SimpliSafe 8 Piece System Review: Conditional Buy (8/10)
A one-week setup that “took literally 10 minutes” is the kind of speed that keeps showing up in the feedback—yet a loud minority calls the software “incredibly buggy.” SimpliSafe 8 Piece Wireless Home Security System, White lands as a strong DIY starter kit with real caveats around subscriptions, smart-home gating, and occasional reliability complaints. Verdict: Conditional buy — 8/10.
Quick Verdict
SimpliSafe 8 Piece Wireless Home Security System, White: Conditional — a great fit for DIY-first homeowners and renters who value fast install, expandable sensors, and optional monitoring, but less ideal for smart-home power users or anyone burned by app/camera reliability.
| What buyers focus on | What they liked (with sources) | What they disliked (with sources) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | Best Buy reviewers repeatedly describe “easy to set up,” with one saying install “took literally 10 minutes.” | Some report setup snags like firmware update loops: “it kept cycling… but eventually… it had actually updated.” (Best Buy) |
| Value | Best Buy’s feature ratings highlight value (4.7) and affordability; one reviewer praised the “excellent deal.” | Some say add-ons “are costly,” recommending getting the right bundle upfront. (Best Buy) |
| Monitoring flexibility | Multiple Best Buy reviews emphasize “subscription also not required.” | Others warn features are limited without a plan and “it will not contact… authorities.” (Best Buy) |
| App control | Many like arming/disarming via phone: “control… using my iphone even when i am not home.” (Best Buy) | Reddit users report outages/bugs: “arm/disarm works 10% of the time remotely.” (Reddit) |
| Pet motion behavior | Users share placement tips and pet modes: “place… as high as possible… my dog constantly activated it until I placed it up high.” (Best Buy) | Some still cite “motion sensor” and “notification” issues (Best Buy cons). |
Claims vs Reality
Claim 1: “Simple to set up… no wiring or drilling required.” (Amazon listing / SimpliSafe site)
Digging deeper into user reports, the “peel-and-stick” promise largely holds up in real homes. A verified Best Buy reviewer described a near plug-and-play routine: “installation… took literally 10 minutes,” pairing devices near the base, then mounting them after the base confirmed each sensor. Another Best Buy reviewer echoed the low-friction onboarding: “easy install and clear instructions,” while a third called the app guidance “very user friendly.”
But the same Best Buy corpus shows that “simple” doesn’t always mean “smooth.” One reviewer ran into a firmware update problem: “prompted to update the firmware… it kept cycling… but eventually… it had actually updated.” For buyers who want a true set-it-and-forget-it system, those hiccups matter—especially if they’re installing under time pressure (moving day, renters, or a business owner setting up after hours).
Claim 2: “Smart home compatible… Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.” (Amazon listing / SimpliSafe site)
The marketing line reads broad, yet the lived experience is more conditional. A Best Buy reviewer who otherwise “absolutely love[s]” the kit complained: “SimpliSafe will not link up or work with Alexa unless you have a SimpliSafe monitoring plan.” Another Best Buy reviewer framed it as shallow integration even when connected: “Sure you can connect it to your Google Home and Amazon Alexa but it’s just for arming the system,” wishing for deeper SmartThings-style automation via Z-Wave/Zigbee.
For smart-home power users hoping to make this part of a larger ecosystem (routines, third-party sensors, advanced automations), the gap between the claim and reality is a recurring theme: voice assistant support exists, but users keep describing it as limited or paywalled.
Claim 3: “24-hour battery and cellular backup… even if you lose power or Wi‑Fi.” (Amazon listing / SimpliSafe site)
Here, user stories generally reinforce the message—at least around the broader concept of resilience. A Best Buy reviewer highlighted the base station backup: “backup battery… lasts 24 hours in case of a power outage.” On Reddit, multiple commenters describe the system calling quickly when alarms triggered, reinforcing that the monitoring pipeline can be responsive when things are working: one said, “testing it, I got a call within seconds.”
Yet the reliability debate doesn’t disappear. In the same Reddit thread, another user alleged an unstable experience spanning multiple replacements: “3 base stations, 2 keypads, 2 smart locks, 2 indoor cameras… I called it quits.” While officially positioned as dependable with redundancy, a subset of users portrays a more brittle day-to-day reality—especially around app connectivity and cameras.
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
A recurring pattern emerged: many buyers treat SimpliSafe 8 Piece Wireless Home Security System, White as a “first real layer” of DIY indoor security, and the fastest route from unboxed to armed. Best Buy feedback repeatedly stresses the straightforward setup and app hand-holding. One reviewer laid out a repeatable playbook—pair everything near the base, listen for confirmation, then mount: “we added all components directly in front of the base unit… then we mounted all of the sensors where we chose.” For renters or anyone avoiding drilling, another user emphasized the included adhesive approach: “The keypad and all of the sensors come with mounting tape pre-installed… peel away… to mount them.”
