Simplisafe produces a wide range of home security products that work together to form one of the best home security systems we have tested. Controlled by a central base station and a wireless keypad, Simplisafe devices include motion sensors, indoor and outdoor security cameras, door and window sensors, temperature and water sensors, panic buttons, key fobs, a glass break sensor and a smoke detector.
The system can be controlled from a smartphone app, since the base station connects to the internet via your Wi-fi router, or by using the wall-mounted keypad. Smart home integrations include compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, plus an Apple Watch app for arming and disarming the system. But the primary focus here is on building a home security system that is simple to install and use, and which does not rely exclusively on smartphone apps to function.
While some aspects of the Simplisafe system work without a subscription, it’s recommended that owners pay for one of the company’s two monthly packages. These are priced at £15.99 and £27.99 a month, with the latter including 24/7 professional monitoring and police response. Think Simplisafe is the best home security system for you? Read on to find out.
I received the comprehensive Edinburgh kit, which includes nine different Simplisafe products and gives a broad view of what the company has to offer. Smaller kits with fewer products and lower prices are available; buy one of those, and individual Simplisafe products can be purchased and added to your system later.
I installed the system in my home, carefully following the instructions in the smartphone app (although I could also have used the keypad for much of the installation) and used it for a week before writing this review.
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Simplisafe
Best: Overall
Video resolution: Full HD 1080p (indoor and outdoor)
Two-way audio: Yes, indoor and outdoor cameras
Privacy shutter: Yes, indoor camera only
Motion sensor range: 35ft
Base station siren: 95db
Wifi: Yes, Ethernet optional
Cellular: Yes, as a backup
Battery: Yes, as base station backup (24 hours)
Base station dimensions: 21cm x 10.2cm x 10.2cm
Sensor/accessory limit: 100
Why we love it
Easy to set up
Lots of accessories available
Live monitoring with emergency response
Take note
Some hardware feels dated
Little functionality without subscription
Outdoor camera not always reliable
As the name suggests, Simplisafe is a home security system that aims to put simplicity first. In a world where some security kits require a thorough understanding of how smart home systems and voice assistants work, this is a refreshing change.
The Simplisafe system has created a middle ground for itself, somewhere between the more complex offerings of Ring and Nest, while being smarter and more connected than older traditional home security systems. I can see this approach appealing to homeowners (and renters) who want a very simple setup process, and who want to avoid the extra functionality and inherent complexity of more feature-packed systems.
The Edinburgh kit includes two cameras for indoor and outdoor surveillance. (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)
This can make the Simplisafe kit look and feel slightly dated, with the keypad especially resembling something from a decade or two ago. It doesn’t even have a colour display, let alone a touchscreen.
But, again, I can see the appeal here. It’s a product that looks part of a traditional home alarm system, but which is fully wireless, connected to the internet and (with the right subscription) includes professional monitoring and police response – something Ring does not offer in the UK. In this sense, despite offering an entirely DIY installation, Simplisafe is closer to the services of traditional alarm companies like ADT than tech-first systems like Ring.
Simplisafe offers a wide range of kits, each containing a different selection of its products. I opted for the Edinburgh kit, since it includes the broadest range of devices to review. It is also the most expensive package, with a retail price of about £650 (although Simplisafe sometimes lowers its prices by as much as 50 per cent), but other kits start under £300.
Every kit includes the Simplisafe base station and wireless keypad, and extra products can all be bought individually to expand your system over time.
Although professional installation is available, Simplisafe says 97 per cent of customers install it themselves. The setup process is very straightforward, and many of Simplisafe’s devices can be added to your system by using the keypad instead of your smartphone. That said, I installed my kit using the free Simplisafe app, available for iOS and Android. This talks you through the entire process using simple language and helpful imagery; the installation begins with the base station which plugs into a wall socket and connects wirelessly to your Wi-Fi router.
Most of Simplisafe’s products stick to your walls, doors and windows using integrated adhesive pads, or you can use screws for a more permanent installation, and they all connect to the base station wirelessly. Most are powered by batteries, which will eventually need replacing (in the case of the kit’s many sensors) or charging (for the wireless security cameras).
The Edinburgh kit includes 13 items in total (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)
The methodical installation process explains where best to install each device, and lets you give each a name based on its location. In many cases, all you do is press a single button on the sensor and the base station connects to it in a matter of seconds.
I think the most useful components are the door and window sensors. These consist of two parts designed to be stuck either side of a door or window opening. They can be mounted up to 5 cm apart, and once separated further (in other words, when the door or window is opened) they trigger the alarm. As with other traditional alarm systems, the base station emits a quiet beep when a door is opened, even when the alarm is disabled.
Another hardware highlight is the wireless outdoor security camera, which simply attaches to its semi-circular mount with a strong magnet. This allows for easy positioning, and the mount is then fixed to a wall using a couple of screws. It perhaps isn’t the most theft-proof installation, since the camera can easily be pulled from the magnetic mount. But if you install it close to an upstairs window it’s out of a burglar’s reach while being close enough for you to charge the battery. The camera works well, recording in 1080p Full HD resolution and with great Wi-Fi strength, but there’s no option for partially obscuring its view, as you can with other smart security cameras to prevent them from recording your neighbours’ property.
Although the hardware is good, the camera’s performance wasn’t a match for the rest of the system. It sometimes failed to capture movement, occasionally missing people walking past and even my partner taking our car to work in clear view of the camera. Admittedly, I am pushing the Simplisafe camera to its limit, with regard to distance, since it is installed outside a second-storey window. Almost every security camera struggles from this distance, and when relocated indoors for a series of more specific tests, the Simplisafe system performed without any problems. The camera’s battery life isn’t great, and unfortunately there is no notification to alert you when it’s running low. Depending on the location and settings, it could need charging every couple of weeks.
