Best Electronic Door Locks of 2021 (Pricing & Features)
Each keyless door lock is worth the shot. But there are some features that make them more suitable for people’s homes, such as being compatible with smart home assistants. Find them in the table below.
| Provider | Best for | Price | Compatible with Smart Assistants | Requires a separate hub | Type of batteries | Unlock remotely | Touchscreen | Materials | Display | Sensors | Built-in alarm | Fingerprint resistant |
| Schlage Z-Wave | Large Families | $285.00 | Yes | Yes | 4 alkaline | Yes | Yes | Aluminum | LED | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Schlage Touch Camelot | Updated Models | $85.00 | No | No | 4 alkaline | Yes | Yes | Steel | LED | Yes | No | Yes |
| Schlage E365CAM619 | Affordable Pricing | $85.48 | No | No | Not included | No | No | Steel | Traditional | No | No | No |
| Simplisafe Smart Lock | Tech-savvy People | $99.00 | Yes | No | Lithium | Yes | Yes | Steel | LED | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kwikset 907 | Long-Lasting Guarantee | $55.00 | No | No | 2 AA | No | No | Polished brass | No | No | No | No |
| Kwikset 909 | High-Quality Materials | $71.11 | No | Yes | 2 AA | No | No | Aluminum | No | No | No | No |
| August Smart Lock 2nd Generation | Weather Resistance | $145.00 | Yes | No | 1 lithium polymer | Yes | No | Polished metal | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| SoHoMiLL YL 99 | Traditional Knobs | $44.99 | No | No | 2 AAA | No | No | Aluminum | No | No | No | No |
| Nest X Yale | Stylish Design | $245.00 | Yes | Yes | Not included | Yes | Yes | Steel | LED | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ultraloq UL3 | Tech-savvy people | $137 | No | No | 3 AA | Yes | Yes | Zinc Alloy | LED | Yes | No | Yes |
How to Install the Best Electronic Door Locks in Your Home
Take these words: setting up electronic door locks is usually an easy task. The best of them have been designed so that owners don’t have to use any tools or complicated security devices.
Still, there are some steps to take into account when carrying out these tasks. Let’s take a look at them below.
Step 1 – Do Away With the Deadbolt
All these are keyless locks, so owners do not need existing deadbolts still on the door. Instead, they will have to remove them in some simple steps. But before doing so, it’s a great idea to take a pic of how it looked like.
This is useful in case people need to take things to the way they were before. Then, unscrewing the cylinder and handle is quite an easy process. People don’t need to be tech-savvy or have a lot of specialized tools to carry it out.
Step 2 – Get Started With the New Keyless Door Lock
While some electronic door locks only need to be attached with a magnet with a key, most of them will require a screwdriver. But this only involves a D-turn, nothing complicated. Just make sure this is aligned with the door hole. If not, the device will not fit.
After this, just follow the advice given by the manual in regards to the mounting plate and the motor assembly. Wire it, in case the electronic locks need them, and that’s it. They are almost ready to be used.
Step 3 – Adjust as Necessary
Before going with this new system, it’s important to give the door locks a try. This is to see if there are any issues or mistakes to be corrected until people leave the house. For example, it’s important to see if the deadbolt is retracting in a good way.
If it is not, then the door can get blocked, and the owner is left out of the home.
So, always keep an eye on alignment issues. Plus, make sure the app works correctly and unlocks the door from a distance in a nice manner.
What to Take in Mind When Shopping Around?
So, what are the things to bear in mind when deciding what to buy? Are all electronic locks the same? Not at all. Several factors exist when taking a look at different models and choosing the best one for home. Here are some of them.
Type of Device
There are two types of items, in general. These are deadbolts and lever locks. While this may sound a bit strange, it’s not hard to obtain this info. People can just look it up or ask a professional about what type they have at home. Owners should take into account those two categories when shopping around, as they will need to make sure their door is compatible with the door locks they want to buy.
Design & Style
Most people care about their home style and design, so it won’t be the same for them if the device is blue, white, or black. Some models will not come in different variations. Yet, the best keyless door locks offer a lot of options for buyers to choose from. In addition to the colors, there are also different shapes and styles, such as classic or modern, with big or small buttons, etc.
Keypad or Not
This is another crucial element of a keyless door lock. Today, most of them are electronic, but some other brands offer traditional keypads with normal buttons. Plus, other companies make them with the keyhole while some others do not. While they can have a number of benefits, those who buy the traditional type should make sure the numbers are printed inside the plastic of the button and not outside to avoid hacking issues.
