The deadbolt on your front door keeps your home secure against thieves and intruders. The trouble with traditional locks is the need for a physical key that can easily be lost or misplaced. Homeowners are increasingly upgrading their homes with smart technology that makes their daily lives easier. Replacing your traditional front door lock with a smart lock eliminates the need for physical keys and gives you more control over who comes and goes.
What are the benefits of smart locks?
A smart lock gives you keyless entry into your home, which is ideal if you forget your keys or have your hands full. Smart locks give homeowners the ability to monitor foot traffic around their front door, assign access codes for limited access, integrate with smart home systems, and remotely lock and unlock the door. Other benefits of smart locks include secure access using a passcode, fingerprint, or voice command, and enhanced security using an alarm or remote monitoring.
Types of Smart Locks
There are two main types of smart lock: and lever-style. Smart deadbolts feature a sliding deadbolt that attaches to the door jamb, making it difficult to force the lock open. You can set temporary codes for guest entry, use fingerprint recognition to unlock a door, integrate with smart home devices, or use a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected smart device to control the lock.
Lever-style smart locks are a good choice for side entrances and interior doors. They aren’t as secure as deadbolts, but lever styles do come with fingerprint readers, codes, or voice controls via virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa. They can integrate with existing smart home upgrades, including your existing security system.
Smart locks are a great option for residents of apartment buildings who need to grant access to guests, delivery people, and service providers like dog walkers. Installing a smart lock makes it convenient to open your front door using a smartphone app or by entering a PIN code into a keypad. Whether you want to attach a smart lock to your existing deadbolt or replace your traditional lock with a smart deadbolt, a smart lock will require a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.
ButterflyMX offers their top picks for the best smart locks for property managers needing to grant remote access to renters, service people, and more. From sleek design and durability to ease of use and simple setup process, their top picks include: Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, August WiFi Smart Lock, Nest X Yale Lock with Nest Connect, Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt, August Smart Lock Connect, and Wyze Smart Lock.
What to consider when choosing a smart lock.
The best way to choose a smart door lock setup is to keep in mind what door needs to be secured and who will need access and how often. A smart lock that lets you reset passcodes is a good choice for securing an Airbnb or rental property. If you require extra security for a front door, the best option would be a smart door lock with an alarm.
There are several things to keep in mind when shopping for the best smart lock for your home.
- Most are powered by AA batteries, which have a lifespan of 6-12 months depending on the type of lock.
- Touchscreen keypads come with a variety of options, such as fingerprint recognition and custom key codes. Some even feature virtual keys that you can manage using a mobile app.
- It’s important to understand that if your home loses power, you lose your wi-fi connection, the AA batteries in your smart lock die, or your phone battery is dead, you may not be able to unlock your home.
- A smart lock that features both a touchscreen and physical key is a good choice for homeowners that live in an area prone to power outages. If you already have a smart home system, you want to ensure compatibility with smart locks.
- Voice control is becoming a more standard feature on many smart locks. You can control your lock with voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Home.
Installing a smart lock on your front door gives you the convenience of keyless entry while adding extra security.
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