Safe Haven Home Security Review 2024: Pricing, Pros and Cons

Our take: Safe Haven’s monthly fees are pricey compared to other professionally installed systems, but the cost does include equipment. There are several non-obvious fees, such as for cancellation and for repairs, and the company’s pricing isn’t as available online as we would like.

In part due to its pricing and contract structure, Safe Haven isn't one of our top-rated systems, but it’s a good option for customers looking for a professionally installed and monitored system with minimal up-front costs.

How does Safe Haven work?

To purchase a home security system through Safe Haven, you can visit the Safe Haven website and call the number listed or fill out a contact request form. From there, a Safe Haven representative will contact you and explain your installation options.

They’ll set up an appointment time to come to your home and install the equipment, review the contract and show you how to use the control panel and app.

Safe Haven only uses ADT professional monitoring, meaning that in an alarm event, an ADT monitoring center will review the trigger or camera footage and contact emergency services for you if you don’t respond.

How much does Safe Haven cost?

Safe Haven offers five packages for residential customers (packages differ for businesses) with an installation fee and monthly monitoring fee.

• All packages are professionally installed and require a three-year monitoring contract (two in California).

• All packages have a hub, three door sensors and a motion sensor.

• All packages, except the “Traditional” package, come with an additional equipment voucher that covers an unspecified quantity of devices. Adding certain equipment may change your package, though, a Safe Haven representative told NerdWallet in an email. For example, adding cameras requires a "Video Lite" or "Video and Home Automation" package, with a higher installation and monthly fee to match.

According to the Safe Haven website, the company charges an $85 service fee per visit for additional assistance or repairs.

Our experience with Safe Haven

We tried out Safe Haven’s Remote package, which includes a control panel/hub, three door sensors and a motion sensor, all of which can be controlled remotely. You can manage the alarm system on the panel, mobile app or desktop.

What we liked

Personalized installation

Safe Haven’s installers will consult with you on the ideal device placement tailored to your home. They can place motion sensors higher up if you have pets, for example, or prioritize high-traffic areas.

You’ll also have the option to have the installer either hardwire a control panel into the wall or use a plug-in control hub with a built-in speaker. We were also able to request that the installer use double-sided adhesive to place the motion sensor instead of drilling.

Safe Haven also allows you to set your own professional monitoring test period. Some other providers have a built-in three-day test period, for example, where you can test and trigger alarms without contacting the professional monitoring center and alerting emergency services. We requested a two-week test time and were told that we could call anytime to make the monitoring services go “live.”

Customizable features and automation

There are quite a few customization options on the app. These are our favorites:

• Add temporary and permanent users. We were able to add unlimited PIN codes to access the alarm system. You can set PIN codes for permanent secondary users, such as a family member, and you can create unique duress codes that let you disarm the system but still alert emergency services. We could also add unique PIN codes for temporary users with recurring schedules, such as a weekly dog walker.

• Differentiate between types of motion. We didn’t try cameras with Safe Haven, but our installer explained that users can adjust the camera sensitivity and alerts to receive notifications for people, cars, animals and other motion.

• Bypass sensors. Some security systems allow you to group devices into “zones” to turn some off at the same time. Safe Haven’s setup doesn’t exactly do this, but it does allow you to select sensors to “bypass” even when the system is armed. This could be helpful if you want to have the alarm on but also want to open just one door to let the dog in every couple of hours, for example.

Z-wave compatibility

The equipment that Safe Haven offers (Qolsys and Alarm.com) and the control apps are compatible with Z-wave devices, which you can connect to in the app settings. Z-wave devices include thermostats, smart locks and other smart home devices.

According to Safe Haven, the systems are also compatible with Alexa for voice commands, but not Google Home or Assistant.

What we didn’t like

Minimal pricing information available

There’s no clear pricing information available on the Safe Haven website; you’ll need to contact a representative directly. The company gave us the pricing information we're sharing in this review, but it's unclear whether everybody gets this price.

The company does make some secondary pricing information, such as the repair service fee, available on the Safe Haven website.

Multiple apps and equipment brands

A Safe Haven security system can include Qolsys sensors, Alarm.com cameras and ADT monitoring services controlled by either the ADT Control app, the Alarm.com app or both (you can also use the desktop version). For us, this combination was complicated, especially during setup.

Our installer sent me an email to set up the account online, so I clicked the link on my computer to create a password and input my property details on the ADT Control website. I then tried to switch to my phone to continue using the mobile app, but the link was for one-time use only, so I had to finish the setup on my computer.

I could then download the Alarm.com app and log in with the same information, though I had to click through the pages I had already filled out before I could enter the app. The installer told me that I can control the system through the ADT Control app or the Alarm.com app but that Safe Haven directs customers to use the Alarm.com app because it’s more user-friendly.

Bluetooth issues

Our system allowed us to connect a phone to the control panel via Bluetooth, which uses location services to disarm the system when the phone comes within 30 feet of the home. Essentially, it’s like the system unlocking the doors for you when you pull into the driveway after being away. You can also set up the system to alert you if you leave your property without arming it.

However, the installer and I had trouble connecting my phone to the panel. It took a couple of tries, and then after the installer left, I was unable to play audio off my phone because it was connected to the panel’s speaker. This felt inconvenient, as I would have liked to use the location feature, but having to reconnect to Bluetooth every time defeated the purpose for me.

Alternatives to Safe Haven

If you’re looking for another professionally installed and monitored system, Vivint offers a highly-rated alternative.

ADT also offers professional installation and monitoring services directly if you’d prefer not to go through an authorized dealer.

For a self-installed system with optional professional monitoring, SimpliSafe is our top pick.

Read more NerdWallet home security reviews based on firsthand testing:

Methodology