Includes an Alarm
Such a feature may or may not be important for owners, but it’s nice to know that some keyless locks also include a built-in alarm. People will be able to manage the settings and decide when this chime will ring. If that’s the case, an alarm will start ringing on the owners’ phones so they can check what is going on and do something about it if necessary.
For example, this can happen in case somebody puts the password wrong more than 3 times.
Can Be Accessed Remotely
The most advanced models will include a feature so that the owner can access the device using a mobile app. The software is usually easy to download and use, so people don’t need to be tech-savvy or know a lot about cellphones to get started with this. Yet, they may need to own a recent phone with an updated Android system, or the app may not work as it should, compromising the safety of the building.
Compatible With Voice Smart Assistants
Today, more and more homes are getting automatized. So, many appliances are compatible with different smart systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Voice, Apple’s Siri, and many more. If this is something relevant for buyers, they should check whether the door locks are going to work or not. Some voice commands are handy, such as “Siri, open the gate”.
How to Use Them
Some systems will use the app to manage what is going on at home. Some others, instead, only require the user to have a remote control. But what if the buyer loses the device or if they don’t have the phone available? Consider this as a part of the shopping process and see if they can use a hybrid homekit. In this way, they will be saving themselves some trouble in case there are issues nobody can foresee.
Truly Keyless
The idea behind each keyless door lock is not to use keys at all. So, people who want to adopt this new system should look for deadbolts that do not need physical items. In addition, these are usually easier to install, as they don’t require tools or even screwdrivers.
Any Other Benefits
Is using an app important for the buyers? Do they want to be able to give people their own codes? Those are all options when shopping around for keyless door locks, together with other benefits, like manufacturer’s warranty or how much the batteries last. While this may seem like something small, it’s not.
Does it Have a Warranty?
No matter how good the brand is or how great the reputation, the keyless door lock can always be faulty. That is why clients should be covered by a warranty for the smart product and its failures. For example, if they turn it on and do not open the door, then they should be able to return the item without further costs.
Many products can have defects, and nobody wants to spend a lot of money to solve something they shouldn’t. Take a close look at all those features and decide which one is best.
FAQ Section
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What Is an Electronic Keyless Deadbolt?
An electronic door lock is an item that requires no keys to function. In this way, people can manage their gateway at home, the office, or anywhere they are without using a physical item.
Instead, they will be managing these homekits using software, apps, or simple remotes and applying codes to close or open the door.
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Are Keyless Locks Secure?
Yes, they are. Most of them have been designed by experts and approved by safety measures existing in the USA. Yet, what makes them secure is the way people install them. Even the best keyless door locks have a DIY setup.
This means buyers have to pay extra attention to what they do with the tools they own and how they place the motor and the mounting place. If they don’t, the door may not work in the way it should.
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What Is the Best Electronic Door Lock?
It depends on a lot of factors. Some people will consider that the best keyless door lock is the one that costs the least. Yet, some others will value the benefits they have over the price. Some of these include smart voice assistants, durability, guarantees, LED pad, and more.
All in all, it will come down to the person’s needs and requirements. If they have a big house with lots of people coming in, the machines with at least 10 access codes will be more convenient for them.
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How Much Do Electronic Locks Cost?
Prices vary a lot depending on the brand, the benefits, and the type of electronic door lock people decide to buy. The starting price is usually around $100 for important brands. Yet, it can go as high as $300 for more famous companies.
This difference has to do with smart home compatibility, fingerprint-resistant touchscreens, the type of materials, and so on. Anyway, they are affordable for almost any family or a person who lives alone.
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Can Keyless Door Locks Be Hacked?
Yes, this is possible. But it is not likely to happen. Most brands take measures to ensure no criminals can access the database or the system. For this, they offer different options to access one’s home.
The first one is hybrid homekits, with traditional keys together with the electronic lock doors. Plus, the products can be controlled with a physical remote in addition to the app. In this way, people can be at ease in case they lose their phone, or it breaks down.
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What Is the Difference Between a Smart Lock and an Electronic Lock?
The difference is that smart devices offer an upgrade when compared to electronic locks. Different from the other systems, they offer compatibility with different smart voice systems. So, owners of Echo Dot, for example, will be able to use Amazon Alexa to manage their doors.
Of course, the voice command will be defined by the owner, and they will have to enter a code to make it happen. In addition to Amazon Alexa, the most popular keyless door locks can also be used with Google Voice, FITT, or Siri.
Take the Leap and Make the Lock Electronic
Having a keypad deadbolt may seem luxurious, but let’s not forget these premium items have a first function: to safeguard a home. So, the features that should be taken more seriously are the security ones.
How many codes are allowed? Does the company make sure hackers cannot enter the home? These, among many others, are questions to address when trying to buy the best keyless door locks in 2021.