The “daily living” experience—door chimes, modes, remote control—also earns consistent praise, especially from households that want awareness without constant alarms. A Best Buy reviewer liked the unarmed notifications: “once you open any of your windows or door a loud tone or chirp… is played to alert you that a specific area is open.” For parents, caregivers, or anyone monitoring an entry-prone home (kids, older relatives, busy households), that chime becomes a routine safety cue rather than a dramatic siren event. Another reviewer described using modes to match lifestyle: “off, home, away… home… disarm motion sensors… you can customize.”
Flexibility around monitoring is another reason the kit appeals to budget-minded buyers. Several Best Buy reviewers emphasize self-monitoring viability: “subscription also not required,” and “you don’t have to use the professional monitoring available.” For someone who’s usually home, or who already has cameras elsewhere, this can be the “alarm + sensors” layer without a recurring fee—one Best Buy buyer explicitly paired it with other cameras and questioned whether monitoring “truly pays.”
After the initial install, users who like it often talk about expandability as a long-term strategy: start with doors and motion, then add water sensors, glass break, smoke/CO, or more keypads. One Best Buy reviewer wrote, “these systems can be expanded with just about every kind of sensor you can think of,” and another planned incremental add-ons: “a water sensor is next plus a 2nd keypad.”
Quick hits (praised):
- Fast DIY install: “took literally 10 minutes.” (Best Buy)
- Clear app guidance: “the app automatically recognized each.” (Best Buy)
- Customizable modes: “home… you can customize.” (Best Buy)
- Optional monitoring: “subscription also not required.” (Best Buy)
Common Complaints
The most serious complaints center on reliability—especially app behavior and camera performance—where the tone shifts from “minor annoyance” to “deal-breaker.” Reddit user reports can be blunt. Reddit user (username not provided in the dataset snippet) said: “the app is incredibly buggy… the camera works half the time… the arm/disarm works 10% of the time remotely.” Another Reddit participant described a long replacement cycle: “I’ve been through 3 base stations… 2 indoor cameras… they offered to keep replacing the system.”
For buyers who expect to arm/disarm reliably from a phone (travelers, commuters, landlords, or anyone relying on remote control), that kind of report raises stakes. Even within the same thread, others argue the opposite—Reddit user (username not provided in the dataset snippet) countered: “when I use the iOS app to arm/disarm remotely, it has worked all but maybe once in the last 3 years.” That split suggests environment variability (hardware revisions, network conditions, device OS) or uneven quality control experiences.
Another recurring friction point is feature gating around subscriptions and integrations. A Best Buy reviewer called out Alexa specifically: “will not link up or work with Alexa unless you have a SimpliSafe monitoring plan.” Another wanted broader smart-home support: “include… into the zwave or zigbee platform… to incorporate into my smartthings ecosystem.” For smart-home builders, the kit can feel like a closed garden rather than an interoperable component.
Finally, some complaints are “practical details” rather than system failures: sensor fit and aesthetics. One Best Buy reviewer warned door sensors may need spacers depending on door frames: “made for specific types of doors… else you have to use spacers.” Another mentioned wishing the alarm were louder: “I wished the alarm was a bit louder.” For larger homes or people expecting neighborhood-level audibility, the base siren might not match expectations.
Quick hits (complaints):
- App/camera unreliability allegations: “incredibly buggy… works half the time.” (Reddit)
- Subscription gating for Alexa: “unless you have… monitoring plan.” (Best Buy)
- Limited smart-home ecosystem support: “zwave or zigbee… SmartThings.” (Best Buy)
- Fit/volume nitpicks: spacers needed; “wished the alarm was a bit louder.” (Best Buy)
Divisive Features
Monitoring itself is polarizing, not because people disagree it exists, but because they disagree on its necessity and value. One Best Buy reviewer highlighted independence: “subscription also not required.” Another framed paid monitoring as the “best way to stay protected,” warning that without it “it will not contact… authorities” and you’ll be “the one monitoring everything.” That divide often tracks lifestyle: retirees who are frequently home may self-monitor; frequent travelers or families wanting dispatch tend to view monitoring as the point.
Motion sensors—especially with pets—also split opinion. Some users say pet behavior is manageable with placement and settings: “you must place your motion sensors as high as possible… my dog constantly activated it until I placed it up high.” Another said pets were mostly fine, with a humorous exception: the cat “decided to climb the curtains.” Yet Best Buy’s aggregated “cons mentioned” still flags “motion sensor” issues, showing that the pet-friendly promise works well for some homes and less well for others.
Trust & Reliability
Digging deeper into trust signals, the dataset doesn’t provide distinct Trustpilot reviews; the “Trustpilot (Verified)” slot mirrors Best Buy content. Instead, the strongest trust-and-reliability signals come from Reddit’s long-running thread dynamic: one person alleging systemic failure, others insisting years of stability. Reddit user (username not provided in the dataset snippet) wrote: “there may be more to it than just SimpliSafe having a garbage product,” while another insisted: “I’ve never had any of the problems you mention.”
