
During this time, we've honed our testing process to look at over 100 distinct factors to determine how well a system works. Each time we update our reviews, we also update our scores based on how customers currently perceive the products. We do this by extensively researching user reviews at retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe's. When we test, we borrow some of the DIY security systems from their
manufacturers and buy others. Although we may reach out for technical support or for clarification on a particular feature, the companies
have no input on our testing practices and we don’t share our results or rankings with them before publishing our reviews. As we researched this topic and security systems in general, we reached out to Jamie Vos, vice president of the Electronic Security Association ESA for his thoughts on DIY systems.
If you will be installing
smoke alarms you’ll need the extra power of a 24 hour battery back up, not the 4 hour back up offered by many manufacturers.

It's fairly pricey and requires wiring knowledge to install, but it's a smart addition to a high tech home. The iCamera Keep Pro from iSmartAlarm $199. 99 is a full featured home security camera that not only works as a standalone device, but can be incorporated into an iSmartAlarm DIY security system. The camera is full of useful features including a powerful 1080p image sensor, motion and sound detection, mechanical pan and tilt, time lapse and event triggered video recording, and a motion tracking feature that allows the camera to follow a
person around the room. Throw in free cloud storage, an SD card slot for local storage, and support for IFTTT integration, and you've got a killer indoor security cam. Founded by former Amazon employees, Wyze Labs has been around for less than two years, but in that time it's managed to snag two Editors' Choice awards for its
first two product offerings, the original Wyze Cam and its successor, the Wyze Cam V2.