TELUS SmartHome Security Review in 2024
- Clear video feeds with smart detection
- 24/7 professional incident monitoring
- Doors, windows, and inside motion sensors
- Smart devices include door locks, garage door opener, lights, plugs, thermostats
- Control everything via the app and/or control panel provided
Rating
Excellent
Price
$67/mo - Total Protection
Pros
- Easy to use all-in-one app
- Smart features are very convenient
- Large choice of smart devices
- Great integration with previous security and smart devices
- Save money by bundling with other TELUS services
Cons
- Best deals require a 3-5 year contracts
- No Money-back guarantee
TELUS continues to expand their breadth of quality services now in the Home Security space. With multiple acquisitions including home security veterans ADT in 2019, TELUS SmartHome Security is advancing to lead the Canadian industry when it comes to smart devices and security for your home.
Combining live video cameras, sensors, professional monitoring for incidents, and a range of smart home devices all controlled with the TELUS SmartHome app, the sense of convenience and safety has never been this good!
In this TELUS SmartHome Security review, we’ll cover how easy it was to get setup, the features we love, customer service, costs, and how bundling with their other services will save you the most money.
Setup and integration with previous home devices was easy
We set a time with the technician to come assess our home for the setup. They were able to give us a morning time slot and the technician came on time. They asked what devices we wanted installed and looked at what we already had (e.g., sensors, smart devices) that could be integrated.
We got a smart lock for our front door, a camera for the front entrance, a smart light, 2 additional room sensors, a smoke detector connected to their monitoring services, and the central control panel. They were also able to integrate 3 door sensors and several other room sensors we previously had.
The technician was in around 9am, assessed, integrated, and installed everything, then gone by noon. Now I can’t promise you that all the techs will be as fantastic as this one, but he was so friendly, considerate, and professional, that I applaud TELUS for the quality service.
When everything was setup, the technician also showed us how to access and control all the security features with the TELUS SmartHome app and the Control Panel they provided.
Great Monitoring and Alerts
The monitoring settings are fantastic and allow you to customize various different factors:
- Recording length when detecting movement on camera
- Parts of the video feed that should be omitted from detection (e.g. cars in the background)
- Object type to trigger alerts (e.g., vehicle, person, animal)
You can customize your alert settings for the camera and sensors to notify you for the different events. What’s really great is that the camera feed can recognize if the movement is due to a vehicle, a person, or an animal, and you can specify which ones you’d like to be alerted for.
The alerts would appear on my smartphone and everyone else who set it up in the household. We could immediately know if someone had arrived at our door and watch a live feed or see a 30 second recorded video around the time they arrived. Additionally, it was useful for seeing when a package or food was delivered and we also saw a little surprise of various cats that we didn’t know who loved to hang out on our porch around midnight!
Incident Detection and Professional Response
TELUS provides 24/7 professional monitoring in case of fire, flooding, and break-ins. If any of these occur, TELUS will try to contact you and send the authorities to your house to investigate automatically if you don’t respond. All cameras will start recording (including a small camera on the control panel) to get as much evidence from the incident as possible.
If it’s a false alarm like after cooking a smoky dinner where the roast got a little too roasted, be sure your phone is nearby. Someone from TELUS will call you to check if everything’s ok before sending a fire truck. They can even “bypass” any further smoke alarms for an hour or two if you ask them for it.
Convenient SmartHome Features:
- Checking and locking your front door from anywhere
- Programming your entry room light to turn on automatically when you enter the house after sunset
- Silently activating your home security system from bed
- Turning off devices from anywhere using the smart plug that it’s connected to
Quality Customer Service
Whether it’s to get you started and setup or for adjusting your video feed and setting up some of your SmartHome features, TELUS provides excellent customer service and 24/7 technical support via phone, chat, and their online knowledge base.
Their videos are concise and clear, addressing the most common questions, and inquiries over chat (e.g., regarding billing in our case) have been extremely easy and quick where a real human responded.
Packages and Pricing
Depending on the number devices (e.g., cameras, sensors, smart devices) and the type of services you would like, TELUS SmartHome Security can be customized for your needs and to your budget. To make it easier, they currently offer 4 general packages for you to customize:
All packages include access to TELUS Online Security (powered by Norton) for internet security and a VPN service.
Monthly pricing will depend on the length of your contract. 3-5 year contracts generally get the best deals where current promos include free installation and free security kit bundles valued at around $1,400.
Bundle Home Security with Mobile and Internet for bigger savings
We were already happy with TELUS in our household, using it for mobile services. So it was an easy choice for us to go with TELUS for Home Security since we saved money on the service by bundling it together. Likewise, if you are currently using TELUS for either mobile, landline, internet, TV, or any other service, they can all bundle together for bigger savings.
Additionally, bundling all your home services with TELUS makes it easier than ever to manage your bills as it will all be under a single account while you benefit from the bundle savings.
TELUS SmartHome Security Conclusion: Worth it!
Ever since we got it set up, we’ve found so many instances where it has brought us peace of mind. From setting up the alarm or locking the doors remotely, to the immediate check-in call we receive whenever there is smoke in the house. With free installation and gear, the monthly price for the convenience and relief it has provided my household is well worth it!