With so many alarm systems on the market these days, it’s harder than ever to figure out which one is the best. Old, familiar companies and freshly minted startups are pushing technology and services forward to keep the home security industry competitive. So what should you look for in a great alarm system? What’s the must-have, “killer” feature that will ensure the safety of your home and your family?
Rather than focus on any single sensor or piece of tech, here’s a list of features we think are the most important things to keep in mind when determining which alarm system is right for you.
Monitoring
Without monitoring, the fanciest alarm system in the world is quite literally just a lot of bells and whistles. Extremely loud bells and whistles perhaps, but about as useful all the same. A good monitoring service needs to be available and watchful twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They should be quick to respond, easy to get in touch with, and have an intuitive system in place for being able to tell a false alarm from a real emergency.
Redundancy
When you need to get in touch with someone urgently, chances are you have options. You can send an email, a text message, call a cell phone, call a land line, etc. And so, it should be the same with your alarm system. Especially in an emergency when one form of communication may be either inaccessible or tampered with, it’s important for your alarm system to have a backup way of getting in touch with the monitoring service.
Usability
This probably seems like a no-brainer, but an alarm system that you don’t feel comfortable and confident in activating, disarming, and interacting with on a daily basis isn’t going to do you or your family a heck of a lot of good. As technology gets more advanced, that means it can also get a lot more intimidating for people to delve through touch-screens and layers of menus. These devices are made to be incredibly powerful and helpful tools, so make sure that when your system gets installed, you have it done so by an expert who can answer all your questions and help you get acquainted with all the technology involved. You can afford to ignore all the seemingly random buttons on your TV remote, but you can’t afford to ignore your security system.
Customization
Every home is different, and every family’s needs are unique. An alarm system that doesn’t take a home and family’s specific circumstances into account is going to be far from the best. Some people are going to need environmental sensors because they know they are prone to flooding. Others may have windows exposed to a lot of foot-traffic, and might need extra glass break sensors. Or maybe you just want an extra panel in your bedroom so you can arm the system before you go to bed. Whatever the specifics of your home are, make sure your alarm system, and the company you get to do the installation and monitoring, are able to accommodate those needs.
Need help determining the perfect solution for your home, lifestyle and budget? Contact SAE today to schedule an appointment.