Whether your hands are full of groceries or you frequently lose your keys, smart door locks allow you to enter your house without breaking your stride. A smart lock is a cost-effective way to upgrade your home security, but it can do so much more than that. It can make your life more convenient & easy than before. While there are a range of safety benefits, including remote access and doors locking automatically behind you, convenience is the core purpose of these smart locks. In this article, we’ll talk about the core points to consider when buying a smart lock.
What is a Smart Lock?
To begin with let’s get familiar with a keyless lock. A keyless lock is an electronic lock that uses wireless (Bluetooth, WiFi, or Z-Wave) communication protocols to interact with other devices in your smart home. You either use an app on your smartphone or a dedicated fob, to give commands to other devices. As you approach the door, it will unlock automatically. Some of the smart locks feature a physical key, fingerprint & pin-code, allowing you to lock/unlock the door when the power goes out.
Type of Lock
After that, let’s talk about the type of locks. Generally, three types of locking systems are available on a smart lock, such as fingerprint, push-button keypads, and smartphone access. Well, if you buy an expensive security device, then there are chances that you’ll find all of these three features within that single device.
Deadbolt: To Upgrade or Replace?
The next thing you have to focus on is the deadbolt of your door. Do make sure whether you have to upgrade it or replace it with a smart lock. Because some of these gadgets allow you to work around your existing deadbolt, while others call for a replacement. However, before kicking out the old deadbolt, take a snapshot of your current locking hardware. Thereby, if you run into problems with your smart lock, you can always switch back to the old one.
Type of Entry
Although there are various variables with electronic locks, they all perform the same basic function of giving you remote access to your home. The majority of smart locks have keypads. This means if you don’t have your app open, you can just punch a code, and you’re in. You can even share an e-code with your guest for temporary access so that they don’t have to wait outside until you come back from your work.
Battery Life
Last but not least, the Battery life. Before purchasing any smart lock, make sure it comes with a battery. So, if there is a power outage, you can still access your sweet home. The battery backup depends on the number of entries, the type of batteries, and even the weather. The colder it is, the quicker the batteries will die. You should expect to replace the batteries once a year. Many keyless locks now feature some jumpstart nodes as a backup, thus you can get enough power to open up your doors if the battery lets you down.
Hope now you know what are the aspects you need to consider before buying a smart lock for your smart home. And do let us know your queries in the comment section.
