There are a lot of inexpensive smoke alarms out there of varying degrees of reliability, so why not get a little added peace of mind by choosing one from a well-established company? The First Alert SA300CN smoke alarm offers basic battery-powered smoke alarm features, as well as the reliability -- and 5-year warranty -- that the nearly 50-year-old company brings to the table.

This alarm uses ionization technology (rather than photoelectric), which means it's more sensitive to small particles produced by flaming fires -- as opposed to the smoldering fires more easily picked up by photoelectric models. Because of that, ionization units are more likely to go off when you don't necessarily want them to, like when you burn something in the kitchen.

The unit includes a missing-battery guard, which won't close until there's a battery inside, as well as a 9-volt battery. The First Alert SA300CN Smoke Alarm is a Budget Buy for its low price and no-nonsense operation.


Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: Basic as it gets

Warranty
5 years, limited