X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Nest Protect looks unlike any other smoke detector (pictures)

For $129, the Nest Protect smoke detector comes with Wi-Fi, app integration, and the ability to talk to other Nest smoke detectors. It also looks better than any other smoke detector we've seen.

lindsey-turrentine-0626
lindsey-turrentine-0626
Lindsey Turrentine
nest_smoke_detector_(2_of_9)_1.jpg
1 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest Protect's blue light shines during setup and testing.
nest_smoke_detector_(7_of_9)_1.jpg
2 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
From the side, the Nest Protect is about as thin as a standard-issue smoke detector.
nest_smoke_detector_(1_of_9)_1.jpg
3 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET

With a blocky shape and broad center button, this smoke detector/carbon monoxide monitor makes a statement.

Nest_Protect_(11_of_19).jpg
4 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest Protect blends in about as well as a traditional smoke detector.
Nest_Protect_(5_of_19).jpg
5 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
Box contents. The simple packaging is welcome.
nest_smoke_detector_(9_of_9)_1.jpg
6 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
A yellow light indicates a warning but not a full-blown emergency.
nest_smoke_detector_(5_of_9)_1.jpg
7 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest Protect glows green when all is well and to let you know that it's done testing its surroundings.
nest_smoke_detector_(4_of_9)_1.jpg
8 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The red light shines when smoke or carbon monoxide are at emergency levels.
nest_smoke_detector_(8_of_9)_1.jpg
9 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
From the front, the futuristic Nest Protect looks cooler (and a little more like Hal 9000) than this run-of-the-mill model.
Nest_Protect_instructions.jpg
10 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest's instruction manual is a thing of beauty compared with those of traditional detectors.
Nest_Protect_(18_of_19).jpg
11 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest Protect compared with a traditional CO detector.
Nest_Protect_(17_of_19).jpg
12 of 12 Lindsey Turrentine/CNET
The Nest Protect is a little larger than a standard smoke detector, and also, in our opinion, better looking.

More Galleries

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work
iphone 15 in different color from an angled view

Go Inside the Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro: See How the New iPhones Look and Work

21 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

18 Photos
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe
andromeda

Astronomy Photographer of the Year Winners Reveal Our Stunning Universe

16 Photos
I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips
Rahul Manepalli, right, Intel's module engineering leader, shows a glass substrate panel before it's sliced into the small rectangles that will be bonded to the undersides of hundreds of test processors. The technology, shown here at Intel's CH8 facility in Chandler, Arizona, stands to improve performance and power consumption of advanced processors arriving later this decade. Glass substrates should permit physically larger processors comprised of several small "chiplets" for AI and data center work, but Intel expects they'll trickle down to PCs, too.

I Got an Early Look at Intel's Glass Packaging Tech for Faster Chips

20 Photos
Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action
A photo of a silhouette of buildings on the water taken on the iPhone 15

Check Out the iPhone 15's New Camera in Action

12 Photos
Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos