First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm vs X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm

The First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm is better overall because it detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, adds more alerts and steam-check, and carries a 10-year warranty. The X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm is the more affordable, better-rated pick but detects carbon monoxide only.

The biggest difference is hazard coverage. The First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, while the X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm detects CO only with no smoke sensor or fire alerts. The X-Sense adds a live-reading LCD screen the First Alert lacks.

No. The X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm has no smoke sensor and no fire alerts, so it cannot replace a smoke detector. The First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm covers both smoke and carbon monoxide in one unit, so it can stand in for both.

The X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm has an LCD screen that shows live CO readings, which the First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm does not. On warranty, the First Alert SC5 leads with a 10-year term versus the X-Sense's 5 years.

Buy the First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm if you want a single device that detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, with steam-check, CO and low-battery alerts, voice alerts naming the danger, and a long 10-year warranty.

Buy the X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm if you specifically want a dedicated, well-rated and affordable carbon monoxide detector with a live-reading LCD screen and phone alerts, and you already have a separate smoke alarm covering fire risk.