Sep 19, 2023 10:00 AM

The 6 Best Water Leak Detectors for Your Home

Don’t let busted pipes or an overflowing washing machine dampen your day. These WIRED-tested smart water sensors can help you catch problems quicker.

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YoLink Water Sensor Hub next to smartphone

4 / 9

Water plays an essential role in our homes, but it can also wreak havoc. Burst pipes, leaky toilets, and misbehaving appliances can really dampen your day. Around one in 50 insured homes files a claim related to water damage or freezing every year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the average cost of the property damage is about $11,000. The longer a leak goes undetected, the more damage it does, destroying furniture and decorations, spawning mold and fungi, and even threatening structural integrity.

A water leak detector can reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly so you can act to prevent severe damage. We’ve tested many over the past few years, and these are the smart water leak detectors we recommend. Insurers love them, so before you go shopping, it’s worth checking with yours to see what they offer or recommend and whether installing a leak sensor can reduce your premiums.

Updated September 2023: We added detectors from AiDot and Aqara, and updated prices.

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Photograph: Moen
Best for Most People
Moen Smart Water Detector
Shaped like a drop of water, this versatile device alerts you within seconds of detecting a leak and offers compelling extras like temperature tracking at an affordable price. It was a breeze to set up via the app (Android or iOS) and swift and consistent in my testing, firing off a push notification by phone, email, and text message every time it detected water. (You can configure the alerts.) It also sounds an alarm and flashes a red LED. The device has three metal feet to detect water, but you can mount it and attach the included wired disc sensor instead. Moen also offers a 6-foot leak-sensing cable ($22) that can detect water along its entire length, and you can potentially chain together up to three of these to cover a larger area.
The Moen Smart Water Detector provides temperature and humidity readings in the app and tracks both over the previous 24 hours or seven days. You can set thresholds of temperature or humidity to trigger warnings. You can also reset alarms from the app, which is a nice touch, as it’s not pleasant fumbling to press a button on a detector in a hard-to-reach spot. On the downside, the alarms are relatively quiet compared to other detectors. The device also requires a single CR123A battery, though you get one in the box, and it has no real smart home integration.
★ Upgrade option: The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff (from $500) can detect leaks in your plumbing and automatically shut off the water supply to prevent serious damage. It also tracks your water usage, flow rate, pressure, and more, giving you stats in the app. We haven’t tested it, but it could provide greater peace of mind. It requires professional installation on top of the high price, making it way too expensive for most folks.
$50 at Amazon (1-Pack)
$110 at Amazon (3-Pack)
Photograph: Phyn
Runner-Up
Phyn Smart Water Sensor
With a set of features very similar to our top pick, the Phyn Smart Water Sensor proved reliable, alerting me to water quickly with piercing beeps, a text message, and a push notification. Unfortunately, the setup was annoying; I had to reload and reenter all my information because the app was flaky. The chunky disc design has three metal feet, and there’s an LED that flashes red when it detects a leak. You can add an Extension Node ($10) (a wired disc that plugs in) or a Water Sensor Cable ($27) (a 4-foot cable that can detect water along its length—you can daisy-chain up to three)—but neither comes in the box.
The Phyn Smart Water Sensor also tracks temperature and humidity, with charts displayed in the app, and you can set alert triggers at certain thresholds. It wasn’t as swift as our top pick, but it was consistent in my testing. It takes two AA batteries (provided). Sadly, you have to press the button on the device to stop the alarm—an in-app option would be better. It’s also relatively large (the size of a hockey puck) compared to other detectors I tested, limiting your placement options. And once again, there’s no real smart home integration.
★ Upgrade option: The Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant + Shutoff (from $579) tracks water performance in your plumbing system and includes an automatic water shutoff to prevent damage when there’s a leak. It also requires professional installation, so it’s a pricey option. We have not tested this system.
$40 at Best Buy
$40 at B&H Photo
Photograph: YoLink
Best for Large Properties
YoLink Water Sensor and Hub Kit
From the simple setup to the swift and reliable alerts, YoLink’s water leak sensors impressed. Simply scan the QR code on each device and press a button to add it to the app. There are three types of sensors: The first detects water dripping onto or rising beneath it, the second comes with a cord that detects water along the length, and the third has water-sensing electrodes on the tip, making it suitable for monitoring the water level in a tank.
All three came with two AAA batteries installed and detected water swiftly and reliably in my testing while sending notifications to my phone. YoLink’s sensors use the long-range (up to a quarter of a mile) and low-power LoRa standard, and they don’t need a Wi-Fi signal, as they link directly to a hub. The hub connects to your router, ideally via the Ethernet cable provided, and must be plugged in to an outlet. The starter kit we are linking here includes the hub and four Water Leak Sensor 1 units.
The sensors detect any water immediately, alerts come through as a notification on your phone, and the sensor flashes red. But there’s no sound from the Water Leak Sensor 1 or the standard hub. The Water Leak Sensor 2 and 3 ($24 each) have an inbuilt sounder, and you can buy a SpeakerHub ($25) or a wireless Smart Siren ($25) that goes up to 110 decibels. The straightforward app also allows you to set up customized alarm strategies and automation (YoLink offers a wide range of sensor types beyond water detection, and the ecosystem works with IFTTT and Alexa). While it may take a few devices and some tinkering to get things the way you want, YoLink’s system is affordable, versatile, and reliable, and LoRa is ideal for larger properties with Wi-Fi issues.
★ Upgrade option: The YoLink Smart Valve Controller ($120) is a relatively affordable automatic shutoff, and you can link the sensor directly so an alert triggers it without needing Wi-Fi. YoLink also offers other shutoff systems, but I haven’t been able to test any of them.
$80 at Amazon
Photograph: Govee
Best Budget
Govee Wi-Fi Water Sensor
If you want to stretch your money, you can get a three-pack of Govee Wi-Fi Water Sensors for the same price as a single one of our two top picks. These are quick and easy to install, and they send alerts as push notifications and emails. They also boast one of the loudest sirens I tested (100 decibels). Mercifully, you can shut off the ear-splitting sound from the app. The sensors are quite small, and they offer drip detection on top and metal feet for leak detection underneath, but there’s no option to add a disc or cable.
The Govee Wi-Fi Water Sensors only detect water, but they are effective. I found alerts triggered within a few seconds, and there’s no way you won’t hear the siren. The app is basic but works well and displays alert history. Unfortunately, these sensors require a Govee Wi-Fi hub (included in the box), which takes up a power outlet (and may block an adjacent outlet), and each sensor takes two AA batteries (also provided). One concern with these sensors is that I failed to receive alerts when my phone was connected to mobile data rather than Wi-Fi, though the email did come through. There’s also no smart home integration. You can add additional individual sensors at $13 each or buy five for $50.
$55 at Amazon

