In addition to sounding an alarm, a smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector, such as the Google Nest Protect, offers the added benefit of smartphone notifications. These notifications can alert you—and even your family, friends, or caregivers—to potential danger, whether someone is home or not. This feature provides peace of mind by ensuring that you’re informed of any issues, even if you’re away from home.

Some of these devices also include helpful features like a built-in night-light, which provides gentle illumination in the dark, and a self-test function that regularly checks to ensure the device is working properly. This means you don’t have to worry about whether your detector is functioning when it matters most. Additionally, if the alarm is triggered by something non-threatening, like cooking smoke, you can easily silence it from your smartphone or other connected devices, eliminating the need to physically reach up to the ceiling or wall. (And if the sensor-activated pathlight feature isn’t needed, it can be turned off to suit your preferences.)