The Abode Smart Security Kit (starting at $229) finds the sweet spot between a basic self-monitored DIY security system and a professionally installed and monitored solution. It’s easy to install and can be paired with dozens of Z-Wave and Zigbee smart home devices including door locks, lights, and smart switches to provide whole-house coverage. It also supports Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, and IFTTT. Its door/window sensors are bulky, but that doesn’t prevent the Abode Home Security Starter Kit from earning our Editors’ Choice award for DIY home security systems.
Abode Smart Security Kit Features and Plans
The kit comes with a gateway hub, one door/window sensor, a key fob, and a motion detector. The black-and-white gateway measures 7.7 by 1.7 by 5.7 inches (HWD) and has a small LED status light on the front that is normally off but turns red when an alarm has been triggered and yellow when there’s a connectivity problem with the gateway itself or one of the sensors. Around back are a LAN port, a SIM card slot, a battery backup switch, and a power connector.
Inside is a rechargeable battery that provides up to 12 hours of power in the event of an outage. There are also RF, Zigbee, and Z-Wave radios, and a cellular radio to keep you connected to the gateway if you lose your internet connection. However, you must subscribe to the Abode Pro plan (explained below) to take advantage of this feature. Also inside is a 93dB siren that will sound when a sensor is triggered while the system is armed.
The door/window sensors are pre-paired at the factory, and at 1.2 by 3.2 by 0.8 inches, they’re significantly larger and bulkier than most; the sensors that come with the Vivint Smart Home system (1.0 by 2.7 by 0.4 inches) are half as thick. The motion sensor measures 3.5 by 2.6 by 2.0 inches and uses PIR (Passive Infrared) technology to offer up to 35 feet of motion detection range. It is powered by two AA batteries (included). Abode also sells a Wide Angle Motion Camera that captures up to three 640-by-480 photos when triggered. The camera has a 90-degree field of view and uses a flash to take color snapshots at night.
The key fob is also black and white, measures 2.0 by 1.3 by 0.4 inches, and contains an Arm Away button that activates all sensors, a Home button that activates all perimeter sensors and disables all interior sensors (allowing you to move about the house without triggering an alarm), and a Disarm button that puts the system in standby mode but keeps water and fire sensors active. Although Abode doesn’t offer a full-on control panel like the ones that you get with Cove, Frontpoint, and Vivint, it does offer a Keypad 2 ($99) that you can mount on a wall and use to arm and disarm the system without the need for your mobile device.
It’s worth noting Abode also offers the iota Security Kit starting at $329. The iota is an all-in-one system consisting of a base station hub that offers two-way audio and has a camera, siren, and motion sensor built-in. Like the Starter Kit, you can expand on it by adding components. By comparison, the Starter Kit gateway is essentially just a hub—you have to add components like cameras and motion sensors to it. Both systems work with the same components and are Editors’ Choice winners; which one works best for you depends on your needs.
Speaking of components, you can control dozens of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices with Abode including door locks and garage door openers, water and flood sensors, glass break sensors, light bulbs, and dimmer switches. Most add-on prices are reasonably priced, but in most cases are a bit more expensive than what you’ll pay for SimpliSafe components. For example, Abode charges $32 each for its door sensors compared with SimpliSafe’s cost of $14.99, and an Abode glass break sensor will cost you $50 compared with SimpliSafe’s $34.99. Other Abode components include a water leak sensor ($60), an outdoor siren ($99), the Abode Cam 2 indoor/outdoor camera ($34.99), and the more powerful Abode Outdoor Smart Camera ($259).
The Abode system supports the most popular voice command services including Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant, and it integrates with other smart home devices via Apple’s HomeKit platform and IFTTT applets. For example, you can create scenes in HomeKit to have the system work with other HomeKit devices and you can use an IFTTT applet to have the Abode system do things like turn on lights at a certain time, send an email when an alarm goes off, and/or trigger video recordings on a third-party camera such as the Arlo Pro 3.
