchen.
The best aspect of the motion sensor is that its sensitivity can be modified according to your needs. Furthermore, the alarm also uses heat signatures to distinguish between humans and pets so your alarm won’t get tripped by pets under 50 pounds.
Glassbreak Sensor
Breaking glass from windows is one of the most common means by which intruders gain entrance into someone’s home. The Glassbreak Sensor can detect whenever some glass shatters. As such, you should install them in rooms with various ground-level windows. The moment a burglar breaks the window to get in, you’ll be alerted.
SimpliCam
SimpliCam is the most important and essential burglary sensor equipment in the SimpliSafe Home Security System. As the name suggests, it’s an indoor surveillance camera. This is a WiFi-enabled hardwired camera and it needs to be bought along with the SimpliSafe kit and monthly paid monitoring service.
Physical Features
The camera is about 4.5” in height. It is a black rectangular device with a small curved base. The camera is located on the main body, protruding outwards. The most disappointing aspect of the camera is its inability to either pan or tilt. Furthermore, since this is a hardwired camera, you’ll have to connect it to the power source. As such, you won’t have to worry about the battery running out, but it’s also a lot less portable and liable to become ineffective if the power source is disabled. The latter of these is a major concern because burglars often cut off power lines to homes they intend to rob. All things considered, the design isn’t very well thought out.
Recording Capacity
The camera records videos in 720p with a 120-degrees field of view. That is perfectly average since there are more advanced cameras with greater resolution and a wider field of view. I’m not too concerned about the resolution because the video quality is still pretty clear and you can see details well. However, a 120-degree lens angle still leaves plenty of blind spots in the room that can be manipulated by experts. Furthermore, the video doesn’t have zoom features either.
Night Vision
SimpliCam has an automatic Night Vision feature. As such, the moment it gets too dark for the camera, it automatically starts recording with the night vision turned on. However, instead of using standardized infrared lenses, it enabled night vision by flashing a bright white light. In an otherwise dark room, the white light is easy to see. As such, if some burglars are in the house, they’ll immediately know they’re being recorded. This can be a good and bad thing. On the one hand, it might scare them away. But it might also encourage them to destroy the camera.
Two-Way Audio
This camera has also skimped out on the audio since there’s no two-way audio, which is an essential industry standard for surveillance cameras. A two-way intercom is important as it allows you to communicate with people near the camera. If an intruder comes in, you can use the intercom to let them know that you’re calling the authorities, thereby potentially scaring them away. As such, the lack of such an important and standardized feature doesn’t bode well.
Motion Detection
SimpliCam uses the same motion detection feature as the dedicated Motion Sensors. As such, whenever someone breaks in, it will automatically start recording videos and you’ll receive a push alert in your phone.
Recording and Storage
The camera can be monitored 24/7 through live streaming via your phone’s app. However, if you want to record videos, there is no local storage option. You have to upload the recorded video to the SimpliSafe cloud storage, for which you need to subscribe to their Interactive Monthly Plan. There are plenty of cameras out there for which you don’t need to pay a monthly fee for gaining access to recorded videos, so I’m disappointed with this feature. However, you can bypass this issue by using some screen grabbing app to record the live streaming videos to your phone.
Monitoring
Under the monthly SimpliSafe subscription, you will have trained surveillance professionals monitoring your home 24/7. On the one hand, it helps ensure your home’s safety when you’re not around. But on the other hand, some people don’t like the idea of having strangers — even trained professionals — looking into their home at all times.
All things considered, SimpliCam is a bare-bones home surveillance camera. It only has the minimal features and specifications necessary but doesn’t go the extra mile. Perhaps that’s because SimpliSafe already provides a wide range of additional sensors so there isn’t that much of a burden on the camera.
Panic Button
The Panic Button is an extremely important device. It is recommended that you install the panic button next to your bed, and preferably also the beds of all your family members.
Pressing the panic button will immediately set off an alarm and the monitoring team will check on you via phone call. If you don’t answer the call or fail to provide the safe word, the team will alert the police.
The panic button can also be programmed to remain silent if you don’t want the intruder to find out about it.
Hazard Sensors
These are devices associated with home security related to hazards such as fires, water leakage, temperature change, etc.
