Honeywell's all-new security system packs in some serious smarts, making it a compelling choice in a market chock-full of app-controlled cameras. We've drilled down on the features and picked out the best bits and how they can help in your home.

Easy to install without any DIY skills

The new system is totally DIY proof, so you can install it yourself and not pay expensive install fees, and you don’t have to be signed up to contracts or services you don’t want.  It is totally managed by you. Better still it doesn't even need to be plugged in all the time coming with a with 2 years battery life minimum - totally wireless.

It's totally customisable

The system is modular.  So it can fit work with a small loft apartment, to a larger family home.  Add sensors where you want the system will grow to your needs. It can even grow over time, with more sensors added as you go.

Face recognition

Thanks to its advanced - and free - face recognition software, Smart Home Security Base Station can recognise familiar faces and notify you when they arrive home, which is great if the kids get home from school before you finish work. Naturally, if the 147° wide-angle 1080p camera does spot a stranger you'll get an instant alert and a video clip will be sent to your smartphone.

Alexa built-in

Sure, it's a home security gadget packed with cameras and sensors, but with Alexa voice control and two (impressively loud) 5W speakers built in, it can do nearly  all the things an Amazon Echo can…so ask away, set timers, start streaming news, and solve family arguments.

It sees everything, when you want it to, and not what you don’t

Few of us want to fee spied upon in our own home, so the Total Connect App (iOS, Android) uses geofencing technology to deactivate the camera and sensors when you return home. You can also close the privacy ring on the base station which covers the camera and stops unnecessary motion alerts. And remember, any video clips remain safe as houses as Honeywell use by military grade encryption.

If you do opt for the camera to be on all the time, the motion sensors only detect people, rather than pets and anything else that happens to be moving in the wind, so you'll get fewer false alerts from swaying curtains or pets.  

It's a home security hub

While its 1080p camera captures all the action in pin-sharp quality, it can't quite cover every inch of your home. Luckily, the Smart Home Security Base Station can act as the heart of a complete Honeywell security system which includes door and window sensors and both indoor and outdoor MotionViewers which also feature a high-quality camera with night vision.

Bad guys be gone

Remember that pair of impressively loud speakers we mentioned earlier? Well, aside from making your favourite radio station sound great, if the unthinkable does happen and the Base Station's sensors alert you to an intruder they can be used as an ear-splitting 90dB alarm. It'll also get the dog off the sofa in seconds!

Better still, if someone is detected by the outdoor motion viewer - then the system can simulate and occupied home and even play the sound of barking dog.

Plays well with others

As well as the convenience and compatibility of Amazon Alexa, the Smart Home Security Base Stationne also works with Google Assistant and IFTTT, so you can control a huge range of smart gadgets including Philips Hue. It is also compatible with Z-Wave so will give you control over products including Samsung SmartThings, Ring Doorbell and Honeywell's own smart thermostats.