X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector Review: Small But Mighty

Having reliable smoke detectors in your home at all times is a must-have, but you usually have to be home to know if they’re going off. With the X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector, you’re notified wherever you may be. This can help you take action in an emergency even if you’re at work, out shopping, or on vacation. I was lucky enough to get to try a three-pack out for myself.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by X-Sense. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.

Overview of Features

For my review, I received the X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector three-pack, but you can also buy a single smoke detector. The first thing you’ll notice is how compact and small they are. They’re noticeably smaller than standard smoke detectors at 3 in. x 3 in. x 1.9 in. However, this doesn’t mean they’re less capable of getting the job done.

The smoke detectors are battery powered (CR123A battery) and are designed to last 10 years – as long as you replace the battery yearly. To help them last longer, they have a screen filter to keep insects out, which is a nice feature for anyone that’s had a bug crawl in and set off the smoke detector randomly.

Unlike many smoke detectors, the test button, also for turning off a false alarm, is large and easy to locate. Speaking of false alarms, the photoelectric sensor is designed to be more sensitive, but also help reduce false alarms. It also performs three different smoke concentration analyses every 10 seconds to better differentiate between harmful and non-harmful smoke. The 85 dB alarm ensures you’ll easily hear the alarm go off throughout your home.

As you already know, trying to turn off a smoke detector on a high ceiling is a massive headache. Since these are Wi-Fi smoke detectors, X-Sense solves this problem with a handy app that includes a silence feature. Even if you’re across the house, simply bring up the app to turn off the alarm. This is ideal during false alarms.

There’s also a self-check function to alert you whenever the smoke detector’s battery is low, or it has disconnected from the network. You’ll receive alerts immediately on your phone if your smoke detector is having an issue. Of course, you’ll also receive alerts whenever an alarm sounds.

In the Box

There aren’t many components when you open the box, which is a good thing. After all, smoke detectors should be simple and straightforward.

Inside, you’ll find one or three smoke detectors, depending on the version you buy. There are mounting screws as well as a sticky pad if you need an alternative way to install the smoke detector.

There’s also a tiny user guide that actually does a great job at covering exactly how to get everything set up. But it is really small, so it can be difficult to read.

Getting Started

Before installing, you have to connect the X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector to the app. The user guide walks you step by step through the process. While it uses images from the iPhone version of the app, I didn’t see much difference in the Android app, and everything worked exactly as said.

One thing I was immediately impressed with is that you can connect the smoke detector and test the app before you create an account. If you want to make sure everything works before creating yet another login for something, you’re in luck. However, the app does state some features may not be available without an account, but I didn’t run into any issues.

Make sure you remove the clear plastic battery tab to turn the smoke detector on. Leave the white one in place to make it easy to remove the battery when needed.

The first step is to – obviously – install the app. Next, it’s time to connect. You must have your phone or tablet connected to a 2.4 GHz network, or you won’t be able to pair the smoke detector to your network. This is the only major con I found, since some routers don’t let you manually switch bands. You can always just walk far enough outside of the 5.0 GHz range. Once connected, the smoke detector defaults to the correct network.

It took around three minutes to get all three smoke detectors connected in the app. It’s a simple process of following the app prompts, pressing and holding the “Test” button, and waiting for it to connect.

Some users stated that once connected, they never received notifications. The most likely cause is choosing “Alarm” from the list versus “Alarm (Wi-Fi).” The manual even says to choose the Wi-Fi version, otherwise you won’t get notifications.

Once the smoke detector(s) are recognized in the app, it’s time to install. Screws and anchors are included, but there are also sticky circles you can use. I opted for screws, just for more stability, but the circles are definitely sticky enough to work, especially if you live in an apartment or rental where you can’t screw something to the wall or ceiling.

There’s an optimal placement guide in the manual if you’re uncertain of the best place to install the smoke detector in a room.

Once everything’s in place, you can play around a bit with the app. I took some time to look through all the options so I could better control my X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector.

You can manage the smoke detector along with other smart home products to create automations if you’d like. Along with changing the settings, such as types of alarms you’ll receive, you can also see the Self-Check results.

When an alarm is sounding, simply slide the “Silence” slider at the bottom of the settings window to “Off.”

Using the Smoke Detectors

Usually, my smoke detector in the kitchen goes off even if I open the oven door when it’s hot, so I always have to take it down while cooking. The X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector didn’t have this same issue, so I had to get a little creative and light a match and let it smoke to get the alarm to go off.

Yes, you can definitely hear the smoke detector. Turning it off was incredibly simple with the app by pressing the “Test” button.

If you don’t want to actually set it off, use the “Test” button to see just how loud it is. You’ll still get an alert on your phone, so you’ll also know the alerts work well. I missed getting a screenshot during the first alarm, so I took one of the test alert instead.

Final Thoughts

The X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector is an impressive alarm in a tiny package. It’s surprisingly easy to connect and set up. Plus, the compact size stands out less than standard smoke detectors. The incredibly loud alarm is more than enough to hear when installed in a central part of the home, even if you’re sleeping.

Controlling the smoke detector, even multiple ones, with the app is a pleasant experience. I’d highly recommend assigning room names in the app to better know which one is going off if you’re not at home.

Plus, they’re actually affordable. You can get an X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector for $39.99 or a 3-pack for $107.99, which saves you almost $12 when buying separately.