Generally I write only about products that I have reviewed. Since the Roost Smart Smoke Alarm requires a direct connection to power, I'm not able to do a full write-up. However, I have had experience with the Roost Smart Battery, so I will limit this article to the features of the alarm and my experience with the Roost Smart Battery.
Unlike standard detectors, the Roost detects carbon monoxide and gas in addition to smoke and fire. I was able to find units with similar sensors, but without the Smart Battery for half the price on Amazon. So the distinguishing factor and justification for the price appears to be the Battery and supporting app which I have had an opportunity to review.
I first heard about Roost last year when they sent one of their 9V Smart Batteries for review. Designed for smoke detectors, the batteries connect via your home wi-fi, sending your phone alerts. Beyond the smarts, they come with a five-year warranty. Theoretically, you won't have to climb up on a ladder to replace them at least for that long!
The app is great, solving the biggest problems of living with a smoke detector, false alarms. In my small, poorly ventilated NYC apartment kitchen it is easy to get a false alarm at nearly every meal. Before the Roost, I would spend half my time cooking and the other half fanning the smoke alarm in the next room trying to get it to shut off. How many people end up disconnecting the battery on their detectors because of the annoyance.
The Roost app solves this problem. You just press a virtual button on your phone to put it in snooze mode. Problem solved. Another great feature of the app is the ability to send you warnings if the alarm goes off when youj're not at home. In fact, my childhood home went up in flames when we were a hundred miles away. Had we installed a Roost, the fire department might have gotten there in time to save the building and everything inside it. I also love that you can configure the alarm to send out notices to friends and family as well. If you have, for instance, parents that you are concerned about, you could have it notify you if their alarm triggers.
Because the unit relies on Wi-Fi, you need to have good signal wherever you plan on installing it. You might check signal strength at the location with a laptop or tablet before making a purchase.
My experience with the Roost was not problem free. I installed the battery on November 8, 2015, and by April of 2016 I had received an email that my battery was failing! By May it had died. Since I usually replace the 9 volt battery in my smoke detector every year, this $30 unit had given me roughly half the life of a $3 battery.
When I notified customer service they told me this was unusual, and promptly offered to send a replacement. Nevertheless, it was troubling to have a safety device fail so early in its warranty period.
It is impossible to say whether the defective battery was an anomoly or the rule. A quick look at Amazon's customer reviews suggest that the problem may be fairly widespread. 27% of all reviews were one star, many noting battery discharge. On the other hand, 41% were 5-star reviews. Of course, some of the top reviews may have been written near the time of purchase and before problems arose. I just can't say. Of course, since the unit is hardwired, and the battery is here just for backup (and to provide the smarts), a battery failure should not mean the unit stops working altogether.
In theory, if you have a) electrical power and b) good WiFi signal at the location you want to install the unit, and c) you get a battery that works, then this could be a good choice for you. If you already have detectors in your home, particularly if you frequently get false alarms , you might consider the Roost Smart Battery with the caveat to keep the receipt handy in case you need to make a warranty repair..
