Gone are the days of hiding a key under a door mat or in that not-so-conspicuous plastic rock. Burglars are becoming smarter and over the years have learned that most houses have some kind of extra key hidden around their front or back doors. If this is you, go get that key and bring it inside right now. This is a bad practice and you are just helping burglars get into your home.
Not to worry though, if you are constantly forgetting your keys and locking yourself out of the house, the world of Smart Locks is here! In fact, the world of smart locks was here a while ago and the market has been filled with every manufacturer’s adaptation of what a smart lock should be, but the Ultimate Guide to Smart Locks is here to help you navigate through all the jargon and come up with the right product for you.
This is in my opinion the most popular smart locks that you will find on the market today and how they stack up against each other. A smart lock is just that, smart, but to really understand and harness its full power, they need to be integrated with the rest of your home, which you can read more about in Building The Ultimate Smart Home. It also only makes sense to pair your smart lock with a smart doorbell, which you can find on our Ultimate Guide to Smart Doorbells.
August Smart Lock Pro and Smart Keypad
The August Home company was founded by Yves Behar and Jason Johnson in November of 2012 and is a San Francisco based home automation company focused on door locks. In October of 2017 the Swedish lock manufacturing giant Assa Abloy announced its acquisition of August Home. In May of 2013 August released its first-generation smart lock and was controlled using Bluetooth and a smartphone app. In keeping with true August style, the latest version of the smart lock installs the same as the first-generation model. By clipping over your existing deadbolt on the inside of the door and leaving the outside portion of the lock untouched. This allows users to keep using the same keys they already have for their home and really only adding the convenience of the smart technology. If you are looking to have keyless entry without smart phone access, an additional keypad can be purchased to give users the ability to create set key codes for different users or one-time passcodes for contractors coming into your home.
The latest version of the August Pro lock comes with a Wifi adapter and Z wave technology to integrate the lock with the rest of your smart home. It also boasts intelligent motion sensors to let you know if the door is open or closed. As of June 2018, August partnered with Alarm.com to offer seamless integration for the alarm companies’ subscribers. Alarm.com being an integrator with Lutron lighting and shades also allows for seamless integration of the rest of your home. The August Smart Lock Pro has been playfully coined The Nest of the smart lock space.
Schlage Encode
If you have spent any time looking into locks and deadbolts, then you already know that Schlage is a world leading lock manufacturer. Founded in 1920’s by German born Walter Reinhold Schlage. An engineer and inventor renowned for creating the bored cylindrical lock. Schlage has been manufacturing industry leading equipment since its inception. As it claims on its website “We did not invent the lock. We perfected it”. Although the Schlage company was founded in 1920, Mr. Schlage’s first patent and invention took place in 1909. While still working for the Western Electric company, Mr. Schlage invented a door lock that had the ability to turn lights on and off. Talk about being ahead of his time!
The Schlage Encode is the companies premier smart lock. It boasts built in Wifi, which allows you to lock and unlock from anywhere, as well as create guest access codes for recurring or one-time access. You can create and manage up to 100 access codes through the Schlage app, so there can be a distinct passcode for every member of your family and all your friends. The app tells you which code was used so you know exactly who is coming and going. It also features a built-in tamper alarm for potential security breaches and if someone is tampering with the lock.
Unlike the August lock, the Schlage Encode is a complete dead bolt system and does not slip over your existing lock. This does mean you will need to use the new keys that come with the lock and potentially have your other locks re-keyed. The chances of going through all this is slim, as the whole point of installing a smart lock is for convenient keyless entry. Schlage has built in low battery notifications, giving you weeks of function and notice to change the batteries. If by chance you want to get the last drop of energy out of your batteries, you do not have to worry about being left outside as you always have keyed access to your home as a back-up.
With the built in Wifi receiver, there is no need to purchase any extra components to have this lock integrate seamlessly with the rest of your smart home. You can even program the unlocking of your door to turn on certain lights to ensure you never walk into a dark home again. The Schlage lock can also be included into other smart home scenes to ensure your one touch good night button locks all your doors and turns off all your lights. Schlage has partnered to integrate with Google Assistant, Alexa, Key by Amazon and Apple HomeKit.
This is one of the few locks rated as certified Commercial Grade 1 and Graded best in Residential Security, Durability and Finish.
Schlage Sense with Wifi
The Schlage Sense is the little brother to the Encode. Although boasting a majority of the exact same features, it was designed as a Bluetooth option with the ability to purchase a Wifi adapter afterwards. If you did not want to purchase the Wifi adapter, you can connect the Sense lock to a HomeKit enabled device that is within Bluetooth range to allow remote access through the app and control the lock. A great use of this set up would be having a nearby wall mounted iPad that has your central home control for music, lights, shades, alarm and locks. Although our honest recommendation is to spend the couple extra dollars and stick with the Schlage Encode.
