Consumer Reports

CR’s take: Another top performer in our tests is the Kidde PI2010, which receives high scores in our flaming fire and smoldering fire tests. This hardwired, dual-sensor alarm features a battery backup, a hush button, and the ability to interconnect with other compatible detectors. To determine which other models are compatible with this one, check with Kidde.

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If you are on a tight budget and on the hunt for a bare-bones smoke alarm, the Kidde i9050 is a great option. This ionization smoke alarm is quick to install and has all the basic features you may want, allowing you to minimize the amount you need to spend if you are replacing all the alarms in your home. The locking pins are also a nice feature to reduce the chance of theft or someone tampering with the alarm. 
However, the Kidde i9050 is quite limited when it comes to more advanced features. You can't link it to other alarms, so you will need to check local regulations to ensure that your overall system complies, and you may need to add additional photoelectric smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors to your home. If you are shopping on a limited budget for a new smoke alarm, then the Kidde i9050 is one of the top models we recommend. 

If you are on a tight budget and on the hunt for a bare-bones smoke alarm, the Kidde i9050 is a great option. This ionization smoke alarm is quick to install and has all the basic features you may want, allowing you to minimize the amount you need to spend if you are replacing all the alarms in your home. The locking pins are also a nice feature to reduce the chance of theft or someone tampering with the alarm. 
However, when it comes to advanced features, the Kidde i9050 is quite limited. It can't be linked to other alarms, so be sure to check local regulations to ensure that your overall system complies. You may need to add additional photoelectric smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors to your home. Still, if you're shopping on a limited budget, then the Kidde i9050 is one of the top models we recommend. 

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CR’s take: The First Alert 3120B is a dual-sensor smoke detector, meaning it has both a photoelectric sensor for detecting smoky fires and an ionization sensor for detecting flames. Thanks to its use of both types of sensors, this First Alert receives top scores in our flaming fire and smoldering fire tests. It’s hardwired with a battery backup, which makes it a good candidate for newer or remodeled homes that have wiring for detectors, and it features a hush button to silence nuisance alarms. It can be interconnected with additional detectors so that if one goes off, they all go off and alert you to danger even if you’re in a different room or on a different floor from the fire.

The National Fire Protection Association &#40;NFPA&#41; recommends having a mix of photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms in your home for the best chance of an early alert to any problem. While most smoke alarms only have a single sensor, the First Alert 3120B Hardwire Dual has both to cover all your bases. The alarm includes a pre-stripped wiring adapter and provides the option to interlink with other compatible alarms so that any alarm will trigger all of them. It also has a battery backup in case your power goes out. 
We wish this model had an integrated carbon monoxide sensor since that could further reduce the need for additional alarm units. It's also worth noting that not all hardwired smoke alarms are compatible with each other when creating an interconnected system, so you are going to want to double-check if you are just trying to replace a single alarm. Regardless, the First Alert 3120B Hardwire Dual is an excellent option for anyone looking for dual smoke sensors in a simple package. 

For those who don't need the voice warning, the First Alert SCO5CN is a great premium battery-powered combination smoke and CO alarm that doesn't include the extra chatter. This unit has a photoelectric sensor to help detect fires when they are still smoldering and an electrochemical CO sensor. It is very quick and easy to install, and the siren is loud to alert you in the case of fire or carbon monoxide accumulation. Thanks to a slide-out battery drawer, you can change the batteries without removing the alarm from its mount, and we appreciate that you can mute the low battery chirp for 8 hours &mdash; perfect for those instances where that chirp starts in the middle of the night. 
Our biggest complaint with this alarm is its inability to be set up in an interconnected system, where one alarm sounding will trigger all of the alarms. It also only has a single type of smoke sensor, so you will need to purchase an additional type with an ionization sensor to meet the National Fire Protection Association's recommendations, making other options better if you only want a single brand and model of smoke detector throughout your home. Despite that, we think this is a great battery-powered combo smoke/CO alarm, particularly if you don't want to mess with programming locations for voice prompts and just want a simple siren. 

For those who don't need the voice warning, the First Alert SCO5CN is a great premium battery-powered combination smoke and CO alarm that doesn't include the extra chatter. This unit has a photoelectric sensor to help detect fires when they are still smoldering and an electrochemical CO sensor. It is super quick and easy to install, and the siren is loud to alert you in the case of fire or carbon monoxide accumulation. Thanks to a slide-out battery drawer, you can change the batteries without removing the alarm from its mount, and we appreciate that you can mute the low battery chirp for 8 hours &mdash; perfect for those instances where that chirp starts in the middle of the night. 
Our biggest complaint with this alarm is its inability to be set up in an interconnected system, where one alarm sounding will trigger all of the alarms. It also only has a single type of smoke sensor, so you'll need to purchase an additional type with an ionization sensor to meet the National Fire Protection Association's recommendations. Due to this, some other options are better if you only want a single brand and model of smoke detector throughout your home. Despite that, we think this is a great battery-powered combo smoke/CO alarm, particularly if you don't want to mess with programming locations for voice prompts and just want a simple siren. 

