Best Carbon Monoxide Detectors in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 5, 2024
Often called as the "silent killer", carbon monoxide is an extremely dangerous gas that you can't actually see or even smell. With ...Read more
PROS

The device incorporates a wireless synchronisation feature that you can use to link it with other fire and CO alarms located in your house (a wireless XW100 module is required). Once linked, if one of the sensors detects harmful CO levels in the air, all alarms will go off.

CONS

The detector's setup process is somewhat complex.

OUR VERDICT

The XC100 from Honeywell features a sealed housing with an IP44 protection rating so it can be mounted pretty much anywhere, from your basement to a camper van. The loud alarm, on the other hand, can be heard from several hundred metres away when it goes off, which is a good aspect in terms of safety.

detailed parameters
Sensitivity

30 ppm

Alarm signals

Audible alarm, Visual indicators

Response time

50 ppm: Alarm between 60 and 90 minutes

100 ppm: Alarm between 10 and 40 minutes

300 ppm: Alarm within 3 minutes

Alarm sound level

>90 dB at 1 m

Placement

Free-standing, wall, or ceiling mounting (mounting hardware included)

Convenience

Alarm memory and event logger, IP44 housing, Self-test every 60 minutes, Optional pre-alarm, Low battery alert

Power source

Sealed-in lithium battery (10-year source)

Warranty

10 years

PROS

The appliance can operate from a single 9-volt battery (comes together with the alarm), which is more than enough to power the CO detector for up to 2 years of active use. Likewise, the battery can be easily replaced thanks to the front-loading mechanism.

CONS

Can only be mounted on a wall or ceiling.

OUR VERDICT

The addition of a smoke detector to an already great carbon monoxide alarm makes this particular model from Kidde a great 2-in-1 piece that every household should have. To add more, the alarm sound is fairly loud, making it good for indoor use even if your house is quite big.

detailed parameters
Sensitivity

30 ppm

Alarm signals

Audible alarm, Visual indicators, Voice messages

Response time

50 ppm: Alarm between 60 and 90 minutes

100 ppm: Alarm between 10 and 40 minutes

300 ppm: Alarm within 3 minutes

Alarm sound level

>85 dB at 1 m

Placement

Wall or ceiling mounting (mounting hardware included)

Convenience

Test button, "Hush" button, Low battery alert

Power source

9V battery (included)

Warranty

10 years

PROS

The installation process of the CO alarm won't take too much time since the kit is supplied with all mounting hardware that you may need. Moreover, the user interface is straightforward enough even for users that are not particularly tech-savvy since it has only two indicators.

CONS

The supplied batteries don't last very long.

OUR VERDICT

This affordable and easy-to-use model from Kidde is a great basic CO alarm for your house that can be utilised in the same room with boilers, gas stoves, clothes dryers, water and air heaters. On top of that, its sleek design and small dimensions make it easy to install in any room.

detailed parameters
Sensitivity

30 ppm

Alarm signals

Audible alarm, Visual indicators

Response time

50 ppm: Alarm between 60 and 90 minutes

100 ppm: Alarm between 10 and 40 minutes

300 ppm: Alarm within 3 minutes

Alarm sound level

>85 dB at 1 m

Placement

Wall or ceiling mounting (mounting hardware included)

Convenience

Test button, Low battery alert

Power source

3 x AA batteries (included)

Warranty

10 years

PROS

The silence (Hush) button enables turning off the alarm signal when the CO levels are less than 200 ppm. Owing to this, this device is ideal for use in kitchens or close to fire sources such as grills and fireplaces with chimneys.

CONS

Switching between the display modes is accompanied by a rather loud beeping.

OUR VERDICT

A highly functional and portable CO detector from Fireangel features a big LCD screen that can show not only the CO levels inside the room but also the ambient temperature. What is more, the device has a handy memory unit that makes it easy to detect potential gas leaks in your house.

detailed parameters
Sensitivity

30 ppm

Alarm signals

Audible alarm, Visual indicators

Response time

50 ppm: Alarm between 60 and 90 minutes

100 ppm: Alarm between 10 and 40 minutes

300 ppm: Alarm within 3 minutes

Alarm sound level

>85 dB at 1 m

Placement

Free-standing, wall, or ceiling mounting (mounting hardware included)

Convenience

LCD-screen, 4 week memory function, Built-in room temperature indicator, Test button, Silence button, Low battery alert

Power source

Sealed-in lithium battery (7-year source)

Warranty

7 years

PROS

The latched battery compartment negates the risks of faulty operation of the device in the long run. Likewise, the digital screen has a battery charge indicator that will show you when it's time to replace the batteries.

