Kidde Smart Smoke & CO with Ring Review: The Nest Protect Replacement People Actually Wanted
Smoke and carbon monoxide in one battery alarm that reports into the Ring app for free, with no wiring and no midnight low-battery chirps.
With Nest Protect discontinued, this is the alarm most people are replacing it with, and the reception has been unusually warm. It covers both smoke and carbon monoxide, runs on two AA batteries so there is no wiring, and reports directly into the Ring app with no subscription needed for status and alerts. Kidde claims over 25 percent faster smoke detection than a leading competitor and low-level CO alerts that warn before a traditional alarm would sound, and the alarms interconnect wirelessly so when one goes off they all do. The main gripes are the absence of a night light compared with Nest Protect, price, and a couple of unexplained false alarms.
- Replacing a Nest Protect
- Ring Alarm households
- Homes without alarm wiring
- Whole-home interconnected coverage
Pros
- Detects both smoke and carbon monoxide in one unit
- Free real-time alerts and status in the Ring app, no subscription required
- Runs on two included AA batteries with no wiring
- Low-battery warnings arrive in the app instead of chirping at night
- Wire-free interconnect so all Kidde alarms sound together
- Low-level CO mobile alerts before a conventional alarm would trigger
- Reduced nuisance alarms from cooking versus earlier Kidde generations
- Optional Ring professional monitoring for smoke and CO
- Works with Alexa-enabled devices for notifications
Cons
- No night light, unlike the Nest Protect it commonly replaces
- Expensive relative to a conventional smoke alarm
- At least one owner reports a second unexplained false alarm
- No Google Home, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings or Matter support
- 24/7 professional monitoring requires a paid Ring plan
Who is the Kidde Smart Smoke & CO with Ring for?
It suits anyone who wants smart smoke and CO coverage without running cable, and especially anyone already in the Ring ecosystem. It runs on two included AA batteries, so it goes anywhere in the house, and connects to Wi-Fi to push smoke, CO and low-battery notifications into the Ring app at no cost. Detection combines a photoelectric smoke sensor, which Kidde says is over 25 percent faster than a leading competitor in its own testing, with an electrochemical CO sensor that can raise low-level carbon monoxide alerts on your phone before levels reach the point of sounding a conventional alarm. Kidde has also improved the sensing to cut the cooking-related nuisance alarms that plagued earlier generations. Multiple units interconnect wirelessly so a fire in one room sounds every alarm in the house, and an optional Ring subscription adds 24/7 professional smoke and CO monitoring.
What buyers love
The Ring integration is the headline and it works. Owners describe pairing being quicker than expected, mounting being easy, and the alarms slotting straight into an existing Ring Alarm setup with central-station monitoring and the insurance benefit that comes with it. One buyer replacing three-year-old First Alert Z-Wave detectors that had started calling the fire department found these pair fast and behave. The end of low-battery chirping is a repeated relief: an owner explains they bought them specifically to stop being woken at 3am by a chirp, since the warning now arrives in the app instead. Nest Protect refugees are the other happy group, with several saying they were underwhelmed by the rest of the market before finding these. The alarm itself is described as very loud, and pet owners rate the peace of mind.
What to know before you buy
Two things temper the picture. False alarms are rare here but not absent: one owner reports a second unexplained false alarm from a Kidde unit, this time the battery-powered smoke and CO model, which cost them confidence. The other consistent note is what is missing versus Nest Protect, chiefly the night light, which one owner calls out directly, along with a feeling that the units are expensive even while being the best value replacement available. A couple of buyers had a faulty first unit but describe getting a replacement without difficulty. Practically, note this is Alexa-compatible for notifications but there is no Google Home, HomeKit, SmartThings or Matter support, and the deeper monitoring features need the optional Ring subscription.
Is the Kidde Smart Smoke & CO with Ring worth it?
Yes, and it is the easiest recommendation in Kidde's smart range. You get both hazards covered in one battery-powered unit, free app alerts and status through Ring, wireless interconnect across the house, low-level CO warnings and an end to midnight chirping, without touching any wiring. It is not cheap for a smoke alarm, and if you specifically loved the Nest Protect pathlight you will miss it. But for reliability of concept and execution it is a much safer buy than Kidde's smoke and air-quality model.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Kidde Smart Smoke & CO with Ring need a subscription?
No. Smoke, CO and low-battery notifications arrive in the Ring app for free. A Ring subscription is optional and adds 24/7 professional monitoring of smoke and CO events.
Does it need wiring?
No. It runs on two AA alkaline batteries, included in the box, so it can be placed anywhere in the house without electrical work.
Is this a good Nest Protect replacement?
It is the most common one, and owners moving from an end-of-life Nest Protect are generally happy. The one feature they miss is the night light, which this alarm does not have.
Do multiple Kidde alarms talk to each other?
Yes. They interconnect wirelessly, so when one alarm detects smoke or carbon monoxide, every Kidde alarm in the home sounds and you get a mobile alert identifying which one triggered.
Will it false alarm when I cook?
Kidde states the enhanced sensing technology reduces cooking-related nuisance alarms compared with its earlier generations, and owner feedback on this model is much better than on its smoke and air-quality sibling. A small number of unexplained false alarms have still been reported.
Does it work with Google Home or Apple HomeKit?
No. It integrates with the Ring app and can send notifications through Alexa-enabled devices. There is no Google Home, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings or Matter support.
