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| Best For… | |
| Pets Less Than 40 lbs |
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| Pets More Than 40 lbs |
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| Low Cost, No Contracts |
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| Compare All Companies |
If you have pets at home, there are several important features to consider when getting a home security system. We’ve spent a lot of time researching equipment, customer service and pricing offered by all the top companies and have narrowed down the best systems for pet owners.
Article Overview
- Features To Consider
- Best Systems For Pet Owners
- Comparison Table
- Tips To Minimize False Alarms
- Monitored Smoke/CO Detectors Save Pets’ Lives (Video)
- Best Pet Cams
Features To Consider
Motion Sensors
Indoor motion sensors are one of the biggest concerns for pet owners looking for a pet-friendly security system because pets can set off false alarms. If you don’t want to sacrifice this important home security feature, you still have some great options.
All of the systems included in our reviews here allow you to use indoor motion detectors without worrying about where you place them — with pets up to 40-80 pounds. If you have a large dog or multiple pets, however, you’ll likely have to make some adjustments. We’ve posted some pet-friendly tips towards the end of this article that may come in handy.
TIP: If your pet exceeds motion sensor weight limits (and even if they don’t), you may want to consider door/window sensors and glass break sensors. You can use these in place of or along with motion sensors for an added layer of protection.
Door/window sensors will notify you if someone opens a door or window. And glass break sensors will alert you if an intruder breaks the glass of a window or door within range of the sensor (typically about 20-feet).
Monitored Smoke & CO Detectors
To keep your pets safe when you’re away, you should also have monitored smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors. All of the companies in our reviews offer both types of detectors, and they’re included in monitoring plans. When these sensors detect smoke and poisonous CO, they alert the monitoring station so help will be on the way to save your pets. Our video below has a heartwarming story about one pet who was saved.
Indoor & Outdoor Cameras
If you have a pet, you may want to keep an eye on him throughout the day, and you’re not alone! 56% of pet owners want to keep tabs on their pets when they’re away from home.1
Indoor cameras let you visually check in on your pets at home, without the risk of a false alarm. You may want to look for indoor cameras with two-way audio so you can communicate with your pet while you’re away.
Another plus is if the camera has pan and tilt so you can track your pet throughout the room. Similarly, outdoor cameras will help you keep an eye on your pets when they’re outside.
Home Automation Equipment
Many home security systems sync with a variety of home automation equipment, including smart door locks, lights and switches. Smart door locks give you the ability to remotely unlock your front door for a pet sitter via your smartphone, thus removing the worry about duplicate keys falling into the wrong hands.
If your pets get anxious when they’re alone or when it’s too dark or quiet, having smart lights and switches can help. You can remotely control a TV or radio plugged in with a smart switch to give your pets some background noise. And you can schedule smart lights to be on during the time you’ll be away from home when it’s dark.
Smart home equipment and integrations vary widely depending on the home security system you choose. We’ve noted these differences in the pros and cons in our reviews below in case home automation is important to you.
Best Pet-Friendly Home Security Systems
We chose the following home security systems based on several factors, including:
- Pet-friendly motion sensors
- Customer service reputation
- Other pet-friendly equipment offered
- Variety of additional equipment
- Ease of use and installation
- Value
Pets Less Than 40 lbs: Frontpoint Review
Frontpoint is a top-rated affordable, easy to set up DIY home security system. While their motion sensors don’t quite reach the weight limits of Vivint, ADT and SimpliSafe, they’re a solid choice for pets up to 40 pounds.
Frontpoint ranked highly in our annual showdown of the top home security systems for their combination of price, ease of installation, wide variety of equipment, excellent professional monitoring and superb customer service. If you don’t need the upper weight limits for your pets, Frontpoint is a dependable system that’s hard to beat.
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Price
Frontpoint monitoring starts at $44.99/month. You can opt to build your own system or go with a pre-built package.
Coupon
Our link above applies discounts if available.
Full Frontpoint Review
For in-depth equipment pricing, details on monitoring plans, a video on installation, a deep dive into the website portal, a tutorial on how to use the app, user reviews and more, read our dedicated Frontpoint review.
