Sound-activated vibrating pillow pads can be cheap and easy to install – but by focusing on sound, they fail to put Deafness first.

If you’re responsible for Health and Safety in residential buildings or hotels, you may have come across sound-activated pillow pads before.

Vibrating pillow pads are a safety device used at night, to help wake Deaf or hard of hearing people in the event of an emergency. There are a few different types of these pillow pads – including sound-activated versions, which are designed to vibrate when the fire alarm is activated.

But there are a few questions that should be asked when it comes to the reliability and compliance of sound-activated vibrating pillow pads. For example:

• What if the fire alarm sound isn’t picked up by the device?
  
• What if other sounds activate the device?
  If the equipment isn’t calibrated correctly, could the pillow pad be triggered accidentally by sounds other than the fire alarm – such as loud music, passing emergency vehicle sirens or car alarms?

  Could such false alarms disturb sleep, or make the user less likely to trust the device over time?

At Alerter Group we’ve heard accounts of this unpredictability with some sound-activated devices.

What’s more, sound-activated fire alarms are not included in British Standard BS5839-1 – even after the revisions published in Spring 2025.

That’s why we believe that sound-activated systems aren’t the best solution for the Deaf community.

So what’s an alternative, BS5839-1-compliant solution?

Enter Night Alerter.

Night Alerter is a purpose-built vibrating pillow pad, available as part of the radio-based Deaf Alerter fire notification system.

Night Alerter provides a reliable alternative to sound-activated pillow pads because it’s radio-linked to the fire alarm panel itself – rather than relying on ‘hearing’ the alarm.

That means it responds directly if the local fire alarm is activated – setting off the vibrating pillow pad as well as high-intensity flashing lights on a connected tabletop device.

This ensures the sleeping Deaf or hard of hearing user is alerted promptly.

No false triggers – even during fire alarm panel testing.

Night Alerter also benefits from continuous fault monitoring.

What’s more, the radio-based Deaf Alerter system complies with BS5839-1.

In conclusion

When it comes to fire safety, reliability matters. Peace of mind comes from knowing your system will work every time, not just when the conditions are right.

If you’ve been considering a sound-activated pillow pad, we’d love to explain more about Night Alerter instead.

Alerter Group has over 25 years’ experience of designing, installing and commissioning Deaf Alerter.

For more information and a free consultation with a member of our expert sales team, contact us at info@alertergroup.com.