Brinks Home Security Review

Brinks Home Security offers average equipment with above-average monitoring services. But where it shines is its sensor options—you can monitor just about anything you can think of with Brinks.

Devices come from third-party vendors like Alarm.com, but the monitoring and support are all Brinks. If you’re an entry-level customer who’s primarily concerned with customer service and emergency response, read on to see if Brinks could work for you and your family.

Brinks has four security monitoring packages: Smart Security Essential, Smart Security Complete, Smart Security Ultimate, and monitoring for Google Nest Secure^*.

Prices start at $19 per month if you add monitoring to your Nest Secure system with a three-year contract. Month-to-month monitoring is available for Nest Secure for $29 per month. But you need to buy your Nest Secure equipment elsewhere.

There is a $150–$500 difference in equipment costs between the Brinks Smart Security plans, but that extra money includes a video doorbell and outdoor camera. Monitoring is about $10 more per month for the video plan too, but $39.99 per month is standard for higher-tier security plans.

With the Smart Security Complete package, home automation features like mobile access, smart locks, light control, and a thermostat become available. Bigger competitors like Vivint and Frontpoint charge $49.99 for similar packages. For under $44.99, this is a good deal for a smart security package.

Brinks keeps its offerings straightforward—a great match for anyone new to home security who may be feeling overwhelmed by other options.

Its limited equipment packages and monthly monitoring costs are clear and easy to choose from. Just decide if you want video or not.

When you opt for one of Brinks’s kits, you’ll need to go through a credit check and sign up for a three-year contract. Brinks offers a 30-day trial, but if you cancel after that you’ll have to pay the remainder of your agreement.

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Brinks’s equipment is average compared to other companies like Vivint, ADT, and Frontpoint. Brinks keeps costs down by using tech from third parties like Alarm.com, but outsourcing equipment makes tech support and repairs difficult if something goes wrong.

DIY installation is easy with the sticky backing tape for the motion and contact sensors. They have adjustable sensitivity and will send alerts to your Brinks app when they sense activity.

The Smart Security Ultimate package comes with a doorbell and outdoor cameras that shoot in HD quality, send you alerts to the app, and have a two-way talk feature. Both Brinks cameras will be monitored by Brinks professionals too for extra security.

The doorbell camera is one of our favorite features—you can watch packages being delivered and kids arriving home, and you can catch any shady characters in action.

We like the ASAPer group chat feature (even though most of Brinks's tech doesn’t turn our heads). Found in the Brinks app, ASAPer creates a type of chat room for everyone on a customized list. If an alarm goes off, get in touch with your spouse, professional monitoring, and kids all at once to make sure everyone’s okay. It allows you to cancel false alarms and connect with emergency responders right from your phone.

Check out our Brinks equipment guide to learn more.

Brinks offers professional monitoring for Nest Secure users. Professional monitoring covers the entire Nest Secure system, along with add-ons like the Nest Protect smoke alarm and the Nest thermostat.

The good news is that you can get pro monitoring for Nest contract-free, so you can back out and self-monitor with your Nest system whenever you like.

• Monthly monitoring—with no commitment—is $29 per month.
• If you don't mind a little commitment, you can lower your monthly costs to $19, but you'll need to sign a three-year contract.

The Nest Secure system comes with the smart hub, two contact sensors with built-in motion detection, and two key fobs to tap into the system when you arrive and leave home.

The bad news is that Google discontinued Nest Secure last year—so finding a system could be a challenge. Read our full review of Nest Secure to learn more.

All of Brinks’s Alarm.com equipment is self-installed, but if you want help from a pro, you can get assistance for an extra fee.

Professional installation makes sense for more complex setups like an outdoor camera or the video doorbell, but you can handle most of the job yourself. Like many other self-install systems, you just need to peel the backing from your sensors and place them throughout your home.

Brinks Home Security was rated Best Home Security in a satisfaction study from J.D. Power and Associates and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. But we saw mixed reviews from customer ratings on BBB, Trustpilot, and Consumer Affairs.

The worst comments we saw reported long hold times on the phone, confusing contracts, and faulty equipment with no repair in sight. The best, on the other hand, spoke of helpful customer reps and supportive service.

That said, customer service is different from professional monitoring. The ASAPer feature in the Brinks app will alert you, your contacts, and the monitoring professionals in as little as 30 seconds of any issues in your home. The monitoring pros are there to walk you through any situation you might encounter, from fires and break-ins to floods and carbon monoxide leaks.

Overall, Brinks sits right in the middle of the market for professionally monitored, self-installed systems. But it’s much more affordable than ADT and Frontpoint for home automation devices. Like ADT, you’ll need to sign a contract if you opt for Brinks’ Smart Security packages.

Brinks equipment works, and it offers a huge range of sensors, but you’ll pay a lot up front for Alarm.com devices.

The best thing about Brinks was the quick response times from their highly trained monitoring techs. It’s helpful to have a calm voice in a stressful situation and they do just that. While the tech and pricing aren’t stellar from Brinks, the monitoring certainly is.

To get an accurate picture of Brinks’s pricing, equipment, and more, we did a lot of research. We dug through online forums and customer review sites. We compared Brinks to similar security companies and services like ADT, Frontpoint, and Vivint. For more information on our testing processes and standards, read our full methodology.

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