Smoke Detector
SimpliSafe Smoke Detectors are equipped with photoelectric sensors, which is the most advanced means of detecting smoke and fire. As such, even if there’s a faint smoldering or smoke, the smoke detector will register it and respond within 30 minutes. As such, you’ll find out about smoke even before the fire breaks out completely. When it gets triggered, it releases a loud siren sound that can be heard even in your sleep. You should install one smoke detector in every bedroom.
Temperature Sensor
The Temperature Sensor’s purpose is to detect your home’s temperature dropping below 41°. As such, you’ll be warned if your pipes are dropping below freezing temperature and you can take actions to prevent them from bursting. It will also give you access to hourly readings of your home’s temperature via your smartphone app. You can also set an upper-temperature limit in case you want to control the temperature to preserve your plants or other temperature-sensitive objects.
Water Sensor
The Water Sensor should be installed close to water sources like sinks and toilets. As such, if your pipes start leaking or there’s any other possible leakage and the device comes in contact with water, it will set off an alarm. This will give you time to react to the leakage and protect your home from flood damage.
Additional Components
These are additional non-essential components or equipment you can purchase for a variety of purposes.
Extra Keypad
This is an additional keypad. You can get this if you want to maintain more than one keypad for different entrances around your home. You can also get it if your current keypad gets lost or damaged.
Key Fob
Key Fobs are minimalist portable devices you can carry around at all times. It comes with only three buttons. One of them can arm the SimpliSafe device, one can disarm the device, and the third is a Panic Button. You can keep it on your person at all times to remotely control your SimpliSafe system or remotely trigger the Panic Button.
105dB Siren
The siren in the base station is 95dB in loudness and it isn’t portable. If you want a remote siren that’s louder and one that you can keep on your person, you can get the 105dB Siren. This is the loudest siren you can get and is about as loud as a sporting stadium or arena. If your live streaming feed tells you that someone’s breaking into your home, you can trigger the siren remotely to scare them away. The siren is loud enough to alert the entire neighborhood.
9”x9” Yard Sign
Studies show that homes without security systems are 3x more likely to be robbed. The 9”x9” Yard Sign can be installed outside your home so all potential robbers know not to mess with your home. One of these signs comes for free with the SimpliSafe system, but you can get additional signs as well.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Packages
You can set up your own SimpliSafe system by custom-choosing the equipment and devices you need, and the numbers in which you need them. However, you can also go ahead and purchase one of their customized packages.
The following are some of their most popular custom packages available on Amazon.
1. SimpliSafe 5-Piece Set
SimpliSafe 5-Piece Set is a DIY home protection kit that includes the following components:
- Base Station
- Keypad
- 1 Entry Sensor
- 1 Motion Sensor
- 1 Key Fob
This kit only includes one entry and one motion sensor, so you should install it in the primary point of entrance, i.e., your main door. Or, if you feel burglars are more likely to enter from another doorway, install them there.
You can also install the entry sensor in the doorway in one room and the motion sensor in another room. As such, if a burglar gets in through the door in the living room, for example, the entry sensor will get tripped. And if they enter through the kitchen, the motion sensor might catch them.
With only 2 sensors, this is an extremely basic SimpliSafe security system so you’ll have to strategize where to place the devices. There’s no camera included in this set so you won’t be able to monitor your home. Furthermore, there are no hazard sensors here either, this is purely meant for burglaries.
The Key Fob can be used as a portable panic button. Instead of having to manually turn the base station on or off, you can simply use the key fob to arm or disarm the SimpliSafe security system whenever you need. Furthermore, wherever you may be, you can trigger the Panic Button if you fear an intruder is breaking in. Once the Panic Button is triggered, you’ll receive a call from the monitoring agents. If you fail to receive the call or provide the safe word, they will immediately inform the local law enforcement.
2. SimpliSafe 8-Piece Set
SimpliSafe 8-Piece Set is a DIY home protection kit that includes the following components:
- Base Station
- Keypad
- 4 Entry Sensors
- 1 Motion Sensor
- 1 Panic Button
This kit really amps up the number of entry sensors. That’s pretty good because you can install the entry sensors on both your front and back door along with 2 windows. Furthermore, if you find that one of your entry rooms isn’t sufficiently protected, you can install the motion sensor there to catch intruders. As such, it is a lot more likely than the 5-piece set of being able to catch burglars. However, you still have to be strategic while installing these, especially if you live in a large house with multiple points of entry/exit and several windows on the ground floor.
