Best Of The Best
We are determined to provide the consumers with a compiled data that is unbiased and which comes from various sources that will assist them to select the appropriate alarm system for their home. Instead of having to search for expert reviews, product information, as well as opinions that other consumers have provided on the web, you can swiftly get all that from a single point that we are providing. We have compiled data from trusted reviews, retail websites and experts to come up with detailed information and 10 recommendations to assist you.
By carefully analyzing data from individual user reviews and professionals, we are able to carry out product comparisons that are not influenced by advertisers, sponsors or any other incentive and thus the consumer gets information that is helpful.
There are a number of factors that we consider while analyzing and ranking security systems. We look at the service quality, the cost of the equipment, is the company consumer-friendly, and the most important aspect is the security features that the product offers. In this modern day generation there so many products in the market and numerous products from which you can choose your preference. Thus, we have compiled suggestion that may be of great help to you. Put in mind the following important elements when selecting a system and company that will be in line with your home and lifestyle.
There are companies that will allow you to pick between professional of DIY installation, yet others will offer you with only one or the other. DIY refers to do it yourself system. These kinds do not need professional installation which implies that the installer will show you how to install and will not come to your place to do it on your behalf. In most cases, DIY systems are usually Wireless and that ease the installation – customers have given feedback in which most of them installed their systems within 30 to 40 minutes. When the system is DIY, the customer will typically own the equipment and it is mobile.
The renters or individuals whose addresses keep on changing happen to prefer this choice.
A system that has been installed professionally will require an installation fee. The advantage of having a professionally installed system is that the worry of mistakes arising during the installation process is taken away from you.
It is the duty of the professional to install the system correctly and respond to any queries that you may have. These systems can be hardwired or wireless. It is advisable that you find out early since some may need a landline. If you lack knowledge on the duration you intend to stay at your current home, ensure that your professionally installed system offers a mechanism with which you can relocate it to a new home.
It is vital that you be sure there will be a 24 hour communication between your system and the monitoring centre on a daily basis if at all an emergency arises. Have a look at the following three methods that your system may trigger the alarm and then select the one that is suitable for your home.
• Landline
There is a landline phone connection that your system will utilize when alerting the monitoring center once the alarm is triggered.
The system may be wireless since only the landline is needed for monitoring
• Cellular
There is a cellular uplink that your system will utilize when alerting the monitoring center once the alarm is triggered.
In case the telephone lines are cut, the alarm system remains intact and thus this is viewed to be more reliable. The other advantage is that cellular monitoring operates at a faster rate that landline connection.
• Broadband
It is the fastest means of notifying the monitoring center as it can do so 4 times faster than the landline connection. It is less expensive but the cellular monitoring is more reliable than it.
When in search of a home security system, bear in mind what you want to keep safe like children, pets and valuables. All the services will give you the basics but others will provide you with additional options. The best home alarm system should be one that provides astounding alert systems, equipment and security devices, help & support as well as better monitoring services.
In the event that an emergency arises, home surveillance systems have the ability of alerting you. The basic plan service has alerts for carbon monoxide, fire, intrusion and broken glass. Some company provide more alerts that deal with medical emergencies, child safety, flooding, change in temperature, detection of natural gas and power failure. A security system whose response time is short can notify the correct individual in seconds.
While selecting the best home alarm system, you will come across numerous installation and sensors. You will achieve high flexibility when it comes to device placement if you have a wireless system. Usually it is a DIY system.
Go for a security system that will keep all exits and entrances safe and has numerous door and window sensors, garage door sensors and recessed door sensors. A good security system is one that is compatible with the security cameras and can be remotely accessed via a laptop or a smart-phone.
A customer that has a pet should look for pet-immune sensors to minimize the chances of false alarms. You may also have a panic button that will alert the security company in the event that something is not right. In addition, select a system that has additional security devices like motion detectors, sirens and various environmental sensors.
If a threat appears, the monitoring services will notify the local emergency services, which watch over your home when you are not around. Additionally, choose a 24 hour monitoring service. Internet and cellular tools give you the ability to remotely get access to your security system. You can see when your children are coming in or check on your pets all day.
Some companies also provide the home automation service that you can use to remotely lock doors or change the thermostat. Once an emergency has happened, follow-up notifications enable the security service to get in touch with you all the time for further assistance.
It is important that the home security personnel be easily reachable, more so when a emergency has just happened. Our review has handled services that have a telephone and email service as well as many other live chat options to quickly respond to your questions. FAQs, online tutorials and history on alarm reports will assist you set the system up and understand its method of operation. A warranty to protect your system from defects caused by the manufacturer is also important. Some companies will do the set up and relocation for you if you will need help with the setup.
A wireless system will do for a renter because the installation can be done on an individual level and the movement to a new home is also easy.
The companies that will provide you wireless DIY systems are: Protect America, FrontPoint, LifeShield, and SimpliLife.
Homeowners can install any security system of their choice by gauging the budgets as well as their needs. Since you own the home, you may want to install a landline system that has an uplink backup that will cover any form of eventuality and give you total protection.
