I’ve tested a lot of stuff in my time – TVs , Christmas trees , vacuums designed for ease – but few things have stuck around like my SimpliSafe home security system . Halloween consistently brings a jump in property damage — UK insurer AXA once reported a 270% surge in home-damage claims , and U.S. data from Travelers shows higher crime-related claims on Oct. 31 . Point is: risk rises. After five years using SimpliSafe, I’ve learned a lot about what makes a home security setup actually useful —