Van alarms compared: vibration, motion and fitted alarms
A van alarm is only useful if it goes off for the right reasons, at the right moment, and somebody hears it. The three main types work in quite different ways, protect different parts of the van, and sit at very different price points. This guide explains how each one works, what it does and does not cover, and how to layer an alarm with the locks and pouches that stop the most common attacks.
The three types at a glance
| Type | How it triggers | What it protects | Fitting | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vibration (stick-on) alarm | A knock, drill, pry or forced opening of the door it is fixed to | The door or panel it is on | Peel-and-stick, battery powered, minutes | Low |
| Motion or PIR alarm | Movement inside the load area or cab | The space inside the van once someone is in | Battery or 12V, usually self-fit | Low to medium |
| Fitted van alarm | Doors, bonnet, ignition, often tilt and interior sensors too | The whole vehicle, usually with an immobiliser | Professional installation, wired to the van | High |
Vibration alarms
A vibration alarm is a small battery-powered unit that sticks to the inside of a door. It senses the shock of the door being hit, drilled, levered or pulled open and sounds a siren, which the supplier of our model states at 120 dB. You arm and disarm it with a key-fob remote, and there is no wiring at all, so it suits leased vans and anyone who does not want to drill into the bodywork. The same unit works on a garage door, a shed or a side gate.
What it protects: the door or panel it is fixed to. Fit one to each door you are worried about, usually the rear doors and the sliding side door, as those are where most break-ins start.
Honest limits: it protects the door, not the van. It will not stop someone who already has the key signal, it has no immobiliser, and a very hard pull may set it off a fraction after the lock has gone. Our wireless vibration alarm with remote is not Thatcham-rated and does not replace a fitted alarm or immobiliser. Treat it as a loud, cheap deterrent that makes a quiet attack noisy.
Motion and PIR alarms
A motion alarm uses a passive infrared sensor, the same technology as a house alarm, to detect a person moving inside the load area or cab. It triggers once someone is already inside, so it is a second line of defence rather than a first one, but it is good at catching the thief who climbs in through a window or a door that has already been forced.
What it protects: the space inside the van, which usually means the tools. Many models also take a key-fob remote and run on batteries or the 12V supply.
Honest limits: it does nothing until the thief is inside, and a sensor pointed at a window can be set off by headlights or a cat on the bonnet unless it is positioned carefully. It will not stop the van being driven away.
Fitted van alarms
A fitted alarm is wired into the van by an installer. It monitors the doors, bonnet and ignition, often adds tilt and interior sensors, and in most cases includes an immobiliser so the engine cannot be started without the right key or code. It is the only type that protects the vehicle itself rather than a door or a space.
What it protects: the whole van. Doors, cab, load area and the ability to drive it away.
Honest limits: cost and downtime, and the fact that many modern vans already have a factory alarm and immobiliser that a thief with a relay kit or a programming tool can bypass. A fitted alarm still benefits from the physical layers below.
Layer it: alarm plus locks plus pouch
Whichever alarm you choose, it works best as one layer of three, because the three common attacks are different. A thief who copies your key signal never touches the door; a thief who programs a new key through the diagnostic port never triggers a door alarm; and a thief who peels the door is stopped by a lock, not a siren.
- Block the key signal. Keep keyless fobs in a Faraday pouch or a Faraday key box at home and on site.
- Add a visible lock. A T-bar steering wheel lock is seen from the pavement and takes time and noise to defeat.
- Cover the OBD port. An OBD port lock blocks the socket used to program a new key.
Our van security kit bundles the OBD lock, the steering wheel lock and the Faraday key box with two pouches. See the full range in van alarms and security and keyless car theft protection.
Which type do you need?
- Tools in the back, van on the street overnight: a vibration alarm on each rear and side door, plus a steering wheel lock and OBD lock.
- Keyless van: a Faraday pouch first, then the locks, then whichever alarm suits the budget.
- High-value van or tools: a professionally fitted alarm with an immobiliser, with the stick-on alarm and locks as extra layers.
FAQ
Is a vibration alarm Thatcham-rated?
No. Our vibration alarm is not Thatcham-rated and is not a substitute for a fitted alarm or immobiliser. It is a stick-on door alarm that makes a break-in loud.
Will a stick-on alarm go off in the wind?
It can if it is fixed to a thin, flexible panel. Fit it to the door itself, not a body panel, and turn the sensitivity down until a firm knock sets it off but a gust does not.
Can I fit a van alarm myself?
Stick-on vibration alarms and most battery motion alarms are designed for self-fitting in minutes. A fitted alarm with an immobiliser is wired into the van and is a job for an installer.
Does an alarm stop keyless theft?
Not on its own. Relay theft copies your key signal and the van unlocks as if you were standing next to it, so no door is forced. A Faraday pouch or key box blocks the signal; the alarm and locks cover the other ways in.