Phare C1®
Phare Labs · China AI
Phare C1 is an AI smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that uses dual-wavelength sensing to catch real fires sooner and ignore cooking smoke.
About Phare C1®
What Is Phare C1
Phare C1 is a hardwired smoke alarm from Phare Labs, a UK company founded by Daniel and Arnau after one too many 3am false alarms. The pitch is narrow and easy to check: an alarm that goes off for fire and stays quiet for toast. It ships as three models. C1 Core covers smoke, fire and carbon monoxide. The standard C1 adds air quality, temperature, humidity and a motion-triggered path light. C1 Pro adds a radar sensor for intruder detection, loud noise detection and LTE-M cellular backup.
The hardware is a direct swap for an existing mains-powered alarm. A baseplate takes the place of the old mount, the unit runs on 100 to 240 VAC, and a self-recharging lithium-ion cell keeps it alive for seven days without mains power. A dual-wavelength photoelectric chamber feeds an AI model that looks at how smoke scatters light at two frequencies, which is how it separates a searing pan from a real fire. Phare says the alarm learns from its own sensor history and gets software upgrades over the air, which is what separates a smart smoke detector from a fixed-threshold one.
The limits matter as much as the features. There is no battery-only version yet, so renters and homes without mains wiring at the ceiling are out of scope for now. Sales run through the UK and US only, with UK orders quoted at six to eight weeks. Matter support is promised for winter 2026, and the API sits behind the paid Phare+ membership.
Getting Started
- Pick a ceiling spot near a bedroom or along an escape route, then fix the baseplate or the optional desktop stand and run the power cable.
- Connect mains wiring, and use the optional 9V interconnect wire if you want the alarm to trigger older units in the same loop.
- Install the Phare Protect app, pair the alarm over Bluetooth, then add your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.
- Name each room and set alert, path light and air quality preferences in the app.
- Run the manual test once, then leave it. Phare self-tests and reports status in the app, so there are no batteries to swap every year.
Product Information
A quick look at Phare C1®'s pricing, supported platforms, and performance.
Best for
The users, tasks, and scenarios where this tool fits best.
Users
- Homeowners replacing a mains-wired alarm
- Households that set off the alarm while cooking
- People who wanted a Nest Protect replacement
Tasks
- Getting a warning before the siren
- Silencing a nuisance alarm from bed
- Watching indoor air over time
Scenarios
- A whole-home swap for aging alarms
- A flat where the alarm is in the hallway
- A second home or rental you check remotely
Key features
Dual-wavelength smoke detection with an AI model
Two light frequencies read the same smoke sample and compare how particles scatter. Grease and steam tend to look different from the dense smoke of a smouldering fire, and the model uses that gap to decide whether to stay quiet. This is the core claim behind the Phare smoke alarm, and it is the feature worth testing during the 30-night return window.
Advance warnings before the siren
Instead of jumping straight to a 85 dB alarm, Phare pushes an alert to your phone when readings rise. You can look at the app, check the room and silence the unit if it is a pan of oil. When you are away, the same alert tells you something is happening at home before a neighbour calls.
Precision carbon monoxide measurement
The carbon monoxide alarm measures at 0.1 ppm resolution and reports exposure over time, not just a threshold trip. Low-level exposure shows up in the app as a trend, which helps in homes with a gas boiler, wood stove or attached garage. The alarm still sounds at unsafe levels without any subscription.
Air quality and climate tracking
The standard C1 carries temperature, humidity, bVOCe and eCO2 sensors. Readings are logged per room, so you can see whether a bedroom stays damp or a home office cooks in the afternoon. It is a useful second job for a device that already has a fixed spot on the ceiling.
Motion path light
A ambient light sensor and motion detection turn the unit into a soft night light when someone walks past after dark. Brightness and timing are set in the app. It is a small thing that matters at 3am, and one of the reasons former Nest Protect owners look at this model.
Hardwired install with a seven-day backup
The unit takes 100 to 240 VAC and keeps a self-recharging lithium-ion cell topped up. Lose mains power and it runs for seven days or more. Wired and wireless interconnect means several C1 units can sound as one system, and a 9V interconnect wire can bring older alarms along.
Over-the-air updates and Phare+ membership
Firmware and detection models arrive over Wi-Fi. Every alarm includes 12 months of Phare+ membership, which adds ongoing upgrades, a peace and quiet guarantee and, on the Pro tier, an extended warranty. After the first year the membership renews annually unless you cancel, and the alarm keeps working without it.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The dual-wavelength sensor targets the most common complaint about smoke alarms, and the 30-night refund puts real money behind the claim.
- Early warnings arrive in the app before the siren, which is more useful than a loud alarm you cannot interpret.
- Carbon monoxide reads at 0.1 ppm and trends over time, so slow leaks show up before they become an emergency.
- The rechargeable backup removes the yearly battery ritual and keeps protection running through a power cut.
- Air quality, humidity and a path light give the device a second job, which is rare for a ceiling alarm.
Cons
- Mains wiring is mandatory. There is no battery-only C1 yet, and Phare says one is not coming in 2026.
- Availability is limited to the UK and US, and UK orders currently quote six to eight weeks.
- The best software features and API access sit behind Phare+ once the included 12 months end.
- Matter support is still a promise for winter 2026, so Apple Home, Google Home and Home Assistant users have to wait for native integration.
Frequently asked questions
It reads smoke at two wavelengths and runs the signal through a trained model, so it can tell cooking particles from fire particles. That is the difference between fewer nuisance alarms and the same alarm you already ignore. It also measures carbon monoxide to 0.1 ppm and adds air quality sensors on the standard model.
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