The toughest security gear for your house, the best ways to avoid slips and falls, and the smartest financial moves—we’ve got everything you need for peace of mind
“There is a time for daring and there is a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.” That famous line from the 1989 movie “Dead Poets Society” rings true in many ways.
Taking a bit of a chance can be exhilarating, like heading off on a bike tour in France when you’ve never done so before or signing up for an improv theater class for the first time. But when it comes to doing daily tasks in your home, looking after your health, managing your finances, and driving your car, you may not enjoy taking chances.
Fortunately, some simple steps and inventive tools are making it easier than ever to avoid potential hazards like falls, fires, home break-ins, money scams, and auto crashes. We reached out to experts for their best stay-secure advice and gathered some of Consumer Reports’ top-rated safety products along with others that CR staff found especially useful. Read on for great ideas that can put you at ease in every area of your life.
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Secure Your Home
There’s good news on the homefront. Crime gets a lot of play in headlines, but the truth is that burglaries are way down—they dropped by 38 percent between 2019 and 2024, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Improvements in home security devices may be helping to deter thieves. Here you’ll find effective crime prevention tools and advice on using them for maximum effect.
Choose the right lock. All exterior doors should have deadbolts with reinforcement plates around the cylinder secured with long screws—to help prevent kick-ins—like the Kwikset below. Or consider a smart deadbolt lock, which lets you open the door via a smartphone app.
Protect windows and doors. Lock all windows on the ground floor and install deadbolt locks on sliding-glass doors. You might also want to add sensors to first-floor windows and all glass doors. Some emit a sound; others, like the one below, alert you to an open door or window via a phone app.
Swann Wi-Fi Window/Door Alert Sensor,* $20
Brighten outside areas. Motion-activated outdoor lights turn on if anyone approaches your home or enters your yard after dark. Install these at all access points, including side doors, sunrooms, and your garage, says Timothy Dimoff, founder and president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services in Akron, Ohio. Some security cameras, like this Blink model, have such lights.
Know who’s knocking. A video doorbell like the one below lets you see, hear, and talk to anyone at your door via a smartphone, tablet, or smart display on a product like the Google Nest Hub even when you’re away. Concerned about porch pirates? Some video doorbells have package detection and alerts for arrivals.
Pretend someone’s home. Light timers—small devices that automatically turn on lights at specific hours—are more convenient than ever to set up. Just plug WiFi-connected timers into outlets, then plug in lamps. You can control them when you’re far from home, too. An inexpensive timer that’s simple to set up, like the Defiant 24-Hour Indoor Plug-In Basic Mechanical Timer*, $7, can also do the job, says Daniel Wroclawski, a senior home and appliances writer at CR.
Consider a security system. These multidevice packages, which may include security cameras and entry and motion sensors, are a smart investment, Dimoff says. With a subscription system, an alarm company monitors your home and can dispatch emergency services. (SimpliSafe, which performed well in our member satisfaction survey, starts at $1.06 per day for monitoring.) Without a subscription plan, you manage alerts via an app.
SimpliSafe 6-Piece Starter Pack,* starting at $280
More Tips for Securing Your Home
- Keep your shrubs trimmed to make it harder for a would-be intruder to hide.
- Close blinds and curtains when possible so that no one can see into your home.
- Security cameras should be 8 to 10 feet off the ground, so they’re harder to tamper with.
- Unplug the garage opener (or use a vacation lock) before leaving town. That way, a criminal can’t access it remotely and gain entry.
Avoid Kitchen Hazards
Who hasn’t touched a hot pan while frying or cut themselves while chopping a pile of veggies? Sidestep those and other food-prep accidents—including potentially serious events like kitchen fires—with some low-tech gadgets and ideas.
Don’t get burned. Turn pot handles toward the center of the stovetop so that you can’t bump one and spill its scalding contents. Protect your hands by using silicone handle covers or opting for pans with handles that always stay cool, as this one did in our tests.
Install a smoke detector. Place it right outside (not inside) your kitchen so that it doesn’t go off every time you cook. Consider a device that can also detect odorless, colorless carbon monoxide.
Pick a good fire extinguisher. For home use, CR’s pros recommend an ABC dry chemical/powder extinguisher, which can work on grease, wood, and electric fires. Make sure it’s certified by UL Solutions, CSA, FM Approvals, or ETL.
