No living space should be without several of these inexpensive, live-saving devices.
A carbon monoxide detector can save your family from being poisoned by the odorless, colorless gas that leaks from everyday household items, such as power generators, dryer vents, and gas and wood-burning fireplaces. Every year in the U.S., more than 400 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and another 50,000 visit an emergency room for treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prevention can cost as little as $20, but with so many carbon monoxide detectors on the market, it can be tough to figure out which best suits your home. Read on for our recommendations, plus important advice on essentials to consider before you shop.
Best Carbon Monoxide Detectors
1. Most Affordable: Kidde Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions (LxHxD): 4.5 x 2.8 x 1.5 in.
If you’re looking for a reliable yet budget-friendly carbon monoxide detector, this your best bet. It gets rave reviews, with more than 24,000 customers giving it an average 4.7 stars. It checks boxes for all the basics you need for continuous monitoring, including a pulsing red LED warning light and an 85-decibel alarm that trigger simultaneously if carbon monoxide is detected. There’s also a sizable test-and-reset button to ensure the unit is working. It runs on two AA batteries, which are included.
2. Best Upgrade: Kiddie Carbon Monoxide Alarm AC-Powered with Battery Backup
Key Specs
• Power Source: Plug-in
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 2.8 x 4.1 x 1.5 in.
This carbon monoxide detector is another customer favorite, with an average 4.7 stars from more than 18,000 reviewers. The plug-in unit is well-priced, fairly compact, has a peak memory feature that records carbon monoxide readings, and includes an 85-decibel alarm. In the event of a power failure, two included AA batteries serve as a backup. Given the smaller footprint, test button is a thin bar that isn’t designed as well as some other units, but the easy plug-in installation is a major perk.
3. Best Battery-Powered: First Alert Wireless Interconnected Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 5.1 x 5.1 x 2.4 in.
Although this battery-powered carbon monoxide detector comes with a big jump in price compared to our first two recommendations, its features are next-level. It has a voice alarm, plus it can be connected to other units to create a wireless network for blanket coverage in your home. Once the exact location of carbon monoxide is detected, it pings the other units and triggers the voice alarm. What is missing is an LED warning light, a feature included on detectors that cost much less than this First Alert. Two AA batteries are included for installation.
4. Best Hardwired: First Alert Hardwired Carbon Monoxide Detector
Key Specs
• Power Source: Hardwired with battery backup
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.7 x 2.1 in.
This might not be the best looking carbon monoxide detector in the bunch, but safety comes first—and on that, it delivers. The hardwired unit has a 9-volt battery backup in case of a power outage, with an advanced electrochemical sensor and microprocessor that helps cut down on the frequency of false alarms. It’s also interconnectable with up to 18 compatible devices for blanket coverage.
Other highlights include a visual indicator that shows which unit triggered the alarm within the network, an 85-decibel alarm, and a test and silence button. The drawbacks are no voice alarm or LED warning light.
5. Best Digital Display: First Alert Dual-Power Carbon Monoxide Plug-In Alarm
Key Specs
• Power Source: Plug-in
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 5 x 3.4 x 1.7 in.
The blue backlit LED display on this plug-in carbon monoxide detector makes it easy to see CO readings—a definite plus in an emergency situation—and power level of the two backup AA batteries. It also has a peak memory feature that records readings. Other highlights include a test-silence button to ensure the unit is functioning properly, an 85-decibel alarm, and a limited seven-year warranty.
6. Most Compact: First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Temperature Display
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.9 in.
This battery-operated carbon monoxide detector is less than an inch thick and just shy of 5 inches wide, but there are plenty of features packed inside this tiny device. It doubles as a digital clock for a nightstand or shelf, with a bright blue backlit LED display, that also shows the temperature and carbon monoxide levels.
Other highlights include a 10-year lithium battery, an 85-decibel alarm, and a 10-year limited warranty. It doesn’t provide the kind of comprehensive coverage that full-size carbon monoxide detectors deliver, but it’s a nice supplemental device for extra peace of mind.
7. Best Mounting Option: Kiddie Nighthawk AC Plug-in Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Key Specs
• Power Source: Plug-in
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimensions: 3.8 x 6.1 x 1.8 in.
Although its display isn’t backlit, the popular Kiddie Nighthawk is another plug-in that ranks highly for ease of reading, plus it has a peak memory feature for recording peak CO levels. It also comes with an extension cord that allows you to hang it on a wall or set it on a shelf.
