This Fire Alarm Texts You When It Senses Smoke

Smoke detectors are pretty effective when you're close enough to hear them. But if that iron you forgot to turn off starts a fire when no one's around, a conventional alarm won't do you much good. Roost is a different kind of alarm that's smart enough to send alerts via text if it senses smoke or carbon monoxide in your home, WIRED reports.

Roost connects to your house's Wi-Fi network to communicate with your phone no matter where you're located. It works with a companion app that lets you know exactly how much battery life you have left and when to change it, something a lot of smoke detector-owners have trouble keeping up with. And if the alarm is ever set off by a false trigger like burnt toast or an extra-steamy shower, it can be shut off quickly by tapping a button on your phone instead of scrambling to find a way to reach the device itself. With Roost, though, that may not be much of a problem—the company claims that their product is better than most detectors at distinguishing so-called "nuisance alarms" from the real thing.

The RSA-400, which detects smoke, fire, natural gas, and carbon monoxide, is retailing for $80, and the strictly smoke-and-fire-detecting RSA-200 is going for $60. Roost also sells a smart battery for $35 that has the same Wi-Fi-connected capacities as the full device and can be inserted into the 9-volt slot of your old alarm at home. All three products are available to purchase from their website.