Pets More Than 40 lbs: Vivint Review
Unlike Frontpoint, Vivint requires professional installation. You can have the installer adjust the motion sensors for small (under 40 pounds) or large (up to 80 pounds) pets. This is the highest weight limit for all the companies we review here. Vivint also has extensive smart home capabilities that you can sync with your security system. In fact, when it comes to smart home, they may be the best. They took home our smartest security system award this year.
However, there are some downsides to Vivint that you should know. It’s expensive compared to many other systems and requires a lengthy contract obligation. And its customer service reputation isn’t stellar, especially compared to Frontpoint.
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Price
Equipment pricing ranges from their starter kit at $599.99 on up. Once you’ve chosen a kit, you’ll need to pick a monitoring plan.
Monitoring Plans
| Smart Security | Smart Home | Smart Home Video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price Per Month | $29.99 | $39.99 | $44.99 |
| $49-$199 Installation Fee | |||
| 24/7 Professional Monitoring | |||
| Entry, Smoke & CO Detection | |||
| Medical Pendant Support | |||
| Smart Home Integration | |||
| Live Video Feed | |||
| 14 Days Storage Of 30-Second Clips For Up To 2 Cameras |
If you have more than two security cameras, you’ll have to pay an additional $5 per month per camera for monitoring (three cameras = +$5/month; four cameras = +$10/month; etc.).
Coupon
Our link above applies discounts if available.
Full Vivint Review
For in-depth equipment and plan pricing, pros & cons, key features, coverage of their extensive smart home capabilities, side-by-side comparisons to competitors and more, read our dedicated Vivint review.
Low Cost, No Contracts: SimpliSafe Review
Another DIY system, SimpliSafe’s motion sensors are designed to detect heat signatures over 50 pounds so cats and small to medium-sized dogs won’t trigger the alarm. SimpliSafe is in our top 3 home security systems for its reliability and ease of use and installation.
It’s a great choice if you don’t want to be locked into a multi-year professional monitoring contract since they offer month-to-month plans with no early termination fees.
Pet-Friendly Tip From SimpliSafe: Place the motion sensors 4-5 feet above ground level and mount them upside down. Normally, SimpliSafe motion sensors look straight ahead and down towards the ground. When you turn the sensor upside down, it looks straight ahead and up instead. This way, your pet can’t trigger it, but an intruder will.
Pros
Cons
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Price
SimpliSafe packages start at $229.
Monitoring Plans
You can purchase a SimpliSafe security system without adding on a monitoring plan; however, the system is almost useless without monitoring. You won’t be able to monitor it yourself or be notified if a sensor is triggered unless you pay a monthly monitoring fee. The local alarm siren will still sound without monitoring.
| Standard | Interactive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price Per Month | $14.99 | $24.99 |
| 24/7 Professional Monitoring | ||
| Cellular Connection | ||
| Environmental Monitoring | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Unlimited Camera Recording | ||
| Home Automation |
Coupon
Our link above applies discounts if available.
Full SimpliSafe Review
For in-depth equipment and plan pricing, pros & cons, key features, a deep dive into their app, user reviews, side-by-side comparisons to competitors and more, read our dedicated SimpliSafe review.
Comparison Table
| Pets Less Than 40 lbs: Frontpoint | Pets More Than 40 lbs: Vivint | Low Cost, No Contracts: SimpliSafe | ADT | Link Interactive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Sensor Weight Limit | 40 lbs | 80 lbs | 50 lbs | 60 lbs | 40 lbs |
| Equipment Starting Cost | $99 | $599.99 | $229 | Free With Contract | Customizable |
| Pro Monitoring Monthly Starting Cost | $44.99 | $29.99 | $14.99 | $36.99 | $30.99 |
| Contract Length | None | 3.5-5 Years | None | 3 Years | 1-3 Years |
| Installation | DIY | Professional | DIY | Professional | DIY |
| Installation Fee | $0 | $49-$199 | $0 | $99-$199 | $0 |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 Days | None | 60 Days | 6 Months | 30 Days |
| Warranty | 3 Years | 120 Days | 3 Years | Lifetime (Must Pay Additional $) | 3 Years |
| Battery Backup | 24 Hours | 4 Hours | 24 Hours | 24 Hours | 8 or 24 Hours |
| Self Monitoring Option | |||||
| Third Party Monitoring* | |||||
| Cellular Monitoring For All Plans | |||||
| Amazon Alexa Compatibility | |||||
| Google Home Compatibility |
*Learn more about important features that make some companies’ professional monitoring better than others.