Kidde FA110G Multipurpose Fire Extinguisher,* $55 for a 2-pack
Clean your oven right. You may worry that your oven’s self-cleaning cycle could cause a fire. But according to UL Solutions—which tests and certifies products—“We have not observed safety problems with an oven’s self-cleaning function.” Still, it’s wise to take these steps: Remove crumbs and any food residue from your oven before you turn self-clean on, keep a window open, and never leave home while the cycle is running. Also, before using oven cleaner, confirm that your oven’s manufacturer says it’s safe.
Chop with care. A good chef’s knife with a comfortable grip, such as the CR-evaluated Henckels Premio 8″ Chef’s Knife*, $70, makes cutting all sorts of foods far easier, says Paul Hope, a deputy editor at CR and a trained chef. For safety, always begin with the knife close to your body and move it out as you slice or chop.
Stabilize cutting boards. If they move as you slice and dice, your knife could slip and cut you. A damp paper towel under the board helps keep it in place. The Farberware Nonslip Bamboo Cutting Board*, $17, has slip-resistant corners.
Sharpen knives regularly. If you’re unsure whether a knife needs sharpening, hold a piece of paper in one hand and try to slice it from top to bottom. A sharp knife will cut it cleanly. The sharpener below was an editor’s choice in a CR evaluation.
Chef’s Choice Model 15XV 3-Stage Professional Electric Knife Sharpener,* $180
More Tips for Avoiding Kitchen Hazards
- Sharp knives are safer than dull ones. Hand-washing helps keep them sharper longer.
- If a small fire erupts in a pan, smother it with a lid or baking sheet.
- Fire-resistant cloth oven mitts may be easier to grip with than those made of silicone.
Smart Refrigerator Storage
We all want food to taste good and be good for us, too. The right organizing steps, cleaning strategies, and cost-effective products can help ensure that the contents of your refrigerator stay as fresh as possible.
Prevent Falls
Some of the things that make your home feel cozy—throw rugs, polished wood steps, soft lighting—can also trip you up, especially if your eyes and balance aren’t what they used to be. But making a few little changes can keep you on solid footing, without sacrificing style.
Optimize your bed height. Ideally, your feet should be flat on the ground when you’re sitting at the edge of your bed—that gives you better stability for standing up. If your mattress is thick and high, a sturdy step stool with handles can help you get into and out of bed more safely. Some, like the one below, have a motion-activated light to help you see better in the dark.
Step2bed Step Stool,* $212
Replace old carpeting. Over time, carpets can bunch up in spots, increasing your chance of tripping. Check your carpeting periodically for wrinkles and wear. It’s also wise to ditch small throw rugs, which can slide and cause you to slip and fall.
Pick nonslip footwear. For optimal stability on uncarpeted floors, socks alone simply won’t cut it, according to Louis Papa, MD, a primary care physician at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Have a pair of well-fitting shoes reserved for use at home or slippers with a rubber sole that fully encase your feet, like the wool Glerups Shoe With Rubber Sole*, $140.
Light the way. Do you tend to get up at night for bathroom runs? Try a simple plug-in adapter that turns on a bedroom light when you clap your hands. Also good: motion- or voice-activated lights in the hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom.
The Clapper,* $23
Install sturdy grab bars. They’re crucial for staying steady in tubs and showers but also helpful next to toilets. Opt for the screw-in style because grab bars that stick on with adhesive or suction cups can come loose when you grab them, says Jennifer Northway, MPH, director of adult and pediatric injury prevention at University Health in San Antonio. Ideally, have them professionally installed and anchored to studs.
Designer Series Grab Bar,* $47 to $120, depending on size
Apply a nonslip floor treatment. If your bathtub or shower floors get slick when wet, consider coating them with a product like the No Skidding Anti-Slip Porcelain Bath Tub Treatment*, $25 for 8 ounces, which meets the certification standards of the nonprofit National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI).Skip bathtub mats. They could trip you up. Instead, use nonslip stickers for your tub or shower floor like the Kahuna Grip Non-Slip Safety Bath/Shower Treads*, $16 for a 5-pack, says Amy Cassady, a physical therapist at Cleveland Clinic. Their suction cups make them more secure.
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