One of the biggest changes from the aforementioned 5-Piece set is that this set replaces the Key Fob for a Panic Button. Since the Key Fob works essentially as a portable Panic Button with greater functionality, I believe this is a step down in terms of utility.
The Panic Button can be installed next to your bed. As such, if you suspect someone has broken into your home, you can trigger it and ask the monitoring agencies to inform the police. However, unlike the Key Fob, you cannot use it to arm and disarm your entire SimpliSafe Security System remotely. As such, if you want to disarm your system, you’ll have to go to your base station and do so manually.
While the SimpliSafe 8-Piece Set is more effective in alarming you in case of burglaries, it isn’t as user-friendly as the SimpliSafe 5-Piece Set.
3. SimpliSafe 9-Piece Set
SimpliSafe 9-Piece Set is a DIY home protection kit that includes the following components:
- Base Station
- Keypad
- 4 Entry Sensors
- 2 Motion Sensors
- 1 SimpliCam
This kit is suitable for homes with several points of entry and exit. It comes with 4 entry sensors and 2 motion sensors. As such, you install one motion sensor in your living room and the other motion sensor in the room adjoining the back entrance. Furthermore, there are 4 entry sensors so you can place them strategically along all the windows in the ground floor. 2 motion sensors and 4 entry sensors should ideally be enough to cover all or almost all points of entry and exit around a moderately-sized home.
In addition to the sensors, this kit also comes with a SimpliCam surveillance camera. This can be installed discreetly in a part of the house with the greatest visibility to the entrance. As such, the moment someone breaks in, the camera’s motion sensors will detect them and start recording videos. You will also be able to see live footage via your smartphone app, thus allowing you to alert the authorities immediately. Furthermore, the recorded video can be retrieved from the cloud and be used as evidence against the burglars.
In terms of home surveillance and security, SimpliSafe 9-Piece Set is close to perfect. However, the SimpliCam comes instead of a Panic Button or Key Fob. As such, you will have to arm and disarm the entire system manually every time you enter or leave the house. We tend to sometimes forget arming the device before leaving for work, so you’ll have no means of arming it remotely. More importantly, if someone breaks into your home while you’re inside, you won’t have access to a Panic Button, which is the most efficient means of calling for help.
4. SimpliSafe 12-Piece Set
SimpliSafe 12-Piece Set is a DIY home protection kit that includes the following components:
- Base Station
- Keypad
- 5 Entry Sensors
- 2 Motion Sensors
- 1 SimpliCam
- 1 KeyFob
- 1 Panic Button
This is the most advanced security kit you can get. It has 5 entry sensors and 2 motion sensors, which is enough to secure every single point or entrance or exit around most homes. Of course, if you live in a large mansion with several possible points of entrance, you’ll need to purchase additional entry and motion sensors, but this is enough for most homes.
There’s only 1 SimpliCam, however, so you’ll still need to be strategic about which room you install it in. Considering the camera only has a 120-degree lens angle, you should install it such that you can maximize its field of view. You’ll also be able to access live streaming via your app and alert the authorities if anything is amiss. Furthermore, if you get the Interactive Surveillance package, you’ll also be able to access recorded footage and provide them to authorities as evidence.
This SimpliSafe set maximizes security without sacrificing on functionality and emergency provisions either. The KeyFob can be used as a portable panic button you keep on your person at all times. It can also be used to remotely arm and disarm the entire SimpliSafe system. The Panic Button can be installed next to your bed and it can be used to alert the authorities immediately if someone has broken in.
Comparison of the 4 SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Sets
The following is a comparative table for the four SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Sets mentioned above.
5-Piece | 8-Piece | 9-Piece | 12-Piece | |
Base Station | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Key Pad | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Entry Sensor | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Motion Sensor | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
SimpliCam | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Key Fob | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Panic Button | ✓ | ✓ |
What’s notable here is that none of these sets is geared towards hazard protection and they can’t detect smoke, fire, water damage, etc. These systems are purely geared towards burglary detection. However, you don’t have to restrict yourself to these SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Sets. You can also create your own set using any of the equipment listed in the previous section of the article.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Overview
In this section of the article, I’ll give you all the additional information you need about SimpliSafe Home Security Systems such as the installation process, the app design, monitoring packages, etc.
SimpliSafe Features
The following are the main features common for all SimpliSafe systems.
