Is this New Security System Trustworthy and Worth the Cost?
Peter Piper Pumpkin Eater… Well, sort of. If you are thinking about buying the new Piper fasten your seat belt and get a hold of your wallet cause you’re going to need it. These new ‘all-in-one’ home security system devices are popping up everywhere. Cocoon, a similar all-in-one security device was launched recently in March 2016, and Canary security already does the same thing that Piper can. The one thing they boast about is no monthly fees but most of these companies including Nest try to sell you a monthly package for video data storage on their cloud.
Before going further here’s a look at the pros and cons of the Piper security:
The Good
- All in one device. Less clutter in home.
- Has some basic automation features but do not purchase for those reasons.
- Z wave compatible so many other sensors can connect to it to make it a full alarm system.
- Wireless, Do it yourself installation
- Instant alert to your smartphone when alarm is triggered.
- Good customer support including click-to-chat support.
The Not-So-Goods
It is a new device in the market and is going to need some time to prove itself. However, it is working and functional and being sold in big stores so you can rely on them.
- Does not call the police or any other authorities. If you miss the alert (travel, work, movie night out etc.) then the robber gets away free. If you want a DIY alarm system that is connected to local authorities (the point of an alarm system to us!) then check out these wireless systems.
- Need multiple all in one devices per home. At least 2, bigger homes may want 3-4. At $179+ a pop this can get pricey quick.
- New to market. Like Xfinity and other companies have learned, you can get some bad ratings quickly when you don’t have a perfected product.
- Doesn’t have night vision.
What it is and how it works
The Main Bundle. Great for apartment, condo or smaller home.
The all in one security system claims to be a:
- Siren
- Motion detector
- Smart security Camera
- Buy this package with free shipping here
It’s pretty cool how they designed it from the inside out. We suggest placing this in the area with the most foot traffic (living room, entry way). It is easy to connect with any smart phone and you can also monitor some of your homes lighting energy and habits from their app. Freebie tip: Download their app for free prior to buying to see if this is something you can control. Search for in app store ‘Piper Security’.
Here is a screenshot about how it all works including pet sensitivity.
For the full package that comes with extra sensors so you don’t have to buy multiple all-in-one sensors you can purchase it for $349.99 with Free Shipping.
Piper Camera Reviews
Salt and Pepper. You can choose from white or black. It has a great modern look and goes great in any room inside your home. This system costs more than the Canary all in one camera which is basically the same thing but it is made by iControl who has a longer history in the industry. It is Wifi and Z-Wave compatible and this one does have night vision. It has two way voice as well but without a monitoring company we don’t see the need for that.
You can buy it for $275 with Free Shipping by clicking here.
Wait, who? They are owned by iControl Network who is located in Redwood City, California.
How it all began… Like Cocoon, Piper was started on a fundraising platform and did so well that they are now selling it to customers. It is all fairly new to the market which usually means if you get it you also volunteer to be a test dummy for them.
Our verdict
So will this be the smart all in one security for you? This trend is definitely becoming more popular among the do-it-yourself lovers. We recommend having your alarm system monitored by professionals but this is a great alternative. The most important part when sleeping at night is that you have something that will sound off a siren so you know to get the gun or call the police. This will do the job of alerting for you, just make sure you have your smartphone close by!
If you have any experience or tested the Piper gadgets yourself please leave a review below.
>> Compare Piper Security to #1 Protect America Here <<
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Growing up with Law and Order and CSI shows taught Isabelle Landau one thing: if people back then had high-quality home security systems, those series would have been way shorter. In our modern world, technology helps us keep burglars away easily, and this is what Izzy studies and writes about: alarm systems, home security, protection systems, and more.
Taffeta Lace says
I bought this camera a few years ago to check in on my dogs (and their walker) while I was at work. It was OK — setting it up was quite annoying, and I wish it were smarter so it could detect the difference between my dogs moving around and a person entering a room.