Simplisafe produces indoor and outdoor security cameras (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)
My test kit also included a water sensor for alerting me to leaks or flooding – I placed it under the kitchen sink – and a temperature sensor that alerts via the Simplisafe app when it is especially hot or cold. This can serve as a useful reminder to turn your heating on in the winter to prevent burst pipes, and to investigate unusually high warmth.
Finally, Simplisafe’s key fobs act as a handy way to arm and disarm the system, and work up to nine metres from the base station. They also have a button that only activates the door and window sensors, which is ideal for when you’re home at night but want the alarm to go off when a door or window is opened. The fobs also have a red panic button that triggers the alarm – and calls the police via Simplisafe’s live monitoring service, if you have the relevant subscription – with a press. Like the keypad, the fobs look and feel quite dated, but they do the job.
Simplisafe software
The Simplisafe app is simple, clear and easy to use. (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)
As I outlined earlier, the Simplisafe app majors on simplicity. The installation process couldn’t be more straightforward, with lots of helpful instructions delivered using clear, concise language with good use of illustrations and zero jargon.
If you’re particularly tech-savvy, and used to grappling with smart home automation platforms, you might find the process a bit tedious. But if you prefer to dig deep into smart home systems and configure your own automations using devices from a variety of companies, this kit probably isn’t for you anyway.
It took me about an hour to install all 13 devices included in the Edinburgh kit. This was mostly a smooth process, although the key fobs both initially failed to connect. Leaving them, skipping to another device (a security camera) and returning to them later solved the issue.
After the setup is complete, the system enters a 72-hour test period, where it functions as normal but calls to Simplisafe’s live monitoring service are disabled. This is useful, as I was concerned that I might inadvertently trigger the alarm and have the police arrive at my door. This three-day period gives you an opportunity to learn how the system works, and see what it sounds like when the very loud siren is triggered, without causing a false alarm.
I only encountered one software issue while testing the system, when a portion of outdoor camera footage went missing. The app stated: “We did not receive this part of the recording from your camera,” but a recording captured one minute later saved just fine.
Simplisafe smart home features
Despite the system’s inherent simplicity, there are a few smart home integrations worth mentioning. An Alexa skill lets you arm your system by speaking to the Alexa voice assistant. You can issue commands like “Alexa, ask Simplisafe to arm my system in home mode,” or, in a less convoluted way, “Alexa, tell Simplisafe I’m leaving.”
Alexa asks you to confirm each command, but it all works pretty well and the alarm system responds quickly to whatever you tell the voice assistant to do. However, for obvious security reasons, you cannot ask Alexa to disarm the system. The same voice control also works with Google Assistant through the Google Home platform, and there’s also an Apple Watch app for arming the system from your wrist. Apple HomeKit is not supported.
Simplisafe also lacks the ability to automate the system based on the location of your smartphone, or via a Bluetooth connection. In a bid to keep things as simple as possible, the system can only be fully controlled via the app, keypad and keyfobs.
Simplisafe kits come with door and window sensors that alert you when they are opened (The Independent / Alistair Charlton)
Simplisafe subscription plans
In the UK, Simplisafe has two subscription options for its home security system. The first is called Pro Plan and costs £15.99 a month. This enables what the company calls “full self-monitoring with mobile app,” which means you can use the app to control and monitor the system, and view live video from your Simplisafe security cameras.
Motion alerts, and any other alert made by the system, are sent immediately to your phone. If the alarm is triggered, your nominated “key holders” – close family, or neighbours who you trust with a key to your home – are contacted, but the emergency services are not dispatched.
Above this is the Pro Premium tier, which costs £27.99 a month and adds in professional monitoring. This means, if the alarm goes off, an agent will respond and check that you’re okay; they can also use your security cameras to confirm the situation, and call the police or fire service if required. If the situation cannot be confirmed visually, and yourself or a key holder cannot be contacted, Similisafe will dispatch a Securitas guard to your home. This tier also stores an unlimited amount of video recorded by your cameras for 30 days, ready to be viewed and downloaded via the app.
Lastly, subscribing to Pro Premium enables the aforementioned smart home integrations with Amazon Alexa, Apple Watch and Google Home, plus the ability to create a schedule for arming and disarming your alarm. Subscribes also get 20 per cent off future Simplisafe hardware purchases, and an extended warranty that lasts the lifetime of their subscription.
The verdict: Simplisafe home security system
Simplisafe is a security system that lives up to its name. The installation process is wonderfully simple, as is living with the equipment. The app is clear and easy to understand, the hardware feels durable, and in our testing most individual components performed well, aside from the base station once needing a reboot. That said, the outdoor camera is disappointing; despite producing good video, it lacks features offered by rivals, detects motion inconsistently and has a short battery life.
It may lack the polish of some newer smart security systems, like those offered by Ring and Nest, but Simplisafe has instead focused on appealing to consumers who value simplicity over additional functionality. It is also a system that covers almost every element of home security and monitoring, from motion sensors and cameras, to door/window sensors, and further sensors for monitoring temperature, water, smoke and even the sound of broken glass.
Crucially, this is a system with live monitoring and emergency response. Pay £27.99 for the top subscription tier, and your alarm system will call an agent, who then checks in with you and alerts the police or fire service if required. For many customers this will be of far greater importance than the voice control and automation features offered by security systems that lack live monitoring.
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