Every text you read on The Enthusiast Place aim to provide you the best information and help you making good choices. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
With all the latest technological advances that make our lives easier, it is easy to forget that there are pros and cons to changes.
In this article, we will see some of the best features of smart door locks vs traditional locks.
Have you noticed the remote control feature of smart door locks?
For those looking for a simple way to confirm that you left the door locked after leaving the house, smart door locks are an easy choice.
These smart door locks work with smartphones, which are already integrated in most of our lives.
You can program them to let your cleaning maid or even a friend into your home, without having personally to open the door.
On the other hand, when you want to remove someone’s access to your home, you just need to withdraw the authorization previously given to that person.
In a situation like this, if you use a conventional lock, you would consider replacing the lock barrel for security but with a smart door lock it would be enough to change or revoke the access code.
Some use keyboards with long security codes for when you don’t have a smartphone or short-range Bluetooth signals that they can pick up when you’re around.
There are others that also allow the use of the conventional key to open in case of technological failure.
But is it really worth it?
What if smart door lock hangs as many other technology pieces?
And in those cases when the technology malfunction? Electronic equipment sometimes hangs and needs to be reset.
Some of these devices run on batteries that can be depleted when you are away from home.
Others, directly connected to the electrical network, are subject to the electrical network availability itself.
Even in the largest cities there are sometimes power outages, see this example in 2019 there was a major blackout in Manhattan in the state of New York that affected the areas of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and Broadway and left approximately 73,000 homes and commercial spaces without electricity for 3 hours.
Personally, I’m not using a smart lock on my apartment door yet, but the door to my building is already installed with a smart door lock with a keypad for entering a code. I’ve been through some situations of power failure, fortunately for me, I had the classic key with me to open building’s door and I managed to get into the house easily, but I found several neighbors at the door because they stopped taking the key in their pocket when they installed that system.
On the other hand, regular door locks do not require software updates or battery replacement. Even when they look outdated, they don’t suffer from technological obsolescence.
Each time you depend more on your smartphone, if the battery runs out, you are locked, maybe everything: the door of the house, the car, the wallet and even the phone itself to ask for help.
What about home security when using smart lock?
In addition to the technical flaws described, smart locks, like most other technology products, have the potential to be hacked by hackers which is also a security concern.
However, this is not just a problem with smart door locks, since the lock that uses the old metal key could be broken either by brute force, or by someone with that handy skill and who was interested in opening the locked door.
In this field, switching to a more technological system would also be exchanging the technical skills required for a potential thief.
Does the cost of installing a smart lock worth it?
Some advance with “do it yourself”, while for others, the cost of installing the new system can be a barrier to making this change.
With regard to costs, electronic locks can be more expensive but for the final verdict the other factors must also be considered.
Smart door locks are cool but appearance is also taken into account…
One of the most pressing concerns for homeowners is appearance, their stylish design on their homes.
In other words, many smart locks do not go unnoticed, and many do not look nice.
Most of the brilliant technology is invisible but it is there making our lives better.
Traditional locks, those that are not automated, tend to disappear in the background, as people are used to them.
They have existed for several centuries, some placed inside the door handle itself or below it.
Although there are different styles from different manufacturers, smart locks often have boxes or lamps that protrude out of the door surface.
Some have modern-looking numerical displays, others look like standard function calculators glued to the outside of the door, which for many people is an aberration.
Replacing an almost invisible lock to place a calculator on the outside and a battery box on the inside is not usually an easy decision for most people.
This is often a determining factor for those considering the option of changing their home locks for the latest technological advances.
Fortunately, manufacturers are already starting to offer solutions on the market that avoid this defect, either by making their appearance more pleasant, or by the possibility of being embedded in the door like conventional locks.
Level Lock is a great example of these invisible smart locks. “technology shouldn’t demand consumers to change the way they live their lives. It should blend seamlessly into the background and take care of you when you need it.” as posted on Level Home website.
Another of these examples is the Kevo Lock from KWIKSET, discreet and intelligent, using the smartphone, allows you to open or close the door remotely or even confirm that it has been locked. It also allows defining different codes for several users and even limiting access times, useful for housekeepers or babysitters.
Integrating smart door locks with virtual assistant…
Intelligent locks integrated with virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa can also help order people or people with reduced mobility in the sense that it will be enough to say “Alexa, open the door” for the door to open and avoid going to the door when the bell rings.
For the youngest, this feature can have an adverse effect since it is not necessary to walk to the door to encourage the creation of more lazy habits. Or even worst, because your subconscience
If people cease to have the subconscious action of locking the door, they may even leave it open unintentionally causing some insecurity for themselves.
You should also remember to update the firmware on some connected locks.
Traditional dumb locks are not open to hackers, as they are not connected to the Internet.
Although old-fashioned invasions are still possible.
Smart door locks helping to support mortgage costs…
For those who rent rooms in their homes to help support mortgage costs, smart door locks are also a good option as you don’t need to hire a locksmith every time you change tenants, just change the codes for the smart door lock. As well as installing smart devices to control access to some areas of the house, it is simple.
Level Home claims that Level Lock can be installed using only a screwdriver.
In Conclusion, smart door locks and other home security products are among the most popular smart home gadgets for consumers, according to data from IDC.
Smart home systems based on internet of things achieved great popularity in the last decades as they increase the comfort and quality of life.
The consumer electronics sector is expected to almost double to $1.39 billion in 2023 from $74 million in 2019.
With smart door locks, you can grant or revoke someone’s access to your home whenever you want. The same is not the case with traditional locks that when you give someone a key you may never get it back. And the keys are smaller and easier to lose than smartphones, not least because you can track smartphones using other devices.
Installation by some professional may be pricey but many manufacturers made it simple for a “do it yourself” install so you can get it cheaper.
Smart locks also increase home security locking doors automatically whenever you forgot to do it and allowing you to control when your front door is opened and who opened it even when you are not there simply using your smartphone or other connected device.
So, have you already decided whether if should you install a smart door lock? Did this article helped you to decide?
Please let me know about your experience.