Ever felt frustrated about your smoke alarms sounding off for no reason or their low beep at night just to let you know the batteries are nearly draining?

Annoying, right?

But before you start thinking of throwing away your old smoke alarm, you should try replacing it with a smart battery first. Roost Wi-Fi battery can make traditional smoke alarms smart for only $34.99. That’s only a fraction of the price you’ll have to pay if you do buy a new smart detector.

 

 

So, what’s in it?

Roost Smart Battery isn’t only compatible to work with smart detectors. In fact, you can also use it in water leak and carbon monoxide detectors, as long that they can be powered by a 9-volt battery.

Its other unique features:

• The battery looks like your average 9V battery, expect for that it has two parts- the actual battery and the Wi-Fi module.

• In case you’ll need to make a replacement, after around 5 years, you can just take out and replace the actual battery. Replacement costs less than $15.

• Before your smoke alarm beeps to warn you of its battery level, you’ll receive a notification first.

• It has a built-in microphone that can listen to your alarm’s sound.

• It also gives you the option to set up an emergency number, such as 911, through its app.

• In case it detects a false alarm, you can silence it.

• Aside from contacting an emergency number, you can also enlist a few of your family and friends to monitor your detectors. Once they accept your invitation and after they create their own free account, they will be included in your list of Monitors.

How do you control it?

Well, you don’t actually control it like the other smart devices you know. The truth is, it isn’t compatible yet with other home automation devices or even IFTTT.

To use it, you’ll need to have its app, which you can download for both iOS and Android devices. In the app, you can create a free account just by using your mobile number. After that, you’ll receive an SMS with your access code. You can use this number to completely activate your account.

In the actual app, you’ll find:

• Alarm Status page

This is where you can find all your Roost Smart Battery, including their locations. A green circle for each battery means that everything’s fine. In case of an alarm, you’ll see the mark change into a ringing bell icon.

• Activity page

This page is where you’ll see the battery level. Although it has no actual percentage and numbers, the batteries are marked with Critical, Low and Good.

• Settings page

On the Settings page, you’ll find your personal information, including your profile, password, emergency contact number and Monitors.

In the event that your burnt meal triggered an alarm, you have the option to hit a “Snooze” button. This will instantly notify your Monitors that it’s a false alarm and everything’s alright. However, if it isn’t a false alarm and smoke continues to build up, the alarm will sound off again.

You should keep in mind, however, that the battery is Wi-Fi connected. If power is interrupted and your Wi-Fi is cut, you won’t be able to receive any notifications on your smart phone. The detector, on the other hand, can still function and sound an alarm.

Installation

Because Roost Smart Battery is, after all, a battery, all you have to do is place it in your smoke alarm’s battery slot. And while setting up and activating your account seem relatively common, pairing the battery to your smart phone is an interesting process.

 

Unlike other devices that rely on Bluetooth technology, this one uses sound for pairing. To complete this step, you need to:

1. Place your phone on a flat surface. Make sure it’s facing up.
2. Put the battery around 0.5 inch from your phone’s speaker.
3. Click the Connect option from the app and wait for your phone to emit a loud alarm. You’ll find the sound similar to what you smart detector emits. This should last for around 10 seconds.
4. After the battery connects with your phone, you need to place it in your smoke detector.
5. Test the alarm to make sure it’s working properly.

Is it worth your money?

Considering the prices of most of today’s smart smoke detectors, Roost Smart Battery is way more affordable. It’s also more convenient because you won’t have to replace every detector at home with new ones.

However, with its price, you need to be realistic when it comes to setting expectations. Although it has unique features, it may still be limited compared to high-end brands.

But is it worth it?

For its capability to let you know if there’s smoke at home or if your detector’s battery is running low, this product may actually be worth a try. After all, they’re the main reasons why you have smoke detectors at home, right?

In case you are feeling edgy about relying your safety on smart batteries, or if your units are too old to revamp, Roost also has its own Smart Smoke Alarms. You can choose a 2 in 1 model, for smoke and fire detection for only $59.99. For a more comprehensive security, you can buy its 4 in 1 detector for $79.99. In addition to smoke and fire, it can also detect carbon monoxide and natural gas.

THE CHECKLIST:

 It’s compatible with detectors that can be powered with 9-volt batteries.
 It has an interesting pairing process.
 Replacement only involves the actual battery.
 It has an intuitive app.
 It gives you the option to share monitoring with your family.
 It isn’t compatible with other home automation devices.
 The alarm can only be silenced with units that aren’t hardwired. It won’t work on detectors that only rely on batteries for supplemental power.
 Roost has its own Smart Smoke Detector.