Other Pet-Friendly Alarm Systems
Below you’ll find an alphabetical listing of other companies we’ve reviewed. Protect America used to be on this list but they were acquired by Brinks.
ADT Review
ADT is one of the most-recognized names in home security and really differentiates itself with its pet-friendly motion detectors. When you have your system professionally installed, they can set the sensitivity up to 60 pounds — a higher weight limit than what many other companies offer.
The trade-off for ADT, however, is that it’s more expensive than most of its competition. ADT’s customer service also varies by location because it uses authorized resellers* and has a long list of customer complaints. Still, ADT is a solid contender in the home security industry, especially if you want a professional to install your system.
*ADT uses authorized resellers which are local to your area. This means your installation and customer service experience will vary based on where you live and who your local ADT provider is.
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Price
Monitoring prices vary based on your local ADT reseller, but typically start at $36.99/month (landline) and $44.99 (cellular) with a $99 installation fee. Get a custom quote for your home.
Coupon
Our link above applies discounts if available.
Full ADT Review
For in-depth equipment and plan pricing, pros & cons, key features, a deep dive into ADT Connect, user reviews, side-by-side comparisons to competitors and more, read our dedicated ADT review.
Link Interactive Review
Link Interactive is similar to Frontpoint in its equipment offerings and pet-friendly features (its motion sensors are immune up to 40 pounds). It’s also an attractive option if you don’t want a starter package — everything is à la carte, making it one of the most reliable fully customizable systems you can find.
But Link Interactive has its shortcomings compared to Frontpoint, namely spotty customer service and a slightly more difficult self-installation process.
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Price
Unlike most home security companies, Link Interactive doesn’t have pricing plans that bundle equipment at a discount. You individually select the equipment you need and then select a corresponding monitoring plan. The advantage here is that you don’t have to pay for equipment you don’t need. It’s also easy to add on components later.
Monitoring Plans
| Standard | Gold | Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price Per Month | $30.99 | $39.99 | $44.99 |
| Cellular | |||
| Smoke, Fire, CO Detectors | |||
| Home Automation | |||
| Video Monitoring |
Coupon
Our link above applies discounts if available.
Full Link Interactive Review
For in-depth equipment and plan pricing, pros & cons, key features, a deep dive into their app, user reviews, geofencing capabilities and more, read our dedicated Link Interactive review.
6 Tips To Minimize Pet-Triggered False Alarms
- Place motion sensors at least 4-5 feet above ground level so pets won’t get close enough to trigger them.
- Take your pet’s climbing habits into consideration. Even if you place a motion detector high, a cat may be able to get close to it by climbing up on furniture or drapes. If you have a climber, place motion detectors away from any furniture he could climb.
- Make sure your motion sensor isn’t positioned toward the stairs. A pet climbing the stairs may get in the line of sight of the sensor and trigger the alarm. Instead, point them toward access points.
- If you have more than one pet, you may need to take their combined weight into account. Motion sensors measure heat sources, and if your pets are close together, their combined weight may set off your alarm.
- If you’ve placed motion sensors away from pets but you’re still getting false alarms, you’ll want to rule out other causes. For example, motion detectors that aren’t installed properly, securely mounted or that are too close to air vents can trigger your alarm.
- If you’ve placed motion sensors away from pets and ruled out other causes of false alarms but you’re still getting them, consider installing a pet gate or a pet barrier system to keep pets out of rooms with motion sensors.
How One Home Security System Saved Justice
As we shared above, having monitored smoke and CO detectors in your home are a must to keep them safe. See one family’s close call with a potential disaster for their Labrador Retriever, Justice.
What If I Just Want A Camera To Keep An Eye On My Pet?
Don’t need all the bells and whistles of a home security system, or want to save that investment decision for later? We’ve got you covered and review the best pet cams so you can keep an eye on your furry friends while you’re out.
Do you have any home security advice for pet owners?
Sources: [1] News10
Tagged With: Comparison
