– Smart Alarm Starter Kit [NO Subscription Required] | 5 Pieces | Arm, Part-Arm, Disarm | Control 4 Security Areas | Real-Time Alerts | Compatible with The Yale Home app

I don't think I'll ever go back to a regular alarm system, this one is very easy to use and highly configurable. There are some design oversights that they should address. For instance, I chose to wire in the hub - but the ethernet cable they provided was too thick to allow the cover to close - even the power cable was too thick but did eventually go with some force. Therefore I had to cut away some of the plastic and use one of my own, thinner, ethernet cables to make it work (yes, I threaded the wires in the channels, according to the instructions). We did get a false alarm from one of the (admittedly poorly positioned) motion sensors when we were out - my partners iPhone phone went off like a siren, which was good (though perhaps not so great if you were in a theatre or something, for example). My android phone was attached to the car (and I always have it on vibrate) and I didn't get any notification at all. Might be fixable in my phone settings. The sensor itself had just been propped up on a shelf, so I will put the false alarm down to poor installation rather than a fault with the product. Will report back if I get any more once properly installed. The door contact is really useful, I like that you can make the hub chime whenever someone opens it, even if the house is disarmed. The fobs could be better, they're far too big and don't attach to a regular keyring nicely. However, you don't really need it as you can just disarm with your phone before you even enter the house. We've given ours to trusted family members (grandparents etc) who appreciate the large buttons and ease of use. The outdoor siren, I must admit, doesn't sound as loud as the old one, but it's loud enough to draw attention, especially in the dead of night. Of course your phone will be the first thing to alert you. I love that we can disarm false alarms even when we're away, or if we need to disarm it for a visitor. Rejoice the fear of the house alarm going off all night while we're on holiday is no more. The build quality could be better, it's all cheap plastic but so long as it works that's the main thing. I bought this in the sale for what I thought was good value for money compared to other brands. It's worth waiting for a sale. I like that it's all wireless so we can take it with us when we go.

The quality of the kit is excellent, trying this after a long broken wired alarm that was 20 years old was like chalk and cheese, the ease of positioning everything is superb with the keypad and sensors, not being limited by the existing wires is much better. Setup is easy, it’s quickly apparent that we will need many more sensors and we’ll almost everything really, they are expensive kits and at over £300 for the started kit we would need to add another few hundred pounds and that’s not covering everything. The app is ok to use, it’s quite intuitive and easy to navigate, I didn’t like the constant ‘you can have these extra features if you pay us more money’ notices and vibes around it all, I thought the doorbell and security cameras were enough with the subscriptions as well as this. The sensors themselves look very sleek and they do look a lot better that the wired ones, the key fob is great and having control on the app to allow access at certain times and give people fobs which are identifiable and all the other bits is really good, feels a lot better than giving my daughter a full fob access. In a nutshell a very good quality kit which is as easy as anything to setup but you will need a lot more stuff, and it’s not cheap.

it’s interesting that almost every reviews is via the Amazon Vine programme - each have 4 or 5 starts. While the actual purchases are scored lower… This maybe another of those rare reviews, which is based on an actual purchase. I had an old wired system which I replaced with this (plus a few extra PIRs). My property is stone built, and from one side of the house to the other, the signal encounters 3, 2ft thick (once external) walls, plus a solid block internal wall… so let’s call it challenging for wireless! I must have the hub central, but it otherwise does a reasonable job reaching sensors at either end. While they show as “poor” signal, but still seem work. I’ve not tried any other smart alarm system. So jumping from wired to wireless and smart feels like a significant step forward. Delivery was quick, packaging was adequate and build quality is as you’d expect from a company as big as Yale. Setup was easy, enable Bluetooth and setup WiFi… each sensor has a QR code, which adds it to the system. The internal battery of the hub arrived drained and took most of the day to charge… the app shows the battery level, but that one visual seems very slow to update. I’ve only played with it for a few days but: To Know: The sensors goto sleep for a minute or two after being triggers, and may remain asleep until movement has stopped. This makes testing quite difficult, time consuming and feels rather hit and miss. Like: Ease of use and features. Settings to adjust volume (the hub has an internal siren, and tunes for acknowledgments). You can set the delays too. A sensor test is available for placement (with the above warning). There is an option to send a notification to set the alarm if you leave home and forget (geofencing). each sensor has its own sensitivity settings, tamper and customisable name and locations. I don’t know if this stuff is standard nowadays, but it’s nice to see. There are installation details and videos from within the app. Yale have a good range of sensors (eg not all systems have pre-open alarms) Can share system with other users, intended for second properties and renting/B&B, as well as family members. The app allows multiple systems/properties Remote usage is the obvious game changer for me. There is a log of actions, and if you setup names, it’s pretty helpful to see who does what/when. You can separate your sensors over up to 4 zones (areas) giving the usual 3 settings(arm/off/home) for each. Yale support is quick, responsive and helpful so far. Dislike: Guests do not receive all notifications (they only seem to goto “owners”). If you setup zone (areas) a guest can only use 1 or all. Fobs, (in general) why security alarms allow 1press disarming is beyond me. just keep your fob safer than what you’re protecting! There are odd limitations: Some settings can’t be changed while it’s armed (which makes some sense) but you don’t always get told that’s why it’s not permitted. Testing is difficult due to sensors sleeping Needs: More warning about loss of WIFi. I believe the system will continue to work, but unless you setup a secondary (assuming your phone is primary) method of deactivation, you may not want to go home until the internet is back. Setting up the Keypad felt very much optional. The keypad has a “quick set” option, which allows the alarm to be armed with 1 button. However, once set, the same 1 press, can change between the alarm modes (home/away) without needing a password. This feels wrong to me. I expected moving “secured” to be 1 press, but “less secure” to require a password …disarming DOES always require a password A schedule (automatic arm) would be nice to see. And because of sensor sleep, something to aid testing and placement. I’ve not lost my internet yet, so that’s to be tested - neither have I extended sensors outside… but generally, I think it’s a good investment for an “old-fashioned” intruder alarm system. adding cameras and door bells (which are supported but I don’t need) would improve the security profile, adding visitor notifications - rather than the “it’s too late, somebody is in your home” system. Sure Yale costs more than most, but I’m happy with the features and the fact that a subscription isn’t required (and features aren’t limited because I choose not to have one) scored highly for me. I considered X-Sense (no pre-open sensor), SimpliSafe (limited with no subscription) and a few others, but ended up with Yale (which I wasn’t my first option!) ….so, why only 2 stars. That is because I’m still talking to Yale support about PIRs and their placement. Currently I can walk past the PIR on the stairs, which isn’t what I expect. I will update this review when I’m happy I understand the cause or limitations. Update: I was recommended to ensure the PIRs at below 2.1m from floor. Which may be low for many homes. I decided to move my PIR away from the stairs, and It’s better, but I’m still uncertain! Not enough to return it, but enough to wonder about the security provided!

