Kangaroo Home Security Review

Whether you want one sensor or a whole security system, Kangaroo has an option for you—and it won’t blow your budget.

Kangaroo's simple home security solutions are totally customizable, and perfect for dorms, apartments, condos, and houseboats (my current fantasy).

But seriously, if you want to dip your toe into the pool (marina?) of home security, Kangaroo is the floatie that will keep your head above water while you figure out exactly what you need.

Kangaroo gives you the option to self-monitor for free or pay an annual fee for extra cloud storage and professional 24/7 monitoring. Plus, there are no contracts and no penalties.

In addition to the free Kangaroo security app, take a look at what you get with each Kangaroo monitoring plan.

The amount of cloud video storage included in a Kangaroo plan depends on the type of camera you have.

Kangaroo gives you three levels of monitoring to choose from. Because the mobile app is free to all Kangaroo customers, you can keep an eye on your Kangaroo security system through the app on your smartphone or tablet.

1. Basic Plan: If you opt for self-monitoring, you’ll get alerts from the Kangaroo app whenever a sensor is triggered.
2. Porch Protection Plan: If you have one of Kangaroo's security cameras, you can check the live feed to see exactly what’s going on. Then you can decide what action to take next—call for help or dismiss the alert as a false alarm.
3. Kangaroo Complete Plan: With the Kangaroo Complete plan, you get the whole shebang—alerts in the app and through text or voice call, 24/7 professional monitoring, and a direct line to help if you need it.

Where Kangaroo really stands out is with the Porch Protection Plan. We’ve always guarded against porch pirates—and with a global pandemic forcing more online shopping—it’s more stressful than ever to try to thwart them.

Kangaroo’s clever Porch Protection Plan is designed exclusively to help keep those pesky pilferers off your porch. Here’s a look at what you get in the plan:

• A full year of cloud storage for video clips on the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera
• Package theft protection up to $300, $800, or $1,500—depending on the plan you choose.

We’re happy to see a security company getting proactive about one of the most prolific property crimes that happens. But we think this is just a start.

Right now, Kangaroo’s doorbell camera doesn’t include two-way talk. At just $25 for the camera, it’s no surprise that it’s a stripped-down version of what we’ve come to see as the standard for video doorbell cameras.

We think that the ability to shoo away an interloper with your voice is a powerful deterrent. And while video footage and alerts are definitely better than nothing guarding your porch, we hope the Kangaroo doorbell cam gets an upgrade soon.

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We’ve already said that Kangaroo's prices are extremely budget-friendly. Here’s the rundown of what you can expect to pay for Kangaroo home security.

At first blush, there’s not a lot of difference between Kangaroo’s equipment and other security companies’ offerings. The aesthetic is similar to other brands like Ring Alarm and Wyze Home Monitoring—simple, sleek, and with those rounded corners I just can’t resist.

This brand also has some fun with its equipment names. Instead of offering boring, old key fobs, Kangaroo calls them Roo Tags. They do the same thing as a key fob, but they sound cooler.

What makes the siren and keypad combo so cool is that it’s not a hub for the system—it’s a stand-alone security device just like all of Kangaroo’s other equipment. Still, it's only available in a starter kits.

What makes Kangaroo’s window and door sensors better than most is that each one has a built-in motion sensor. You get the perks of two sensors in one. We like it.

Because each Kangaroo sensor also works as a motion detector, you don’t have to wait until something gets opened to get an alert. But the sheer volume of alerts can quickly get out of hand if you put one of these sensors in a high-traffic area.

We recommend thinking carefully about where you place these two-in-one babies. You can also adjust the alert settings when everyone’s at home so you don’t get dinged every time someone grabs a glass of water or heads to the restroom.

Best of all, you can get a Kangaroo Motion + Entry Sensor all by itself for just $30. And if you aren’t interested in alerts from your doors and windows, you can get a stand-alone Kangaroo Motion Sensor for $15.

This is the most exciting piece of equipment we’ve seen from Kangaroo—and we’ve got nasty camera hackers to thank.

In light of ongoing news about security cameras and baby monitors getting hacked, Kangaroo set out to create a different kind of camera. Instead of using a mere indicator light to signal if the camera is on, the Privacy Camera actually obscures the lens when it’s not in use.

It’s kind of like fogging up the bathroom mirror, only it’s on your security camera and you don’t have to trigger it with a steamy, hot shower. If the camera isn’t in use, the lens is basically fogged up so even if it did get hacked, the creepy hacker wouldn’t be able to see anything.

We got to see the Privacy Camera in action at CES, and it was pretty impressive. This is another example of Kangaroo thinking outside the standard home security box to address a very timely customer concern.

You can pick up a Privacy Camera on Walmart's website—Kangaroo doesn't even hve it on its own website. If you opt for a single camera, it’ll set you back a paltry $80.

You get the Kangaroo app for free with all Kangaroo equipment, packages, and monitoring plans. The app is where you do everything for your Kangaroo security system—from arming the equipment to setting up alerts and checking video footage.

The app is available for iOS and Android, but the reviews for iOS are significantly better than what Android users are reporting.

Android users say that setup is easy, but that the app doesn’t consistently function the way they expect. We were pleased to see quick and proactive responses from Kangaroo to frustrated customers, so hopefully that means updates and improvements are on the way.

Kangaroo’s main focus is home security, not home automation. You can add voice control with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant—but beyond that, you don’t have any other smart home options.

At this time, you can’t control smart lights, door locks, or a smart thermostat. But the company is slowly but surely adding new functionality. Your Kangaroo siren can now listen for your smoke alarm and send an alert if it goes off.

It’s not much, but it’s a move in the right direction.

Kangaroo is one of the newest players in the home security space, and the company has done a good job of creating differentiators. Its porch pirate protection plan is smart and the Privacy Camera is highly innovative.

Let’s see how it stacks up to some of the most established names in budget home security.

Kangaroo truly puts you in control of your home security experience. If you only want an entry sensor and a siren, then you can have them. There’s no central hub required and no extra fees to use the Kangaroo app.

We like the low prices, but the quality definitely reflects what you’re paying for. For a new company, Kangaroo is doing a good job of setting itself apart and fulfilling its goal to make home security affordable and manageable for anyone.

If you’re a security newbie, Kangaroo is a great way to take cheap home security for a test drive. It’s low risk, low cost, and simple to set up.

This simple security company launched in 2018 and hit our radar at CES in Las Vegas. A security company shilling their wares with a beer pong theme really grabbed our attention.

Find out more about our review process in our full methodology.

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