Makers of the Nest Thermostat have announced a follow-up product in the Nest Protect, which combines the functionality of a traditional household smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector with internet connectivity and more intelligent alerts. When Nest Protect detects smoke or carbon monoxide, it lights up yellow and a recorded human voice announces the nature of the situation, such as “Heads up! There’s smoke in the kid’s bedroom.” Additionally, Nest Protect sends a notification to any linked smartphone or tablet. If the alert is a false alarm (burnt the casserole in the oven again?), the owner can simply stand underneath the unit and wave his/her arms to dismiss the warning (or press the “nest” button in the center of the alarm). In the event smoke or carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels, the Protect glows red and gives a loud alert sound, along with verbal instructions to get out of the house and call 911.
Another common annoyance of traditional smoke detectors, low batteries, is handed more elegantly too. Rather than a loud beep sounding until a low battery is replaced, Nest Protect simply sends an alert to your phone or tablet. Again, the alert can be dismissed with a wave of the hand under the alarm.
You can’t buy one of these just yet, but pre-order pricing is set at $129, with options to purchase a Protect in black or white as well as battery operated or hard-wired to 120 volt household current. Retailers including Lowe’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Amazon are on the list to carry it as soon as the device ships.
At over 10 times the price of a traditional household smoke detector, Nest Protect could be a tough sell. On the other hand, the ability to notify users via smartphone of alerts puts it in competition with monitored home alarm systems where monthly fees easily exceed the purchase price of the Protect in only a year’s time. The manufacturer also makes a strong argument that traditional smoke detectors are often left in a non-operational state when false alarms or annoying low battery beeps drive users to remove the batteries. Overall, Nest Protect is a good follow-up offering to the thermostat where once again, the company took an ubiquitous household item and found a fresh way to improve on it.
Comments are closed.