The Smart Device Compare comparison

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm vs Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM

Understand the differences. Decide what matters to your home.

Before you compare every specification

Key differences between First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm and Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM

A summary of selected recorded differences between these smoke & co detectors. Check the full specification table below for details and conditions.

Feature differences among your selected devices

Co Alerts (alerts): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — Yes; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — No.
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (connectivity): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — Yes; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — No.
Automations (features): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — No; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — Yes (Local Matter automations, no cloud required).
Tests Itself (features): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — No; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — Yes (Push to test button, and the test can be triggered remotely from Home Assistant).

Specifications to check side by side

Thread (connectivity): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — No; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — Thread Border Router required.
Battery Life (power): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — 10 years; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — 3.5 years.
Battery Type (power): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — 6x CR123A; Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM — CR123A.

Information still to confirm

2 of 37 comparison fields lack a resolved value for at least one selected device. Missing information is not evidence that a feature is absent.
Check the full table and manufacturer documentation before ruling out a device.

These observations are derived from recorded catalog data and have not all been independently verified. Confirm details with the manufacturer before purchasing.

Compare capabilities, compatibility and setup requirements.

Option 1 · First Alert

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm

Last updated September 2026

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Option 2 · Heiman

Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM

Last updated October 2026

View full device profile

What the catalog tells us

Understand the tradeoffs.

These counts describe the available data, not a quality score. More features do not automatically make a better device.

14differences with recorded values for every device

2rows with missing or unspecified information

Consider your setup

Apple Home

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO AlarmNo
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TMYes

Confirm which features appear in Apple Home and whether extra hardware or a subscription is needed for your intended use.

Inspect the specifications

Consider your setup

Matter

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO AlarmNo
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TMYes

Confirm the exact device type and the features exposed in your chosen platform. Protocol support does not establish feature parity across apps.

Inspect the specifications

Consider your setup

Battery Life

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm10 years
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM3.5 years

Compare the stated test conditions. Catalog battery figures alone do not predict runtime in your home.

Inspect the specifications

Your priorities, side by side

Focus on what changes.

Mark the specifications you care about. Open manufacturer sources for verification scope; fields without citations remain catalog data. Expand notes for other qualifications.

Differences onlyMy priorities (0)

Showing 37 of 37 rows. “Not recorded” does not mean “No”.

Reading layout

Alerts

Air Quality Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Co Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Fire Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Voice alerts with Heads-Up warning tell you the type and location of danger in your home, plus mobile alerts through the First Alert app.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Local 85 dB alarm plus notifications through the Matter controller app

Low Battery Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Notifies when the batteries are low, eliminating late night chirps.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes

Temperature Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Connectivity

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

5 GHz Wi-Fi

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Bluetooth

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Other

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Thread

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Thread Border Router required

Z Wave

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Zigbee

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Display

Screen

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Screen Type

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Not applicable / unspecified
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Not applicable / unspecified

Features

Automations

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Local Matter automations, no cloud required

Built In Light

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Built In Siren

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
85dB alarm at 10 feet with voice alerts.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
85 dB at 10 ft

Pathlight

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Steam Check

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Precision Detection technology better distinguishes between cooking smoke or steam and a fire emergency to reduce nuisance alarms.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Dual-beam sensing tells smoke apart from steam and cooking fumes to cut false alarms

Tests Itself

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Push to test button, and the test can be triggered remotely from Home Assistant

Integrations

Alexa

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Catalog note
First Alert builds the SC5 around the Google Home app as a Nest Protect replacement and lists no Alexa support; Alexa has no smoke or CO alarm type outside Matter
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Via Matter

Apple Home

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Via Matter

Google Home

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Works with and replaces Google's Nest Protect Alarm. Compatibility with Google Nest Protect requires the Google Home app and a Google Account.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Via Matter

Home Assistant

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Not recorded
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Via Matter

Matter

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Matter 1.4 over Thread; Heiman holds CSA Matter certificates for its smoke sensors with temperature and humidity reporting

SmartThings

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Via Matter

Power

Battery Life

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: 10 years
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: 3.5 years

Battery Type

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: 6x CR123A
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: CR123A

Wired

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Sensors

Air Quality

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Ambient Light

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Humidity

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Built-in humidity sensor reported over Matter

Motion

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Occupancy

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: No

Smoke

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Photoelectric sensing technology, generally more sensitive to smoldering fires.
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Dual-beam photoelectric sensor, UL 217 10th Edition certified

Temperature

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM: Yes
Catalog note
Built-in temperature sensor reported over Matter

Specifications for First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm versus Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM
Specification	First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm	Heiman Matter Smoke Detector S1-TM
Alerts
Air Quality Alerts	No	No
Co Alerts	Yes	No
Fire Alerts	Yes Catalog note Voice alerts with Heads-Up warning tell you the type and location of danger in your home, plus mobile alerts through the First Alert app.	Yes Catalog note Local 85 dB alarm plus notifications through the Matter controller app
Low Battery Alerts	Yes Catalog note Notifies when the batteries are low, eliminating late night chirps.	Yes
Temperature Alerts	No	No
Connectivity
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi	Yes	No
5 GHz Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth	No	No
Other	No	No
Thread	No	Thread Border Router required
Z Wave	No	No
Zigbee	No	No
Display
Screen	No	No
Screen Type	Not applicable / unspecified	Not applicable / unspecified
Features
Automations	No	Yes Catalog note Local Matter automations, no cloud required
Built In Light	No	No
Built In Siren	Yes Catalog note 85dB alarm at 10 feet with voice alerts.	Yes Catalog note 85 dB at 10 ft
Pathlight	No	No
Steam Check	Yes Catalog note Precision Detection technology better distinguishes between cooking smoke or steam and a fire emergency to reduce nuisance alarms.	Yes Catalog note Dual-beam sensing tells smoke apart from steam and cooking fumes to cut false alarms
Tests Itself	No	Yes Catalog note Push to test button, and the test can be triggered remotely from Home Assistant
Integrations
Alexa	No Catalog note First Alert builds the SC5 around the Google Home app as a Nest Protect replacement and lists no Alexa support; Alexa has no smoke or CO alarm type outside Matter	Yes Catalog note Via Matter
Apple Home	No	Yes Catalog note Via Matter
Google Home	Yes Catalog note Works with and replaces Google's Nest Protect Alarm. Compatibility with Google Nest Protect requires the Google Home app and a Google Account.	Yes Catalog note Via Matter
Home Assistant	Not recorded	Yes Catalog note Via Matter
Matter	No	Yes Catalog note Matter 1.4 over Thread; Heiman holds CSA Matter certificates for its smoke sensors with temperature and humidity reporting
SmartThings	No	Yes Catalog note Via Matter
Power
Battery Life	10 years	3.5 years
Battery Type	6x CR123A	CR123A
Wired	No	No
Sensors
Air Quality	No	No
Ambient Light	No	No
Co	Yes Catalog note Electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor.	No
Humidity	No	Yes Catalog note Built-in humidity sensor reported over Matter
Motion	No	No
Occupancy	No	No
Smoke	Yes Catalog note Photoelectric sensing technology, generally more sensitive to smoldering fires.	Yes Catalog note Dual-beam photoelectric sensor, UL 217 10th Edition certified
Temperature	No	Yes Catalog note Built-in temperature sensor reported over Matter

Know what’s behind the comparison.

The table matches specifications by section and field. It preserves notes, separates missing data from explicit “No” values, and keeps qualifications attached to their values. No overall winner is assigned from feature counts.

Read our comparison methodology