ADT Security System Review

Video Review of ADT

Want to see an ADT home security system in action? Our Home Security and security camera expert, Corey Birnstengel, showcases an ADT security system featuring the equipment we tested and how it works on a daily basis. We also demonstrate the features of the ADT app.

Components of the ADT Security System

ADT has an impressive catalog of products. But you don’t need one of everything. ADT offers this extensive range of devices so it can protect anything from luxurious mansions to tiny apartments. For our setup, these were the devices we chose:

• Base
• Keypad
• Door/window sensors
• Motion sensors
• Glass break sensors
• Keychain remotes
• Video doorbells
• Outdoor cameras
• Indoor cameras
• Smoke detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Water and temperature sensors

Base

The Base is the first device the ADT technician set up. It’s the brains of the operation, connecting to the rest of our ADT equipment. It looks like a futuristic router that blends in seamlessly with the decor, so we had no problem putting it on display on a coffee table.

The Base doesn’t have a screen, but there is a keypad for arming and disarming your system. The lack of a touch screen is disappointing, especially after reviewing Vivint’s innovative, touch screen Smart Hub. That said, we appreciate that the ADT base station has battery backup. The battery powers the device for up to 24 hours during outages. On top of that, it can use cellular signals as backup for its Wi-Fi connectivity. These features improve reliability, although it’s worth noting that they’re common to see in the best cellular security systems such as ADT.

Lastly, the base has a ring light that changes color based on the system status. It’s good for anyone looking for a security system for someone hard of hearing.

Door/Window Sensors

When the technician inspected our house, they recommended the best places for our three entry sensors. These devices monitor doors or windows opening and closing and should go on exterior doors and first-floor windows. Interior access doors to garages are also a good idea. For added security, the technician installed one on a second-floor window next to a climbable tree in our backyard.

Take note that we only tested the standard door/window sensors from ADT. There’s also a premium version that costs twice as much, but that one can also detect shock and vibration. If a burglar tries to force their way in – let’s say, by kicking down your door or breaking a glass window – the premium door/window sensors will detect it. We also see them being suitable for cabinets and drawers where you might store valuables like jewelry or firearms.

Keychain Remote

The keychain remote is one of the reasons we recommend ADT as the best home security system for seniors. Instead of arming and disarming the system with a smartphone app or touchscreen panel, you can use this device. It looks identical to a garage door opener. There is a button for arming the system and a separate one for disarming.

The keychain remote is also good for emergencies. It has a panic button that, when pressed within the base station’s range, calls ADT’s monitoring center for help. We haven’t had the chance to use the feature in a real emergency, but we think it could be useful for household members with medical conditions.

Expert Take

From Gene Petrino, Retired SWAT Commander and Law Enforcement

“Many people think that home security systems are only for break-ins. This simply is not the case. I remember one call where a woman had used her panic button after she let her estranged husband inside the house “to talk” and he instead attacked her. That panic button saved her life that day.”

Motion Detector

Motion detectors use passive infrared to detect moving subjects that emit body heat, like humans or pets. The ADT motion sensor has a 90-degree horizontal and 50-degree vertical field of view, which was more than enough for our living room.

If you have pets, you can adjust the sensitivity to make it pet-friendly, meaning, pets’ movements won’t trigger it. Set to the lowest sensitivity, it was able to ignore our 65-pound Labrador Retriever, but the technician told us it can ignore pets up to 85 pounds. Of the security systems we recommend to pet owners, ADT’s motion sensor is the most friendly to large pets.

Glass Break Sensors

ADT’s glass break sensor has a 25-foot range at maximum sensitivity, but if you’re like us and tend to be clumsy with glasses, you can adjust it with four sensitivity levels. Our ADT install technician placed the glass break sensor opposite our sliding glass doors leading to the patio as it works best facing the source.

Smoke Detector

We can assure you that the ADT WiFi smoke detector works. How do we know? Well, we accidentally burned some toast one morning and were serenaded by the blaring sounds of the alarm. The ADT monitoring team also got an alert and checked in with us to make sure everything was ok.

