SimpliSafe security systems range from four- to 13-piece systems and the company has a wide array of different equipment available. To figure out which type of system would suit your home, you’ll need to first understand what each piece of equipment does and whether it is relevant to your home.
Home security systems consist of a number of different important pieces of equipment, such as indoor and outdoor cameras and sensors. Here’s an overview of how they function.
Entry sensor
The SimpliSafe motion sensor and two entry sensors (Independent Advisor)
An entry sensor is installed on every type of door or window in the home. It consists of two parts – a magnet and a sensor. The magnet is installed on windows and doors and the sensor is attached to the frame – the magnet can be placed up to two inches from the sensor. The sensor detects whenever the magnet moves more than two inches away from it, so it knows when a window or door opens.
Motion sensor
SimpliSafe says its motion sensors have been engineered to detect intruders, not pets. They do this by detecting the unique heat signature of people and won’t detect cats and dogs weighing under 23kg. The sensor is shaped into a stand, which will fit on a wall or in the corner of a room for maximum coverage – 30 feet with a 90-degree field of vision. You can set it to be active only in away mode, ensuring you won’t trigger the sensor while at home.
Water sensor
SimpliSafe’s water sensor works to protect and alert you in the event of a flood, which is the most common home insurance claim. When actioned, your Water Sensor will send an audible alarm, notifying you in the SimpliSafe app. Ideally, it should be placed near major plumbing to detect breaks, or in the attic to detect a leaky roof.
Temperature sensor
The temperature sensor triggers an alarm and notifies you in the app if the temperature falls below 5C. SimpliSafe’s alarm monitoring plans give you the option to receive a phone call in the event of a freeze alarm and access to hourly readings.
Base Station
The base station and keypad (Independent Advisor)
The Base Station is where you can locate and control all of your sensors – it’s what makes SimpliSafe one of the easiest systems to set up. Straight from the box, plug in the Base Station and you’ll be connected via cellular technology (the same as your phone) to a 24/7 alarm monitoring system via a SIM card that is activated when you sign up to SimpliSafe’s alarm monitoring service.
Indoor camera
SimpliSafe’s indoor camera is a smart security camera offering 1080p HD video quality, night vision, two-way audio and a 120-degree field of view. Its wired connection ensures reliable connectivity and it comes with a privacy shutter, giving you control over when the camera is watching.
Wireless outdoor camera
On the left, the outdoor camera and, on the right, the indoor camera (Independent Advisor)
The wireless outdoor camera provides HD security footage in colour day or night. It has an ultra-wide 140-degree field of view and eight times digital zoom. During low light conditions, the camera’s motion-activated spotlight switches on so you can see anyone in view.
Keypad
The keypad will send alerts via SimpliSafe’s app in the unfortunate event you’ve left a window or door open while away from home. It knows exactly which door or window has been left open, and even if an intruder smashes the keypad, your system will still alert the authorities.
Key fob
SimpliSafe systems can be armed and disarmed with the push of a button using the key fob. You can set your alarm to away after leaving your home, then press off to disarm it on your return. There’s also a handy panic button, which alerts the emergency monitoring centre.
