What is SimpliSafe?
SimpliSafe is a wireless home security system that is exceptionally simple to install, use, and monitor. It protects your home and family from thieves, vandals, vagrants, and other unauthorized access. The company burst onto the home security scene in 2006 and became an almost instant success as an alternative to the high-priced system offered by home protection companies like ADT.
In a very short period, they have revolutionized the home security industry. As soon as the SimpliSafe security system hit the market, professional critics and private consumers immediately heralded its many advantages over traditional home security systems. Current users enthusiastically recommend it to their family, friends, and associates.
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All packages contain a base station that powers the system and communicates with all the sensors. The base station is plugged into a standard electrical outlet and features backup power in case of a power outage. It also features an eighty-five-decibel siren that will activate if an intruder enters, as well as a SIM card that allows you to monitor everything through cellular service with SimpliSafe (if you choose this option). The base station also features lights to indicate when everything is functioning correctly.
Every package comes with a keypad. If you have a large home or want an extra keypad upstairs or near a secondary exit, such as your attached garage or back door, additional keypads can be easily ordered and added to the system. Long-lasting lithium batteries power keypads and sensors, eliminating the need for wires. The equipment will continue functioning even if the electricity goes out.
With the most basic package (starter system), you also get one entry and motion sensor. You can put an entry sensor on your door to alert you to forced entry, and a motion sensor will alert you if someone is moving around inside that shouldn’t be there. You also get a keychain remote. This starter package works well for most apartments or small condos.
For larger places, you can choose one of the other four packages that include more entry sensors, extra motion sensors, an extra siren, and other add-ons, including extra remotes, a panic button (great for the nightstand), a smoke detector, a water sensor (flood sensor), a carbon monoxide detector, and a freeze sensor. You can also order any equipment in this home security arsenal à la carte to get exactly what you need.
Environmental sensors are also provided for flooding, fire, carbon monoxide, and freezing temperatures. Some additional bells and whistles are also included —and unlike the “extras” other companies give you, you’ll find these extras highly desirable.
Optional Monitoring Service
Unlike traditional home security systems, the monitoring service is optional (no more mandatory service contracts) and affordable. For about $15 per month, you can have SimpliSafe monitor all your sensors. Please note that there is no additional charge for extra sensors. If one goes off, they will call you immediately (to ensure you didn’t accidentally trip it). If they cannot reach you or you cannot provide the “safe word” you chose when setting up the system, they will contact the police, fire department, or other emergency services as needed.
Advantages Of SimpliSafe Over Traditional Home Security Systems
1. Affordability
Traditionally, home security systems have been largely the domain of the upper-middle class and the wealthy. This is because the price, usually thousands of dollars, was simply too exorbitant for most homeowners. This is especially true, given the economic conditions we’ve experienced over the last few decades. Many homeowners who were lured in by cheap start-up costs damaged their credit when they defaulted on their contracts after realizing the true cost of the mandatory service contracts, which require high fees month after month.
Simpli Safe is comparatively affordable. The equipment costs $229 to $539, depending on your chosen package. You can start with a more basic package and then easily expand as needed by adding more equipment piece by piece. You can also save even more by purchasing refurbished equipment. Furthermore, the monthly monitoring service (optional) costs only about $15 per month. There are no setup and installation fees because the system is easy for anyone, even a technophobe, to set up.
2. Easy To Install
Since there are no wires to install, setting up the SimpliSafe system is extremely easy. You quite literally plug in the base and set up the sensors! They have self-adhering peel-off stickers on the back, or you can screw them in. You can also modify how the system is set up, such as adjusting the volume of the siren or renaming the sensors through the intuitive cellphone app. There are also easy-to-follow online tutorials that you can watch before you start.
3. Eliminate the Middlemen and Save Money
No more pushy salespeople and installers hoping to make a huge commission off an over-priced home security product that doesn’t even give you what you need! Installers typically retain all or most of the installation fees. They also get residual income from those long-term mandatory service contracts. This is partly why the prices of traditional systems are so incredibly high.
4. Long-Range Sensors
SimpliSafe sensors are designed to work up to 400 feet from the base station. This system allows you to protect even the largest homes completely.
5. Easy To Customize
It is easy to assemble a custom package if one of the pre-set packages isn’t quite what you need. For example, if you have a small house with many windows, you may need fewer motion sensors but more glass break sensors, fewer entry sensors, and more motion sensors. You can also easily expand your set-up to beef up your security or add security as you add on to your home. You may want to consider installing additional smoke detectors if you have a basement apartment with a small second kitchen.
6. No Damage To Your Home
Traditional home security systems often require an invasive and potentially destructive installation procedure. Numerous holes are drilled into your walls through which wires are installed. Not only does this damage the facade of your walls, paint, and/or wall coverings, but it can also easily damage your insulation, electrical wiring, and the structural integrity of your walls. This invasive procedure can introduce mold spores into places that were previously protected! Worse, perhaps, if you decide to change your security system, those old wires have to be removed, and that is a costly proposition, not to mention all the damage that would be repeated yet again.
