The Best Smart Locks to Protect Your Smart Home
About a year ago, I went home to visit my mom and was greeted by a strange new addition to my childhood home: all the doors now had smart locks (she quickly registered my fingerprint on them so I wouldn’t get locked out). from my bedroom). She said she got them because some of her friends were curious when they came over, but instead of asking her about the people she likes to spend time with, I looked into smart locks and found them to be extremely useful – and quite affordable.
With a smart lock, you no longer have to worry all day long about whether you’ve locked your door. You can quickly check your phone to see if you forgot to lock it, and you can do this anywhere. Plus, you won’t have to worry about being locked if your phone is charged or you know the correct password. If you’re looking to upgrade, here are some great options.
Best Door Handles with Smart Lock and Fingerprint Technology
First, these locks recognize your fingerprint, just like the iPhone used to do, and unlock when you touch the handle. It’s all very futuristic and, in my experience, convenient.
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The one I used is from Gekrone ($69.99), and it has a number of features that justify its price: In addition to using your fingerprint, you can also use a PIN (on the number pad that appears along the entire length of the screen) . door handle on request), an app or a real key (which is good if the batteries are running low).
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For something less expensive, try the Aibocn Smart Door Lock ($49.99), which has the same features and allows you to generate temporary passwords for guests.
The best smart locks for entrance doors
If you need something more durable than just a door handle with a lock, try this one, it’s heavy enough to secure your front door.
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The Hornbill Keyless Entry Door Lock ($58.49) is a deadbolt lock that still works with fingerprint, app, password, and mechanical keys. My mom has set up her Amazon Echos connection and can now tell Alexa to lock the front door, which creates a true smart home experience.
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If you just want to bypass keys and don’t want anything too technical, try the TEEHO TE001 Keyless Entry Lock ($32.78), which unlocks with a predefined password. I’ve used these before and a word of warning: keep the real key with you just in case, because if the battery dies, you’re screwed.
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The Eufy Security Smart Lock ($94.99) also has a big selling point: an app lets you lock and unlock your door from anywhere, plus a keypad and physical key, Apple Watch connectivity, and Alexa/Google voice assistant functionality. It also pairs with Eufy doorbells in the brand’s app, so you can set routines and controls for both at the same time. (Eufy also sells a combination lock/video intercom for $269.99 if you just want to kit it out right away.)
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Schlage’s Encode Smart Wi-Fi Latch ($211) has the dual honor of being recommended by both the New York Times and my mother: the former proclaims it “easy to install” and “sharp in appearance,” while the latter calls it “easy to installation” and “sharp in appearance”. it’s “great for the tailgate.” It comes in a variety of sizes and finishes (so you can match it to your door), gives you the ability to create up to 100 passcodes for friends and family, and can be locked and unlocked anywhere with your phone. Plus, of course, it works with your smart home devices too.