SimpliSafe Home Security System

Like many new homeowners, I like the idea of securing my family and my house, but I don't like the idea of locking myself into a multi-year service contract during which I have to pay a high monthly monitoring fee. Also, drilling into my newly painted walls to install a complicated wired system isn't terribly appealing. As its name implies, SimpliSafe is a wireless security system that's truly simple to set up and use, and keeps your home safe from intruders and environmental threats like fires and floods. It's a seamless DIY system that succeeds quite well at what it sets out to do—secure your home easily and flexibly, letting you monitor everything remotely with an affordable monthly monitoring plan. But its focus is limited to just that. If you want to integrate a surveillance camera or other home automation devices with your security system, you'll need to look elsewhere. 

Hardware and Monitoring Plan Pricing
One of the nicest things about SimpliSafe is that it's a completely configurable system, with five packages available. I tested the soup-to-nuts Ultimate Security package ($539.85), which includes 16 hardware components including the base station, a wireless keypad, a keychain remote, two motion sensors, four door/window entry sensors, a panic button, a 105-decibel siren, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, water and freeze sensors, and a SimpliSafe yard sign and window decals. The least expensive ($229.96) Starter package, which focuses on basic home security, includes the base station, a wireless keypad, one motion sensor, one entry sensor, a keychain remote, and the yard sign and decals. 

Components can also be purchased separately to create your own package, or expand on one. If you have a lot of windows, for example, you might want a glass break sensor ($34.99) or extra entry sensors ($14.99 each; the system supports up to 41 total sensors). Or if there are multiple entryways in your home, you can opt for additional keypads ($69.99 each). 

If you want a one-stop home monitoring solution that encompasses more than just security, adding environmental sensors makes sense. Smoke detectors are $29.99 each and you can hook them into your monitoring plan, which will alert you via email or SMS when an alarm in triggered and send first responders to your door in the event of a fire. The same goes for carbon monoxide detectors, which are $49.99 each. Freeze sensors ($29.99 each) alert you when the temperature falls below a certain point to prevent burst pipes, and water sensors ($19.99 each) detect and alert you of leaks and floods. 

Prices for additional hardware are reasonable when you consider that extra entry sensors cost $39.99 each with Samsung's SmartThings Home Monitoring system. Even with the budget-focused iSmartAlarm, entry sensors are two for $59.99.

One thing you can't get: surveillance cameras. This omission is puzzling given that SimpliSafe's main goal is to notify you as to what's happening at home when you're not there. Integrating a camera, so you can see and record what's happening, makes perfect sense. And you can't add third-party cameras like the Nest Cam or the Icontrol Piper NV, since there's currently no support for Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, IFTTT, or other home automation protocols. That means no integration with lights, door locks, video door bells, or any other smart home devices. The company promises that a camera is in development, and should ship by the end of the year. We'll test it and update this review when it's available.

For monitoring, there's a basic $14.99 per month Standard plan that includes 24/7 coverage. If a sensor is triggered, SimpliSafe will contact you, and if you don't provide a safe word that you designate during setup, police will be dispatched. For $10 more per month, the Interactive plan adds SMS and email alerts, the ability to use the Online Dashboard for finer control of the system (more on that in a minute), and the smartphone app to arm and disarm the system. Another neat feature you get with the Interactive plan is the ability to set up sensors in an Alert Only mode, without triggering alarms. Have a well-stocked liquor cabinet and curious teenagers? You can put an entry sensor on the door and you'll be notified each time the cabinet is accessed. Compared with the Vivint Sky home security system, monitoring fees cost at least twice that of SimpliSafe, ranging from $50-$70 per month. 

If you don't want to pay the monthly fees, SimpliSafe can be used as a local alarm. So when a sensor is triggered, it's up to you to contact the authorities. There aren't any contracts or commitments and you can start and stop service or change plans at any time. This flexibility is what makes SimpliSafe a compelling alternative to security systems like ADT or Slomin's, which require you to commit to multiple years of service with penalties if you break your contract. 

Hardware and System Setup
The base station that powers the SimpliSafe system is a 10.5-inch tall large white plastic cone with a blue light at its base; it glows steadily to tell you that the alarm is on, and pulses to tell you there's an error with one of your sensors. Setup of the base station just requires placing it in a central location within 400 feet of your sensors and 100 feet of your keypad(s), and plugging in the included power cord. It doesn't connect to your Wi-Fi router, which gives you more freedom in placement. Inside, there's an 85-decibel siren, a backup battery, and a SIM card that allows cellular communication for monitoring. Some traditional security systems require you to have a landline phone; with cellular service, there are no wires for extra-shrewd crooks to clip to bypass the system.