We’re glad we did this “test.” Because of it, we discovered that ADT smoke alarms are interconnected, meaning, if one goes off, all the others installed in your home go off too. That’s a small but potentially life-saving feature. No matter where the fire started, everyone in the house will be made aware.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

While we installed ADT’s carbon monoxide detector, we couldn’t safely test it. What we do know is that the device is tamper-proof. It also has an LED light to indicate the alarm condition. When it’s green, everything is functioning normally. A blinking amber light means the device requires maintenance. The light flashes red when it detects carbon monoxide. There is a hush button to silence the device for five minutes in case there’s a false alarm.

ADT Security Cameras

ADT has upgraded its security camera lineup with products from the Google Nest range. This includes the Nest Doorbell, which features on our list of the best video doorbells. Here are the security cameras on offer.

Google Nest Cam Options from ADT

The Google Nest security cameras are on our list of the best security cameras because of their impressive video quality (1080p HD with HDR) and their artificial intelligence. The AI allows the cameras to recognize faces, so whenever our sitter comes to our house, the Nest Cam assures us that it’s not a stranger. There are four models available to purchase from ADT:

• Nest Cam (battery): Easy to install inside and outside and has a 130-degree field of view. It’s battery-powered, so you don’t have to worry about plugging it in.
• Nest Cam (indoor, wired): It has a slightly wider field of vision than the battery-powered model, but it only works indoors and needs to be plugged in.
• Nest Cam with Floodlight: This outdoor camera has two protruding floodlights that you can control via the app, but the whole unit needs to be hardwired into a junction box.
• Nest Doorbell (battery): This doorbell camera features a 145-degree field of view and a 960 by 1280 resolution. Because it’s battery-powered, you don’t need existing doorbell wires.

>> Learn More: Nest Cam (battery) Review

ADT + Nest Cam – Additional Features

If you decide to go with one camera or the entire range of Google Nest camera products, similar to Vivint’s packages, you’ll only have one monitoring plan to choose from. Unfortunately, it’s the most expensive option.

However, we think you get your money’s worth. The Complete plan includes up to 30 days of cloud storage for all your Nest cameras. Normally this requires an $8 per month Nest Aware subscription. The plan also includes smart home automation like scheduling alarms or turning on lights when motion is detected. You even gain other smart features including AI detection, facial recognition, and sound detection.

The Complete plan also includes video verification. When an alarm occurs, ADT monitoring agents check your camera’s live feeds to confirm if you accidentally tripped the alarm or if they should send help. This verification typically speeds up police response times.

There’s one more feature – called Trusted Neighbor – that deserves its own section. That’s next.

What is Trusted Neighbor?

Trusted Neighbor uses Nest’s facial recognition technology to unlock smart locks and deactivate your security system. You can register and authorize regular guests like friends or family members, and when they approach your home, the system sends their phone a notification to gain access.

You can set time-based and event-based rules to decide when each ‘trusted neighbor’ is allowed entry. For example, we set ADT Plus to let our babysitter into the house between 4 and 5 P.M. to look after the kids. For event-based rules, you can set your system to only let people in when your smoke alarms detect fire – to let your pets out, for example.

Home Automation with ADT

ADT, with its integration with Google’s smart home ecosystem, easily made our list of the best smart home security systems. But how well does ADT’s home automation work? We’re here to tell you our experience.

First off, we were able to control ADT with our voices. We mainly used Google Assistant via the Nest Hub we tested previously, but you can also use Alexa-enabled devices. Simple commands like “arm my system” worked flawlessly, but since ADT’s base station also functions as a smart home hub, we were able to control other connected devices. For example, you can ask your voice AI to lock the door if you have a smart lock connected to ADT, or to set the temperature if you have a connected smart thermostat.

We should also point out that as a smart home hub, you can use ADT to create automated rules, similar to how IFTTT works. That means you don’t need an IFTTT-compatible system to make your lights turn on when the front door is opened. You can create these automations using the ADT+ app.

ADT’s automated rule recipes consist of three ingredients – a trigger, an action, and conditions. For example, we want all our lights to turn on when smoke is detected. That way, in case of fire, we could easily find our way out. To set that up, we set the smoke alarm as the trigger device, activating the automation when smoke is detected. Then, we simply selected all our Z-Wave smart lights as the action devices, setting them to turn on when the trigger occurs. We skipped the conditions for this one, but you can set exceptions like time of day (or days of the week), when the system is armed or disarmed, etc.

