The Best Home Security Systems for Pet-Owners

1. ADT - Most Reputable Security System

Editors Rating:

9.8 /10

855-908-4461

View Packages

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $109
Monitoring Options	Professional only
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $49
Contract Lengths	36 months
Installation Options	Professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is ADT?

ADT requires professional installation on all systems and quite frankly, we often consider that as a drawback because of the $99 installation fee. However, professional installation actually works in favor of pet owners. When we had an ADT system installed, we informed the technician about the two-year-old Poodle we were watching, Tucker, so he adjusted the motion sensor’s sensitivity based on his size. Tucker weighed about 50 pounds, making him a pretty medium-sized Poodle (but no body-shaming here!). He also positioned the sensor so that it pointed slightly higher than normal to avoid picking up movements on the floor. We were informed that the sensor can ignore pets up to 2.5 feet tall and 85 pounds.

Beyond the pet-friendly motion sensor, ADT offers security and smart features that we think will work great for pet owners. They have environmental sensors that alert homeowners of hazards like fire and carbon monoxide. They also have smart home products that can help keep pets comfortable at home. We had a smart thermostat from ADT set up so we could keep our apartment cool during summer and a smart plug so we could turn on the TV while we’re away so Tucker wouldn’t get too lonely. We also liked having an indoor security camera from ADT, which we used to check on Tucker to make sure he hasn’t destroyed the couch (he had).

Why ADT Is The Most Secure

ADT is a highly reputable company with over 140 years of experience. That alone makes ADT a formidable home security option. So what was our experience like with ADT? Well, for $40 to $60 per month, they monitored our apartment 24/7 for burglary, fire, and medical emergencies. The system had cellular backup, so it maintained a connection with ADT’s monitoring centers even during power outages, landline or Internet failures. And speaking of monitoring centers, ADT has a total of 10 facilities in different locations across the country. That level of redundancy gave us peace of mind because we knew we’ll always have access to a dispatcher even if one of those centers went down. It was for those reasons that we chose ADT as the most trustworthy option for pet owners.

2. SimpliSafe - Best Pet

Editors Rating:

9.2 /10

800-544-5942

View Packages

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $250
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $20
Contract Lengths	Single month only
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is SimpliSafe?

All SimpliSafe packages come with at least one pet-friendly motion sensor, meaning pets up to a certain size and weight won’t set off the sensor. By default, SimpliSafe’s motion sensor ignores pets that are up to 25 pounds, but if you have cats or a larger pet like Tucker, SimpliSafe offers some recommendations. For cat owners, they recommend mounting the sensor on a wall rather than on a shelf and away from furniture that your acrobatic feline friends might climb. For owners of dogs weighing more than 25 pounds like Tucker, the trick is to flip the sensor upside down and mount it four to five feet off the ground to avoid false notifications.

There are other features as well that make SimpliSafe a good security system for pet owners. For example, if used with a SimpliCam indoor camera, SimpliSafe’s monitoring center could use the camera’s feed to verify alerts.1 This might come in handy in the event of a residential fire. Not only does video verification help speed up emergency response, but it can also help emergency responders find anyone who might be trapped inside, including pets.

Why SimpliSafe Is The Best Pet-Friendly System for Renters

For apartment renters such as ourselves, finding a reliable security system can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are alarm companies like SimpliSafe that cater to renters specifically, with wireless components and monthly contracts. We particularly liked that the majority of SimpliSafe’s components were wireless, so we wouldn’t lose our security deposit after installation. Most of the sensors had peel-and-stick adhesive backings that were easy to install and remove if needed. Another great thing about SimpliSafe was that it didn’t require us to sign a long-term contract. Their monthly contracting allowed us to cancel our monitoring subscription if we wanted without paying an early termination fee. Plus, the DIY installation also made the system easy to move as there are no moving fees whatsoever; since we live in New York, we move way more than we would like, so this was a godsend. We could simply box up the system and take it with us to our new address, which is hopefully a slight improvement over the last one.

