Review: Kidde’s 2-in-1 Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm offers connectivity

When I was in university, family friends of ours experienced a devastating fire in their home. It was scary. It was sad. It was something that no one should ever have to experience. A smoke alarm saved them, but not without a lot of damage both personally and to their home.

There are lots of options out there for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to help protect your family, but the 2-in-1 Wireless Talking Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm from Kidde has some features that really appeal.

You can connect up to 12 units in your home wirelessly, making installation simple and easy. I love that you don't have to install separate smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home. And another cool feature is that it’s designed with smart homes in mind. When this detector is used with the Wink hub, you can receive notifications on your smartphone, tablet or PC. Plus, this unit has a 10-year lifespan and carries a limited warranty. (Tip: Don't forget to write the date of installation and the "replace by" date on your unit. This is important to ensure that you have a fully functioning alarm for your family's safety.)

Instead of the standard sound that’ll have you jumping out of your skin and rushing to make it stop, the two-in-one unit is equipped with a voice warning system that describes what the alarm detects, saying “fire” or “carbon monoxide.” (It also has a “low battery” command—much better than that non-stop chirp or sudden blaring alarm you’ll get with many other units.)

To help your kids stay calm and safe if you do have a fire or if your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, be sure you go over a fire/CO plan with them and review it twice a year. (A great time to do this is when you change the clocks ahead or back—also the recommended time to change the batteries on your smoke and CO alarms.) Show them how to leave the house safely, and establish a safe meeting spot outside. It’s a good idea to actually do a walk through fire drill—just like they do at school—so that everyone knows and understands the plan.

See how Kidde’s 2-in-1 Wireless Talking Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm works:

Amanda Gobatto lives in the GTA with her hubby and two children (a daughter born in 2005 and a son born in 2008). Her hobbies include photography and baking. She is the founder of Multi-Testing Mommy (a blog sharing information with Canadian Moms) and Digital Girl Consulting (providing support, education, training and management services to small businesses who are seeking a more engaged audience on social media, blogs etc.). 

The Kidde Wireless 2-in-1 Talking Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm is a Today’s Parent Approved 2016 winner. Keeping your kids safe is every parent’s No. 1 priority. This super simple battery-powered alarm has sensors for both smoke and carbon monoxide, and it connects wirelessly to other compatible alarms in your home—so when one goes off, they all do, with the voice feature calling out “Fire!” or “Carbon monoxide!” It’s also compatible with the Wink hub and app, which can send instant alerts to your smartphone if smoke or carbon monoxide is detected. $64.99, homedepot.ca

See all of the 2016 Today’s Parent Approved winning products