The need for security and convenience is one of the main reasons why people convert their houses into smart homes. And some of the easiest and most accessible devices to incorporate into a smart home are smart door locks. They are an easy upgrade that will make your life easier and your home much safer.
The awesome benefits of a smart door lock mostly concern convenience and safety. Smart door locks can connect with other smart devices, such as your smartphone, allowing you to control access to your home remotely.
Are you wondering if a smart door lock is right for your home? Read on to learn ten awesome benefits of smart door locks to help you decide whether or not they are right for you.
Modern Door Lock vs. Smart Door Lock
Most homeowners have modern door locks, and these door locks are pretty straightforward.
You close your door and engage its locking system so outsiders couldn’t get inside your home.
You can disengage the lock and open your door by using a key or, if it’s the digital kind, by entering a passcode.
However, these modern door locks are not always foolproof. Intruders can still pick your lock or bypass your security code.
The modern door lock system can also be problematic if you left or lost your keys because you have no way of entering your home.
This is the reason why most homeowners hide a copy of their keys under their welcome mat or under a flower pot. And if you forget to lock your door as you head out, you leave your home vulnerable to break-ins.
Because of these downsides to the modern door lock, a growing number of homeowners are switching to a smart door lock, which is a more technologically advanced approach to locking and securing their homes.
What Does a Smart Door Lock Do?
Smart door locks are essentially like modern door locks as we know them in terms of function.
But what makes a smart door lock special is that it connects to wireless technology, like your Bluetooth, to give you access to it even when you are not home.
Most smart locks come with a dedicated app that you can install on your smartphone or mobile device. And you can control your smart lock as long as you have your phone with you.
You can unlock the smart door lock without having to use keys or without punching a pin code.
Depending on the kind of smart door lock you installed, you can open it by using your smartphone, using a virtual key, tapping the icon, or issuing a voice command. You also have control over who can open your lock.
So, in essence, a smart door lock is also more secure.
Is a Smart Door Lock Expensive?
A smart door lock is more expensive than any standard-issue lock that you can get at the nearby hardware store.
But the price range for these smart locks varies greatly.
There are brands and models that are around the $100 price range, and there are also locks in the $200 to $300 range.
The more smart features the lock offers and the more devices it is compatible with, the higher its price tag.
However, if you are aware of the advantages of getting a smart door lock, you would know that these far outweigh its cost.
The price of a smart door lock is nothing compared to the peace of mind it brings you.
In other words, while they are quite pricey, these smart devices ultimately give value for your money.
Advantages of a Smart Door Lock
If you are still undecided about whether to get a smart door lock for your home or not, you should know about the many amazing benefits it offers.
This list of benefits should also give you an idea of what specific smart lock features you need and should look for when buying one.
A Smart Door Lock Works With Your Smart Home System
If you have already started converting your home into a smart home and have already set up some smart devices inside your house, a smart door lock would fit perfectly right in.
Depending on the smart door lock brand and model you get, and your home automation setup, your smart lock can connect with devices like smart lights, smart alarms, and smart speakers.
For example, there are smart locks that you can program in such a way that when you unlock them and open your door, your smart lights automatically turn on.
Some also unlock automatically once your smoke or CO alarm gets triggered.
There are also smart door locks you can connect with your voice-activated smart speakers so you can just say “Open the Door” and the door will be unlocked.
You can also pair your smart lock with your smart video doorbell so that you can see whoever is knocking outside even while you’re in bed and you can just unlock the door without having to rush downstairs.
Some smart locks can also be paired with your indoor security camera so that it starts recording each time the door is unlocked.
Keep in mind that not all smart door locks are created equal as they don’t always offer the same level of connectivity with your other home automation devices.
And know that the more connectivity and integration features your smart door lock offers, the more you should expect to pay for it.
You Can Secure Your Home Remotely
With a smart door lock, you can lock and unlock the door remotely through a dedicated mobile app that you install on your phone or tablet.
You no longer have to worry about whether you forgot to lock your door while you are headed to the office.
You can just check it using your phone.
This is great for while you are away on a vacation, too.
It doesn’t even matter if you are halfway around the world. You can check it any time as long as you have an Internet connection.
What’s more, with the capability to control your smart lock remotely, you can unlock the door even before you enter your garage or get out of your car.
You no longer have to fumble for your keys inside your purse or punch in your passcode when your hands are full of grocery bags.
You also don’t have to worry if you’ve had a little too much wine or beer at the bar and wouldn’t be able to get a key into the keyhole.
You Can Control Who Can Get in Your Home and for How Long
Installing a smart lock allows you to strictly control who can enter your house and for how long.
Some smart locks allow you to send virtual keys to other people, such as family, friends, service workers, and visitors, for a specific amount of time.
They will have to download the app to their own phone so they could use this special access pass.
For example, you can give your cleaner or housekeeper a virtual key so she could unlock the door during her weekly cleaning schedule.
You don’t have to worry about leaving your keys or your passcode with her and her possibly using it on days when she’s not supposed to clean your place.
The virtual key system is also useful if your parents are visiting, if you are renting out your apartment as an Airbnb to tourists, or if you asked your neighbors to check on your pets for the weekend.
Furthermore, some smart door locks can record the dates and times they were unlocked and even who was in your house.