24/7 Live Alarm Monitoring
SimpliSafe provides optional emergency monitoring courtesy of C.O.P.S. Monitoring, which has been labeled the best monitoring service in the industry by the Central Station Alarm Association. Whenever one of your alarms is triggered, they are notified immediately so they can take prompt action or dispatch the relevant authorities to your home.
Cellular Connection
It’s important for your security system to have a wireless connection. That’s important because burglars often cut power lines when they’re about to intrude upon your home. As such, a wireless system will still remain active and be able to send an alarm to notify the monitoring agents.
SimpliSafe has an inbuilt cellular technology that can work independently of phone lines or WiFi. Furthermore, this cellular connection is included in their monthly subscription plan so you don’t have to pay extra.
Burglary Monitoring
As mentioned in the previous part of this article, the SimpliSafe Home Security System comes with a range of burglary-detection equipment like Entry Sensor, Motion Sensor, Glassbreak Sensor, Panic Button, and SimpliCam surveillance camera.
Environmental Monitoring
SimpliSafe Home Security System also comes with devices meant to detect environmental hazards such as water leakage, flooding, fires, etc. The devices that can handle this are the Smoke Detector, Temperature Sensor, and Water Sensor. If any of these devices gets tripped, the monitoring agents will either inform you directly or send the relevant authorities, such as the firefighters.
SimpliSafe Home Security Systems Monitoring Packages
In order to access SimpliSafe’s detectors and devices, it is necessary to purchase one of their monthly subscription packages. This is a bummer because there are loads of security systems that don’t necessitate a monthly subscription.
The good thing here is that both the packages provide users with 24/7 monitoring from professional agents. As such, the moment an emergency comes up, they will take the appropriate actions. This service isn’t provided by most security systems, so it’s worth the monthly subscription.
However, I would have preferred if there was a third free option for those who don’t want strangers — even professional strangers — to know all the ins and outs of their home.
Standard Package
This is the bare-bones security package. It gives you access to 24/7 Live Alarm Monitoring, Cellular Connection, and Environmental Monitoring. As such, if the alarm goes off because of a burglary or environmental hazard, the monitoring agents will dispatch the police immediately. It costs $14.99 per month.
Interactive Package
The Interactive Package goes above and beyond the Standard Package to offer a range of cool features and services.
- This package gives you complete access to all of the SimpliSafe app’s features, which will be discussed below.
- It will also allow you to receive detailed and in-depth notification about the day’s activities.
- This package will also allow the camera to automatically record videos and send them to the authorities the moment it gets tripped. As such, if a real burglary is taking place, the law enforcement will have immediate evidence of it and they’ll be able to get to your home quickly.
- Recorded videos will be stored in the cloud for 30 days, which is enough to review and download them if necessary.
- Finally, the Interactive Package will also give you Smart Home integration features via platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Nest, etc. As such, you’ll be able to provide voice commands to trigger specific actions.
This package costs $24.99 per month.
SimpliSafe Home Security App
The SimpliSafe App gives you access to the following features:
- Remotely arming and disarming the security system. As such, you don’t need to always manually arm or disarm the system, and you can do so from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, if you have this feature and an internet connection, you don’t need to use the key fob for remote arming and disarming.
- Live-streaming the camera’s footage 24/7.
- Go through Recent Events to recap the captured footage.
- Record Videos and access them through the cloud.
- Connect all the SimpliSafe sensors so you can receive push-alerts if any of them trip up.
- Set up Secret Alerts so you just receive a text message and no alarm is set off.
However, while this app has the right set of features, its execution is clunky. The app is slow to load and has a frustrating interface that’s hard to navigate. No wonder it has received 3.1 and 3.4 stars from the Apple Store and Google Play Store respectively.
In addition to the clunky design, another massive drawback here is that the app’s features are only made available to those who have subscribed to the Interactive Package. As such, you have to pay a premium price to access features that most security systems let you access for free.
SimpliSafe Home Security Installation
Installation of the SimpliSafe Home Security System is extremely simple and you can do it DIY-style without any professional help. You just have to follow these steps:
- Place the base station in a central location so that it’s within 400 feet of all your sensors and 100 feet of your keypad.
- Connect the base station to a power source.
- The sensors will have sticky tabs so you simply remove them and stick the sensors wherever you want.
- The base station runs on 11n 2.4GHz WiFi radio. It can run even without WiFi, but, in that case, you won’t be able to upgrade firmware routinely.
