X

Piper DIY security systems now available for purchase

Blacksumac's previously preorderable Piper all-in-one home security system is now widely available for sale in the United States.

Megan Wollerton Former Senior Writer/Editor
2 min read

We were quite taken with Blacksumac's $239 Piper home security system during our recent review. It was one of the very first DIY products of its kind to grace Indiegogo and actually become a living, breathing preorderable product. As of today, Piper is available for general purchase in the United States -- that's an impressive turnaround for a crowd-funded project.

Colin West McDonald/CNET

Piper is similar to the $199 Canary security system. In fact, Canary's Indiegogo campaign started about a month before Piper's and earned a whopping $1,961,862 compared with Piper's $309,119 (both had a $100,000 goal). Still, Piper has managed to get out in front of the whole all-in-one security game and present a completed product far ahead of Canary (whose preordered units aren't expected to ship until July 2014).

Colin West McDonald/CNET

We aren't just impressed with Piper's turnaround, though. It's also an intriguing product that offers video quality nearly identical to the that of the $199 Dropcam Pro, and motion and sound sensors like the $199 iSmartAlarm, the $199 Oplink Security TripleShield, the $229 Viper Home, and the $229 SimpliSafe -- except everything is consolidated into a single hub. In addition, it can act as a Z-Wave hub to tackle your home automation needs.

Canary. Canary

Head to the Piper Web site to learn more. One unit costs $239, you can get a three-pack for $649, and you can get a Piper with various Z-Wave accessories for anywhere from $359 to $849. Piper's free iOS app is available for download now too, with the Android version expected to come out in mid-February. And, if you like the idea of an all-in-one DIY system but aren't sold on Piper, we should have a full Canary review for you soon.