Photograph: Amazon
Affordable Alternative
AiDot Winees Water Leak Detector S1 Plus
Connect the plug-in hub to your 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi and place the three circular detectors in likely leak spots, and you are all set. You can pair up to 10 detectors with the hub and configure it to send emails and SMS messages on top of app notifications when there’s a leak. The probes on the underside of each detector are quite far apart, and it takes 2 millimeters of water before the alarm is triggered. It failed to go off with a steady drip on top, but the alarm sounded as soon as water pooled underneath. The alarm goes up to 100 decibels, but I like that you can tweak the volume and duration for alarms. You can cancel alarms through the app or by pressing the buttons on the hub.
These detectors take CR2 batteries that are good for up to a year, and there’s an indication in the app when they die. When I removed a battery from one of them, it took the app a few hours to update and show it as offline. One last downside is that the hub is circular, so it may block adjacent outlets. Support for IFTTT is a potentially handy extra that could trigger a water shut off or a light to flash red when a leak is detected.
$60 at Amazon (3-Pack)
$51 at AiDot
Photograph: Eve
Best for Apple HomeKit
Eve Water Guard
With HomeKit support, this is a good choice for iPhone owners with a home hub (an Apple TV or HomePod). HomeKit is also ideal if you have privacy concerns because you can be certain no data will be shared with third parties. There is an Eve app, but you can also view the Water Guard and set notifications directly through the Apple Home app. It plugs directly into an outlet and has a 6.5-foot cable that senses any water and immediately alerts you on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, wherever you are, provided you have a working home hub. It also flashes red and has a 100-decibel siren. You can review alarm history, test or mute alarms, and update device firmware in the Eve app.
The Eve Water Guard only detects water, but the sensing cable worked well in my testing, triggering quick alerts and covering a large area. It needs a power outlet, which also limits your placement options, but you never need to worry about battery life. The obvious drawbacks are the complete lack of support for Android, the fact that you need a home hub for remote alerts and management, and the relatively high price. But if you already have a HomeKit setup, this is a solid pick. You can also add 6.5-foot sensing cable extensions ($20 each) up to a total length of 500 feet.
$100 at Amazon
Photograph: Aqara
Other Leak Detectors We Like
Some Alternatives
Aqara Water Leak Sensor for $19: This Zigbee sensor is best used with Apple’s HomeKit, and you need an Aqara hub (sold separately). The company makes a good security camera that doubles as a hub and offers a full range of smart home sensors. These small circular water leak sensors are very low to the ground, so just 0.5 mm of water underneath is enough to trigger an alarm. Dripping on top won’t set them off, but an iPhone notification is triggered as soon as water pools beneath where the probes are. You can also have your connected hub play an alarm and trigger automations through HomeKit. The sensors take CR2 batteries and can last up to two years.
Stitch by Monoprice Water Leak Sensor for $14: This affordable water leak detector has a design that’s similar to our top pick. The main body is round, with metal feet to detect water pooling, and it slots into a bracket for wall-mounting. It comes with a coin-sized plug-in extension that stretches up to 3.8 feet. Both the main detector and extension were quick to sound the alarm and send notifications to my phone when wet (though the on-device alarm is not very loud). It takes a single CR2 battery, displays remaining power in the app, and alerts you when it’s time to change batteries. Unfortunately, the app is basic and poorly translated, you have to dry the detector to stop the alarm, and it took too long to warn me when it went offline (weirdly, the offline detector is toggled off by default in the app settings, so I had to switch it on). You can get this a bit cheaper by buying direct from Monoprice.

