The smart home security specialists at Ring have partnered with Kidde, a leader in the fire protection business since 1917, to develop a pair of new home safety devices that operate in the Ring ecosystem.
Bearing both the Kidde and Ring brands, the new Smoke Alarm ($54.97) and Combination Alarm (smoke plus carbon monoxide detection, $74.97) are equipped with Ring’s smart home technology and promise to deliver a more integrated, responsive, and user-friendly approach to fire and carbon monoxide safety.
This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart smoke detectors.
Both devices must be hardwired for power (there is currently no battery-powered SKU), but when multiple units are installed in the same home, if one goes off, all other “eligible” Kidde alarms on the same circuit will also sound off. In the event of a power outage, the devices will fall back to a pair of AA backup batteries.
Ring/Kidde
Since both alarms connect to the home’s Wi-Fi network and can be added to the Ring app, homeowners will also receive fire and CO alerts on their smartphones in real time. And should those backup batteries begin to fail, the Ring app will alert users as much as seven days before the detectors themselves issue a notification via chirping.
The two companies say Kidde’s advanced sensing technology also sets these devices apart, boasting 29 percent faster detection with three times the precision of competing alarms. The detectors are promised as being less susceptible to false alarms caused by cooking.
Neither of the new detectors depends on the presence of a Ring Alarm or other smart home hub, and you won’t need a subscription to receive real-time alerts in the event of dangerous levels of smoke or–in the case of the smoke/CO detector–carbon monoxide. A paid Ring subscription of one form or another, however, will entitle you to professional alarm monitoring, where an agent can call for first responders in the event of an emergency. Subscribers can also designate emergency contacts who will be notified in the event of an emergency.
Ring/Kidde
The least expensive option is Ring’s new $5-per-month 24/7 Smoke & CO Monitoring service, which will become available April 2, 2025. This same service will also work with the existing Ring Alarm Smoke & CO Listener ($34.99), which does depend on either a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro system.
However, if you already own a Ring Alarm system and also pay for either professional monitoring or Ring’s new Virtual Security Guard service, smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring service will be included with either subscription.
The Kidde/Ring Smart Smoke Alarm and Combination Smoke + CO Alarm will launch exclusively at Home Depot in April, with availability through additional retailers coming later in 2025.
Correction: This article was corrected shortly after publication to clarify that real-time alerts on your smartphone of smoke or carbon monoxide danger do not require a paid subscription. A subscription is only required if you want 24/7 professional monitoring of either alarm. We regret the error.