I actually needed it for home security for some upcoming construction work on my home, and the stupid thing DIED. At first I thought it was the spare batteries — even though it was plugged in. Well, at least now I can upgrade to a much better camera, as I would NOT buy this camera again.
mike casey says
As a long term user and early adopter of this product, I can say that there are a lot of issues with these units. I have been using a pair for over 4 years. When they work, they are wonderful, when they don’t work (which is often) they can cause a real headache. Installed at your primary residence helps as they need to be manually rebooted often. I have my units at a cabin hours away. I have had issues with reliability since day one. After 3.5yrs of support through email, they have finally come to the conclusion that they are not compatible with Satellite internet due to the high latency. Unfortunately now that its past the 90day period since purchase, they will not take the units back even thought it took over 3.5 years to diagnose the issue. When the units go offline, they are unusable. For instance, if you have the piper set to turn on lights or external siren when it detects motion, it will do so, but if the unit does this and has lost connection with the network, you are unable to shut anything off, which results in a trip to the location to unplug the units, remove batteries and reset. I have had times where an external siren was on for over a week because I was unable to get to the location. What is almost worst is that the units are unusable even when you get to the location and get on the same network. Piper units NEED to be on the internet to function at all. End of the day, interesting product, but definitely not a security device. I have been reviewing many other products over the years and this is by far the least reliable. Save your money and invest in Arlo or abode.
David Johnson says
Piper sucks. I just need to video monitor my dog pens. One inside and one outside.I lose connection and then spend hours trying to reestablish connection. I can get one to work but can get a second camera to work is impossible. Don’t try to call in because their voice recording says there are too many callers. I can’t imagine why. Such a waste of time and money. This is going into the trash.
Jason says
I don’t think this is worth the purchase, no night vision and it doesn’t call the authorities! These are big features that I consider important so maybe it’s worth it for others but my personal take is it’s something I would not utilize. I can see some reviews here sharing their bad experience, so yeah. It’s a no from me.
Skip Middleton says
Totally agree – customer service is either just weak enough or smart enough to keep you working until the warranty runs out – I bought 3 units during their fundraising and used one in my office – then finally plugged in the other two at home, NONE worked – Just take a match and light $300 and you’ll get more satisfaction – this company is WEAK and the product is POOR – and their Customer Service SUCKS.
Jaycee says
Piper will be irrelevant soon enough. Came in with hype with their fundraising but there’s no benefits in going with this low quality cam over a monitored system. If you are trying to cut costs then go with the SmartThings (or any DIY monitored system) but don’t count on this ‘all in one’ magic camera working as it’s hyped up to be. Not to mention you need to buy 5 to cover a home which comes out to be $1000, more than most monitored companies.
Jack Ludlow says
Piper is a waste of money – Have 3 piper cameras in my vacation home. On a power and/or network glitch, the camera loses its connection and gets stuck in a yellow blinking light state and does not automatically recover. It needs to be manually powered cycle by removing the batteries and unplugging the power cord before in order to bring it back up to the working state. The bug has been around for a while but the company is not interested in fixing it.
RFL says
This is a huge problem, I wish they would fix it, everything else is just fine for me.
Jerry DuVall says
I bought thr Piper and it worked for a week or two. Cannot get them to replace it. You could say I just wasted $200 and back to looking for the right alternative.
Jonathan Wogan says
I bought 4 Piper units in January last year. I started using them in April or May of last year. The first unit stopped working towards the end of last year and now 3 of the 4 units have all stopped working. They will work on battery power only but will not work via the power cords. From my experience, the shelf life of the hardware is from 9-16 months. That’s far from acceptable when the warranty is only 12 months. I would strongly advise not to buy these until they offer a longer warranty.
ciaran cronin says
Piper was my biggest waste of money this year. What a crap product and crap customer support. DON’T BUY THIS CAMERA!
Giles Benson says
My Piper lost Internet connection and will not reconnect. It has become a useless device. I was a a vocal supporter of this product but their customer support just shifts the blame to you and others for their product failure. I now rate this product very unfavorable. Use a different product reviewed on this site for home security.
Steve Salkeld says
Just bought a Piper with door sensors. We have had a false alarm every time we Arm it!!!! Trying to return is even more complex. Beware!!
Jason Delli says
I have been debating on getting this for some time and you just confirmed it for me that they do not support police alerts. I am fine with that when I am close to home but I need something more solid when I am out of town. Thanks for the information!