Brinks Home Security Review

Competitive Pricing
Plans starting at $29/mo.
Pro Bullet Frequent discounts and promotions with contract
Pro Bullet 2-year equipment warranty
Con Bullet No window sensors with base packages
The bottom line

Brinks offers two professionally monitored home security systems and a self-monitored option in Google Nest Secure†. A three-year contract often comes with equipment discounts, making this a value option for those seeking a new security system.

Overview
Brinks isn’t a new name in home security, but its new security systems mean more affordable options for you. After merging with MONI and LiveWatch, Brinks is offering two new home security systems as well as a self-monitored home security option with Nest Secure. But how do its new offerings stack up against major competitors like Vivint and Frontpoint?


Brinks pros and cons

Pros
  • Pro BulletFrequent discounts and promotions with contract
  • Pro BulletStraightforward self-installation
  • Pro Bullet2-year equipment warranty
  • Pro BulletEasy add-on equipment
  • Pro Bullet24/7 professional monitoring
  • Pro BulletQuick response times with ASAPer
Cons
  • Con Bullet36-month minimum agreement equipment discounts
  • Con BulletNo window sensors with base packages

Compare plans

Data effective 09/03/2019. Offers subject to change.

Price of Brinks home security

Data effective 09/03/2019. Offers subject to change.

Brinks pro install

Brinks home security systems are designed for easy self-installation. However, if you don’t want to install the system yourself, you can pay an additional $10/month for installation services or a flat $199 to have your system set up professionally.

Pro tip
Protip
If you’re not averse to spending a little extra on the pro install, not only will you save yourself the time for self-installation, but you can also be more confident that the system is set up to most efficiently monitor your home.

Features

Panel Protection

If someone tries to destroy your security system control panel, Crash & Smash Protection will automatically trigger an alarm. This feature means you can rely on your system, even if someone is trying to shut it down.

Live assistance

Brinks’s LiveVoice assist lets you talk to the monitoring center via the system’s control panel. LiveVoice serves as a lifeline between you and the monitoring center if your alarm is triggered. It also gives you a simple way to cancel false alarms.

Smartphone integration

With smartphone integration, you’ll receive alarm notifications right to your phone, allowing you to monitor your home and respond to emergencies from anywhere. From there you can chat with the monitoring center, signal a false alarm, or confirm the alarm and ask for emergency help.

The smartphone app also lets you control the system remotely, so you can arm or disarm your system or customize your security system settings from anywhere.

Home automation compatible

Brinks’s control panel integrates with a bunch of home automation technology, so you can use it to build a smarter and more secure home. In fact, the Brinks control panel can sync with up to 119 Z-Wave smart devices at a time, including cameras, locks, and lights.

Brinks-App-Screenshot

Live video with cloud storage

If you opt for the Home Complete with Video plan, you’ll get an in-home camera that gives you eyes on your home when you’re not around. Brinks lets you watch real-time footage of your home from the app, and it offers free cloud storage with the Home Complete with Video plan, letting you save up to a thousand 30-second clips per month. That gives you plenty of space to review footage in the event of an alarm, and the ability to pass video clips off to the police if you notice anything sketchy.

24/7 professional monitoring

Brinks’s monitoring center never sleeps. Any time an alarm is triggered in your home, someone from Brinks will be on hand to dispatch authorities, reach out to emergency contacts, or cancel the alarm per your request.


Equipment

Data effective 09/03/2019. Offers subject to change.

You get the base equipment above for free when you sign the three-year contract. However, you have the option to add any number of additional sensors or cameras to your package. Here’s the cost for each additional piece of equipment:

  • Door sensor: $29/each
  • Motion sensor: $78/each
  • Video doorbell: $149/each
  • Indoor camera: $249/each


Customer Service

Availability

Brinks offers 24/7 support by phone or live chat. Its customer support center also supports text messaging so you can get quick answers and learn more about things like billing and payments, changes to your account, system troubleshooting, and more.

Contracts and cancellations

As mentioned above, Brinks packages come with an optional three-year contract that usually discounts your equipment fee, though these deals change frequently. If you opt for the contract and choose to cancel your service at any point, you’re on the hook to pay 100% of your remaining contract with Brinks. If you pay for the equipment up front with no contract, the cancellation policy is straightforward. Just call the customer service center to sign off on a 30-day cancellation process.

What customers are saying about Brinks

For the most part, customers see Brinks as a good balance between quality and affordability. Its packages are neither the most expensive nor the most comprehensive on the market, and that’s just right for a lot of people shopping for home security.
Brinks packages are neither the most expensive nor the most comprehensive on the market, and that’s just right for a lot of people shopping for home security.
One of the most common complaints from Brinks customers comes from the cancellation process. Quite a few customers have had to try canceling their accounts multiple times before the cancellation was processed. That’s concerning if you’re looking at Brinks, especially because it cares so much about transparency when advertising its pricing.

Do we recommend Brinks home security?

We really like the new Brinks and its professionally monitored home security packages. The system packages cover the most important security essentials with quality equipment and a strong 24/7 professional monitoring service. Plus, you can always add more equipment or integrate home automation devices if you want more comprehensive security.

We also like that Brinks is transparent about its pricing and that it prices are very competitive. The company offers enough options to cater to different needs and budgets without inundating you with too many different security systems. And best of all—you won’t run into any hidden fees.

Our Choice
If you’re new to home security or you just want a solid, dependable system at a reasonable cost, Brinks is a great value option.

Check out how Brinks stacks up against our top picks for the best home security systems.

†Google Nest Secure is a trademark of Google LLC. Google is a trademark of Google LLC.