Guide
Glass Break vs Window Sensors: Which Does a Home Need?
Most homes need both, in different rooms: window sensors on the ground-floor windows that open, because opening a window is the common way in, and one glass break sensor in each room with 3 or more windows or a sliding glass door, because a smashed pane never trips a contact sensor. With Vivint a window sensor costs $50 and a glass break sensor $100, so a room with 3 windows costs about the same either way. This guide gives the verdict, how each detects, the rooms that need glass break, and the cost.
Updated by thevivint.com, an independent Vivint Authorized Dealer.
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Which Is Better?
Neither replaces the other: a window sensor detects the window opening and a glass break sensor detects the glass breaking, so the better choice depends on the room; bedrooms with 1 or 2 windows take contact sensors, and living rooms with a wall of glass take one glass break sensor.
How Each One Detects
The 2 sensors use different methods and arm differently.
| Attribute | Window (contact) sensor | Glass break sensor |
|---|---|---|
| Detects | The window opening | The sound of glass breaking |
| Range | One window | 20 ft radius at high sensitivity, 360° |
| Armed in | Stay and Away | Stay and Away |
| Entry delay | None; windows trip instantly | None; trips instantly |
| Misses | A pane smashed without opening the window | A window opened quietly |
| Vivint price | $50 | $100 |
| Battery | 1 CR2032, about 5 years | 2 CR123A, 3 to 5 years |
Rooms That Need a Glass Break Sensor
3 kinds of room need a glass break sensor: a living or family room with 3 or more windows, any room with a sliding glass door, and a ground-floor room whose windows face away from the street; a bedroom with 1 or 2 windows does not.
The glass break sensor page has placement rules; mount it within 20 feet of the glass with a clear line of sight.
What Each Approach Costs
Count the windows: 3 contact sensors cost $150, 1 glass break sensor $100, so the crossover is 2 windows; a typical house with 8 windows to cover and 1 picture-window room pays about $500 for the pair.
The sensor count guide sizes the whole house, and the price builder totals it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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