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Featured in this article

Best Water Leak DetectorMoen Smart Water Detector

$55 Amazon (1-Pack)

Upgrade PickMoen Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff

$559 Amazon

Best for Large PropertiesYoLink Water Sensor and Hub Kit

$70 $55 (21% off) Amazon

Best Budget Water Leak DetectorX-Sense Wi-Fi Water Leak Detector

$60 Amazon (4-Pack)

Water plays an essential role in our homes, but it can also wreak havoc. Burst pipes, leaky toilets, and misbehaving appliances can dampen your day. Water leak detectors help reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly so you can act to prevent severe damage. Around one in 60 insured homeowners file a claim related to water damage or freezing every year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the average cost of the property damage is about $15,000. The longer a leak goes undetected, the more damage it does, destroying furniture and decorations, spawning mold and fungi, and even threatening structural integrity.

We’ve tested many smart leak detectors over the past few years, and these are our favorites. Insurers love them, so before you go shopping, it’s worth checking with yours to see what they offer or recommend, and whether installing a leak sensor can reduce your premiums.

Updated May 2026: I added a water leak detector from Shelly, reorganized our picks, added a note on the Ikea sensor, added information on where to put your detectors, and updated prices.

- Best Water Leak Detector

Photograph: Simon Hill

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Moen

Smart Water Detector

$55 Amazon (1-Pack)

$79 $58 (27% off) Walmart (1-Pack)

$140 Amazon (3-Pack)

Shaped like a drop of water, this versatile standalone device alerts you within seconds of detecting a leak and offers compelling extras like temperature tracking at an affordable price. It's a breeze to set up via the app (Android, iOS) and was swift and consistent in my testing, firing off a push notification, email, and text message every time it detected water. (These can be configured to your preferences.) It also sounds a loud alarm and flashes a red LED. The device has three metal feet to detect water, but you can also mount it on the wall and attach the included wired disc sensor instead. Moen also offers a 6-foot leak-sensing cable ($35) that detects water along its entire length, and up to three of these can be chained together to cover a larger area.

The Moen Smart Water Detector provides temperature and humidity readings in the app, allowing you to track both over the previous 24 hours or seven days, and set thresholds to trigger warnings. You can also reset alarms from the app, which is a nice touch, as it’s not pleasant fumbling to press a button on a detector in a hard-to-reach spot. As for downsides, the alarms are relatively quiet compared to other detectors. The device also requires a single CR123A battery, though one is included, and it has no smart home integration.

SpecsAlerts80 decibel siren, flashing LED, push notifications, email, SMSPowerCR123A battery (included)In the Box4-foot extension cable with Remote Sensing DiscExtrasTemperature and humidity tracking

- Upgrade Pick

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

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Moen

Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff

$559 Amazon

$624 Moen

$600 Lowes

$559 Home Depot

Unlike other products in this guide, Moen's Flo Smart Water Monitor installs directly onto your home's water supply line and features an automatic shut-off if it detects a water leak. This is perhaps the most effective way to avoid costly water damage. Moen recommends installation by an expert—I found a licensed plumber near me using the company's Pro Finder tool—and they completed the installation in 30 minutes. (You can do it yourself if you feel comfortable around plumbing.) You'll need a good Wi-Fi signal where your water line is and a nearby outlet, though Moen does sell an extension cable. Once installed, it takes around two weeks to learn your home's daily water usage, so I made sure to follow my typical routine so that it wouldn't find me running the laundry twice a week too unusual. If it detects a leak or high water usage, it will send you a notification instantly, and you can tap a button in the app to turn off your water line. If you don't act on it within a few minutes, it will automatically shut off your home's water, which is handy in case you didn't see the notification.

I love the amount of data available at my fingertips through the Flo by Moen app. I can see how many gallons of water my home uses in a day or week, and you can set goals if you want to curb water usage. The app breaks water usage down by fixture, too, so you can see how much your shower, toilet, and appliances use on a daily or weekly basis. Every night, the system runs an Auto MicroLeak Test

Best Water Leak Detectors (2026): Moen, Phyn, TP-Link | WIRED