Longer-term stories skew toward “it works and it calls,” especially around non-burglary sensors like water or CO. Reddit user (username not provided in the dataset snippet) said the system “has more than paid for itself the 2 times it detected my sump pit backing up,” and another wrote: “it saved me last month when a leak was detected under a sink and they called, texted and the app notified me.” Meanwhile, a negative durability narrative exists too, centered on repeated replacements and time cost: “reconfiguring your base system can be a lot of work… I bought their system so I wouldn’t have to spend hours every week.”
For risk-averse buyers, the story is not “always reliable” or “always broken,” but “reliability appears uneven by user.” The safest interpretation from the feedback is that many households run it for years without issue, but a subset experiences a frustrating support-and-replacement loop.
Alternatives
Only a few competitors are directly mentioned in the user data, and the comparisons are blunt. One Best Buy reviewer framed SimpliSafe 8 Piece Wireless Home Security System, White as “a good replacement to a Google Nest Secure system,” praising the DIY flow and optional monitoring. Another compared against Ring: “I tried ring and I found it to be hard to install and more expensive.” A different reviewer didn’t compare whole alarm systems, but explained why they skipped SimpliSafe cameras by using Blink: “we have 10 Blink cameras… we only pay $10.00 a month… videos… up to 60 days.”
For shoppers deciding between these paths, the narrative is clear: SimpliSafe is often chosen for fast DIY alarm + sensors, while some buyers mix-and-match by pairing SimpliSafe sensors with another camera ecosystem they already trust or find cheaper for storage.
Price & Value
On Amazon, the listing in the dataset shows $239.99 (with additional international shipping/import costs shown in the scraped text). Best Buy reviews repeatedly frame value as a reason to buy, and the “excellent deal” story is common—one reviewer celebrated paying “$99.99” during a promotion and getting extras like “a free key fob and a water sensor.”
Resale and secondhand pricing shows wide variance on eBay. One listing shows a “brand new and sealed” kit around $199.99, while another used unit is far cheaper (a used listing at $29.99 appears in the dataset). There’s also a refurbished SimpliSafe listing at $139.99 with “free shipping & returns” and a third-party warranty. For bargain hunters, the community signal is to watch for sales and bundles; for cautious buyers, refurbished/used can be attractive but may raise questions about completeness, compatibility, or warranty coverage (especially given reliability disputes in user narratives).
Buying tips implied by the feedback:
- If you want deeper app features and voice assistant functionality, multiple users imply you may need a monitoring plan to avoid frustration.
- If you already run a separate camera system, several reviewers treat SimpliSafe as a sensor-and-alarm layer and keep cameras elsewhere.
FAQ
Q: Is the SimpliSafe 8-piece system actually easy to install?
A: Yes—many Best Buy reviewers describe quick DIY setup, including one who said installation “took literally 10 minutes.” Several mention the app “walks you through each step.” A smaller group reports firmware/update hiccups, like a setup screen “cycling” before completing. (Best Buy)
Q: Can you use it without paying for professional monitoring?
A: Yes. Multiple Best Buy reviewers stress “subscription also not required” and that it’s usable for self-monitoring. Another reviewer cautioned that without a plan, the alarm may sound but “it will not contact… authorities,” meaning you handle emergency calls yourself. (Best Buy)
Q: Does it work well with Alexa or Google Assistant?
A: Conditional. Marketing says it’s compatible, but one Best Buy reviewer complained it “will not link up or work with Alexa unless you have a… monitoring plan.” Another called the integration limited—connected, but “just for arming the system.” (Best Buy)
Q: Are the motion sensors pet-friendly in real homes?
A: Often, but placement matters. One Best Buy user said their dog triggered alarms until the sensor was mounted higher: “place your motion sensors as high as possible.” Another said the sensor only tripped once when their cat “climb[ed] the curtains.” (Best Buy)
Q: Is the app reliable for remote arming/disarming?
A: Mixed. Reddit user reports range from “arm/disarm works 10% of the time remotely” to others saying remote control has worked “all but maybe once in the last 3 years.” If remote control is mission-critical, this split is worth weighing carefully. (Reddit)
Final Verdict
Buy SimpliSafe 8 Piece Wireless Home Security System, White if you’re a DIY-focused homeowner or renter who wants fast setup, flexible “home/away” modes, and a door/window + motion starter kit that can expand over time. A Best Buy reviewer summed up the appeal: “super easy and super quick,” with the daily-life benefit of entry chimes when doors/windows open.
Avoid it if your #1 requirement is flawless app/camera reliability or deep smart-home automation—Reddit user reports like “the app is incredibly buggy” and “the camera works half the time” show how bad the experience can feel when it goes wrong.
Pro tip from the community: place motion sensors thoughtfully—Best Buy guidance from a real household was clear: “place your motion sensors as high as possible,” especially if pets roam your home.
