Nest Protect: Connected Smoke Detector Promises Convenience and Safety

The New Nest Protect is a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector that connects to your iPhone, iPad or Android device and links up to other Nest Protect units in the house to tell you where the trouble is and warn you to get out of the house in an emergency.

Nest is best known for the Nest Learning Thermostat which learns your habits and allows for control on the iPhone or Android devices. Like the thermostat, the Nest Protect unit connects to an app to tell users when the battery is low and to let them know if there is an emergency at their house. Nest’s promotional video highlights knowing when to change the batteries is safer than turning a beeping smoke detector off in the middle of the night.

If the Nest Protect senses smoke that is a result of your bad cooking and not an emergency you can wave a hand to silence the alarm. The Nest Protect uses a voice to provide alerts rather than resorting to a high-pitched beeping noise immediately, which parents and pet owners will likely appreciate.

Check out the Nest Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Detector in action. The video below from Nest Labs shows off several of the new features for this device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QXp-LYBXwfo

The Nest Protect can link up to other Nest Protect units in the house to deliver alerts with more information. Because each Nest Protect knows what room it is in, it can tell the users where the smoke or emergency is coming from. The Nest Protect in a main room could tell the user that there is smoke in the basement or bedroom, if there is also a Nest Protect in that room.

Nest includes the more advanced photoelectric sensor in the Nest Protect, which is better at detecting smoldering fires and less likely to sound alerts due to smoke from cooking than the ionization smoke detectors. The system also includes a CO sensor, heat sensor, light sensor, ultrasonic sensors and activity sensor. When you walk under the Nest Protect it can also light your way with a built-in LED light that turns on thanks to the activity sensor.

This feature is very impressive, and one that is also quite expensive. While the Nest Protect starts at $129, the biggest benefits come from replacing every smoke detector in your house with a Nest Protect. The National Association of Fire Marshals suggests a smoke detector on each level, in each bedroom and outside the bedroom area but close enough to be heard by occupants who are sleeping.

The Nest Protect arrives in November at Amazon, Apple, Best Buy and The Home Depot as well as direct from Nest which is already taking pre-orders. The Nest Protect comes in white and black, with black as an exclusive version on Nest.com. It is available in battery-powered and hardwired versions.