Nest x Yale Lock
Nest has been a level 5 tropical storm tearing its way through the smart home accessory world. Starting with its smart thermostat, then adding to its roster of completely smart and integrated products with their versions of a doorbell, smoke detector, indoor and outdoor cameras and finally a smart lock. As Nest had security as its number one priority when it came to its smart lock, they decided to partner with a proven industry titan rather than trying to re-invent the wheel themselves.
Nest and Yale partnered together to create a tamper-proof, key free deadbolt that connects to the Nest App and the rest of your home through Google Assistant.
The Nest x Yale Lock comes with a simple plug in Wifi adapter to ensure you have a secure connection to your home network. When purchasing, be sure to purchase the right model that includes the Nest Connect or Nest Guard as there are versions of the lock that come without the Wifi adapter.
Once connected to your app you are able to lock and unlock your door from anywhere. You can create passcodes for family and guests and set up alerts whenever someone unlocks and locks the door. When paired with the rest of the Nest and Google family, Nest can automatically lock your doors and turn off your lights. If you have paired it with a Google Home and Nest Hello, you can push your video feed from your doorbell directly onto your TV and unlock your door for yours guests all through voice commands using the Google Home. The Nest x Yale lock truly is a sleek and fully integrated smart home lock. You can pair the lock with Nest’s Secure Alarm system to automatically disarm the alarm when your code is punched into the lock making it an easy one pass key entrance into your home.
The Nest x Yale, like the Schlage, replaces the deadbolt you already have. If someone tries to tamper with it, you will get an alert. If the batteries start to run low, you will know right away. It does not rely on your home Wifi network to lock and unlock your door, but rather uses 4 standard AA batteries, which when they get low will notify you through multiple visual and audible queues. If for some reason your batteries completely run out and you are stranded outside of your home, you can simply hold a 9v battery up to the terminals on the bottom of your lock to provide temporary power. Then you can enter your passcode and unlock the door. Once you are inside you can replace the lock’s batteries.
Like all the other Nest products, anyone who owns them can vouch for the quality and care Nest puts into their products. If you are a fan of Nest and want a smart lock that integrates seamlessly, this is your best option.
Yale Assure SL and Yale Network Module
Yale has been one of the world’s best-known brands in the lock industry since it started securing homes in 1846. In 1868 Linus Yale Jr and Henry R Towne invented the pin tumbler lock. Originally named the Yale Lock Manufacturing Co, Linus and Henry changed the name to Yale & Towne when they registered 8 patents under this name for their pin tumbler lock, safe lock, bank lock vault and safe door bold and padlock. Now in the modern era, Yale locks are synonymous with residential and commercial security and is considered one of the world’s favorite locks.
The Yale Assure boasts all the same security features as the Nest x Yale but for a more affordable price point as it does not come with all the Nest integration. If you upgrade the regular Assure lock with the additional purchase of the Yale Network Module, you can integrate with Z-Wave, Zigbee, iM1 and HomeKit to integrate into most smart home automation and security systems. Popular integration systems include Smart Things, Wink, Alarm.com, Iris, Vera and more.
If you are looking for a smart lock that can integrate with a wide range of products, but are not completely sold on the Nest home system, then the Yale Assure is your option. It offers the same look, feel and compatibility, but without being tied into the Google and Nest product line.
Kwikset Kevo
The Kevo lock is the only non-pin code lock on the list, it is also the only touch sensitive lock on the list. Working through Bluetooth and your phone, Kevo is able to tell who is approaching the door, then all it takes is a quick touch of a finger to unlock. There is a lot of great technology that went into the development and build of the Kevo lock, but unfortunately in our opinion, there are just too many unanswered questions that lead us to wanting to purchase another product. Sorry Kevo, this is just our opinion, and in a world of choices, we are choosing another lock.
The first question that comes to mind is, what happens if my phone battery dies and I want to unlock my door? The only way to get access is by using the Kevo Fob, a standard key, or by downloading the app and logging into your account on another smart device. Lets just think about that for a second, you buy a smart lock so you do not have to worry about carrying keys or fobs, but now you have to worry about your battery life, otherwise you are locked out of the house?
Imagine this; you spent a long night out sitting at a bar, enjoying a couple adult beverages and getting zero matches on Tinder. Even though you spent the last 5 hours swiping right. You finally admit defeat and try and strike up a conversation with anyone left standing in the Bar. Striking out all over again.
You hop in a cab to go home. Alone.
When you finally stumble up to the door after relieving yourself in your neighbors’ fichus, you realize your phone is dead. It is now the middle of the night, you are drunk and depressed, all alone, just wanting to eat that week-old Chinese and curl up in bed…
NOPE! You are now locked out of the house!