The keypad and sensors are powered by user-replaceable lithium batteries, which should last about five years with standard use, and the system will warn you when they need to be replaced. Installation requires no wiring or drilling. I simply pulled off the battery-activation strips, peeled the backing on the 3M Command-like strips, and adhered each component according to the instructions in the included Owner's Manual. Components are easy to move around without damaging your walls, and you can take the system with you to your next residence, which is a welcome feature. 

It's worth noting that early in the 90-day test period, a motion sensor fell down on a particularly humid day (thankfully, it didn't set off an alarm). I reaffixed it, and it's been fine since. If you'd rather, you can use the provided screws to install the components in a more permanent fashion. 

Another nit: The hardware—particularly the base station and the keypad—looks dated. The chunky white plastic coupled with the tiny, monochrome display on the keypad have more of a retro look than I'd like. The system lacks the sleek styling of other smart home products like my Nest Learning Thermostat, or the Vivint Sky security system, with its 7-inch color LCD SkyControl panel. 

Setting up the system, which includes installing the keypad, entry sensors, siren, panic button, and environmental sensors, then setting up a PIN and testing everything took me about an hour. The Starter package can easily be set up in less than 30 minutes. Pop off its cap, and the keychain remote doubles as a USB drive; if you have a Windows PC, you can plug it in and use the Easy Setup Wizard to configure your system. SimpliSafe also provides plenty of setup help and tips on its site. The company covers the system with a 60-day money-back guarantee and a three-year warranty on hardware.

SimpliSafe in Action
With just three available modes, using the system is very straightforward. Home mode activates the door and window sensors, while Away mode activates the entry sensors and the motion sensors. Test mode helps you set up the system and allows you to periodically ensure that all the sensors are in working order. The Base station loudly and clearly announces your actions as you enter various modes. 

When the alarm is armed and a sensor is triggered, the keypad will beep, and you have 30 seconds to enter your PIN. If you do not enter it, the Base station siren activates and sends an alert to SimpliSafe, and the company will contact you via phone and ask you for the safe word that you designate during setup. If you don't get the call, or you don't provide the safe word, the Emergency Dispatch Center will send the police (or firefighers in the case of the smoke and carbon monoxide sensors). 

I like that SimpliSafe contacts you before involving the authorities. For me, having cranky police officers show up at my door because I fumbled my PIN is one of the greatest fears that comes with having an alarm system in my house. To be doubly safe, you can also adjust the time period allowed for PIN entry up to 250 seconds, and it can be varied by sensor.

In my testing, all entry and motion sensors worked properly, and the base station and 105dB siren did their jobs of loudly announcing accidental breaches—and SimpliSafe's monitoring service contacted me promptly each time.

Online Dashboard and Mobile App
With the monthly Interactive Plan, you can use SimpliSafe's Online Dashboard to control the system, including arming and disarming it. The Dashboard also lets you view your System Event Log, change your PIN, assign up to four guest PINs, and choose an optional Duress PIN, which you can use if an intruder is coercing you to disable the alarm. Enter it, and the alarm will stop sounding, but SimpliSafe will immediately send the police. You can also tweak settings like siren volume, entry and exit delay time, and manage and rename sensors in the Dashboard.

I was concerned by one odd thing in testing. I had the Online Dashboard open in a tab in my browser, and came back to it several hours later, and I was still logged in and able to change my system settings. The site had failed to log me out after a period of inactivity. I even closed the browser tab, and reloaded it, and I was still logged in. Leaving your home's security settings available to anyone who happens to access your browser is potentially dangerous. I hope SimpliSafe remedies this quickly. 

The free mobile app, available for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, is very basic. Using it requires the Interactive plan, and it simply lets you turn the system on or off and view your System Event Log. It's unclear why SimpliSafe doesn't provide the fine system controls it offers in the Online Dashboard in the app itself. Still, if you can swing the extra $10 over the Standard monitoring plan, the ability to customize and control your system from anywhere, offered in the Online dashboard and app are well worth the price.

SimpliSafe or Something Else?
I really like SimpliSafe, for its ease of use, flexibility, and price. It lets anyone add a security system to their home in less than an hour, using it is a breeze, and you don't have to sign any monthly contracts to get access to affordable 24/7 monitoring plans. Overall, it's more versatile other DIY systems like iSmartAlarm and SkylinkNet Alarm System, which do offer cameras, but no monitoring plans. If you're into home automation, Samsung's SmartThings system might be more up your alley, with its support for several protocols and compatibility with many existing smart home devices, but again, there's no option for monitoring. If DIY isn't your thing, take a look at Vivint Sky; it will cost you much more, but you get a full-featured system with monitoring and someone will come to your home and set everything up. 

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.