Brinks Home Security review

Ever since Perry Brink founded an armoured transportation company in 1859, this brand has been synonymous with security around the world. Brinks Home Security is a relatively recent development, launching as a monitored home security service in 2018. Despite the name, Brinks Home Security takes care of commercial property too with plenty of small to medium sized business customers on its books. 

• Interested in Brinks Home Security? Check out the website here

Brinks Home Security offers a range of packages to secure properties large and small using wireless sensors and cameras that connect to a smart hub which sends notifications to a companion app on your smartphone. You can install the system yourself and even monitor it yourself. Alternatively you can pay Brinks for a professional installation and 24/7 professional monitoring by Brinks security specialists. With this choice of a DIY or a pro install and no obligation to take out a subscription, it is one of the more flexible options with a very broad range of prices. 

Plans and pricing

The entry-level plan is the Smart Security Essential package costing $199. That gets you a wireless pet immune motion sensor, two door sensors and an IQ panel 2 touchscreen interface. That’s one of the lowest costs for any security system, but you will also need to take out a subscription to pay for the monitoring service. It costs $40 per month, which is higher than most monitoring services, but does include storage in the cloud for the video from your security cameras.

The top level package, called the Smart Security Ultimate costs $699 for the hardware and $49 per month for monitoring. It includes more smart security devices like a video doorbell and a higher tier of monitoring. You’ll need to sign a three-year contract to get going with any of the Brinks Home Security packages and you have 30 days from installation to change your mind and receive a full refund.

Features

Brinks Home Security packages use various smart sensors, cameras and wall panels to effectively protect your premises. The entry-level package called the Smart Security Essential includes all you need to guard a small property. That is one motion sensor, two door sensors and a Brinks Home Touch Panel. The touchscreen panel is the most sophisticated of those devices. It’s an IQ 2.0 panel that communicates wirelessly with the sensors, controlling them and sounding an integrated 85-decibel alarm when they’re triggered. It also contains a cellular chip and battery that allows it to continue protecting your property in the event of your power and wi-fi network going down. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to arm and disarm the system or view any security cameras you have associated with it.

The top-level Smart Security Ultimate package adds extra door sensors, a motion detector, outdoor camera and a doorbell camera. You can add more sensors and home automation to suit your needs. The Brinks hub is capable of supporting up to 119 security and smart home devices. There are smoke and CO2 detectors for example, an indoor camera and a glass break sensor. It is widely compatible with other popular smart home devices too, so you can connect your Nest Thermostat and Philips Hue lightbulbs and control everything by speaking commands to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. 

You can also use your smartphone to activate your system or respond to an alarm. The app is actually made by alarm.com rather than Brinks, but it works well and is positively reviewed on the Apple and Android app stores.

Support 

Brinks monitoring plans start at $29/mo. for ‘Brinks Home Complete’ and increase to $39/mo. if you spring for the video surveillance package. These prices are fairly standard. Brinks has an agreement with Moni and Livewatch for professional monitoring. Customers enjoy around-the-clock monitoring by true professionals. If a break-in or security breach occurs, the monitoring center will jump into action to protect your property and keep your family safe. Brinks monitoring is more affordable than ADT, though ADT offers more packages and options.

The competition

Brinks is the oldest name in the security business, and Brinks Home Security as it trades today is also one of the biggest with over a million customers. However it does not have the global reach, or as many US customers as ADT. Guardian Protection is also a bigger player than Brinks. Joining these traditional monitored security companies relatively recently is Vivint, which has around 1.5 million customers in the US and Canada. Like Brinks Home Security, these alternatives offer high-tech devices for your home or business which are watched around the clock at monitoring centers based in the US. The difference is that all three insist on installing the hardware themselves, which makes them more expensive than Brinks.

ADT uses higher quality equipment, some of which is wired and therefore a little more difficult to install. Vivint uses the most sophisticated equipment with Z-wave technology built in that links very well with many other home automation devices. This pushes it’s prices above those of Brinks. They all offer a similar service in terms of monitoring. The monthly subscription fee for Brinks, which gives you 24/7 monitoring costs a little more than those of ADT, Vivint and Guardian Protection, so the overall prices are quite close.

There are also a number of security alarm companies that supply the equipment but do not insist on professional installation or a monthly subscription for monitoring and unsurprisingly these companies work out a lot cheaper. SimpliSafe sells an all-in-box package that gives you all of the smart security devices you need to secure a home or small business with simple DIY instructions. The advantage is that you set these up where you like and move them when you move. The equipment is cellular, so there are no wires and you will receive all notifications and live video footage via the SimpliSafe app. You can pay a monthly fee for professional 24/7 monitoring in certain territories, but you can save money here too by just monitoring it yourself. Companies such like Frontpoint and Abode offer similar smart security devices for protecting a home or business.

Final verdict

Brinks Home Security offers a variety of high-tech packages that provide robust and reliable protection for your home or business premises. With its security equipment being wireless and cellular, you don’t have to worry about wires being cut or power going down. A Brinks system will continue working no matter what sensors, cameras and other smart devices you choose to include. The three basic packages include everything you need to secure your home and keep an eye on it through full high definition cameras.

By allowing you to install it yourself, Brinks is more competitively priced than the other traditional monitored alarm companies, although the monthly subscription cost for its monitoring service is about the same. If you feel up to the installation and you’re not afraid of a long contract (the shortest is three years) then call Brinks Home Security first because they will probably give you your most competitive quote.

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How we reviewed 

We usually like to get hands-on when it comes to testing, but in this case, calling in and installing each security system was just not at all practical. Instead, we compared every aspect of the ten biggest names in home and business security and awarded scores within a range of comparable parameters. Totting up the totals, while taking into account the various costs (and hidden costs) provided our overall ratings. However, choosing your own security solution is going to depend on your own unique situation, so please read the full reviews before making a decision.

Can Brinks Home Security secure my small business?

Yes, despite the name, Brinks takes care of business too. In fact it is a great choice for the small to medium sized business looking to secure its commercial premises, or protect and monitor its staff. The Smart Security Ultimate package comes with all the gear needed to secure and surveil an office, shop or lockup. The manager can monitor the whole operation from the app on their phone from anywhere in the world. Or if the boss is too busy, then a monthly payment for 24/7 professional monitoring makes economic sense.   

Isn’t Brinks connected with that bullion robbery I read about?

Yep. In 1983 six robbers stole £26 million (equivalent to US$138 million today) from the Brinks-Mat warehouse in London. But don’t worry, lessons have been learned and Brinks Home Security is a very distant relation. 

Can I install this equipment myself?

Yes. Brinks Home Security will supply you with everything you need to connect up your system including very clear instructions. The equipment was chosen with ease of installation in mind and you will be advised over the phone by an expert. However, if you are not technically minded, then you also have the option of getting a Brinks professional to install it for you. 

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