Other Leak Detectors We Like
Photograph: Simon Hill
First Alert L1 Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector for $64: This large flood sensor, branded First Alert, works with First Alert or Resideo apps and accessories. It sends push notifications and emails to alert you to any leak and sports a 100-decibel alarm that you can stop with the side button. The sensor was relatively slow to alert in all my tests, and the push notifications only came through when my phone was connected to Wi-Fi. The 5-foot water sensing cable allows you to cover a much larger area, and I found it alerted faster. The detector connects directly to Wi-Fi, so you need a decent signal. This sensor can also track temperature and humidity, but not very accurately (it consistently overestimated temperature and underestimated humidity). The two AA batteries provided are supposed to last up to two years.
Eufy Security Water and Freeze Sensor for $35: If you have a Eufy security system, this could be the best water leak detector for you, but it requires a HomeBase 2 or HomeBase 3 ($150) to connect to. It proved quick and reliable to alert, offers long-range connectivity (up to 200 meters), and can warn you if the temperature drops below freezing. You receive alerts on your phone via the Eufy Security app, and you can configure the connected HomeBase to sound an alarm, but the detector doesn’t make any sound. You can track battery life in the app. A full battery lasts up to two years. Sadly, it doesn’t show the temperature; it simply alerts below freezing.
Ikea Badring for $12: Super affordable, with a simple design, this Zigbee detector alerted reliably during testing. The Ikea Badring is a good choice if you already have an Ikea Dirigea hub ($109) to connect to for notifications on your phone. But it works out quite pricey if you don’t, and it’s not compatible with other hubs, such as the Ikea Tradfri. It does have an alert sound that goes as high as 90 decibels, but only at proximity; it doesn’t carry far, and I wouldn’t rely on it alone. You must supply your own AAA battery, and this leak detector is only IP44 rated, so there’s a risk of malfunction if it gets immersed.
SwitchBot Water Leak Detector for $19: This rectangular detector triggered swift alerts in all my tests with a 100-decibel alarm. With prongs on top and underneath, this device was quick to detect water. It connects directly to Wi-Fi, so you don’t need a hub, and it can send push notifications and emails, though you must set them up in the app. Unfortunately, the push notifications did not come through when I was out of the house, connected to a cellular network instead of Wi-Fi. Smart home connectivity is good (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT), and you can set up automation in the SwitchBot app, which makes this a versatile option, particularly if you have other SwitchBot devices. SwitchBot says the two AAA batteries provided are good for up to two years.
AiDot Winees Water Leak Detector S1 Plus (3 Pack) for $60: Connect the plug-in hub to your 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, place the three circular detectors in likely leak spots, and you are set. You can pair up to 10 with the hub and configure it to send emails and SMS messages on top of app notifications when there’s a leak. The probes on the underside of each detector are quite far apart, and it takes 2 millimeters of water before the alarm is triggered. It failed to go off with a steady drip on top, but the alarm sounded as soon as water pooled underneath. The alarm goes up to 100 decibels, but I like that you can tweak the volume and duration for alarms. You can cancel alarms through the app or by pressing the buttons on the hub. These detectors take CR2 batteries that are good for up to a year, and there’s an indication in the app when they die. When I removed a battery from one of them, it took the app a few hours to update and show it as offline. One last downside is that the hub is circular, so it may block adjacent outlets. Support for IFTTT is a potentially handy extra that could trigger a water shut-off or a light to flash red when a leak is detected.
Aqara Water Leak Sensor for $19: This Zigbee sensor is best used with Apple’s HomeKit, and you need an Aqara hub (sold separately). The company makes a good security camera that doubles as a hub and offers a full range of smart home sensors. These small circular water leak sensors are very low to the ground, so just 0.5 mm of water underneath is enough to trigger an alarm. Dripping on top won’t set them off, but an iPhone notification is triggered as soon as water pools beneath where the probes are. You can also have your connected hub play an alarm and trigger automations through HomeKit. The sensors take CR2 batteries and can last up to two years.
Stitch by Monoprice Water Leak Sensor for $25: This affordable water leak detector has a design that’s similar to our top pick. The main body is round, with metal feet to detect water pooling, and it slots into a bracket for wall mounting. It comes with a coin-sized plug-in extension that stretches up to 3.8 feet. Both the main detector and extension were quick to sound the alarm and send notifications to my phone when wet (though the on-device alarm is not very loud). It takes a single CR2 battery, displays the remaining power in the app, and alerts you when it’s time to change batteries. Unfortunately, the app is basic and poorly translated. You have to dry the detector to stop the alarm, and it took too long to warn me when it went offline (weirdly, the offline detector is toggled off by default in the app settings, so I had to switch it on). You can get this a bit cheaper by buying directly from Monoprice.
Leak Detectors to Avoid
We did not have a great experience with every water leak detector we tested.
Swann Leak Alert Sensor for $16: While this battery-powered water detector (two AAAs) is affordable, I had a terrible time setting it up. Your phone must be on 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, but even then, it took me multiple attempts to connect. Frustratingly, you must remove the screw panel to reset it, because there’s no option in the app. Alerts came through to my phone around a minute after I soaked the sensor, but the Swann app is slow and clunky.
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