Hi everyone and thanks as always for checking out my blog. Today I’ll be talking about something a little different and that’s home security.
I’ve lived in my house for about 18 months now and have never really thought further than the bog-standard burglar alarm. To tell you the truth, the alarm we were using was absolutely awful and would barely pick up any motion (for example, if we were downstairs and had forgot to turn the alarm of, the alarm itself wouldn’t siren for a good 20 minutes!), but after a recent spate of burglaries in my area I decided to take a look at some more robust security systems that would make sure my home was safe.
I reached out to the team at SimpliSafe and was thrilled when they offered to gift me a system in exchange for an honest review. Just for clarity, I was only asked to post once on Instagram but I decided to write this blog and create my IGTV about it off my own back as – spoiler – I really do think this system is amazing.
In this post, I’m going to be chatting about the process, the system and my experiences, so here goes…
Placing the order
First things first is placing your order. You can choose from one of the pre-designed systems based on the type and size of your home, or you can create a custom-built system yourself adding features you think would work for you and your security needs.
As part of our system, we received:
- Base Station
- Wireless Keypad
- 2 x SimpliCam security cameras
- 1 x siren (for outside the property)
- 2 x key fobs
- 3 x entry sensors
- 1 x motion sensor
Initial Set Up
Set up really couldn’t have been easier (see my IGTV!) – there’s no hard wiring, no fussy set up and no fiddling around. After we’d installed and turned on the Base Station and set up all the bits, the Wireless Keypad made set up super easy over the WiFi and before we knew it, we were set up on the app and good to go.
I’d say from start to finish, the whole process from unboxing to having the home fully secure was around one hour.
Professional Monitoring
As part of its service, SimpliSafe offers an optional, opt-in professional monitoring service. This works as a monthly contract (but you can cancel at any time) and the monitoring service starts from £12.99 per month.
If your home is armed in ‘Away’ mode and there’s an intruder (picked up through the entry and motion sensors and/or security cameras), a team member will call you straight away, make sure you’re alright and stay on the line until you’re safe. They’ll also dispatch the police once they’ve visually confirmed the incident (via the SimpliCam).
If you can’t be reached on the phone (you provide the app with your preferred numbers and contacts in advance, so for our house it’s me and my husband Guy), the SimplISafe team will dispatch a guard to your home to investigate so you don’t have to.
It’s also worth noting that although it is a contract, you’re not tied into anything and can cancel or pause at any time. It’s something I’m definitely going to continue to use, but for some it may be a feature that you can just dip in and out of, for example if you’re going on holiday.
Aesthetics
Yes, it is a security system and I do know it’s not meant to look fancy, but I’m really happy with the sleek and minimal design of the SimpliSafe kit.
It’s recommended to keep the Base Station somewhere central (so you can hear any alerts) and we’ve got ours in the living room and it doesn’t look out of place. The same can be said about the entry and motion sensors – they’re super discreet and barely noticeable!
Other Features
The more I’ve used the system and the app, the more I’ve realised the SimpliSafe team have thought about everything. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to notice the option of the ‘Duress Pin’ – this is basically a fake pin that you can use if an intruder is in your home and forcing you to turn the alarm off. Entering your ‘Duress’ (fake) pin will immediately alert the monitoring system that something is wrong, and a guard will be dispatched to your home quickly to check that you’re okay.
Aside from the obvious benefits of home security, I also love the system for giving me that extra peace of mind whilst I’m out and about. There’s no more blind panics about whether or not I’d shut the window – I can just refresh the app and see at a glance that everything at home is all okay.
Review
As you may have guessed, I absolutely love the system and have recommended it far and wide to family and friends already.
Yes, at first glance, it is expensive however I love the option of picking and choosing the bits and additions you need. You can also pick further bits up along the way (I’ve added to my system since set up) and create something totally bespoke.
If you have any questions, drop me a DM and I’ll be happy to answer, and if you’ve got the SimpliSafe system at home, too, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Alicia x
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