It comes with a 9-volt backup battery so you don’t have to worry about protection during a power failure, and a standard 85-decibel alarm. There’s also a blinking dot in the corner of the display to let you know it’s functioning properly.
8. Best for Google Nest Homes: Google Nest Protect
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Split-spectrum
• Dimensions: 5.3 x 5.3 x 1.5 in.
If you have a Google Home ecosystem, this is the carbon monoxide and smoke detector combo for you. It sounds the alarm for dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and has a split-spectrum sensor that detects fast-burning fires and smoky, smoldering ones by combining a traditional infrared photoelectric sensor with a blue LED. When the alarm is triggered, you’ll get notifications on your phone, plus the app allows you to test alarms and get performance reports.
You won’t have to worry about checking the battery or sensors, as the Nest Protect runs diagnostics 400 times daily. It also doubles as an optional hallway light that’s triggered when you walk underneath. The device also comes in a hardwired version if you prefer that to batteries.
9. Best with Smoke Detection: USI 3-in-1 Smoke, Fire, and Carbon Monoxide Smart Alarm
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical, photoelectric, and ionization
• Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.8 x 1.8 in.
There are many carbon monoxide detectors that come with smoke detectors that have single sensors—either ionization or photoelectric—but this one features a dual sensor to detect fast-burning and smoky fires. The device is powered by a sealed 10-year battery and features microprocessor technology to cut down on false alarms and a hush button in the event that they happen.
Overall, it gives you great bang for your buck in terms of complete protection, minus extras like a voice alarm and digital display.
10. Best Interconnected System: X-Sense Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector (5-Pack)
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical and photoelectric
• Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.7 x 2 in.
It stands to reason that wireless interconnected carbon monoxide and smoke detector combos, often sold in sets of three or more, are gaining popularity. After a short installation process, you’ll have a network for coverage across your home.
X-Sense detectors are relatively new to the market and generally highly rated across the board—this five-pack gets 4.8 stars from more than 500 customers. It features an electrochemical carbon monoxide detector and a photoelectric sensor for smoky fires, though it does lack an ionization sensor for fast-burning fires.
Still, the bright blue backlit LED display shows real-time carbon monoxide levels, battery life, and operational status, plus the unit self-tests its battery and sensors every 60 seconds. There’s also a test and silence button and a standard 85-decibel alarm.
11. Best Portable: Gzair Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector
Key Specs
• Power Source: Battery
• Sensor Type: Electrochemical
• Dimension: 4.3 x 1.8 x 1.3 in.
This ingenious little keychain is a carbon monoxide detector in disguise. It has an electrochemical sensor, with a combined microprocessor and pump that produce a CO readings on the display. If levels are dangerously high, the device will sound a 95-decibel alarm—the loudest on this list—light up, and vibrate. It’s powered with a 9-volt battery and made for outdoor use, with a IP67 waterproof rating. It’s great for camping, but it works for just about anywhere your travels take you.
What to Consider
Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors can be battery-operated, plug-in, or hardwired (with backup batteries in case of a power failure). Battery-operated alarms are the easiest to install and usually budget-friendly, though you’ll need to regularly check for dead batteries.
Carbon monoxide alarms often include smoke detectors, which can have ionization sensors for detecting fast-burning fires or photoelectric sensors that detect smoldering, smoky fires. Some detectors include both and are called dual-sensor alarms, though they’re harder to find.
The most basic detectors are simple alarms, whereas more sophisticated models can come with digital displays, LED warning lights, voice alerts, location detectors that pinpoint the source of a carbon monoxide leak, or peak memory features that record the highest levels of carbon monoxide (handy if you’re away for long periods of time). There are also smart carbon monoxide detectors that connect to your home ecosystem.
If you live in a large space, particularly in a multilevel home, you should opt for devices that can be interconnected, with several units around the house that create a network for better coverage. As for where to install them in your home, you’ll need one on every level and in every bedroom.
How We Evaluated
Every carbon monoxide detector we recommend below has an average customer rating of at least four stars. We cast a wide net to find the best options on the market, digging into our own research, gathering and digesting statistics and other information from the CDC, and considering expert sources such as Consumer Reports and Wirecutter. Our list of the best carbon monoxide detectors includes models with different power sources and features that span a range of price points. For each device, we also report its dimensions, so you can map out the wall space it will take up while you wait for it to arrive at your door.
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