Nest Protect smoke alarm review

Google Nest Protect isn't just a great smoke detector, it's our favourite. It's got all the goodies:

• Voice and light alerts
• A motion sensor light that turns on when you walk underneath (perfect for late-night snack runs)
• An app to turn off alarms instead of climbing up on a chair
• Battery notifications on your phone instead of an annoying beep

Let's deep dive into how this smoke detector will rock your world.

Here’s a look at what you can expect when you receive your Nest Protect smoke alarm.

After living under the regime of a Kidde smoke detector that constantly went off for steam (but never for smoke), I jumped at the chance to try out the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Aside from some user-generated fails during setup, I was happy to discover the Nest Protect lived up to the hype.

I’ve never seen a smoke alarm with as many features as the Nest Protect. In addition to detecting smoke and carbon monoxide, this smart device can tell when you enter a room and when you turn out the lights (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). Plus, it’s better at ignoring steam than any other smoke alarm I’ve had in my house.

I have an automatic cringe response when I hear a fire alarm go off—and my dog’s response is even worse. Nest Protect uses a calm, friendly voice to tell you what’s up before you get a screaming siren in your ear. The Nest lets you know what it detects (smoke, CO2) and in which room. If it’s not an actual emergency (burned dinner, anyone?) you can turn off the alarm before it sounds. If you have more than one Nest Protect, each one will give the alert so that everyone in the house is warned.

When you combine your Nest Protect with other Nest products you increase the level of protection. When you add a Nest Cam, it will start recording when the alarm sounds, giving you video clips of what is happening. It can also be combined with other smart products, like Amazon Alexa, which lets you control Nest Protect with your voice.

Nest Protect is sleek and attractive, which is something I never imagined I’d say about a smoke alarm. Its bright white color is clean and fresh, and it adds to your home’s aesthetic in a way traditional smoke detectors never could. It is a bit larger than your average smoke alarm, so that’s something to keep in mind when planning where to install it.

I’ve always considered smoke alarms a necessary evil from a home decor perspective. But Nest Protect is changing my mind. Because the design is modern and sleek, I was actually excited to install it. And I have to admit I felt a little twinge of pride that my ceiling got to be home to this cutting-edge device.

Light is another way the Nest Protect communicates. The light ring changes colour to let you know at a glance what’s happening. When you turn out the lights you get a green glow (the “Nightly Promise”) that indicates everything is working and you won’t have to worry about late-night chirps due to low batteries.

The light also works as a motion-sensitive night-light, emitting a soft, white glow if you have a midnight craving for something sweet. Yellow is the Nest’s Heads-Up warning, and it shows up for minor things like burned toast. When the light turns red, it means your burned toast has now set your toaster on fire and indicates more immediate danger. It precedes the traditional siren.

I give Nest Protect five stars for design. From the packaging to the final product, it’s hard to find a flaw in this smart gadget’s design. This is one instance where I don’t have any suggestions to make the Nest Protect better.

All you have to do to get Nest Protect up and working is download the app, scan the QR code on the back of the device, and follow the voice prompts. Be warned, though—those voice prompts start immediately.

The first task is to push the button to set the language. Because I had just scanned the code, I was looking for a button on the back. Don’t do that—turn it over, use the big button, and start enjoying your Nest Protect immediately. It’s that simple.

You can test the siren or set the language during the initial setup by simply hitting the big round button on the front of the Nest Protect. Now that I know the button is on the front—not on the back near the QR code—I really like how accessible and easy it is to use. My old smoke alarm had to be wrenched from the ceiling and taken apart to stop the siren during a false alarm. But all it takes is a little tap on Nest Protect’s big button, and peace is instantly restored.

The Nest app is well designed and easy to use. Whether you want to check the status of your Nest Protect devices or create an emergency escape plan, this app makes it simple. Best of all, the app is accessible across multiple devices and with different users without having to set up multiple profiles.

I found the initial setup of the language confusing and got only more befuddled trying to fix it. There is a “Spoken Language” setting in the app, but it didn’t show up until about an hour after I installed the app.

Most smoke alarms use only a siren or chirp to alert you to danger or low batteries. Nest Protect uses four different methods to keep you in the know about your home’s safety.

There’s the traditional siren, which only goes off after a voice warning and verification of real danger. Voice alerts are used when an alarm is triggered, during self-checks, or when you manually test the device. The built-in light ring changes colours to let you know if everything is okay or whether there’s an emergency brewing. Plus, you get mobile alerts when any of these others are activated.

You can check the activity of your Nest Protect over the last ten days or month in two different ways. In the app, select your device and hit the History icon. That will give you a report detailing what occurred over the past ten days. Each day will have a colour bar and message indicating what happened. Red indicates a full-on alert, yellow a Heads-Up situation, and green means everything’s okay.

Nest also emails a monthly home report that includes a summary of any action your Nest Protect saw, plus tips to help keep your home safe.

Some older reviews have reported inconsistent results when they try to manually silence the alarm. I had no trouble silencing mine.

Google Nest Protect is far and away the smartest and most attractive smoke alarm I’ve ever seen. The mobile alerts and Heads-Up warnings save you from dealing with false alarms and provide extra reassurance that your home is safe. It’s easy to use and simple to set up—so what’s not to love?

A big price tag and high-tech requirements are this product’s major downfalls. Both can make Nest Protect seem like an exclusive product, which appeals to early adopters but can alienate other consumers with different priorities.

I set up the Nest Protect in my kitchen, which was previously guarded by a Kidde smoke detector that went off every time I boiled anything. I wanted to see if the Nest was smart enough to tell steam from smoke. (It was.)

Because I didn’t want to endanger my home or any of its occupants, I didn’t get to experience the alarm detecting smoke or high levels of carbon monoxide.** But I did run it through its self-tests to see how well it responded to remote hush and manual silencing. Thanks to my user error during the language setup, I was also able to troubleshoot and solve a problem with the settings.

I paid special attention to the following criteria: features, design, ease of use, alerts, and cost.

• Features: I looked at the primary features people want in a smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector and compared those to what the Nest Protect offers. I also evaluated how well the Nest Protect executed each feature.
• Design: I considered the Nest Protect’s style and function in comparison to other smart smoke detectors.
• Ease of Use: I scrutinized every step of the setup and installation process—from opening the box and downloading the app to installing the Nest Protect in my kitchen.
• Alerts: I examined every type of alert the Nest Protect offers, including voice, light, siren, and mobile.
• Cost: I looked at the cost of the Nest Protect in comparison to other smoke detectors on the market, from basic models to other smart smoke alarms.