Canary is a small yellow songbird in the finch family. It is also a sophisticated home-security system with all the necessary sensors; an air-quality sampler, a motion detector, a humidity sensor, a temperature gauge, and a three-axis accelerometer, all in one single device which is also housing a microphone and a security camera.
We already had CCTV and a burglar alarm. But we had an urgency to secure the house in a more sophisticated way, to make sure our home was protected in a way so we could rest assured at all times.
Because rest assured was nothing we could that one morning, finding our door wide open and our house burgled as well as the car gone. We woke up to our private space being invaded and our personal belongings gone… CCTV showed two burglars making their entry at night, whilst we slept in our bedrooms. Obviously professionals, as leaving little behind to the forensic team that showed up shortly after our discovery. In a way, CCTV on its own is probably worse to have, as you see what’s going on. But at a time when it’s too late to do anything about it. And also, you are better off not knowing all the details.
Shortly after our incident my husband’s colleague reported a burglary to the police after getting a notification on his phone whilst at work, with live video footage showing burglars entering his house. Such an instant notification and being able to respond immediately to it can hinder and prevent any damage to you and your home. This made us intrigued and we wanted to check out more modern smart home security systems for ourselves.
We love technology and Canary seems to lead the way in innovative and affordable home security systems. First impression when opening the packing was great, very Apple like feel, everything is in its place and nicely wrapped to protect the product.
Getting everything wired up was as simple as plugging in the power and off you go. We did however come across some issues when attempting to set the Canary up via WiFi. It kept timing out and it was unable to download the latest software which is required when setting it up for the first time. As an alternative they provide an option to connect the Canary via a network cable to your internet router directly and that worked fine. As a security measure they provide a cable which is used to connect the Canary with your smartphone during the initial setup, and once done all cables could be removed.
All in all a very simple setup. We did experience a minor issue as we set up two Canaries, one for each side of the house. Problem was solved by setting them up as two different locations. We contacted support and they responded immediately.
The response from the Canary support team is probably the quickest we’ve had from any support team, ever.
It took about 30 minutes to have everything set up, and had we not connected the Canary via the WiFi initially it probably would have taken about 10 min, not much time spent considering that you have an complete indoor security camera solution.
With the Canary home security system installed we are again able to enjoy a good night sleep. We receive notifications on our phones should there be an unexpected movement in the house and from there the Police or any other appropriate emergency number is only a tap away on your phone. You can also set the alarm off, which is so loud it will chase away unwanted guests as well as get attention by neighbours and walkers by. If you just want to check – you can turn on live watch. Just make sure you you don’t use this device to spy on your other half, kids or help in the house (hope I’m not giving you any ideas here!).
The air-quality sampler, the humidity sensor and a thermometer are nifty features. If levels would go alarmingly high we would be notified. But it also helps us turning down our central heating when it’s unnecessary warm at home as well as being a reminder to air the flat if we’ve been washing too much laundry and the humidity has gone up.
Also, you’ll be notifies whn you want to be notified. You can set Canary to one of three modes. Each mode determines what Canary monitors and when you receive notifications.
And when I say affordable, I mean £159 for one device, with 12 hours of cloud storage. This includes shipping and 60 days guarantee and one year warranty. There’s a monthly plan you can sign up to if you need more storage. The Canary is available to purchase online from the official Canary Store
The device is small in a minimalistic stylish design, available in white, silver or black, to match your interior.
Do you have a home security system? And if so are you happy with it? If you have any questions at all regarding the Canary – please shoot!
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post as such. This review reflects our personal and honest opinion. We were however given the Canary to try out at home. But we would probably have bought it anyway. And after having tried for a month we would highly recommend it to all family and friends.