The Smart Device Compare comparison

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm vs X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm

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 X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm

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

Fire Alerts (alerts): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — Yes (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.); X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — No.
Screen (display): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — No; X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — Yes.
Built In Light (features): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — No; X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — Yes.
Steam Check (features): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — Yes (Precision Detection technology better distinguishes between cooking smoke or steam and a fire emergency to reduce nuisance alarms.); X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — No.

Specifications to check side by side

Battery Life (power): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — 10 years; X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — 1 year.
Battery Type (power): First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm — 6x CR123A; X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm — 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 · X-Sense

X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm

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.

8differences with recorded values for every device

2rows with missing or unspecified information

Consider your setup

Battery Life

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm10 years
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm1 year

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
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Co Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

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.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Low Battery Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Notifies when the batteries are low, eliminating late night chirps.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

Temperature Alerts

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Connectivity

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
IEEE 802.11b/g/n

5 GHz Wi-Fi

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Bluetooth

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Other

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Thread

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Z Wave

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Zigbee

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Display

Screen

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

Screen Type

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Not applicable / unspecified
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: LCD
Catalog note
The large LCD indicates how much carbon monoxide the alarm is detecting, ranging from 30 to 999 ppm.

Features

Automations

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Built In Light

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

Built In Siren

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
85dB alarm at 10 feet with voice alerts.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

Pathlight

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: 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.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Tests Itself

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

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
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No
Catalog note
X-Sense confirms its smoke and CO alarms do not work with Alexa: only the AS05 and AS08 security kits are Alexa compatible, and Alexa's API has no smoke or CO alarm type anyway

Apple Home

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

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.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Home Assistant

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Not recorded
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Community X-Sense integration for Home Assistant (HACS), which lists this model and reads it from the X-Sense cloud account

Matter

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

SmartThings

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Power

Battery Life

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: 10 years
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: 1 year

Battery Type

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: 6x CR123A
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: CR123A

Wired

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Sensors

Air Quality

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Ambient Light

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: Yes

Humidity

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Motion

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Occupancy

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Smoke

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: Yes
Catalog note
Photoelectric sensing technology, generally more sensitive to smoldering fires.
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Temperature

First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm: No
X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm: No

Specifications for First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm versus X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Specification	First Alert SC5 Battery Smart Smoke & CO Alarm	X-Sense Wi-Fi Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Alerts
Air Quality Alerts	No	No
Co Alerts	Yes	Yes
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.	No
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	Yes Catalog note IEEE 802.11b/g/n
5 GHz Wi-Fi	No	No
Bluetooth	No	No
Other	No	No
Thread	No	No
Z Wave	No	No
Zigbee	No	No
Display
Screen	No	Yes
Screen Type	Not applicable / unspecified	LCD Catalog note The large LCD indicates how much carbon monoxide the alarm is detecting, ranging from 30 to 999 ppm.
Features
Automations	No	No
Built In Light	No	Yes
Built In Siren	Yes Catalog note 85dB alarm at 10 feet with voice alerts.	Yes
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.	No
Tests Itself	No	No
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	No Catalog note X-Sense confirms its smoke and CO alarms do not work with Alexa: only the AS05 and AS08 security kits are Alexa compatible, and Alexa's API has no smoke or CO alarm type anyway
Apple Home	No	No
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.	No
Home Assistant	Not recorded	Yes Catalog note Community X-Sense integration for Home Assistant (HACS), which lists this model and reads it from the X-Sense cloud account
Matter	No	No
SmartThings	No	No
Power
Battery Life	10 years	1 year
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.	Yes
Humidity	No	No
Motion	No	No
Occupancy	No	No
Smoke	Yes Catalog note Photoelectric sensing technology, generally more sensitive to smoldering fires.	No
Temperature	No	No

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