Water plays an essential role in our homes, but it can also wreak havoc. Burst pipes, leaky toilets and misbehaving appliances can dampen your day. Water leak detectors help reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly so you can act to prevent severe damage.
The longer a leak goes undetected, the more damage it does, destroying furniture and decorations, spawning mould and fungi, and even threatening structural integrity. Around one in 60 insured homeowners file a claim related to water damage or freezing every year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the average cost of property damage is about £15,000.
Insurers love them, so before you go shopping, it's worth checking with yours to see what they offer or recommend. We've tested many smart leak detectors over the past few years, and these are our favorites: Moen, Phyn and TP-Link.
The Shelly Flood Gen 4 has support for the Matter smart home system and impressive connectivity via Zigbee, Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi. Each IP44-rated unit requires four AA batteries (included) and you stick or screw it to the wall (so there's no risk of the unit being submerged). While I had some issues when I first tested, with it failing to alert in the Google Home app, these seem to have been resolved.
The Phyn Smart Water Sensor is a reliable choice. With features very similar to our top pick, the Phyn Smart Water Sensor proved consistent in my testing and quickly alerted me to water. However, setup was annoying; I had to reload and re-enter all my information because the app was flaky. The sensor also tracks temperature and humidity, with charts displayed in the app, and you can set alert triggers at certain thresholds.
The TP-Link Tapo T300 Water Leak Detector is a solid option for those who want a straightforward device that swiftly detects water dripping on top or pooling beneath. Alerts came through reliably to my phone as push notifications within one to two seconds. The alarm is fairly loud (90 decibels), though you can reduce the volume in the app or even mute it.
