Scout Reviews

Scout allows you to choose your system components, color and monitoring plan — either professional monitoring or self-monitoring. Systems include a hub with battery backup, sensors and optional components such as indoor cameras and a video doorbell. The hub requires a power outlet and an internet connection. Scout’s systems are designed for do-it-yourself installation.

With a Scout home security system, you can use your phone to arm your system, set custom actions and alerts, check on sensor activity, determine false alarms and disarm your system. There is no annual contract.

If you choose professional monitoring, agents monitor your system 24/7 and follow your preset plan if there’s an emergency. If you have self-monitoring, Scout reaches out to your preselected contact, but it doesn’t contact the police or fire department.

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Scout offers two “Scout Packs,” or security equipment packages. All packages include a hub, which powers and runs the security system and connects to sensors across the home, and a door panel sensor with a 105-decibel siren. You can also create your own package based on your needs.

All Scout products have a 60-day free return period and include a three-year warranty. Scout provides free shipping on orders of $200 and over. Note that the package price does not include monitoring services.

Scout package prices and equipment

For orders of $50 or more, Scout offers financing through Affirm to help make buying your home security system more affordable. You can choose from three-, six- or 12-month payment terms, and interest rates range from zero percent to 30%.

Scout offers two monitoring plans: Always On (self-monitoring) for $9.99 per month and Always On+ for $19.99 per month. Both packages include cellular backup in case your internet or power goes down, access to the Scout mobile app and web dashboard and unlimited text, phone and email notifications.

• Always On: Scout’s self-monitoring plan notifies a preselected contact when an alarm goes off at your home. You also choose the contact method. The contact then decides what action to take. Always On costs $9.99 per month, and you can add camera cloud storage for $2.99 per month per camera.
• Always On+: Scout’s 24/7 professional monitoring service contacts you or an emergency contact first if there’s an alarm. If there’s no response, it contacts the police or fire department. Always On+ costs $19.99 a month and includes free cloud storage for your first camera, but you can add another camera for $2.99 per month.

You can purchase Scout’s equipment individually or as part of a package. In addition to the products below, Scout also offers smoke alarms, keypads for system control, door locks, water sensors and glass-break sensors. All products have a three-year warranty and a 60-day return policy.

Scout security systems have a do-it-yourself setup and can be installed in 30 minutes or less, according to its website. Scout systems come with an installation box with everything you need to install the equipment. You don’t have to drill or use wires. Customers can follow instructions from their phone, tablet or computer.

Scout’s simple setup makes it easy to take the system with you if you move. All sensors have an adhesive backing that you can replace when you switch addresses. Just contact Scout, and it sends you the replacements for free.

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Scout designed its devices to integrate seamlessly with smart home brands and products that you may already have in your house, including:

• Amazon Alexa, which you can use to ask about updates or recent activity, arm or disarm your system or send for help
• Google Assistant, which you can use to arm or disarm your system or check your system’s status
• Philips Hue and LIFX, smart light systems that you can set up to flash red when the alarm is triggered
• IFTTT, which allows you to connect Scout to 175 smart home partners and create your own personalized automation
• Kwikset and Yale, smart lock companies whose products integrate with the Scout app to let you check your locks and grant limited access to guests through the Scout app
• First Alert’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, which integrate with Scout’s app and monitoring service

Yes, Scout is a good security system for those looking to protect their home and family. It offers a variety of useful security system products, which you can purchase as part of a package or individually. It’s easy to install and manage a system, and Scout equipment integrates well with smart home devices.