This starter kit is easy to set up following the instructions from the box. You have a key fob for easy enabling and disabling the alarm. The quality of each device looks really good as you would expect from Yale. You may also install an app on your phone to do that remotely away from home. The app is easy to use. It detects the hub and through the hub you can add more sensors than you will need. It gives you the current status of each sensor, so you will know exactly which one has gone off or been tempered. It also let's you know through phone notifications if the alarm went off and you can disable it remotely. You may also set up email notifications to have a log of event of the alarm. The app also allows you to do geofencing through your phone. You can also hook onto Alexa for easy operation. There are a lot of sought-after functions on this alarm. The only thing is this starter kit is pricey and it will only cover a studio bed as it is. You will probably need to spend double the amount of this starter kit to fully cover a three to four bedroom house.

If you're at all techie this thing is a breeze to set up. All wireless and it all synchs together very easily. There are videos that take you through every aspect if you get stuck. As an alarm system it's pretty basic to be honest but you can purchase and add bits to it to cover more of your home. "Starter system" is certainly true in the description. Install the hub, then the keypad and then the PIR motion sensor door sensor and you're basically done. Seriously from start to finish you can be done in about 30 minutes. It has a 4G backup in case your phone line goes down but it currently costs £5 a month, you might expect that cost to rise, who knows? There's no external siren, just alerts to your smartphone, which can be both a good and bad thing. Not a bad starter kit at all, but I do think it's trading off the Yale brand name a little and could be a little less expensive.

Ive recently moved into a new build that does have its own alarm system but its completely off grid and Im a huge fan of the samrt home area and like to be able to see whats going on in my house no matter where I am. So after A LOT of messing around working out how to disarm and remove my old system I got to work installing this. As Ive set up numerous smart products over the years I found this a breeze to do. In fact, it as probably one of the easiest installs Ive ever done and if you get stuck theres a fantastic video guiding you through the process on here! The app is clear and easy to follow and everything worked first time. Amazing! First the hub was installed, followed by the keypad. I then set about installing the motion sensor and contact sensor. (contact sensor on back door, motion on in front door hallway) I inevitably I now want to order all the other products YALE have and add more motion sensors too to protect all three entrances into my house and to secure the garage… Each motion sensor is £44.99 so this might turn into a rather expensive project. Id like to the see the additional bits and pieces a little cheaper. Ive now got it all linked to my amazon alexa too which I’m a big fan of and if my alarm sounds while away Ill know about it (unlike my old system which would just annoy my neighbours) Overall a fantastic product with a great app and well made, good looking products. You get what you pay for.

I have never set up an alarm system before, so I had to set aside some time to go through it carefully. There are lots of alarm systems out there, but the Yale name definitely counted for something here. I found the install process a bit fiddly, but manageable with some patience. The kit is well-packaged and looks good quality, however, this is just a basic starter kit. To cover your whole house, you’ll need more components, plus it doesn’t include the big yellow Yale alarm box to mount outside, which I think is essential for visible security. You’ll need a smartphone to download the Yale Home app, which lets you monitor the home and see real-time notifications. The motion sensor will trigger the alarm if it detects movement, and the door/window sensor will do the same if a door or window is opened. It can connect to Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Philips Hue, but I would have really liked to see it connect via Apple’s Home app. For full coverage, plus a visible deterrent, you’ll need more sensors and an external alarm box, adding a further couple hundred pounds to the total and at that point it starts looking rather expensive. Overall this is good quality, but the high cost and need for extra components are downsides. If you want full house coverage, be ready to do your research and spend more.

This 'starter' kit is a useful alarm for a small flat or small home, but having the starter kit implies that you can extend it - at additional costs - and that also could be extended to a subscription plan, outside alarm sounder box, more sensors, and detectors etc, but in the kit you have a single motion sensor, and a single motion alarm for a window or a door - OK if you have one method of entry in the house. The kit itself can be installed using a smartphone, and setup via WIFI or ethernet cable to the hub and connects all the smart home components in the kit, ie the door sensor and motion sensor - and that is all - it detects and alerts you by smartphone if there is an intruder, but without any 'alarm sounder' there is no way to alert neighbours etc, although this can be purchased but already it is a £350 piece of kit, and still have to buy more to be an effective 'traditional alarm' it seems a lot of money for essentially a basic indoor motion alert sent to your phone. This can be a good starter, or replacement IF you have the rest of the kit, but on its own, I find it lacking sadly. The good thing about it is that it is motion sensor and contacts are wireless, but that also means constant charging / keeping them charged etc.