The equipment does not require any modification to set up in your home. There’s no drilling or wiring! Also, no permits are required, no matter how strict the jurisdiction you live in.
7. No Annual Contract
The hidden fees incurred by installing most traditional home security systems often deter people from buying one for their home. These companies usually lure people in by offering a low (or even “free”) installation and then lock you into a mandatory long-term service contract that will cost you thousands of dollars! Plus, there’s no way to get out of this contract even if you are unhappy with their service or decide to sell your home and move away.
8. No Landline Needed
One of the most significant drawbacks of traditional home security systems is that they often rely on traditional hard-wired landlines. Thieves and vandals know this and often simply cut the line before they begin helping themselves to your valuables and or ravaging your home. Cellphones don’t use stiff wires, so there’s no line to cut. This, in itself, is a crime deterrent when using SimpliSafe.
9. It Works Well For Rentals Too
In almost all cases, you cannot install a traditional home security system in an apartment or rental home. The landlord would never allow you to cause damage to their property by drilling holes in the wall. You also wouldn’t want to invest so much in a property you are renting. Setting up the security system does not require any modifications to the property, and you can easily take the system with you when you move. This is a great security system for renters.
10. Secret Alerts
This is one of the best features. You can receive secret alerts via email or text messages when someone enters a certain zone where you have hidden a secret sensor, but it will not sound the alarm! You can use these secret alerts on gun cabinets, liquor cabinets, medicine cabinets, poison cabinets, file cabinets, desk drawers, home offices, or anywhere else you don’t want your children, babysitters, house sitters, pet sitters, dog walkers, service people, roommates, house guests, Snoopy family members, or anyone else accessing.
Secret alerts give you added protection and peace of mind that your children are truly kept away from guns and other dangers. You can also use these to keep tabs on when they are coming home from school and if they leave again. Secret alerts help you know who you can and cannot trust. They may even help you identify who you should fire, such as a dog walker who has access to your confidential papers. If your private information is compromised, you’ll at least be aware of it and be able to take the necessary steps to protect yourself.
11. Free phone apps Put You In Control From Anywhere
Take your cellphone with you and use the special cellphone app (free) to monitor all your sensors. The app can also turn sensors on and off.
12. Works Even During Power Outages
With the backup power in the base and the lithium battery in the sensors, you and your family will still be protected during a storm if the power is lost or interrupted. This is an essential feature because cutting the power to the house will not leave it unprotected.
What the Press Has To Say About This Product
The press coverage has been overwhelmingly positive. In November 2015, PC Magazine said, “If you want to secure and monitor your home from afar without spending a bundle, there’s much to like about the versatile and easy-to-use DIY SimpliSafe Home Security System.”
Fortune Magazine compared SimpliSafe to ADT as a David versus Goliath story, with SimpliSafe winning by a significant margin. Good Housekeeping, the New York Times, and Fox News have all been equally complimentary.
The online professional reviews of SimpliSafe have also been overwhelmingly positive. Amazon reviewers consistently rate the product very highly, with 76% of more than 6,000 people giving it a 5-star rating. Social media circles have been abuzz with favorable comments about this security system for years. SimpliSafe also earned CNET’s coveted Editor’s Choice Award, stating the package was “comprehensive and yet also remarkably user-friendly…thoughtfully designed for better, smarter home security…outstanding value.”
“All the bells and whistles for a lot less money.” – The New York Times
Where To Buy the SimpliSafe Wireless Security System
You can purchase the complete system and additional equipment directly from the SimpliSafe.com website or buy components from Amazon. Additionally, the equipment can be purchased online at Best Buy, and then picked up at your local store. The completely wireless home security system is expected to be sold in retail stores relatively soon. The company recently received a $57 million investment from Sequoia Capital, a well-known venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. This should help them keep up with demand and expand distribution into more retail locations nationwide.
Most alarm companies charge as much as $50 monthly for monitoring services. SimpliSafe’s standard program is only $14.99 per month.
- No long-term contracts
- No commitments
- No hidden fees
- The right to cancel or change plans at any time
- Plans as low as $14.95 per month
- 24/7 Professional Monitoring services
- Free shipping
- 60-Day Complete Money-Back Guarantee
Call 1-888-902-8195 to speak with a representative.
With the SimpliSafe alarm, you get far more value than you’d get in a traditional home security system at less than half the money — and you don’t even need a contract. It is easy to understand why this solution quickly surpasses the long-time “giants” of the home security business, such as ADT (American District Telegraph Company). Yes, ADT was originally a telegraph company founded in 1874, which later expanded into the home security business.
In conclusion, the SimpliSafe system is a well-designed, high-quality home security solution. If you’re tired of long-term contracts and high fees, this do-it-yourself package is for you.
Disclaimer: This SimpliSafe review was conducted independently and was not sponsored or compensated by the company. All opinions expressed in this Simply Safe review are those of eInvestigator.com and do not constitute an endorsement of the product.
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Great explanation! Thanks for sharing. Recently I used these cameras. I am very satisfied with the quality of the image day as well as at night. These Security surveillance cameras have high-quality features. I got these cameras and connect them with a mobile app.