- You can also add the SIM card for cellular connection.
- Setting up the base station is simple, you just have to follow the instructions in the booklet.
- Once all the devices are in their place, you have to pair them. This is simple. Just press the pairing button on the keypad and all the sensors. They will immediately detect the base station and get paired.
- You can then download the SimpliSafe app for live monitoring and remote control.
- That’s it! Your entire system is hooked up in 15 to 30 minutes!
SimpliSafe Frequently Asked Questions
In this section of the article, I’ll answer some frequently asked questions about the SimpliSafe Home Security System.
Can SimpliSafe only be used via the Internet and Cellphones?
SimpliSafe can also be used without WiFi or cellphones. It can also be used with nothing but the keypad and base station as they use an inbuilt cellular connection to communicate with each other. However, if you need access to the SimpliCam surveillance camera, you’ll need to go online.
Can new and old SimpliSafe components be combined?
New SimpliSafe components and equipment are not compatible with the older SimpliSafe generations. The devices can only work with the base station of the relevant generation.
How many additional sensors can be added to the SimpliSafe system?
You can add a total of 100 components to the entire SimpliSafe system. These include the keypads, key fobs, panic buttons, all the hazard sensors, and all the burglary sensors.
Does SimpliSafe also come with a video monitor that can be kept on the counter so you can monitor the house from inside?
SimpliSafe doesn’t provide a monitor for viewing since your smart devices can serve as monitors. As such, you can install the SimpliSafe app into your tablet and station that as a monitor.
What does the Professional Monitoring Service do?
The Professional Monitoring agents keep an eye on your home’s alerts at all times. As such, if any of the alerts are tripped, they investigate the matter, inform you, and also inform the relevant authorities such as law enforcement or firefighters.
Is the siren loud enough to scare away potential intruders?
The base station has a siren of 95dB which is enough to warn everyone inside the home. However, you can also add an additional 105dB siren that can be heard by your neighbors as well. Both of them, however, are loud enough to scare away potential intruders.
How can I prevent my pet from triggering the motion sensors?
You need to place the motion sensors 5 feet off the ground and adjust its sensitivity so that it won’t get triggered by small movements. Furthermore, the motion sensors also work based on heat signature so they are adequately capable of distinguishing between pets and people.
How to trigger the panic alert?
There are three different means by which to trigger the panic alert — Keypad, Independent Panic Alert, and Key Fob. When you trigger the panic alert, the monitoring agents will receive the signal and send you a phone call. If you fail to receive the call or give them the safe word, they will alert the authorities. When you trigger the panic alert, you can either customize it to also set off a loud siren or you can initiate a silent alarm that can’t be heard by the intruders.
Can SimpliSafe be integrated with Home Automation Technologies?
SimpliSafe doesn’t support common communication protocols such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, or This, Then That (IFTTT). However, it can be integrated with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Watch, Nest Thermostats, August Smart Locks, and other similar smart home technologies. As such, SimpliSafe offers smart security but it doesn’t offer a smart home platform.
SimpliSafe Pros and Cons
Pros
- There are no contracts so you can stop making your monthly payments whenever you choose. This is one of the only security systems that works on a pay-as-you-go model.
- If you compile all of these different burglary and hazard sensors independently, you might end up paying thousands of dollars. But SimpliSafe makes it a lot more affordable.
- It’s convenient because you get all kinds of sensors you could possibly need from a single set.
- You get professional monitoring services at an extremely low monthly cost.
- Easy to set up and install without professional help.
- The motion sensors can be modified and they can differentiate between pets and people.
- Can be controlled through voice command via Amazon Alexa.
Cons
- It is necessary for you to get one of the monthly subscriptions. There are plenty of other devices on the market that only require a single payment for the equipment and don’t have a monthly cost.
- The SimpliCam security camera is extremely basic and lacks essential features like 2-way audio.
- The SimpliCam security camera is not suitable for outdoor use.
- Older and newer versions aren’t compatible.
- Not compatible with smart home automation technologies and networks like Z-Wave, Zigbee, and IFTTT.
- The SimpliCam app is extremely clunky in design and execution.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you figure out if you want to install SimpliSafe Home Security Systems for your security needs. SimpliSafe is certainly not perfect and has a number of drawbacks, but it is currently one of the most convenient all-inclusive security systems on the market.