Best Smart Home Security Systems for Small Homes or Apartments

If the landlord of your apartment or house does not allow large dogs you may want to check into another type of security system. There are a few good options out there for apartment dwellers or small homeowners to check into that don’t involve heavy installation. Rather than opting for a kit with multiple components, it may be a time and money saver to go with one of these all-in-one smart home security systems.

Things to consider before making an investment on a smart home security system: the size of your home, features such as remote monitoring and/or activation, notifications,  and whether or not you can integrate it with current or future smart home devices. If you live in a studio apartment or you’re okay with keeping tabs on a smaller area in your home, then one stand-alone smart home security device just might do the trick.

Best Stand Alone Smart Home Security Systems

The four best all-in-one smart home security systems we’ve chosen are all simple to install – no wires and no mess. You also won’t need any screws to mount these small but mighty security devices. Most of the options just require you to plug them into a power source and set them on a table, shelf, or entertainment center. Setting up your new security system will mainly be done through mobile apps, a web interface, or other software.

RELATED: Best Smart Home Cameras and Surveillance for 2017 

Canary

The Canary All-in-One Home Security Device is a compact, cylindrical shaped, camera and motion detector. It can sense motion while you’re away and send you a notification when activated. Users can see a crisp and clear 1080p video right on their mobile phone with a 147° view. In addition, the built-in microphone delivers great quality sound for homeowners to listen in on. Not only does the smart device monitor motion but temperature, humidity, and air quality too. All that and some pretty slick looks too!

Once you’re able to see what’s happening around the home Canary gives you the option to sound a 90dB siren and/or notify authorities. Because this is a self-monitored security system you can save your money on a security monitoring subscription. However, Canary does have subscription services and fees for storage for up to 30 days worth of video. Cloud storage for 12 hours of video is free and may be substantial for most users.

Recent software updates allow integration with Wink smart home gadgets. Other than that the device is very limited in terms of smart home integration and there are smart home security systems that play nicer with others. On a positive note, Canary allows you to share access with friends and family so they too can monitor your home. This comes in great use while you may have limited access to your phone during the day or you’re away on vacation.

Piper

Piper is very similar to Canary but has a few extra things going for it. First is selection. There are couple different Piper All-in-One Security System models available: Piper Classic and Piper NV All-in-One Smart Home Security System. Both offer a 180° view, two-way microphone, and 105 dB siren. The major difference between the Piper Classic and Piper NV models are the night vision capability (only on NV) and a 2-megapixel versus 3.2-megapixel camera (Classic versus NV).

 

Z-Wave technology is also available on the Piper Smart Home Security System. This is a protocol for device communication and allows users to integrate smart home devices that also support Zwave. Examples include Z-wave switches and sensors. This allows you to connect a door sensor, window sensor, or even a motion sensor in another room to trigger Piper. Since the technology is so new, we can probably expect more in the future.

The last thing that makes Piper Classic and Piper NV stand out, is the two way microphone. Not only will it detect and broadcast sound to your smart phone while you’re away but you can interact with pets and/or family while away. Makes things easier if the kids have some chores to do while you’re at work or you want to talk to them and hear about their day.

Sentri

Sentri offers a Smart Home Security System in disguise. It’s a little bit different from the Piper and Canary home security systems in that you can either rest it on a shelf like a photo frame or mount it on a wall. It looks like a clock and also serves as a weather station displaying temperature, conditions and more.

Guardzilla

If you’re a little more budget conscious, the Guardzilla Wi-Fi Home Security Video and Alarm System gives you both compact size and price. A 720p HD video offers both streaming and storage to the cloud. While it’s not a top-notch HD camera like Piper and Canary, it should do the trick. The smart home security system also provides a two way microphone and speaker, night vision, and a 105 dB siren. You can also plug in a Micro SD Card to record up to 5 days of video.