First Alert CO710 Carbon Monoxide Alarm Review
A 10-year sealed-battery CO alarm — mandatory equipment for generator owners.
The verdict
Generator exhaust kills roughly 70–100 Americans every year, mostly during exactly the outages the generator was bought for, and mostly in homes without a working CO alarm. The CO710's sealed 10-year battery means it works during the power failure (plug-in-only alarms don't), the digital display shows CO levels before alarm thresholds, and it costs less than a tank of gas.
Typical price: ~$39 (typical street price — current price shown on Amazon)
Buy on AmazonWhat we like
- +Sealed 10-year lithium battery — immune to the outage itself
- +Digital display shows low-level CO before it's an emergency
- +Electrochemical sensor, UL 2034 listed
- +Peak-level memory shows what happened while you were out
- +Under $40
What to know
- −Whole unit is replaced at end of 10-year life (by design)
- −One per sleeping area is the actual recommendation — buy multiples
Full review
We put a CO alarm in an accessories guide because the data demands it: post-storm CO deaths are the generator industry's grimmest statistic, and nearly all are preventable with placement rules (20+ feet from the house, exhaust pointed away) plus a working battery alarm inside. The CO710 specifically because plug-in alarms fail the exact scenario that matters — the power is out.
Put one near each sleeping area and one where the family gathers during outages. At this price, buy three.
Best for: Every home with a fuel-burning generator, furnace, or attached garage.
Specifications
| Sensor | Electrochemical CO |
|---|---|
| Battery | Sealed 10-year lithium |
| Display | Digital CO ppm + temperature |
| Standard | UL 2034 |
| Mount | Tabletop or wall |
| Warranty | 10 years |
Ready to get one?
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~$39 typical price
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