Adding to their lineup of DIY wireless home electronic systems, Nest has just announced their first security system aptly named, Nest Secure. It hosts a number of smart technologies, all packaged in the beautiful way Nest does it. So what can Nest Secure do?
Nest Secure Features
There are a few other companies out there that have entered this space already, most notably Simplisafe which started the whole thing. Ring announced their system a few months ago and now we have Nest Secure.
We’ll dive into some comparisons in a bit, but lets look at what the Nest Secure can do out of the box.
Nest Tag
The Nest Tag is a little dongle which uses proximity to arm and disarm the system without using a passcode. Great for kids.
Tags can be added and removed as needed from the system. If one gets lost it’s easy to remove from the system.
You can also schedule times for each tag, so if you have people coming into and out of the house (dog walker, cleaning lady) you can set their authorized access windows.
The App
The Nest Secure App is really nice and very powerful. It can remind you to set the alarm if you leave the house without doing so. It gives you alerts when you are away. If you have a Nest Cam you can use it within the app if you get motion alerts.
Nest Detect
One of my favorite parts of the system is the way the Nest Detect works. One unit does many things. It can be a door/window sensor. It can be a motion sensor. It can be a nightlight when you pass it.
The Nest folks were smart to add what they call the Quiet Open feature, which allows you to temporarily defeat a Detect without disarming the entire system. Good for letting the dog in/or out without turning off the rest of the Secure.
Nest Connect
Gotta big house? The Nest Connect will expand your wifi network so all your Detects will talk back to the Secure base station.
Whats Missing?
Not many accessories available right now. The only siren is on the Secure unit, which is presumably near your front door. No glass break or water sensors.
Pricing
The base unit starts at $499. That gives you 2 Detect Sensors and 2 Tags. That doesn’t really get you the complete picture. A typical 3 bedroom house will require at least 10 sensors, so now you’re sneaking into the $1000 range.
To put that into perspective, a similar system from Simplisafe will run just shy of $500. But you don’t get the app and some of the features of the Nest.
Monitoring
Remote 24/7 Monitoring will be available, although not at the time of writing.
