A smart lock is, without a doubt, the most crucial component of a genuinely smart, integrated house. It will not only let you come and just go as you like, but it will also keep track of who enters and exits your house while you are gone. Some types merely allow you to open and shut doors with your phone. Some allow you to provide specific permissions to family members, friends, or maintenance personnel. Further smart home gadgets and services may be triggered by voice commands or prompts from other smart home products and services. Here are some things to look for when choosing a smart lock.
Smart Locks for Doors
So the key thing you’ll need to think about before purchasing smart locks is which doorways you would like to put them on. This will decide the sorts of locks you’ll use, how many you’ll require, and how much they’ll cost overall.
Doors to the Front
On your front and rear doors, you may use any kind and brand of smart lock. The majority of smart locks are used in these locations. Nevertheless, there seem to be left-handed and right-handed levers handle-sets, so that’s something to consider when purchasing a smart door lock. Furthermore, when purchasing smart locks for an outdoor door, ensure that they are meant to be operated outdoors and are not labeled for use just on internal doors.
Doorways to the Bedroom
Bedroom and washroom smart locks function similarly to certain other smart door locks. The main difference is that you’ll need to seek for inside smart door locks that are branded “for internal doors” while shopping. These are also available in a number of colors and finishes, making them compatible with a broad range of current equipment and interior home decor.
Sliding Glass Doors
As they’re so simple to sneak into, a sliding glass door is among your home’s most exposed entrances. Sadly, there are still no smart locks offered for sliding glass doors as of this article. Regarding sliding glass doors, there seems to be a couple 2-way keyless locking, but that’s all. As a result, finding methods to lock a sliding glass door is the greatest thing you can do to protect them.
Garage Doors
Luckily, smart locks for garages are accessible, and the majority of them are simple to operate. There are various distinct kinds of smart locks for garages. Some are connected with unified technology such as Z-Wave, Google Assistant, or IFTTT technologies and function with your home’s Wi-Fi connection. Based on the condition of your home, some are as easy as being installed on any conventional garage door toggle switch. There are even some which feature having distant door sensors, temperature meters, and most of them function via a smart phone application. Furthermore, the majority of them are adaptable.
Different types of locks
Certain smart locks entirely substitute your current lock, so if you really prefer to set them manually, you’ll have to be comfortable with DIY, whereas others merely slip over the present lock and need significantly less DIY.
Because there are numerous different kinds of smart door locks in the marketplace, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the various smart lock alternatives and what they perform before deciding which one is best for you and your scenario.
Smart Locks that require deadbolt replacement
Deadbolt replacement is usually a hassle but it is surely the most secure way of installing something as important as a lock. Here are two of the best products in this category:
The Ultraloq is among the few locks that integrates exceptionally with IFTTT and other smart virtual assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant. This means you can automate your lock as well as other smart devices in nearly any way you like. Setup the front door to instantly lock whenever your smart doorway light goes on, for instance.
To deter porch pirate robbery, the Encode is the finest keypad deadbolt and features Amazon Key–compatible option. It is certified to ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 standards. This indicates that this keyless lock has the greatest protection level for any smart lock available in the market.
Smart Locks that don’t require replacement
There are several keyless and wireless smart locks available. That implies that if you use a Wi-Fi network, you can use it to link to your smart locks. You can also shut and open your doors virtually from everywhere in the globe if you have a Wi-Fi remote.
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is a trendsetter in smart security systems and keyless access, making it ideal for tenants and anybody who doesn’t like to deal with the trouble of installing a new lock.
The Wyze Lock is the least expensive automated door lock on our roundup, but that doesn’t indicate it’s a gamble. This lock is tough, has a decent battery life, and has excellent geofencing features.
Windows
Smart window locks that are anti-burglary don’t need to laboriously lock numerous knobs with keys that might be forgotten or lost when the window is shut. Appropriate situations that, for example, reduce energy consumption or make living in smart buildings more pleasant may also be established using the smart home management devices.
What Alerts Can You Get from a Smart Lock?
Voice control, geolocation, and auto-locking are all available in the newest smart locks. Locking and unlocking doors is a breeze with voice command; just instruct your smartphone to “open the front door,” and the clamp will detach. You’ll never need to stress about locking up before leaving the house again with geofencing; simply use the smartphone application to create a boundary around your home and utilize your device’s location tracking to detect your precise position. You may get the lock immediately activate behind you when you exit the boundary. Likewise, an auto-lock function will instantly activate the lock when it has been left unlocked for a certain amount of time.
Several locks work with other smart home products and services including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and If This Then That, such as the Nest Protect smoke alarm (IFTTT). You may have your doors open when a smoke or Carbon sensor goes off, or have particular smart lighting switch on when a doorway is opened, for instance.
You can also couple your lock using a video doorbell and observe whoever is at the entrance before you open it, or have an inside security camera start filming when a door is opened, based on your smart home configuration. Keep in mind that the more services you obtain, the more you may expect to pay.
Other options to check for are keyless touchpads for when you will not have your smartphone or keys, tampering and forceful access alarms to alert you about a suspected break-in, and push, sms, and email alerts to keep you informed about who is arriving and departing in real time.