3. Vivint - Best Smart Home Security System for Pet Owners

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

844-922-0575

View Packages

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $600
Monitoring Options	Professional only
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $40
Contract Lengths	42-60 months
Installation Options	Professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is Vivint?

Vivint’s motion sensor is one of the niftiest we’ve ever tested for this review. It wasn’t completely pet-immune at first, but the two switches on the back of the sensor— labeled Pet-Immunity and Sensitivity— allowed for some fine-tuning. The Pet-Immunity switch determined the size of the pet it would ignore, either large or small, while the Sensitivity switch adjusted the sensor sensitivity between high and low. Since Tucker classifies as a medium-sized dog, we set the Pet-Immunity to large and the Sensitivity to high. In that configuration, the sensor ignored our pet but still detected movements caused by humans.

Vivint also led our list when it came to technology. We found plenty of uses for the system’s smart components and features, but for pet owners like us specifically, remote access was the most useful. Using the highly-rated Vivint mobile app, we were able to remotely unlock our front door for our pet sitter, monitor her comings and goings while we were on an extended trip, and adjust the indoor temperature from anywhere. We also enjoyed using the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro a to see and talk to our fur buddy while he played in our little backyard, while the Vivint Doorbell Camera proved as a useful tool for leaving instructions to our pet sitter.

Why Vivint Is The Best Security System With Smart Home Features

When we talk about security systems with smart home features, Vivint is always one of the first systems that come to mind. That’s because they make smart components that other systems simply cannot match. For instance, the Vivint Smart Hub gave us a one-stop control center for our entire system. From its touchscreen interface, we could arm and disarm our security system, adjust our Vivint Element thermostat, control our smart lights, and view live security camera feeds. It also paired well with our two favorite voice assistants, Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing us to command the system and connected devices with our voices. That made it easy to turn off the lights and turn down the air conditioning when it was time to sleep, but we didn’t want to stop cuddling with Tucker, a very common occurrence.

4. Cove - Best DIY Security System for Pet Owners

Editors Rating:

8.7 /10

View Packages

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $87
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $50
Contract Lengths	Single month only
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is Cove?

We know that some pets, especially dogs, dislike strangers entering their abode, even if those strangers turn out to be the good guys setting up a security system to keep the bad guys out. With Cove, the entire setup process was DIY, so there were no home visits or consultations and in-home professional installation. We bought our Cove system online, and a couple of days later, it was delivered to our doorstep. Sure, Tucker barked like crazy at the delivery guy, but what’s a few seconds compared to a couple hours of professional installation?

In addition to the motion sensor, which can ignore pets up to 55 pounds, we bought a smoke and CO detector from Cove and placed it near Tucker’s crate. The sensor ensured that he stayed safe from fire and deadly gas, and that he’ll get the help he needs in case of fire or gas leakage, even if we weren’t home. The free indoor camera that came with the Cove package was a nice touch, as well. It helped us check on Tucker while we were at work, and even speak to him through two-way audio.

Why Cove Is The Best DIY System

We installed the system ourselves in under 30 minutes, but we ran into trouble when the motion sensor started going off because of Tucker. That’s when we contacted support (they were extremely helpful!) and found out that the motion sensor actually had two pet-immunity settings. The default setting is sensitive to pets up to 33 pounds only. That’s why Tucker, being the big guy that he is, tripped the alarm. The support staff instructed us on how to increase the pet sensitivity to 55 pounds, which involved opening up the back of the sensor and toggling a switch. After we did that, everything went smoothly.

Our experience installing Cove just shows why it’s the best DIY system for pet owners. The setup is a breeze, and if you ever need any help, Cove is just a call away. Additionally, the only costs we had to pay were the equipment fee and monitoring fee. Since installation was DIY, there were no installation fees, which means we had $100 (the usual cost of professional installation) more to spend on pet food.

5. Frontpoint - Best Security System with Environmental Monitoring

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

844-933-2405

View Packages

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $99
Monitoring Options	Professional only
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $18
Contract Lengths	1-36 months
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is Frontpoint?

