The Roku Home Monitoring System SE pairs with Roku’s line of streaming TV devices, which allows users to arm or disarm their home monitoring system right from their TV sets and view all smart cameras connected to the system. Lastly, if you’d rather have professional monitoring, Wyze offers a 24/7 professional monitoring wyze home security service for a minor monthly fee. That way, you don’t have to DIY to ensure your home is protected all day and night. During long-term testing, we added the Abode Water Leak Sensor to our security-system setup. Unlike those of our other picks, it includes a 4-foot water-sensing cable for hard-to-reach places.
I also configured Entry and Exit delay times that allow you to disarm the system before an alarm is triggered, and I selected a Safe Word that’s used to verify your identity to an emergency response agent. Finally, I installed the entry and motion sensors using the included double-sided tape, updated the firmware, and the installation was complete. Even with the price bump, Wyze is still the cheapest option for professional home monitoring.
I first started testing smart-home devices more than 20 years ago, back when the only smart-home devices were X10. I’ve also written tech articles for The New York Times, Wired, and Men’s Health, among other publications. Wyze Home Monitoring uses the same mobile app (for Android and iOS) as all other Wyze devices. The home screen displays panels for all installed Wyze products and their status (open, motion, cleared, online, offline). Tap a sensor panel to see details such as when an entry sensor was opened and how long it remained open. Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to enable/disable notifications for that specific sensor and to select a camera that will be triggered by the sensor.
If you want more integration and the ability to arm, disarm, and check the status of the system by voice, we recommend our also-great pick, the Abode Smart Security Kit. One especially daunting topic is how companies encrypt video, a process that keeps outside entities and companies from accessing your data and video recordings. All three companies that produce our picks encrypt video in transit and at rest, which means when it’s moving (such as from your device to the cloud) as well as when it’s not moving (like when it’s stored on a hard drive). Ring is the only one of our picks that offers it from end to end (as an opt-in feature). That means your videos can’t be accessed by anyone, including Ring, even if requested by law enforcement via a subpoena or court order.
Expandable to meet your security needs, no long-term contracts, just straightforward peace of mind. WYZE is trusted by over 5 million customers and now offers monitored security in addition to its award-winning smart home products. Seattle-based Wyze has quickly made a name for itself by offering smart home wyze thermostat devices at far lower prices than its competitors. The company started by offering the $20 Wyze Cam, which I reviewed recently and awarded a score of 9/10, and now I’m looking at the company’s next product, the Sense. As stated already, Wyze Home Monitoring will cost $5 per month, with no annual commitment.
If you have Wyze smart home devices, Wyze allows smart home integration with these devices and Alexa Guard Plus. Its sensors are battery-powered, wireless, and come with adhesives, so all you have to do is peel and stick the equipment wherever you’d like. Despite the upgrades and equipment price hikes, Wyze’s wyze security camera Cam Plus video storage costs have remained staggeringly low at $1.99 per camera per month. By and large, using Wyze with smart home speakers is helpful, but it’s not going to provide much in the way of emergency response. Check out our review of Vivint, one of the smartest security systems we’ve tested.