Photograph: Swann
Leak Detectors We Dislike
You Can Do Better
We did not have a great experience with every water leak detector we tested.
Wasserstein Smart Temperature, Humidity and Water Sensor for $35: This is great value, but I only got it working by switching to the iPhone app after multiple failed attempts to connect with the Android app. Once added via iPhone, the sensor appeared in the Android app too. But the device made a barely perceptible continuous scratching sound and seemed to disconnect from Wi-Fi quite frequently. Some users have reported similar Wi-Fi issues in online reviews. It’s a shame because this affordable sensor, which takes two AA batteries, was one of the fastest to alert when wet, with a loud siren sound and instant notifications to both apps. It can also track temperature and humidity.
Swann Leak Alert Sensor for $25: While this battery-powered water detector (two AAAs) is affordable, I had a terrible time setting it up. Your phone must be on 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, but even then it took me multiple attempts to connect. Frustratingly, you must remove the screw panel to reset it because there’s no option in the app. Alerts came through to my phone around a minute after I soaked the sensor, but the Swann app is slow and clunky.
Photograph: Patrick Strattner/Getty Images
What to Consider
How to Choose a Smart Water Leak Detector
Here's what you need to think about when you shop for smart leak detectors and install them in your home.
Placement and Sensors: Unless you have a single problem spot or appliance you want to monitor, you will likely need multiple leak detectors. Most have cables with sensors on the end, some have water-sensing cords, and others are self-contained. You also have the option of extension nodes with some detectors. Think about the areas you want to cover when considering what kind of detector would work best for you and how many of them you need.
Alerts: All the smart water leak detectors we tested send push notifications when there’s a leak, but some also send emails and texts. Most have some kind of built-in alarm sound, but some offer separate sirens or can be configured to send alerts through smart speakers or other devices. It’s worth checking whether your pick supports disconnection alerts to warn you when the connection is lost, which may happen if power or Wi-Fi goes out.
Power: Most detectors are battery-powered, but you can get some that plug directly into outlets. You can set and forget plug-in detectors, but batteries give you more flexibility with placement, and the companion app will typically warn you when the batteries need to be changed.
Wi-Fi Access: Most smart water leak detectors connect directly to your Wi-Fi router or a hub, so make sure that you have a decent signal wherever you are installing them. Most of the devices we tested only connect to Wi-Fi on the 2.4-GHz band. Remember that they need internet access to alert you to any leaks or problems when you are away from home. If your internet goes down, they will simply act as local alarms.
Smart Home Integration: While companion apps and mobile notifications are typical, some detectors support smart home standards, which allows you to access detectors in your chosen smart home app and set up triggers or automation. For example, you could set a water alert to flash your smart lights or select a temperature that triggers heating or air conditioning to turn on.
Automatic Water Shut-Off: With some high-end systems, you can install a water-monitoring device with an automatic shutoff function, enabling any leak detection to shut off your water supply. But these systems are usually expensive and may require professional installation.
Temperature and Humidity Monitoring: Some smart water-leak detectors can also monitor the temperature and humidity, potentially alerting you to the danger of frozen pipes or damp environments that could indicate a leak nearby. You can generally review the temperature and humidity over time so you can immediately spot any notable changes that need investigation. With smart home automation, you can also trigger heating or fans at certain levels to reduce the risk of damage.

Simon Hill has been writing about tech for more than a decade. He is a regular contributor to WIRED, but you can also find his work at Business Insider, Reviewed, TechRadar, Android Authority, USA Today, Digital Trends, and many other places. Before writing, he worked in games development. He lives... Read more

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