Don't Buy this smoke alarm – it failed to detect smoke in four of our eight fire tests.

When set the task of detecting smoke this alarm failed to detect the danger and sound the alarm on six out of eight occasions. It’s one of the most unresponsive and potentially dangerous smoke alarms we’ve seen and in our tests, we found it unable to reliably detect smoke and that’s why we’ve made it a Don’t Buy.

DigooDG-SA01

Smoke alarm
Battery

£9Typical price

Test score

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This is a dangerously unresponsive smoke alarm and we urge you to not buy it. Listed with the brand name Digoo on various websites, it failed to sound in many of our smoke-detection tests. In your home the consequences of such poor smoke detection don’t bear thinking about, so don’t be tempted by the low prices you might see it selling for on online marketplaces. It doesn’t detect smoke reliably and we’ve made it a Don’t Buy.

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KEY TEST RESULTS
Wood fires
Cotton fires
Sound output

Nov 2021Last checked by Which?
Nov 2021First reviewed by Which?
Mar 2020Released

The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.

How we test smoke alarms and heat alarms

27 Feb 2024

Wood fires

How we test wood fires

We measure the amount and thickness of wood smoke from a smouldering fire that is required to trigger the alarm. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

Wood fires

How we test wood fires

Cotton fires

How we test cotton fires

We measure the amount and thickness of cotton smoke from a smouldering fire that is required to trigger the alarm. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

Cotton fires

How we test cotton fires

Plastics fires

How we test plastics fires

We measure the amount and thickness of smoke from a plastics fire that is required to trigger the alarm. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

Plastics fires

How we test plastics fires

Solvent fires

How we test solvent fires

We measure the amount and thickness of smoke from a solvents fire that's required to trigger the alarm. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

Solvent fires

How we test solvent fires

Sound output

How we test sound output

Sound output is based on decibel levels, measured in a fully soundproofed chamber. Three stars or above are louder than 85dB – the equivalent of a lawn mower. Ones rated two stars or below should probably be avoided by those with poor hearing. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

Ease of use

How we test ease of use

Ease of use includes clarity of instructions including installation and maintenance, how simple it is to insert and replace the battery, use the hush button and any interconnectivity features. This test isn't carried out for heat alarms, which are tested to a different programme. Only applicable to smoke alarms.

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How to place and maintain smoke alarms
Buying a smoke alarm isn't enough when it comes to fire safety – you need to buy the right one for your home and position it correctly. Find out how.
How we test smoke alarms and heat alarms
To uncover the Best Buy smoke alarms that you can trust, we put every smoke alarm we review to the test against four different types of fire. And for heat alarms - which detect rapid temperature rises - we run five heat detection tests to check how well they work.
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Which smoke alarm should you buy - ionisation, optical or heat alarm? Find out how to choose the best smoke alarm for your home.

All smoke alarm advice

General
Type	Smoke alarm
Power source	Battery
Cotton fire response time (Smoke alarms only)
Plastics fire response time (Smoke alarms only)

DigooDG-SA01

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pros

cons

How we test smoke alarms and heat alarms

Wood fires

Wood fires

Cotton fires

Cotton fires

Plastics fires

Plastics fires

Solvent fires

Solvent fires

Sound output

Ease of use

How this product's score compares with other smoke alarms we've tested

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FireAngel

Nest

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DigooDG-SA01

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cons

Test results

Specifications

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