So in case you would need to recall who came into your house on a particular day, you have a way of knowing.
Smart Door Locks Are Easy To Install and Easy To Use
You don’t need to call in a handyman to install your new smart lock.
You can easily install one in any type of door and get it done within several minutes.
That’s because it’s similar to standard locks with both interior and exterior components.
You just need to remove the old one, including its strike plate and deadbolt mechanism.
There are also smart locks you can attach to your door and use your current deadbolt hardware and keyed cylinder. This means you only have to remove the interior component.
Additionally, most smart locks will fit in the standard pre-drilled holes existing from your old lock, which means that you no longer have to drill new holes.
Once you’ve installed your smart lock, simply download its dedicated app and pair them together.
Here’s a YouTube video showing how easy it is to install and pair a smart door lock. The smart lock used here is a Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt:
Once you have paired your smart door lock and its dedicated app, you can use it without much difficulty.
It would take time to connect it with your other smart devices and program home automation recipes, but it’s not hard to do.
You can always refer to the manual or seek assistance from your smart lock company’s customer support.
Smart Door Locks Have Aesthetically Pleasing Designs
Aside from being easy to install and easy to use, smart door locks are easy on the eyes, too.
They sport a variety of designs and finishes, so you have a wide range of choices.
But, generally, they are simple, elegant, and modern yet flexible and could blend well with your home aesthetics.
So whether your house has an ultra-modern and minimalist industrial look, or has a rustic and old-world charm to it, most smart door lock designs would fit right in.
Smart locks also don’t have any problem blending with your home’s color palette.
Smart Door Locks Are Convenient for the Physically Disabled and the Elderly
Those who have problems either with vision or hand mobility, like Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, and fibromyalgia patients, would have difficulty fitting the key into the keyhole or punching in the right passcode numbers on the keypad.
But with a smart lock in place, they will be able to open their doors using voice commands.
You can also use your smartphone to get inside your house, which is very convenient if you’re in a wheelchair.
You no longer have to go near your door and reach up for the lock because you can open it even before you even reach the entrance.
This means that having a smart door lock will give seniors and PWDs a little more sense of independence. They no longer need to call on other people to help them open their locks all the time.
Smart Door Locks Can Still Work Without Internet or Power
You will need a wireless internet connection to take advantage of all the wonderful features your smart lock offers, including using your smartphone to open it and integrating it with the rest of your home automation system.
But what if you lose your home WiFi connection? Or what if your lock runs out of battery? Does it mean you’re going to be locked out of your own home?
Most smart locks have a fail-safe mechanism that allows you to open them in case your WiFi gets disconnected for some reason or if you lost or left your smartphone.
For example, some smart locks allow you to add a key option. So as long as you got the key with you, you can use it, too.
Some smart locks also come with optional keypads to augment their wireless-only entry.
Some also come with external jacks that allow you to hook up a 9-volt battery in case your lock’s internal batteries run out of juice.
Nevertheless, most smart locks come with a feature that will warn you about their battery level to avoid running low on power.
Smart Locks Can Have Auto-Locking and Geofencing Features
Some smart locks have a geofencing capability that allows you to set up an invisible perimeter around your house or your front door using your mobile app.
Through your phone’s location services, your smart lock will be able to determine your exact location.
Take note that this thing only works as long as you have your phone on your person.
When you leave your established perimeter, your lock will automatically engage behind you. So even if you forget to lock it, your door will take care of itself.
Geofencing also works when you enter the perimeter.
Your door will automatically unlock as soon as it detects your presence nearby.
There are also smart locks with an auto-lock feature, which instructs them to engage their lock mechanism after you have left your door unlocked for a specified amount of time.
Smart Locks Are Hard for Burglars To Tamper With
Burglars have already mastered the art of picking locks.
But a smart lock is something they could not pick.
The keyless entry mechanism won’t give would-be intruders their needed access to the deadbolt.
Break-ins are even more impossible if you integrate your smart lock into your security system and connect it with your alarms, your motion sensors, and your video doorbell.
What’s more, you will be notified of any attempts to tamper with your smart lock.
You can get a text alert message on your smartphone if it happens.
So even if you don’t have smart alarms in place, you can contact authorities or even your next-door neighbor and ask them to check on your house in case you’re away.
Spending on a Smart Lock Means Investing in Your Peace of Mind
You may need to spend a lot more on a smart lock than you would on a standard deadbolt for your door, but it would be money well spent. And the more features you want to enjoy, the more money it will cost you.
You can expect that the more advanced your smart lock is, the higher its price tag is going to be.
That does not even include the costs for other smart devices that you wish to incorporate into your home automation and security system yet.
Just know that a smart door lock will give you value for your money.
And the more features you decide to get with your smart door lock, the greater value you’ll get.
After all, what it really offers in return is the convenience for everyone, the security of your home, the safety of your loved ones, and your own peace of mind.
There is no better feeling than being able to leave your home or go on a vacation halfway around the world and knowing that your property is safe.
Benefits of a smart door lock: Conclusion
As a homeowner, you don’t have to worry about so many things if you have a smart lock.
Installing a smart door lock offers a lot of awesome benefits, including convenience, security, safety, and peace of mind.
As you go shopping for a smart lock, focus on the features each product offers to find the one best suited for your needs.
