Today’s home security systems are different from the clunky old burglar alarms many of us grew up with. While old-fashioned systems never did much more than sound alarms anytime you forgot to enter a code, today’s Internet-connected home security systems use security cameras, sensors, and motion detectors to monitor your home and alert you of possible problems. Alerts can come straight to your mobile device. With the right equipment, you can even see and talk to anyone at your front door—whether or not you’re at home.
Today’s Homeowner recommends Vivint home security systems, which provide you with a wide array of products and services to customize your home security system. Vivint also provides professional installation of all equipment and offers 24/7 professional monitoring of your security system.
Keep reading to find out what to look for in a home security system and what Vivint home security offers customers. Then give Vivint a call at 888.841.5276 for a free quote.
More Than a Burglar Alarm
If you live in a neighborhood where break-ins are rare, you might think there’s no reason to invest in a home security system. However, a modern security system does much more than sound an alarm if someone tries to enter your home. Today’s security system can protect your family from many dangers and provide peace of mind.
A well-designed home security and safety system can:
- Monitor your home for fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide
- Allow you to see who’s at your front door via an app on your smartphone
- Alert you if a door or window is opened when it shouldn’t
- Protect your home from water damage or frozen pipes by alerting you if it detects moisture levels rising in key spots
- Integrate with your smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home, and react to voice commands
- Send medical alerts when someone in your home wearing a medical pendant has an emergency
And yes, a home security system is also one of your best defenses against a break-in or burglary. More than one million burglaries are reported annually in the US. However, a study by the University of North Carolina found that 83% of burglars say they check for security systems when selecting a home to target, and 60% said they’ll pick another target if they know a house has an alarm. So, a security system may protect you by scaring off a crook without an alarm ever going off.
Shopping for a Security System
There are many companies that offer home security systems, from large national brands to local firms, so the market provides you with lots of options. The Better Business Bureau offers these tips for selecting a security company that you’ll be happy with:
- Choose a company with a good reputation. Check BBB ratings and online reviews to find out about previous customers’ experiences.
- Contact at least three companies for a quote.
- Determine your needs and ask each company for its price for a system that meets those needs. This way, you can compare prices on similar systems.
- Ask about the prices for installation and monthly monitoring.
- Find out the length of the contract and if you can cancel if you’re not satisfied.
Home Security for DIYers
As Internet-enabled devices have become more common, a vast array of innovative DIY security devices have entered the market, including smart locks, indoor cameras, and water sensors. You might save money with a DIY device or an entire system you install yourself, but keep these caveats in mind before you count your savings.
- You might have to design your system out of cameras and sensors from different manufacturers, which may include determining if different devices are compatible with each other.
- You’ll be in charge of getting the installation right. Security consultant Chris McGoey told Nationwide Insurance that improper installation results in a higher number of false alarms. In some jurisdictions, the police or fire department may charge you every time they respond to a false alarm at your home. Additionally, many owners start to ignore the system if produces a lot of false alarms, and a system that isn’t used can’t guard your home.
- You might have to self-monitor your DIY devices through alerts on your phone, with no professional backup monitoring. While that may not sound like a big deal, it could turn into one. What if you miss a fire alarm because you’re in a business meeting with your phone turned off?
Related: What are the Best Solar Powered Security Cameras?
What Vivint Offers
Vivint offers comprehensive solutions for home security. Depending upon your needs, Vivint can provide you with security features, including:
- Vivint Doorbell Camera—One of Vivint’s most popular products, this device allows you to see and talk to anyone at your front door, even if you’re not at home. It will also start to record if it detects movement around your door. If a package goes missing, you’ll have video of who took it.
- Vivint Ping Camera—The Ping two-way camera allows you to chat with members of your household from your mobile device and allows anyone at home to contact you quickly, simply by pushing a button. For many families, it’s an easy way for the kids to let you know when they’re home from school.
- Vivint Outdoor Camera—This wide-angle, HD camera allows you to monitor what’s going on outside your house. It features LED night vision, and when motion is detected, the camera starts recording video.
- Vivint Video Playback and Storage—You can store video from up to four cameras and keep it for 30 days on your Vivint Smart Drive, in case you need to go back and review events.
- Vivint Smoke Detector—This wireless, battery-operated unit sends out an alert as soon as it detects smoke. It even alerts you, via the Vivint Smart Hub™ panel, when its battery needs to be replaced.
- Vivint Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sensor—This unit can detect and alert you if deadly carbon monoxide is present in your home. Carbon monoxide, which sends 20,000 people to the emergency room every year, is odorless and colorless, so a CO detector is the best way to know if it’s present in your house.
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You’re in Control with a Home Security System
To control all your security devices, your Vivint home security system comes with the Vivint Smart Hub, a touchscreen that makes it easy to operate and monitor your security system. It serves as the dashboard for all the elements of your home security system. In addition to home security, the Vivint system also allows you to integrate smart home elements and home automation. You can control your lights, thermostats, garage door, and more, all from the same hub.
Recently, Vivint added the Nest Thermostat as a device that integrates with its comprehensive smart home suite. There’s even a panic button you can use to contact the Vivint monitoring team if you notice suspicious activity on one of the cameras.
A Vivint smart home can be voice-controlled through Google Assistant or through Amazon’s Alexa, and Vivint recently started providing customers with Google Home Mini devices as part of the standard equipment for the smart home system.
When you’re not at home, you can access your home system through the Vivint Smart Home mobile app, which is top-rated at the App Store and Google Play. The app allows you to set up custom alerts and notifications and arm your security systems when you’re not at home. You can also check live feed from the cameras and see who’s at your front door via your mobile device. If you have a connected smart thermostat, you can even adjust the heat or air conditioning setting to save energy while you’re gone and be comfortable when you get home.
