Glass Break Sensors vs. Vibration Sensors: What’s the Difference?

Many customers ask whether we offer glass break sensors and how they compare to vibration sensors. While both are used to help protect doors and windows, they work in very different ways. This article explains the differences and what to expect from each type of sensor.

What Is a Glass Break Sensor?

A glass break sensor is designed to detect the sound frequency created when glass shatters. These sensors typically listen for a specific audio pattern, such as:

The low-frequency impact sound
Followed by the high-frequency sound of breaking glass

Glass break sensors are usually mounted on a wall or ceiling and can cover multiple windows within a room, as long as the sound reaches the sensor clearly.

Limitations of glass break sensors include:

They rely on sound, which can be affected by background noise
Thick, laminated, or double-pane glass may not always trigger them reliably
They generally only activate after the glass has already broken

What Is a Vibration Sensor?

A vibration sensor detects physical movement or impact on a surface. When installed directly on a door or window, it can sense:

Repeated tapping or shaking
Strong vibrations caused by forced entry attempts
Impact before the glass fully breaks

Because vibration sensors are mounted directly on the protected surface, they are not dependent on sound and are less affected by environmental noise.

Advantages of vibration sensors include:

Immediate detection of physical tampering or impact
Effective on glass, doors, and window frames
More consistent performance regardless of glass type

Which One Do We Offer?

At this time, we only carry vibration sensors. We do not currently offer glass break sensors, and there are no immediate plans to add glass break sensors to our product lineup.

Our vibration sensors are designed to provide reliable protection for doors and windows by detecting physical attempts to force entry, often before glass is fully broken.

Summary

Feature	Glass Break Sensor	Vibration Sensor
Detection Method	Sound of breaking glass	Physical movement or impact
Mounting	Wall or ceiling	Directly on door or window
Noise Sensitivity	Yes	No
Works Before Glass Breaks	No	Yes
Available from Us	❌ No	✅ Yes