I bought cheap smoke detectors and soon regretted it – here's what I recommend now

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My home is almost three decades old, and when I moved in, it still had the original smoke detectors. This is, of course, less than ideal, as smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years — seriously.

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One of the first things I did after moving was replace all the smoke detectors with new battery-powered ones. Being the cheapskate I am, however, I got two dozen inexpensive ones and ended up regretting them less than a couple of years later. They began chirping away with low-battery alerts, as if we lived in a permanent TikTok video.

Upgrading my smoke detectors

Upgrading to the X-Sense XP0H-WN was easier than buying the cheap battery-powered detectors, and they’re not even pricey. Three interconnected wireless X-Sense smoke and carbon monoxide detectors cost $133 right now, and you don’t have to worry about replacing them or the batteries inside for a decade.

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This fact alone was already a win in my book. Moving to the U.S. from a developing country 15 years ago, I was surprised to learn how much of a nuisance replacing smoke detector batteries is. For some reason, the low-battery chirps always seem to go off in the middle of the night, waking me, my husband, and my kids, depending on which one needs replacing. Just figuring out which one is doing the chirping is annoying enough.

The X-Sense interconnected model, however, has a sealed, built-in battery that lasts a decade, which is as long as the device’s shelf life. Once you hit 10 years, you replace the full device with another X-Sense model and forget it for another decade. 

Where to place (and how to use)

According to the US Fire Administration (USFA), you need to replace smoke alarms 10 years from the date of manufacture. They should be placed on the ceiling or high on the wall, since smoke billows upward, and you should test them once a month to ensure proper operation.

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To connect the detectors to each other, I just followed the included instructions, which walk you through connecting them like a chain. They create a network to communicate with each other, so they all go off when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected or when they’re tested. You can link up to 18 of these detectors to a single network. 

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Installing the XP0H-WN is extremely easy. It comes with a wide base that covers the existing holes from my old wired alarms, ensuring they’re not an eyesore. I used the included hardware (and my trusty electric screwdriver) to screw the alarms’ bases to the ceiling and one wall, then just twisted the detectors on. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The X-Sense XP0H-WN smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are a reliable, interconnected wireless option to replace your 10-year-old smoke detectors. They offer a simple alternative to wired smoke detectors, with a carbon monoxide sensor for added safety. Their own wireless network adds extra brains and convenience. 

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The X-Sense may not have Wi-Fi to access its controls with your phone, but you can buy an $18 X-Sense remote control to test and silence all 18 of your interconnected smoke detectors, so you don’t have to climb a ladder for each test.