Ring and Kidde’s Newest Smoke Detector Is Here, and It’s Battery Powered (2026)
Kidde became the best-known name in the world of smart smoke detectors – a relatively low bar considering few people know the brand of their smoke detector. Still, you’ll find Kidde recommended by reviewers and customers across the internet with surprising enthusiasm, which has only increased since the brand began collaborating with Ring and Amazon, making it an easy complement to Alexa-powered smart homes.
Until now, if you wanted a Kidde smart smoke detector that connected to your other devices, one that would send you alerts through the Ring app, you could only choose a wired model. Anyone who wanted something from Kidde that was battery-powered along the lines of the now-discontinued Google Nest Protect had to ignore the intelligence.
At CES in January, Kidde announced its first battery-powered smart smoke detector, again in collaboration with Ring. The Kidde Ring Smart Smoke + CO detector has been available for pre-order since the announcement, but starting today it is fully available for purchase.
Child
Ring Smart Smoke Detector, AA Battery Powered
How will it work
The Kidde’s Ring Smart Smoke + CO Detector uses two AA batteries (included in the box). It will come with a mounting bracket for installation, and you can choose to mount it wherever you want, thanks to the flexibility of the battery. Kidde recommends not installing smoke detectors within six feet of heating appliances, within four inches of a Type-A ceiling, or in areas like garages or near objects like lights, fans, vents, windows, and anything that could expose it directly to the elements.
Once installed, you can connect it to your Wi-Fi network and the Ring app. You won’t need any additional Ring technology (no hub is required, although you’ll find one in most Alexa speakers these days) to make it work with the Ring app. Ideally, you would already have an app and be a Ring user if you chose this smoke detector, but if not, be sure to get the app and set up your account.
Third party smoke
Amazon and Google have chosen to partner with brands instead of manufacturing their own smoke detectors in-house. Google is now partnering with First Alert for smart replacement of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors after the discontinuation of the Google Nest Protect, and Ring both has this partnership with Kidde and can also work with First Alert’s Z-Wave models.
This isn’t a surprising move by Google, which has decided to make less of its own hardware and put its intelligence into other brands’ products. Amazon generally likes to make its own massive line of hardware, so it’s worth noting that if Amazon doesn’t make this device itself, there’s a reason. Maintaining such a specific product line may be a bad investment, or perhaps because it’s already hard enough to do well, that the company would rather leverage someone else’s technology. Whatever the reason, maybe both, if you’re in the market for a new smart smoke detector, Kidde’s latest model is one to consider, especially if you have an Alexa household.
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