The 5 Best Carbon Monoxide Detectors To Safeguard Your Home

In addition to smoke detectors, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are essential for home safety. The best carbon monoxide detectors alert you when there's a potentially harmful concentration of this odorless gas, giving you time to get your family to safety. Our top pick is the First Alert CO615 Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detector, featuring a convenient plug-in design and a digital display that shows real-time CO levels.

"Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can be lethal," explains Jonathan Hart, technical lead of Fire Protection Engineering at the National Fire Protection Association. "It forms when fuels like gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil or methane burn incompletely. In homes, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are common sources of CO." The CDC reports that more than 400 Americans die annually from unintentional CO poisoning, underscoring the importance of having detectors installed.

To protect your family, CO alarms should be installed in key areas: "Place them in a central location outside each sleeping area, on every level of the home, and anywhere else required by local laws or codes," says Hart. Below, we've compiled a list of the best carbon monoxide detectors, including both plug-in and hardwired options to fit your needs.

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The Forbes Vetted team understands that you want the best possible safety products to protect your home and family, so we’ve done extensive research and testing to help you choose the best home improvement products for your home. We’ve published research-backed articles on topics like home security cameras, indoor air quality monitors and more.

• The Forbes Vetted home and kitchen team includes three expert editors: Rebekah Lowin, Amanda Arnold and Sholeen Damarwala.
• We spoke with several safety experts while researching this article, including a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Jonathan Hart, technical lead of Fire Protection Engineering at the National Fire Protection Association; and Joel Worthington, president of electrical service company Mr. Electric.
• The author of this story, Camryn Rabideau, is a regular Forbes Vetted contributor with extensive experience covering home and lifestyle topics. In addition, air-quality expert Dr. Daniel Westervelt, a Lamont Associate Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and air pollution advisor to the US State Department, thoroughly reviewed this story.

How We Chose The Best Carbon Monoxide Detector

To find the best carbon monoxide detectors for your home, we consulted with several safety experts, who weighed in on the most important factors to consider when shopping for these devices. We evaluated top-rated products based on their guidance, selecting models that offer reliable protection for your home.

• We looked for best-selling products from trusted brands like First Alert, Kidde and Nest.
• All the products that we selected are UL listed, have an end-of-life alert, and have an alarm that’s at least 80 decibels.
• We included several styles of carbon monoxide detectors, such as plug-in, battery-powered and hardwired options. We also included an alarm that can be used in an interconnected system.
• All the products we selected for our final list have an average rating of at least 4 stars, but the majority have earned 4.5 stars or higher from thousands of reviewers.

What To Look For In The Best Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Here are a few key factors to keep in mind as you shop for a carbon monoxide detector for your home.

Power Source

Similar to smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors can be powered in a few ways. Hardwired models, such as the First Alert Interconnect 2-in-1 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm, are connected directly into your home’s electrical system for constant power. This means you won’t have to deal with low-battery chirps in the middle of the night, but they can be more complicated to install.

There are also battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors. These may use replaceable batteries that need to be changed periodically or “sealed” batteries that cannot be replaced. Models with sealed batteries are generally designed to last for 10 years, after which you’ll need to buy a new unit.

Finally, there are plug-in detectors, like the First Alert CO615 Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detector, which draw their power from an electrical outlet. These are quick and easy to install, but their placement is limited to where you have an outlet available.

Installation

Similarly, you’ll want to consider where you need to place detectors in your home and how they need to be installed. Experts recommend having one on each floor of your home, including outside bedrooms. If you want to use hardwired alarms, you’ll need the appropriate wiring, while plug-in models will require a nearby outlet. Alternatively, you may want to opt for battery-powered alarms, which can be installed anywhere.

If possible, you may want to choose interconnected alarms like the First Alert Interconnect 2-in-1 Smoke and CO Alarm. “For the best protection, users should interconnect all carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home, so when one sounds, they all sound,” says Hart.

Safety Certifications

When looking for a carbon monoxide detector, you’ll want to select one that’s been tested by a third-party laboratory to meet current safety standards. “We recommend selecting alarms that have been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories,” says a spokesperson from FEMA. “This means the product has been certified to meet scientific safety, quality and/or security standards.”

These products will be labeled as “UL listed” on their packaging, and some brands may even specify which standards their products meet. For instance, the First Alert Precision Detection 2-in-1 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm has the following UL certifications: UL 217 8th Edition and UL 2034 4th Edition.

Sensor Type

Most modern carbon monoxide detectors use electrochemical sensors to detect the presence of this colorless, odorless gas. When a harmful level of CO enters these detectors, it causes a chemical reaction that creates an electric current to trigger the alarm.

If you’re purchasing a combination smoke and CO detector, you may also want to look at the type of sensors being used to detect smoke. The two common types are photoelectric and ionization sensors, which each have different strengths. Photoelectric smoke detectors are more responsive to smoking, smoldering fires, while ionization sensors detect flaming fires faster.

End-Of-Life Alert

Because carbon monoxide detectors can generally be used anywhere from five to 10 years, it’s common to forget when you installed them and when they need to be replaced. For this reason, experts recommend selecting a detector that has an “end-of-life” notification: “Look for CO alarms with end-of-life warnings and replace per the manufacturer’s instructions,” recommends Hart. This alert lets you know when it’s time to replace your units.

What Is The Most Accurate Carbon Monoxide Detector?

While there are a few styles of carbon monoxide detectors available today, experts recommend electrochemical models as a reliable and accurate option. “Carbon monoxide detectors that use electrochemical sensors are accurate in detecting carbon monoxide,” explains Joel Worthington, president of electrical service company Mr. Electric. “They use a chemical reaction to detect CO levels to provide precise readings.”

Our top recommendation, the First Alert CO615 Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detector, uses electrochemical sensors to monitor for CO in your home, and it has a digital display that shows real-time CO levels. This detector also has a convenient plug-in design that takes just seconds to get up and running.