CONS

The displayed temperature can be a bit inaccurate.

OUR VERDICT

This battery-powered CO alarm from Mercury will be a great pick for users that want to improve the existing alarm system of their house. Reliable and easy to use, it truly is a bargain at twice the price, especially if you value personal safety as much as you should.

detailed parameters
Sensitivity

30 ppm

Alarm signals

Audible alarm, Visual indicators

Response time

50 ppm: Alarm between 60 and 90 minutes

100 ppm: Alarm between 10 and 40 minutes

300 ppm: Alarm within 3 minutes

Alarm sound level

>85 dB at 1 m

Placement

Free-standing or wall mounting (mounting hardware included)

Convenience

LCD-screen, 24-hour memory function, Built-in room temperature indicator, Test button, Low battery alert

Power source

3 x AA batteries (included)

Warranty

7 years

An Essential CO Alarm Device

Honeywell is one of the main manufacturers of detector devices and surely knows a thing or two about how to make high-quality products. But putting the company’s history aside, let’s take a quick glance at what we have at hand.

The Honeywell XC100 is a small, lightweight alarm that features multiple high-sensitivity carbon monoxide detectors. However, their sensitivity is not the only thing that makes this model worthy of your attention.

Since the battery is sealed, there is no way to replace it once the original one runs out of charge. However, considering the total service lifespan of a single battery that nearly reaches 10 years straight, it doesn’t seem like that huge of an issue.

Unlike older Honeywell detector models, the XC100 shows alarm messages if the high concentration of carbon monoxide has been detected.

As far as the installation is concerned, the device can be mounted on the wall or ceiling, thanks to the special screw holes located on the back of the detector.

For your convenience, the package includes all required mounting hardware so you don’t need to purchase additional screws. Alternatively, if you don’t want to bother with drilling the holes, the unit can be utilised as a free-standing model and can be put on any flat surface.

Wrapping things up, if you are looking for a reliable CO alarm, this model from Honeywell is by far one of the best carbon monoxide detector models in the budget-friendly price range available on the market today.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £35.90
Stock In stock
ASIN B00OTTRK92

Alarm Louder Than Any Other

The Kidde 10SCO is effective and reliable.

On top of the regular visual indicators, the unit features an audible alarm system that will notify you and others in your house about potential threats. And with a beeping sound that reaches the noise level of 85 dB, the 10SCO certainly can be called a rather loud alarm system. So, you will definitely hear the alarm going off even if you are 20-30 metres away from the unit.

That said, it is important to properly install the unit according to the user manual to avoid false alarms that can occur fairly often when the appliance is mounted too close or adjacent to potential smoke or carbon monoxide sources.

The 30 ppm sensitivity of the detector makes it quite reliable in terms of critical response time. As for the concentration of the gas and their respective audio cues, the appliance will go off at 50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 300 pm, with alarm response times of 60-90, 10-40, and 3 minutes respectively.

Like other similar devices, the Kidde 10SCO features a Hush button that allows you to turn off the alarm when it has gone off accidentally. This will be helpful in case you plan on installing the smoke detector in your kitchen since, more often than not, some smoke occurs if you cook on a regular basis.

All in all, the Kidde 10SCO will be a good pick for users looking for a universal smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Fairly well-built, it will prove to be a real lifesaver in what concerns detecting harmful CO buildups in your kitchen or other places in your house.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £19.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B00M1Q70K4

Reliable and Affordable CO Alarm

Although carbon monoxide is not toxic, its reaction with haemoglobin surely is. Hence, if you have a gas stove, oven, electric dryers, boilers, or other potential smoke and carbon sources in your house, having a good gas detector is a must.

Fortunately, the Kidde 7COC covers all British gas requirements for household CO detectors while not being overpriced at the same time. The device doesn’t have too many buttons, which makes it fairly user-friendly.

If the minimalistic design of this particular model doesn’t fancy you, the 7COC is optionally available with an additional digital display.

