My Airbnb didn’t have a carbon monoxide detector, so I bought this portable one — it’s down to $18 at Amazon

While we’re still setting goals for the new year, here’s an important one not to skip: ensuring our home is as safe as possible. That means carbon monoxide detectors on every floor — and they have to work! If you can’t remember the last time you replaced yours, it’s probably time for a new one. My recommendation? This highly rated Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector, which is portable enough to travel with. Plus, it’s marked down during Amazon’s Winter Sale.

Why is it a good deal?

You can’t put a price on safety, but $18 is extremely reasonable for a product that could save lives. This isn’t the absolute lowest price we’ve seen on this model, but it’s close to the best price we’ve seen in the past year.

Why do I need this?

True story: Because I’m a safety obsessive, I check every hotel room and Airbnb I stay in to see whether there’s a carbon monoxide detector. Recently, I was at an Airbnb that only had smoke detectors. So what did I do? I went out and bought the Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector.

It might seem a little extreme, but I’d rather err on the side of caution. Since this portable model is quite compact, I plan on keeping it in my suitcase juuust in case. After all, vacation is much more enjoyable with some peace of mind!

At under half a pound and 5 inches wide, the Kidde makes a smart travel mate, but it’s ideal for at-home use as well. It calls for two AA batteries (included) and can be mounted to a wall or placed on a table or other flat surface. To ensure it’s working, press the test button (it’s loud). The green light means it’s on, but a red light and beeping means you should go outside immediately.

This compact carbon monoxide detector comes with a 10-year limited manufacturer warranty, but you’ll want to make sure the batteries are always in working order. (Speaking of batteries, because it doesn’t plug into an outlet, it’ll keep working during power outages.)

What reviewers say

Nearly 24,000 Amazon customers are sleeping easier with the Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector.

“This product possibly saved my and the lives of my family,” shared one relieved shopper. “I decided to replace the ones I had mounted from several years ago; two weeks after and at 4 a.m., it began alerting near my boiler room. After having an army of plumbers come in, it was found that there was a CO leak from my old boiler that was not persistent, so it wasn’t at a level to set off my old alarm. It was explained that the issue was progressive and would have gotten worse, so the early alerting gave me an opportunity to address the problem before it got to a point where it could have caused real physical damage or possibly much worse.”

“We got this to take to Cozumel with us,” shared a savvy jetsetter. “It was very lightweight and easy to pack. I highly recommend taking one when traveling abroad. I don’t think you can ever be too safe.”

“A must-have!” exclaimed a final fan. “I like that you can either hook it up on a wall or you can leave it on a different surface.” Their one note? “I wish it had a plug-in option.” (Psst: I have this No. 1 bestselling plug-in model in my house, though it’s less travel-friendly.)

While we’re at it, need a new smoke detector?

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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