Frontpoint’s motion sensors are immune to pets up to 40 pounds, which means most small and medium-sized dog breeds likely won’t run into much trouble with the sensor. However, that’s not to say that there will be no pet-related false alarms at all. Much like SimpliSafe, Frontpoint recommends placing motion sensors away from shelves and on any furniture that cats may climb. And for large dog owners, Frontpoint suggests limiting the use of motion sensors to places not frequented by pets, so their system may not be the best option if your pup is a bigger boy or girl.

Although the pet-immunity of Frontpoint’s motion sensor wasn’t anything extraordinary, we found other useful features for pet owners, particularly with the Ultimate Plan. For about $50 per month, the Ultimate Plan included video monitoring features, which we used to check on our Tucker while we were away. And thanks to the cloud storage included in the plan, we were able to share his funny antics, like harassing the mailman, to our friends right from the Frontpoint app. The Ultimate Plan also included smart home features, which allowed us to remotely open our door to our sitter using Frontpoint’s Yale-branded Z-Wave smart lock and turn on our Z-Wave LED lights for our pup whenever we were staying out late. He doesn’t love the dark, and who can blame him?

Why Frontpoint Is The Best System With Environmental Monitoring

Besides the fact that Frontpoint offers components that cover all bases when it comes to environmental monitoring— smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, flood, and temperature— Frontpoint also professionally monitored all our environmental sensors without any added charge. In contrast, we’ve seen other companies charge a small additional monthly fee for features like fire and carbon monoxide monitoring. On top of that, the Frontpoint Hub, the device that connects the system to the monitoring center, has a tamper sensor. It will alert Frontpoint in case of physical damage to the device, so Frontpoint can still send help even if, let’s say, the Hub was engulfed in flames. Every second counts during a fire, especially if you have pets left at home, and it is in that situation that Frontpoint’s environmental monitoring and tamper-resistant Hub really shine.

6. Ring Alarm Security Kit - Best Security System for On

Editors Rating:

7.7 /10

View on Amazon

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $199
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $20
Contract Lengths	1-12 months
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

How Pet-Friendly Is The Ring Alarm?

The motion sensor that came with our Ring Alarm system was pet-friendly to some degree. By default, it was super sensitive to all kinds of movement, but Ring’s mobile app provided us a way to reduce the sensor’s sensitivity. At the medium setting, it ignored pets less than 30 pounds. At the lowest setting, it was immune to pets up to 50 pounds. However, it wasn’t immune to larger pets, so Ring recommends limiting the use of the sensor to areas where there aren’t a lot of pet movement, a bit of a disappointment for owners of bigger animals.

Part of what made the Ring Alarm a good security system for pet owners was Ring’s strong security camera offering. Ring has an affordable indoor camera and a bevy of outdoor and doorbell cameras. We particularly liked the Ring Indoor Cam and Ring Stick Up Cam Battery outdoor camera. The indoor camera gave us an inexpensive way to monitor our pet’s behavior remotely to make sure he’s not feeling too lonely, while the outdoor camera let us watch our Tucker play outside— with the sitter, of course. Another aspect we liked about Ring was the affordability of the professional monitoring plan. For only $10 a month, or $100 per year if you want to save, we got unlimited cloud storage for all our Ring cameras. For $20 a month or $200 a year, we got cloud storage for cameras and professional monitoring for our Ring Alarm. Many traditional alarm companies charge at least $30 per month for monitoring alone and up to $60 per month to include mobile app access and cloud recording, so this was quite the steal.

Why Ring Alarm Is The Security System for Pet Owners With The Best Mobile App

A huge part of the Ring Alarm experience hinged on the Ring— Always Home app. The app was responsible for controlling the system, receiving alerts, and streaming live videos. Fortunately, we found it very reliable. True to its name, the app made us feel like we were always at home, even if we were actually miles away. All in all, the user-friendly interface gave us quick and easy access to our security system, security cameras, video doorbells, and video recordings right from our pocket. All these are valuable features for on-the-go pet owners.