The UK's bestShed Alarms2022 Review

Whilst you might more commonly associate the Yale company with door locks than alarm systems, their Wireless Shed and Garage Alarm is both loud and simple to use, providing an inexpensive way to protect your outbuildings.

Made of white plastic, and powered by 4 x AA batteries, it can be positioned anywhere in the shed or garage that will allow it to detect movement. It has a range of 12 m, so doesn’t need to be positioned right by the door, and emits a very loud 100 dB siren if it senses any activity.

The alarm doesn’t need to be armed all the time, but can be turned on simply by pressing the number four on the keypad. This makes it easy to turn on at night or whenever required.

You can set the four-digit deactivation code yourself, although there aren’t as many code possibilities as with some other alarms – you need to use each number once and it’s just a case of choosing what order to put the four numbers in.

Upon entering the shed, you have 10 seconds to disarm the unit before the alarm starts to sound. This is generally enough time to enter the code, so you shouldn’t have to worry about getting mistakenly deafened.

For any unwanted intruders, on the others hand, the alarm will be a very startling and loud deterrent.

Like a lot of alarms in this style, its main weakness is the strength of its construction. As a plastic alarm, intruders could deactivate it by smashing up the unit. For this reason, it’s best placed somewhere high up, but this can make it more difficult to enter the code.

Also, it does emit a small ‘pip’ sound when it detects movement, which may alert people to its presence. However, this also acts as a helpful reminder when entering the shed to turn off the alarm.

Overall, this is one of the best shed alarms available; it’s from a reputable company, simple to operate, extremely loud, and easy to install. It’s also inexpensive, which is another benefit.

If you have a particular door or window that you would like to add another level of protection to, this Defender Wireless Shed Alarm emits a siren when the entryway is opened.

Of course, it is not armed all the time, but when activated (by pressing ‘four’ on the keypad) it will produce an alarm of 110 dB to panic any intruders. It also has two modes, so not only is it designed to tell you if the door is opened, but also if anyone is trying to force entry.

The alarm consists of two units, which are placed on the door frame and door, and it senses when the magnetic link between these two parts is broken.

In general, it seems to work best when used on the mode to indicate if a door or window has been opened. The separate ‘forced-entry’ detection mode can be very sensitive, and cause the alarm to sound when it senses the slightest vibration (which can be quite common with the wind and rain beating against the shed door). However, you can choose to deactivate this option.

Disarming the alarm is done by entering a four-digit code into the keypad. You can set and choose this code yourself to make it easier to remember. Once armed, you have 5 seconds to exit the building and, on re-entry, you have 5 seconds to enter the code and disarm the alarm.

It requires 3 x AAA batteries, so there are no wires to plug in, and it’s simple to set up in place. It should only be used on the inside of buildings, not externally, as it doesn’t have any specific weatherproofing.

All in all, this is one of the best shed alarms for protecting a specific door or window. It’s extremely useful for arming specific entry points, and is another simple and inexpensive alarm option.

If you’re concerned about alarms being too easy for intruders to reach, this Tech Traders Wireless Motion Sensor Alarm can be positioned higher out of the way. This is because there are remote controls provided, so you don’t need to reach the alarm to disarm it.

A wall-mounting bracket is included, and the alarm can be angled to face the entry point from its mounted position, allowing the motion sensor to detect activity. It has a scanning area of 110°, so could potentially detect movement from windows as well, depending on the layout of your shed.

With two keyring remote controls, which are used to arm and disarm the alarm, different members of the family can have access to the shed or garage by keeping a remote on their keys. These remote controls make this one of the best shed alarms in terms of ease of use, because there’s no need to panic about entering a code.

The main unit runs off 4 x AA batteries, which are not included, and the small remotes use cell batteries, which are included.

It sounds at 105 dB, which is reasonably loud, although with the shed doors closed it can be more difficult to hear. However, it’s certainly loud enough to act as a deterrent and should spook any potential intruders.

This isn’t a high-end security product, but it offers good value for its low price. Plus, using a remote instead of a keycode is sure to appeal to some people, as it makes the act of disarming the alarm less stressful.

As one of the loudest shed alarms featured here, this Defender PIR Alarm with Fob will produce a 130 dB sound if it senses movement, and is disarmed by pressing a button on the remote control.

It’s a relatively small and understated unit, measuring just 15 x 7.5 cm, so can tuck into the corners of a shed or summerhouse without being too obvious.

There is one remote included, which perhaps isn’t as useful as the two that are included with the Tech Traders alarm; however, it does still mean that the alarm can be positioned out of the way and make it harder to tamper with.

The motion sensor itself is effective without going overboard – it doesn’t seem to be set off by inconsequential things like spiders or anything outside the shed, but will sound if there’s movement inside.

It emits a warning beep first, if motion is detected, and the has a short delay before the siren goes off. Some customers have suggested that this delay is a little long, as it might give intruders time to locate the alarm, although all of these security products have a certain amount of grace period to allow time to disarm the alarm.

The alarm runs off 2 x AAA batteries which come included

Overall, it’s one of the best shed alarms if you want something discreet, because it’s a small unit that can be placed out of the way and armed/disarmed by remote control. The fact that only one remote is included might be an inconvenience for some, especially if more than one person often needs to alarm and disarm the unit.

If you’ve been put off by other alarms that provide a warning ‘pip’ before they start sounding, this Minder MA30 Mini PIR Alarm doesn’t give intruders the same luxury. It launches into a loud 130 dB siren without any heads up, increasing the element of surprise.

Of course, this does mean that when you enter the shed you won’t be reminded that the alarm is armed either, so you need to remember to turn it off. However, at least this can be done easily with the included remote control.

The remote control is attached to a keyring, so can be kept to hand, and there are simple ‘on’/’off’ buttons making it clear to use. However, only one remote is included, meaning it can prove slightly less convenient if several people want access to the shed.

The alarm allows a 30 second exit delay and a 5 second entry delay. The 5 second delay is slightly shorter than some other alarms, but considering that you deactivate it using a remote control, and not a time-consuming PIN, it’s a sufficient amount of time.

Having such a short delay means that the alarm sounds almost as soon as it detects movement, without allowing intruders to acclimatise to the shed first either.

It comes with a wall mount and is easy to install, requiring 4 x AA batteries that don’t come included.

Due to its quick response time, it’s one of the best shed alarms if you’re hoping to catch intruders out with the element of surprise. Some other alarms can feel like they leave a bit too long before sounding, potentially giving intruders time to locate the unit and deactivate it, but this one responds almost instantly.