What are your options? Curl up and sleep outside? Strangely enough its not the middle of summer and pretty cold outside. Your only option now is to stumble back over to your neighbor’s house, wake them up, explain why their prize-winning fichus was recently hydrated with a high alcohol proof solution, ask them to borrow their smart phone so you can download an app all while trying to not sound like a creep as you explain to them how your phone died striking out on Tinder all night.
Once the app downloads you have to try and remember your login and password. If this was me, it would probably take 9 different tries at guessing the correct password. Then you have to take their phone over to your house, unlock your door, walk back to their house to return their phone and pray that you do not have the auto locking function turned on, otherwise you are locked out and starting this long winded and highly plausible scenario all over again…… If you ask me, I’ll just carry a key.
Ok, so you are one of those people that always has 100% battery life on their phone and would never dream of being out late at night. What happens when you get home, and like me, leave your keys, phone and wallet on the table next to the door?
Because your phone is still within Bluetooth range, and you are the owner of the home, does that mean anyone can touch the lock and have it magically open?
Kevo claims they have proprietary patent pending features to detect if the user is inside or outside the house. You need to perform a calibration process on your phone when installing to test this feature and fine tune the Kevo’s sensor to avoid accidental unlocking. Personally, I do not want to leave my families security to chance and sensor calibration.
The final concern with a Bluetooth only smart lock is, what happens if you lose your phone? Better yet, a thief steals your phone? They could ask Siri for directions home, and being the helpful assistant, Siri gladly gives them not only your address, but the quickest route back to your house dodging the traffic jam on the highway. They walk up to your front door and with a nice gentle touch of your lock have full access into your home. Hopefully you realize your phone is missing before any of this can happen and your login to your app and disable the unlocking features on that specific phone.
Unfortunately, the Kevo is just not for me. Maybe I need to be convinced otherwise, but for now I’m stuck in my ways.
Samsung SHS-P718 Digital Push and Pull Door Lock
Samsung is a company that needs little to no introduction today. Little do most people know, this South Korean company started by selling dried fish and trading noodles for other goods, and exporting them to China back in the 1930’s. Today, Samsung is a world leader in electronics, appliances, digital media devices, semiconductors, memory and computer chips and integrated systems. Samsung is in fact the largest IT company in the world by revenue.
The Samsung Digital Lock is just one of the many quality products available from the company today. It is also the only lock listed that will replace your interior deadbolt as well as your door handle. Also, It is the only lock with a fingerprint reader and RFID card reader.
The Samsung Lock is a very modern looking lock and handle. We find it fits well with most interior motifs and replaces standard door lay outs with minor adjustments to hardware lay out. There are 4 main ways of entry using the Samsun lock; Numeric Passcode, RF Key, Mechanical Key and Biometric Fingerprint. You can program up to 100 different fingerprints into the lock, so there is no worry of running short of codes. If you think about it, you can do every finger on every hand of a family of 10 people! Samsung offers the same 9v override as the Nest lock incase of battery loss and also has automatic locking capabilities through the use of magnetic sensors.
A few stand-alone features that are not available in any of the other locks are; the built-in fire detection sensor. If the device senses abnormally high temperatures inside the house, you can program it to open automatically to easily allow you and your family to exit the home safely.
Double locking system and double authorization for extra security. If you are home alone you can initiate the double lock, so to gain entry you need both the PIN code as well as the RFID card to enter. Ensuring that PIN codes cannot be guessed to grant strangers access.
The Samsun SHS-P718 is a very high-quality product boasting some of the most powerful and secure tech on the market. With Samsung’s desire for security, they decided to not integrate with any third-party developers. If you are looking to integrate your door lock with the rest of your smart home, then unfortunately the SHS just does not fit. If you are looking for an ultra-modern, ultra-secure digital lock, then this is the best option available.
Weiser Premis
A close runner up to the Schlage Sense is the very similar Weiser Premis lock. Weiser was founded in 1904 in South Gate, California and was an early producer of custom designed locks and security hardware. In 1967 Norris Industries purchased Weiser, and in 1985 merged with Masco Building Products Corporation. In 2003, Weiser was purchased by Black and Decker and in 2007 unveiled its Smart Key technology in Canada. The Weiser Premis lock offers very similar features as the Schlage Sense and is almost a direct comparable. It offers a very similar touchscreen keypad, keyed entry and HomeKit compatibility. As the Premis is only an Apple HomeKit compatible device, any android users will be looking elsewhere. The Premis can handle up to 30 individual codes to grant access to all your family and friends.
A feature that is stand alone with Weiser locks is there patented SmartKey re-key technology. This allows the consumer to re-key the lock themselves in seconds using no additional tools other then those that come with the lock.
To read more about Smart Home technology, read our post on The Ultimate Guide To Everything Home Automation!