If you are a frequently moving person, then you will need to understand the contract of the alarm company and whether you become the equipment owner or not. Companies that for instance insist on long-term contract are not good for you. There are some companies that have moving programs that let you freely transfer your equipment and service. Moving programs may need you to be a customer of the company for given duration of time and may not guarantee movement of all the equipment.
You will get moving programs from: Guardian, Vivint, and Pinnacle.
It advisable to chose a company that lets you own the equipment if you will move in the next few years.
If you want to remotely access your home, mobile access will be a necessity. Most security systems will allow you to use a smart-phone, a key fob or device that can access the internet to arm or disarm the system. Others give you the ability to adjust the thermostat and control lighting through mobile access.
Most automation systems will contain the following:
• Arm and disarm your system
• Receive security alerts
• Get real-time notifications
• Adjust lights and thermostat
• Monitor water and flood sensors
• Access all the history concerning events in the system
• View the open windows and doors
• See live video through security cameras
• Customize the notifications
Apart from catching the intruder, security cameras may be useful in some other instances. They become of great help when at home or away. While indoors, you can easily see who is at the door while seated on your couch. When you are away, you can easily see who set off the alarm, see the kids get back home from school and keep an eye on the workers as they carry out maintenance. As you can see, security cameras usefulness goes past them just preventing intrusion.
While in the process of getting yourself a home security system, you may have encountered some unfamiliar terms. Here is a glossary of these terms that we hope will help you get a deeper understanding of information gotten so far.
Flood Sensor
A flood sensor is used to detect water in its early stages of leakage so that it does not commit a mass damage to your home.
Heat Sensor
A heat sensor is used to detect rapid rise of home temperature and notifies you that you may potentially be in danger. In most cases, a smoke sensor and a heat sensor are the same device.
Cellular Monitoring
They are 100% wireless and communicate with the monitoring center through a cellular uplink. Its advantage is that it remains operational since there are no wires to cut. It is also fast.
Home Automation
Refers to the manner in which you can use a device that is web-enabled to gain remote access to your home’s features apart from just security. These could be lighting, locks, thermostat settings and small appliances.
Smoke Sensor
A smoke sensor is used to detect abrupt presence of smoke in your home and notifies you that you may potentially be in danger. Works hand in hand with the heat sensor. They are typically the same device.
DIY Installation
DIY is an acronym that stands for do it yourself. It refers to the security equipment that you will self-install without the need of a professional although some security companies will guide you in the installation steps especially via a phone. The DIY systems are usually Wireless so as to make the installation process an easy one.
24-Hour Monitoring
The security companies that we have mentioned here will offer you protection throughout the day, 365 days of the year.
Equipment Warranty
Various security companies have varying warranties on their equipment but most of them mention that the company will be responsible for repair or replacement of the parts of the equipment if it gets spoilt within a stipulated period. It is important that you understand the warranty while purchasing the home alarm system.
2-Way Voice
This lets you to have a one-on-one communication with a representative of a monitoring center via your control panel. In case there is an emergency and you are unable to do anything, you get speak to a representative up to 75-feet from your location.
Reviews Bee evaluated the most popular and reputable home security systems currently on the market to develop our Top 10 list and offer expert recommendations without bias. From a careful and detailed analysis, here is our top 10 home alarm systems:
1. Frontpoint
2. Vivint
3. Protect America
4. ADT
5. SimpliSafe
6. Protection 1
7. LiveWatch
8. LifeShield Security
9. Protect Your Home
10. Link Interactive
We made our top 10 list after a careful research and according to the opinions of both experts and users.We have created an algorithm that takes expert and consumer feedback into account. When we recommend our Top 10 home security systems.Stop searching and count on Reviews Bee to give you the information you need to make the ideal decision for your family’s needs.
Reviews Bee collects consumer review information from popular retail websites including Amazon, eBay, and Best Buy. Consumer websites, such as epinions.com, are also included in our analysis. In addition, Reviews Bee utilizes reputable market niche websites, to include in the product ranking decision. Using the feedback of actual customers in coordination with expert evaluations enables us to provide each product with a score that takes into account all trustworthy information available on that item.
We collected detailed information from expert sites such as TopTenReviews, Trusted Reviews. These sites provide information about all the aspects of the security services offered by the various companies. Then, we made our judgment of which companies offer the most accessible, affordable and quality services for protecting your home.
Based upon the rankings of each product on expert review websites, Reviews Bee assigns an expert ranking score that is a summation of the rankings given by home security system industry experts.
Consumers’ reviews are just as important for us as the ones of the experts. We made our top 10 list according to the opinions of the customers on the convenience, affordability, customer support, equipment and quality offered by the leader brands.Reviews Bee compiles consumer review information from reputable website like Amazon.com and Yelp.com
Consumer reviews typically include a star rating. Reviews Bee uses an average of these star ratings across consumer review websites to assign our consumer rating score.
No analysis of product information would be complete without also looking at the negative side of consumer feedback.That is why we did not limit ourselves on the just positive opinions but also took into consideration complaints that we found from all over the web. They helped us figure out if there are any negative opinions on the quality of the services or any problems which appeared in the installation or work of the home alarm systems.
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