How We Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Each smoke and carbon monoxide detector that enters Consumer Reports’ labs is rigorously tested to make sure it will keep you and your family safe.

Choosing the best smoke detector for 2025 is essential for home safety. Some alarms respond faster to fires than others, and that difference could save lives. As a lab engineer with seven years of ...

In our lab, we expose CO detectors to low CO levels ... It’s comparable to the way we test smoke detectors, exposing them to flaming fires and smoldering, smoky fires to see how well they ...

Smart smoke detectors also exist ... Check to see they bear the mark of an independent testing laboratory, like UL or Intertek, to ensure they’ve been tested to established safety standards.

On April 3, Nest Labs halted sales of the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm and deactivated the hush feature, called the Nest Wave, over concerns that the alarm could be unintentionally deactivated.

Protect your family with these top carbon monoxide detectors. Everyone's well aware of how important smoke detectors are, but there's another early-warning system every home should have.