Read more: Review of America’s First Choice Home Club.
Vivint Home Security Packages
Vivint offers a variety of packages that allow you to create a home security system and smart home that’s tailored to your needs. All packages include the Vivint Smart Hub, the Vivint Smart Home app (previously known as the Sky app), Vivint home security sensors and motion sensors, yard signs, and 24/7 monitoring provided by Vivint.
Vivint offers six packages that give you the option of home security, home automation, or both:
- Smart Entry—15 products, so you know who’s coming and going from your house
- Surveillance—16 products to help you monitor both inside and outside your home
- Safety & Security—16 products to protect your home and family, including smoke and CO detectors
- Smart Complete—22 safety and security products to make your home smart and safe
- Smart Energy—18 home automation products that help you save energy and money by automating features like lighting and thermostats
- Smart Control—22 home products that convert your house in a true smart home, from a doorbell camera to automation elements
To personalize the system, you can add features such as the Vivint Doorbell Camera, Vivint Element Thermostat, Kwikset Smart Locks, the Vivint Ping Camera, and Google Home. Upgrades include the Vivint Outdoor Camera and Vivint 24/7 continuous recording.
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Vivint Pricing
Vivint isn’t the cheapest alternative for home security systems and monitoring, but it offers the most technically advanced equipment in the industry. Homeowners buy and own the security equipment from Vivint, with a minimum required purchase of $549.99. The company offers a 0% financing option for 60 months, with approved credit. Financing requires a five-year service agreement, with a minimum monthly fee of $39.99. For full camera functionality, the monthly minimum is $49.99.*
If you pay for your equipment up front, you can sign up for a month-to-month service agreement and cancel at any time. However, without a Vivint service plan, some of the system’s functions are limited. For example, you won’t be able to connect remotely, and you won’t receive the 24/7 monitoring service from Vivint.
When you call 888.841.5276 and speak to a Vivint representative, be sure to ask about promotions, as the company sometimes offers promotions on popular products such as the Vivint Doorbell Camera.* Discounts on professional installation may also be available.
Comparing Home Security Systems
How does Vivint stack up against some of its well-known competitors?
| Vivint | ADT Pulse | SimpliSafe | |
| Free in-home consultation | Yes | Yes | No |
| Professional installation | Yes | Yes | No |
| 24/7 customer support | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hands-free voice control | Yes | No | No |
| Smart doorbell camera | Yes | No | No |
| 30-day video recording | Yes | No | No |
What Others Say About Vivint
You don’t have to look far to find praise for Vivint. For example:
- Fast Company listed Vivint as one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, ranking it in 22nd place on its list in 2017.
- The Vivint Smart Home System received the Editor’s Choice Award from PCMag.com.
- IoT Breakthrough named the Vivint Smart Home as the 2018 Connected Home Company of the Year.
- The Monitoring Association called Vivint Smart Home the 2017 Monitoring Center of the Year.
Vivint customers sing the company’s praises, too, with nearly 12,000 reviews on the company’s website. The reviews are verified by Trustpilot, which ensures only real customers post reviews. Over and over in consumer reviews, Vivint customers mention the great customer support, the knowledgeable professional installers, and how much they like their home security system.
Why We Recommend Vivint
Today’s Homeowner believes the best solutions are simple and elegant. As a leading smart home technology provider, Vivint offers simple but complete solutions, whether you want a safer home or to convert to a complete smart home system. The Vivint Smart Hub™ panel equips every home with a central information hub, and the ability to use voice commands makes the system even easier to use.
The option to access the system remotely through the Vivint Smart Home app provides busy homeowners the kind of control they need on the go. The app is also the highest rated among similar home apps, an indicator of the care and attention Vivint puts into consumer interfaces.
Vivint products are designed to work together seamlessly because the company controls its entire supply chain, including hardware, software, and service technicians. In addition to creating items that work together, the company has the ability to quickly respond when it finds a product that consumers want. The company was able to develop the popular Vivint Doorbell Camera and get it to market in just six months, for example.
Other Reasons to Choose Vivint Include:
- 24/7 customer support
- Wide range of products, so you can customize your system for your needs
- Professional installation of all hardware
- 0% financing on equipment
Whether you want a basic security package or to transform your house into a smart home, Vivint can help provide the right system for your needs. Call 888.841.5276 to hear the latest promotions and receive a free quote.
*Conditions apply. Click here for plan details. Plan Details: *Minimum $39.99/month services agreement required. Minimum $549.99 equipment purchase may be financed at 0% annual percentage rate (APR) for up to 60 months with no down payment (for example $9.17/month for 60 months for $549.99 of equipment financed). $49 to $199 installation fee applies. Subject to credit approval. Month-to-month service agreement available when equipment is purchased up front. Additional equipment may be purchased and financed. Financing options require monthly services agreement coterminous with applicable financing agreement (for example $39.99/month for 60 months = total services cost $2,399.40). Camera functionality starts at $49.99/month for services, with additional equipment purchase or financing required. System supports up to four cameras subject to sufficient wifi speeds. Without a Vivint services plan, product and system functionality is limited (including loss of remote connectivity). Speak to a Vivint representative at the phone number in this offer for complete equipment, services, and package details, including pricing. Offer not available in all states or provinces. Taxes and local permit fees may apply. New Vivint Customers only. Products and services in Louisiana provided by Vivint Louisiana Commercial Certificate #58280. See Vivint license numbers here. †According to App store Rating 1/11/2017 § https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/strategy-analytics-announces-the-top-10-smart-home-service-providers-in-the-us-300395620.html https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/connected-home/smart-home/reports/report-detail/the-top-10-us-smart-home-service-providers#.Wmj8diOZO8h ^ Average time in 2017 for a Vivint agent to give a price quote is 11.8 minutes. Setting up the account may add additional call time.