The Kidde 21026044 Wireless is a great choice if you looked at the Nest Protect or the Onelink Safe & Sound and decided they were way outside of your budget. While this Kidde model isn't your typical smart smoke detector, we feel it warrants inclusion in this review since it allows you to simply and economically add a wireless interconnected series of smoke alarms throughout your home. This smoke detector is much cheaper than the top-tier models and allows you to build your system up to 24 devices &mdash; 18 of which can initiate the alarm for the whole system. The other 6 devices can be strobe lights or relay modules. Since you don't need to make accounts or download apps to connect, these detectors are simple to get set up. 
The Kidde 21026044 is, however, limited in features compared to other models. If an alarm goes off, it won't send a notification to your phone, and the only way to turn off the sirens is to physically push the button on one of the alarms. You can get around this and sync it with a smart smoke alarm listener to add those functions, like the Ring or the Echo Dot using Alexa Guard. If you are hoping to set up a smart multi-alarm system on a budget, then the Kidde 21026044 and a smart listener are your best bet. 

If you don't have a hardwired detector system and have always wanted to add a series of interconnected alarms, then the Kidde 21026044 Wireless is a great option. This battery-powered alarm is straightforward to install, with a series of eight switches on the back that let you select a unique wireless code for your alarm system. Any other alarm set with the same code will automatically go off when any interconnected alarm is activated. However, there is a limit of 24 total Kidde devices, with 18 being units that trigger an alarm &#40;12 can be smoke alarms&#41;. Many building codes require an interconnected alarm system for new construction. This model's wireless interconnectivity could be a much easier and less expensive option than running wires throughout your home.
We discovered that the "Hush" button could be a little finicky. You should be able to hit this button on the initiating alarm, and it should silence all of the others, but we found that it took a few tries before the other alarms would silence. There is also no straightforward way to precisely know which alarm triggered the others because there aren't voice announcements like some other systems have. Although these aren't trivial flaws, the Kidde 21026044 is one of our favorite battery-powered options for setting up an interlinked alarm system, especially when you're shopping on a budget. 

The Kidde 21026044 Wireless is a great choice if you looked at the Nest Protect or the Onelink Safe & Sound and decided they were way outside of your budget. While this Kidde model isn't your typical smart smoke detector, we feel it warrants inclusion in this review since it allows you to simply and economically add a wireless interconnected series of smoke alarms throughout your home. This smoke detector is much cheaper than the premium models and allows you to build your system up to 24 devices &mdash; 18 of which can initiate the alarm for the whole system. The other 6 devices can be strobe lights or relay modules. Since you don't need to make accounts or download apps to connect, these detectors are simple to get set up. 
The Kidde 21026044 is, however, limited in features compared to other models. If an alarm goes off, it won't send a notification to your phone, and the only way to turn off the sirens is to physically push the button on one of the alarms. You can get around this and sync it with a smart smoke alarm listener to add those functions, like the Ring or the Echo Dot using Alexa Guard. If you are hoping to set up a smart multi-alarm system on a budget, then the Kidde 21026044 and a smart listener are your best bet. 

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Available in a two-pack, these alarms can interconnect so that they all sound at once. They also tell you which room the fire is in.

For a top-notch battery-powered smoke detector, check out the First Alert SCO7CN. Our overall favorite model, this alarm is simple to install and emits both a spoken call to evacuate as well as a traditional alarm. It detects both smoke and carbon monoxide and tells you the maximum amount of carbon monoxide detected after an alarm has been triggered &#40;in parts per million/ppm&#41;. The alarm is incredibly loud. 
The First Alert SCO7CN is a great basic alarm, but it lacks bells and whistles. For example, you can't link it with other alarms to create an interconnected system, and it doesn't have an escape light. The initial setup is a bit more involved, as the programming process to set the alarm's location is far from intuitive. All told, though, this is a great battery-powered alarm and is an excellent choice if you need a dual smoke/carbon monoxide alarm that will let you know the location of the alarm. 

For a top-notch battery-powered option and our favorite overall smoke detector, check out the First Alert SCO7CN. This alarm is straightforward to install and emits a traditional alarm and a spoken call to evacuate. It detects both smoke and carbon monoxide and tells you the maximum amount of carbon monoxide detected after an alarm has been triggered &#40;in parts per million/ppm&#41;. The alarm is incredibly loud. 
Though it's a great basic alarm, it lacks bells and whistles. For example, you can't link it with other alarms to create an interconnected system, and it doesn't have an escape light. The initial setup is a bit more involved, as the programming process to set the alarm's location is far from intuitive. All told, though, this is a great battery-powered alarm and is an excellent choice if you need a dual smoke/carbon monoxide alarm that will let you know the location of the alarm. 

CR’s take: The Universal Security Instruments AMIB3051SC is one of the first smoke detectors designed to the latest UL 217 standard for smoke alarms, which makes smoke detectors better at reducing false alarms related to cooking. This model receives high scores in our tests for both flaming fires and smoldering fires, and runs on a built-in 10-year alkaline battery. It also features a hush button, but it can’t interconnect with other detectors.

The PR710 can’t interconnect like our picks, but it does have a 10-year sealed battery, which some states and municipalities require.

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CR’s take: The First Alert SA320CN is one of the best battery-powered, dual-sensor detectors in our ratings, receiving high marks in both the flaming fire and smoldering fire tests. It features a hush button and runs on two AA batteries, but it can’t interconnect with other alarms to make them all go off in the event of a fire.

This add-on can turn almost any existing smoke detector into a smart smoke detector, sending out smartphone alerts when the alarm sounds.

Smoke Alarm Comparison