As for more quality-of-life improvements, the device features an additional end-of-life battery sensor that will notify you when the battery is running low on charge. That said, the included 9V battery isn’t exactly a long-lasting one, so if you need one that will last you for at least a year, we recommend purchasing one separately.

On the bright side, however, once the unit is properly mounted and turned on, it will detect any abrupt spikes of CO concentration in the air and notify you about them with a loud (85 dB) alarm noise. What makes it great, though, is that once you turn the sensor on, it doesn’t need further adjustments from your end.

Reliable and affordable are, perhaps, the main aspects that make 7COC a must-have pick in case you are looking for a budget-friendly carbon monoxide detector.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £23.25
Stock In stock
ASIN B00AFRV1OC

A Portable CO Alarm from Fireangel

When it comes to picking CO detectors, the best devices are the ones that work no matter what. So, if you want to purchase a CO sensor that can operate for several years without the need to replace the batteries, the Fireangel CO-9D is exactly the model you need.

The CO-9D is capable of distinguishing even the least harmful doses of carbon monoxide in your house, which is no small feat for a household CO detector. Furthermore, the built-in memory unit will come in handy if you need to determine the main sources of carbon monoxide in your house as it allows you to see at which times the gas concentration is the highest.

Apart from that, the memory function allows recording the data gathered from CO sensors for up to 4 weeks straight, enabling you to see how the situation changes throughout the whole month.

Moving on, the device also features a digital thermometer that will conveniently show the current temperature inside the room. Likewise, the appliance is small and highly portable, which allows utilising it in multiple rooms. Since CO is lighter than CO², this feature will prove to be quite useful in terms of determining potential gas leaks.

In the end, the CO-9D proved to be a highly sophisticated carbon monoxide alarm system for use in both residential and commercial areas that can also act as a portable detector.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £42.98
Stock In stock
ASIN B00441S9GS

Not Just a Simple Gas Detector

Mercury 350.135 CO detector is a seemingly simple device that hides more than your regular gas alarm underneath its plastic housing.

First things first, the appliance features a high-contrast digital display that can show the CO concentration in the air, battery charge, as well as the current temperature in the room. Additionally, according to British gas regulations, the alarm will go off in just 3 to 10 minutes after detecting dangerously high concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air.

While carbon monoxide is odourless and obviously invisible, the Mercury 350.135 will not put you or your family members in danger by warning you about the harmful CO levels in no time with its loud alarm system.

While the alarm system is certainly loud, the three LED lights located on the front panel will give you more information about the type of danger. The main green light indicates that the power is on, while the yellow and red ones are meant to indicate false and real alarms respectively. Thus, if the device glows red, you will know it is time to leave the premises immediately.

Designed for household use, this wall-mounted device will be an excellent pick for the role of a primary CO detector in your house. For added convenience, the kit is supplied with all required mounting hardware so you won’t have to worry about installation too much.

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B00ON5LYJY

What Is a Carbon Monoxide Detector?

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, tasteless, and invisible gas that is extremely toxic to humans if endeavoured in high concentration. The danger of this gas is that you never can say whether you're already exposed to it or not and what CO levels are in your house unless you use a special detecting device. So if you worry about the safety of your family and want to provide them with safe sleep, as well as reinforce your home security system, you won't do without a carbon monoxide detector, a device designed to monitor CO concentration in your home.

Most carbon monoxide detectors come with a CO sensor as well as alarm and controlling components. While some of the models only signal users about dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, many devices can actually show you the numbers so you can see how bad the situation is.

Carbon monoxide detecting devices may require a different power source. Depending on where you plan to mount it, you can choose an electrical device that plugs directly into an outlet or a battery-powered one that can be attached anywhere you wish, independently of the electricity source. In these detectors reviews, you'll find both types of devices so it should be easy for you to choose the most suitable one.

If you've only started to set up your own home security system, we can recommend you to take a look at our reviews of smoke detectors and security cameras as well.

Sources:

1. Neil B Hampson Should the Placement of Carbon Monoxide (Co) Detectors Be Influenced by Co's Weight Relative to Air? The Journal of Emergency Medicine, April 2012.

2. 3 Ways to Detect Carbon Monoxide, wikiHow.

3. Angela Black How Carbon Monoxide Detectors Work? HowStuffWorks.

4. Health Effects: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Exposure and Risk, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 10, 2017.

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