These automation rules put ADT in the same level as abode (see our abode review) and Vivint in terms of smart home capabilities. We recommend exploring the automation features and to come up with your own automations to make your home safer, more secure, and smarter.

ADT’s Monitoring Plans

That ends our discussion about ADT’s equipment. Now let’s move on to monitoring.

You can self-monitor your ADT system if you install the equipment yourself, but for those who will opt for professional installation like us, monitoring is required. And yes, there’s a monthly fee attached to it. Also note that monitoring plans for professionally installed ADT systems cost more than the plans for DIY systems.

>> Check Out: Best Unmonitored Home Security Systems

The top-tier option with video security offers the best value because it includes a Nest Aware subscription for the Nest Cams, which goes for $8 per month when bought directly from Google. Learn more about Nest Aware subscriptions here.

You can also add a Quality Service Plan (QSP) which is an extended warranty plan for your equipment starting at $7 per month. Just keep in mind that the cost of the QSP scales with the number and type of devices you have.

Truth be told, those prices aren’t the lowest in the industry. If you’re looking to save money, there are companies that offer monitoring for as low as $19.99 per month (looking at you, Cove! Read more in our Cove review.) You could even consider SimpliSafe if you want a security system with advanced monitoring features at a similar price.

That said, ADT’s pricing isn’t half bad. It actually falls around the industry average, and it could make sense to go with ADT despite it seeming expensive if you’re looking for premium professional monitoring and cellular backup. Besides, there are ADT deals all throughout the year to help you offset the cost.

Is ADT Monitoring Worth It?

There are plenty of reasons why we think ADT monitoring is worth it – but two stand out the most. First, when we tested ADT’s monitoring service by triggering the alarm several times throughout our testing phase, it gave us a response time of more or less 30 seconds each time. That’s the industry average, and although there are faster systems out there, we consider 30 seconds to be the sweet spot. It gives you enough time to cancel the response call if it’s a false alarm, but not too long that it gives burglars a chance to take your stuff and bolt.

Second, ADT has 12 fully-redundant monitoring centers. The significance of that is even if one facility fails to operate – for example, if there’s a natural calamity in its area – ADT’s monitoring will continue. These 12 facilities are spread out throughout the U.S. and Canada, and they are all linked together.

Our Installation Process with ADT

ADT no longer requires professional setup with the new ADT system, but it’s still available for an extra cost if you need a hand. However, you’ll need to call ADT to get a quote and finalize the purchase of your system.

Previous ADT Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have included free video doorbell installation, but we’ve never seen full-system installation available. That’s not to say you can’t get a good deal. Installation costs start at about $100, but we’ve successfully negotiated rates with ADT sales teams. So it doesn’t hurt to ask for free installation when you’re discussing system costs.

We can’t fault ADT’s professional installation service. The technician arrived on time, acted professionally, and completed the installation in about an hour. ADT told us in advance to set aside at least a two-hour window in case the technician runs late or the installation takes longer, but we didn’t expect the installation process to be that fast and efficient.

ADT Apps

You might have seen a few ADT apps on the App Store and Google Play. It’s ok, they’re all official. ADT Pulse and ADT Control are for customers who have been with the company for a while. But all new customers will download ADT+.

You can use ADT+ to set up, control, and monitor all your equipment. It can even help you add compatible third-party devices. We used ADT+ mostly during our testing of the ADT Self Setup system. The app guided us through how to install and configure each device. It also performed tests to make sure we did it right. Thankfully, we did.

ADT+’s greatest feature is how it’s incorporated Google Nest. You can use it as a substitute for the Nest App, so you’re not switching between screens to manage different devices. We could view Nest Cam footage and recordings, control our Nest smart home devices, and manage the security system including features like Trusted Neighbor.

ADT’s Customer Support

You can contact ADT 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat. Alternatively, you can search for an answer yourself in their knowledge center. This is sometimes the best option as we’ve had mixed experiences with the support team. During a live chat, someone sent a link to a page that had nothing to do with our question. But then another time we had amazing support while we were trying to set up a motion sensor. So we can’t say that ADT is one of the worst security systems in the market.