The X-Sense SC07-WX is a battery-powered combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm with built-in Wi-Fi and a 1.2-inch LCD that shows the CO level in parts per million. PCMag rated it 4.0 out of 5, calling it reasonably priced and easy to install, with push and email alerts and optional professional monitoring with fire dispatch. PCMag's criticisms are that it does not work with Alexa, Apple HomeKit or Google Home, has no voice alerts, and cannot be interconnected with other alarms.
Full review
LCD readout and alarm behavior
PCMag describes the SC07-WX as looking like any round smoke and CO alarm apart from its 1.2-inch LCD, which shows the carbon monoxide level in parts per million and the current battery level. When smoke or CO is detected the screen glows blue and the 85dB siren sounds, and a status LED flashes red.
The review notes that there are no voice alerts and that the unit is a standalone alarm that cannot be linked with others, although several SC07-WX units can be managed in the same app. Inside are a photoelectric smoke sensor and an electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor, and PCMag says the alarm adheres to the UL2034 standard and is rated for 10 years of use.
App alerts without smart home support
The alarm connects over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to the X-Sense Home Security app. PCMag reports that the app shows battery level, Wi-Fi signal strength and smoke and CO status, keeps an event history, lets the owner share access with up to 12 other users and offers a button to silence the alarm remotely.
PCMag lists the lack of Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home support as a con, and adds that the alarm cannot trigger other smart devices.
PCMag's smoke test
PCMag's reviewer could not test the CO sensor but triggered the smoke sensor with an aerosol smoke detector tester. The alarm reacted the instant the fog reached the sensor, and a push alert with a silence button and an email alert followed. The reviewer said the siren could be heard throughout the home and from the backyard.
Installation involved screwing the mounting ring to the ceiling, pulling the battery tab and pairing in the app, which PCMag called easy.
Battery, monitoring plans and price
The alarm runs on one included CR123A battery that PCMag says should be replaced annually. X-Sense sells optional Protect+ professional monitoring: PCMag lists a Basic plan at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year with a tap-to-dispatch option, and a Premium plan at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year in which the monitoring center calls to verify the emergency.
PCMag reviewed the alarm at $45.99; X-Sense's store lists a single unit at $36.54.
Strengths
- +Reasonably priced for a Wi-Fi alarm, per PCMag
- +LCD shows the CO level in ppm and the battery level
- +Push and email alerts, with an in-app button to silence the alarm
- +Optional professional monitoring with fire dispatch from $2.99 per month
- +Adds app-based smart alerts without a big price jump, per The Spruce
Watch-outs
- −Does not work with Alexa, Apple HomeKit or Google Home
- −No voice alerts
- −Standalone: cannot be interconnected with other alarms
- −CR123A battery should be replaced annually, per PCMag
How it compares
Unlike the Kidde Smart Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm, which is hardwired with battery backup and lists Amazon Alexa and Google Home connectivity, the SC07-WX runs on a single replaceable battery and, per PCMag, works with no smart home platform. It is a standalone unit, whereas the Siterwell Wireless Interconnected Smoke & CO Alarm links to other alarms. Its $36.54 price is well under the Kidde Smart alarm's $130.10.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.16/5 in our score — this publisher's 181 scores on the site average 4.00, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Not in the average — we derived this score from the review's words, and a publisher printed a score for this product, so the printed number counts instead.
Our 4.2 score is the average of 1 of the scored reviews above, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. 1 derived score above is not in the average because a publisher printed a score for this product. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