Abode offers two subscription plan choices. The Standard Plan costs $60 per year and is designed for users who prefer to self-monitor their system. It offers push and email notifications, unlimited camera support, seven days of video history and timeline access, home automation capabilities, on-demand monitoring for three or seven days, and smart home integrations. The Pro Plan goes for $200 per year and gives you everything from the Standard plan, as well as 24/7 professional monitoring, 30 days of video history and time line access, cellular connectivity, homeowner’s insurance discounts, and premium support.
You can save some money if you order a plan when you buy the system. For $379.99, you get the Starter Kit and one year of the Standard Plan, and for $319 you get the kit and one year of the Pro Plan. You can also go with a plan-less option that lets you self-monitor, view live video, use smart home integrations, and receive push notifications. However, you won’t have access to recorded video or timeline video and you won’t be able to execute home automations.
Easy Installation and Monitoring
The Abode system can be controlled using an Android or iOS mobile device or from a PC using the web portal. You can use the mobile app to put the system in Home, Away, or Standby mode, view your event timeline and captured images, view live video from connected cameras, check device status, view pending alarms, and add users to the system via email. Here you can also add and edit emergency contacts and order On-Demand monitoring, but you’ll have to use the web portal to do things like add third-party devices, create custom automations, and manage notifications. Moreover, the web portal’s Dashboard screen offers a more comprehensive view of the entire system (cameras, devices, timeline, captured images, and settings) than the mobile app.
In the Notifications section, you can configure email and push notifications that tell you when the system has been armed and disarmed, when the system goes offline, when device battery levels are low, and when an automation has been triggered. The Automation screen is where you go to set up schedules for arming and disarming based on time of day or location (geofencing), and the Quick Actions screen lets you create one-touch actions such as “capture video from all cameras.”
The sensors and remote are paired at the factory, making installation fairly easy. I connected the gateway to my router using the included Ethernet cable, downloaded the app, and created an account. Once the account was created and I entered my address and phone number, I followed the in-app instructions.
First, I entered the gateway activation key (provided on the startup card) and was connected within seconds. I clicked Continue to set up my devices, starting with the door sensors. For sensor A, the app wanted to know if I was using it for a door or window and instructed me to pull out the clear plastic tab from the back of the sensor to activate it. I aligned the two components, named the sensor (Front Door), hit Continue, and it was immediately paired. I added the second sensor and moved on to the motion sensor/camera.
Using a small Philips head screwdriver I removed the back cover and inserted three CR123 batteries (included). I replaced the cover, mounted the camera using double-backed tape, and hit Snap a Photo to test it. After the test image appeared, I named the camera and proceeded to pair the Indoor Streaming Camera. This requires another open router port during the initial setup, but the camera can eventually connect via Wi-Fi or remain wired.
After connecting the Streaming Camera to my router using the included Ethernet cable, I chose it in the setup menu and entered the activation key that came with its setup card. I was instructed to press and hold the bottom half of the button on the side of the camera for 15 seconds, at which time it was recognized. I set it up over Wi-Fi and waited a few seconds for the app to scan for available networks. I chose mine, entered my password, and was connected within seconds. I unplugged the camera and moved it to its new location by the front door corridor, and was good to go.
The Abode performed as advertised. The system reacted immediately when the door/window sensors were opened and closed, and the internal siren is adequately loud, though not quite as piercing as some others we’ve heard. The motion sensor/camera was also responsive, but I found its 640-by-480 image quality to be a bit fuzzy. Image quality from the 720p Indoor Streaming Camera, on the other hand, was much better; it provided good daytime color quality and sharp black-and-white night video.
Push and email alerts arrived immediately when sensors were triggered and when the system went offline. I set up an IFTTT recipe to have an Arlo Pro camera begin recording when the front door was opened and it worked flawlessly. Alexa voice commands to arm and disarm the system also worked without a hitch.
The Best of Both Worlds
With the Abode Smart Security Kit, you get everything you need to start protecting your home for under $300. The system is easy to install and offers lots of reasonably priced add-on components. Abode’s flexible plans allow you to monitor the system yourself and pay for professional support only when you need it, or can go with a 24/7 monitoring plan. With support for Z-Wave and Zigbee wireless protocols, Abode can control dozens of sensors and home automation devices, has its own IFTTT channel, and works with more third-party devices than SimpliSafe. That all earns it our Editors’ Choice award for DIY home security systems.
