First Alert SMCO410 Smoke Detector & CO Alarm vs Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring

Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring. It joins Wi-Fi directly with no hub, sends free alerts through the Ring app, interconnects wirelessly with other Kidde alarms and is much better received. First Alert SMCO410 Smoke Detector & CO Alarm wins on price, and on fitting into an existing Z-Wave system.

Yes. First Alert SMCO410 Smoke Detector & CO Alarm is a Z-Wave device with no Wi-Fi and no app of its own, so it needs a Z-Wave controller such as a Ring Alarm base station or Home Assistant. Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi on its own.

Yes. Both units combine smoke and carbon monoxide detection in one alarm. Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring adds low-level CO mobile alerts that warn before a conventional alarm would trigger, which is useful for slow leaks from a boiler or appliance.

First Alert SMCO410 Smoke Detector & CO Alarm uses a sealed lithium cell rated for ten years, matched by a ten year warranty, but the battery cannot be replaced and the whole unit is discarded at end of life. Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring runs on two replaceable AA batteries, included in the box.

Both can, but by different routes. Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring pushes alerts through the Ring app over your Wi-Fi with no subscription required. First Alert SMCO410 Smoke Detector & CO Alarm relies on the hub it is paired with, and a Ring setup also needs the Smoke and CO Listener arrangement to relay alerts.

Households already running Z-Wave through Ring Alarm, Home Assistant or another controller, who want a dual-hazard alarm reporting into that system rather than into another app, and who value the ten year sealed battery and warranty. Everyone else will find Kidde Smart Smoke & CO Detector with Ring easier to install and live with.