Conclusion:
Initially I was not happy with the
Ooma Smart Home Security System at all. While it was functioning as a crude DIY alarm system, the lack of functioning geofencing made it difficult to use. But once this got working I found its use to be seamless. I simply set it up and forgot about it. I also like that it is contract free, but there is a catch... If you want the ease of use that comes with geofencing you will have to sign up for service which ranges from $3.99 to 5.99 depending on what other services you have with Ooma. But even at $5.99/month, this is a relatively low cost option, about half to a third of what professional monitoring costs. While this isn’t true professional monitoring, it is pretty close since you will get a call to your chosen number and have the ability to contact your local 911 if there is a real emergency.
So while this system does have its merits; I am concerned about the buy in price of about
$300 and the individual sensor costs. While all of these prices are in line with the MSRP for other system's starter kits using ZigBee and/or Z-wave devices; these Ooma devices are few and far between. So Ooma kind of has you captive once you start down this road. Further, should they decide to stop supporting this platform in the future you may have a few hundred dollars’ worth of ULE devices you can’t move to another platform. For this reason I think I would be hard pressed to start setting up a system unless I already had an Ooma hub and was only going to monitor my home with a few devices. Otherwise I think you are better off with the flexibility of something like Smart Things or if you just want an alarm system something like SimpliSafe, Ring etc.
Pros:
» Incredible range
» Notifications are quick
» Good customization options
» Self-monitored monthly cost is very reasonable
Cons:
» ULE is not widely supported
» Not likely to find deals on devices like you can for ZigBee and Z-wave.
» Limited number of devices available
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