Best Smart Locks For Your Home

I've found that batteries in exterior devices don't last very long in the northern climate winters. The extreme cold killed the batteries in my wireless doorbell, so I imagine the same would be true with electronic door locks that are not hardwired.

And who wants to be unable to enter their home when the power goes out? I experienced that when I only had my garage door opener with me.

Finally... a door lock is for security, possibly making the difference between life and death. I don't think I'll be trusting the Internet for that anytime soon.

Thanks for the article though, Bob.

We have locks on our homes for one reason: security. If you want your door to be secure, and you’re willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a lockset, then hire a locksmith to install a truly secure lock. Look at something by Assa Abloy or Medeco (an Abloy company). Also, get the door, jamb and strike plate reinforced.

I agree with Joe. Spend your money on quality locks and reinforced installation. The IoT has proven to be not very secure, plus the reviewed locks should still have reinforced installations. Since I have windows in each exterior door, I installed double key deadbolts and I keep a key on a cup hook at each door molding for emergency exit purposes. Order plenty of extra keys at the time you purchase the locks and you won't need to worry that they won't work smoothly.

Locks only keep honest people out.

My locksmith's comment was, "Locks are a social convention only. If someone really wants to get in, it's a three minute task, or a moderate force will open the door.

I used to always keep a key in my front door lock when I was home (easy to find & you won't lock yourself out when you have to go somewhere) & no-one ever broke in; there was a German Shepherd waiting on the other side if anyone decided to enter my place without my say so :)

"Lock" is nothing more than a four letter word. This is the twenty first century and nothing made today will keep an intruder out weather it be your home or car.

You have given your opinion of most of the anti virus companies now on the market but I have not seen anything on PC Matic. Have you done this one and if not would you please add it to your work ?

Respectfully,
Pat Hagar

I have a Schlage. It works well, and the device itself is well made. It has a discreet alarm, which is nice, as the lock is on a door that has a security system entry delay on it (to allow time to put in the alarm code if you don’t disarm before entering the house.) The lock is a Z-wave device and works quite fine with Alexa devices, as long as you are using a Z-Wave compatible hub (rather than the Zigbee-only Echo Plus hub) for the communications. No big deal. The locks generally state right on the box which communizcations protocols they use, so this should be researched prior to purchase. The Schlage lock I have can be locked or unlocked via a code on a touchpad, a physical key or your smartphone. Since it uses batteries and has these various options, you aren’t likely to lock yourself out. As it uses the Z-Wave protocol, it integrates very well with my home automation system routines.

All that said, everyone who notes that if someone wants in bad enough, he’ll manage, are right. We use locks and alarm systems to keep the “lazier” thieves out, as so many just look for the easiest opportunities.

I have the Kwikset on a z-wave system. I like the convenience of being able to unlock via a code on the lock keypad, the phone app, or a routine programed into the computer. I setup a few different codes so I can tell who is unlocking the door. I also like that the battery level is constantly monitored and displayed on my phone app and computer. The 4 AA batteries last well over a year and are easy to change. I like that the lock couldn't be "hacked", but have heard a rumor that the "smartkey" feature available on all newer Kwikset locks can be bumped easier than a normal key lock? I would like to know if that is true.

I have had a Kevo gen 2 lock for 8 months and it works fine with my smartphone with NO HUB. Your info is incorrect or outdated.

My last two homes have been fitted with NON Smart keypad locks. To the poster above. the batteries are more or less on the inside, so cold weather is only a minor concern. But good alkaline batteries and they will last at least three years.
Many, many years ago, my neighbourhood was subject to a rash of break ins. One day, while I was a work, my friend reported that he drove by my house & my two German shepherds were outside. The dogs knew him & he put them inside. There were NO MORE break ins to my neighbourhood after that. I wonder why?

I had the Kwikset gen 1. It was never reliable. It would work for a day and then I would have to recalibrate the lock and or reinstall the app. It also went through a lot of batteries.
My wife was locked out one evening because the batteries died.

I removed the Kwikset and reinstalled my old lock.
I realized that when I left the house i would be driving my truck which needs a key, which means I always had keys with me.

My overall impression is that a normal deadlock is more secure and reliable.