Review of High Tech Locks for Home Security

Securing your home and its precious contents is always high on any homeowner’s list of priorities. The traditional method has been to simply turn a key and either lock the doorknob or extend a deadbolt into the door’s frame. Recent advances in electronics have made the process of locking your front door more secure as well as more convenient.

As an architect, the advent of electronic locks offers an opportunity to integrate added security and convenience into the design of entry doors. I recently tested electronic door locks designed by Yale and Kwikset, two of the leading companies that manufacture door locksets. Both companies offer electronic locks with strong deadbolts that are easy to install and are styled to fit a variety of decors. In addition to the basic electronic operation of the deadbolt, both of these companies provide wireless connectivity that allows these units to link to remote controllers as well as home security systems.

There are two types of locksets: one that has an integrated door level mechanism, and one that can be installed independently of a door lever or doorknob. The first offers an “all-in-one” setup that is ideal for new construction or renovation projects where a new door is being installed, and the lockset and doorknob/lever can be installed all at once. The available doorknob and lever styles are rather “neutral” in design (neither purely contemporary nor traditional) and can easily blend with many door hardware designs used in most homes and apartments.

The deadbolt-only locksets can be installed in conjunction with either an existing doorknob/lever or as part of a new installation of a separate doorknob/lever. This offers more design flexibility for new construction, in that the deadbolt lockset can be married to a wide range of contemporary or traditional doorknob/lever styles. Of course, if you are adding an electronic deadbolt lockset to an existing door, this type of model can easily be installed above the existing doorknob/lever without changing the existing door opening mechanism.

Let’s take a closer look at the two deadbolt locksets we tested:

Yale “Real Living” Touchscreen and Keypad Deadbolt Locks

Yale keypad deadbolts

These locks come in two styles, one with a touchscreen and one with individual buttons arranged in a keypad on the front plate. The touchscreen is mounted in a squared-off rectangular housing, while the touchpad is a more rounded oval shape. Both of these styles come in two versions, one with just the lock and one with a lever as well. The lockset ships with two keys.

Construction and Finish
This unit is built solidly. The housings are heavy and appear to protect the internal electronic components well. A flexible wiring harness protects the wiring used to connect the back of the unit to the front plate. There is also a full gasket that covers the entire back of the interior plate ensuring a solid flush fit to the door. The models come in three finishes: satin nickel, bronze or polished brass.

Installation
Unless you are replacing an existing deadbolt that uses a 1” hole, this lockset is a custom install and neither a new or existing door will have pre-drilled holes for this type of lock. Although the installation is straightforward, it is recommended that you use an experienced contractor or handyman to install the lock mechanism.

There are four primary components to the lockset which makes installation easy. A paper template is used to align the holes that must be drilled in the face and side or the door. This template is very clear and easy to use. The template is folded as indicated and the holes are marked by punching small holes in the template to identify the locations of the required holes for the lock assembly and deadbolt.

Instructions
In addition to a 17-page instruction booklet, these locks come with a 2-page “Quickstart Guide.” The Guide incudes both the step-by-step installation procedure as well as a summary of the lockset programing and operations procedures. The install and operations instructions are clear, but you will have to study the steps for programming the lock carefully. Note that if you have to re-set the lock after programming, you must remove the interior escutcheon plate from the door to reach the reset button.

Operation
Once the batteries are installed and the lock is programmed, operation is rather simple. To open, just touch the screen’s touchpad, enter the PIN code you have programmed, touch the asterisk key, and the door unlocks. You can have up to 25 users, each with their own unique PIN code. If the wrong code is entered repeatedly, the lockset will shut down. You can set the number of allowable unsuccessful tries from one to ten.

To manually lock the door from the inside you can turn a small lever mounted on the inside face of the lockset. For added security, you can disable the touchpad from the inside by holding down a small “privacy mode” button below the lever for a few seconds.

The volume for the audible cues during operation that can be adjusted or turned off completely. The four AA batteries are expected to last up to one year before replacement is necessary (when the batteries are low, an indicator light will appear on the front of the lockset). If for any reason the lockset does not operate on battery power, you can use the supplied keys to open the lock.

Remote Access
An optional network module (purchased separately) can be installed in a slot above the batteries. This module allows you to wirelessly connect the lockset to a remote device such as a computer, handheld device or smartphone. You can lock and unlock doors from any web-enabled device, program the lock to open at a specific time (for maintenance personnel, for instance), or provide customized entry schedules for family members and guests. The wireless model also increases the number of users to 250.

For remote control, the keypad locks support two popular remote electronic systems: Z-Wave or ZigBee. These systems link to a wide range of wireless home control and security systems.

Price
The touchscreen model carries a retail price of about $300 while the push button keypad model sells for $240. You can find online discount prices for these units of as low as $200 for the touchscreen and $160 for the keypad model. Prices are the same for models featuring levers.

Kwikset “Signature Series Smart Code” Keyless Deadbolt Locks

Kwikset deadbolt locks

These locksets come in two styles, one with a contemporary look and one in a more traditional style. Both feature individual buttons arranged in a keypad on the front plate. Both of these styles come in two versions, one with just the lock and one with a lever as well. The lockset ships with two keys.

You can purchase these with the Kwikset “Home Connect” option which allows you to link the locks to remote controller and home security systems. This review will focus on units featuring this wireless feature.

Construction and Finish
The Kwikset locksets are smaller than the units manufactured by Yale, and in general have less heavy components as well – a bit more plastic and lighter gauge metal housings. However, the smaller size can be seen as a design advantage, since the keypad plate facing the outer side of the door is less bulky in appearance, thus blending better with more traditional door designs.

The keysets come in five finishes: polished brass, satin nickel, polished chrome, satin chrome, and bronze.

Installation
As is the case with the Yale units, the installation procedure is straightforward. However, unless you are comfortable with power tools and precision installation procedures, you should use an experienced contractor or handyman to install the lock mechanism.

The lockset includes a number of primary components that must be assembled, including a separate tumbler assembly. There is a small wiring harness attached to the front keypad that must be threaded through the door to attach to the rear plate with the battery assembly. A paper template is provided to align the holes that must be drilled in the face and side or the door. A nice feature is the tapered deadbolt that makes it easy to align the bolt with the corresponding strike plate on the door frame.

Instructions
The fold out instruction sheet takes you through the assembly and operations of the lockset step by step. Programming of the unit is rather simple.

Operation
The compact size of the unit allows for only six keys, five of which share two numerals. There is only one “lock” key, making the opening and closing sequences easy. You may use up to an eight-digit code (four is the minimum) and the lock provides for up to 30 of these codes.

You turn a small lever mounted on the inside face of the lockset to manually lock the door from the inside. There is an indicator light that notifies you if the batteries are getting low and need replacement. On average, four AA batteries last up to one year before replacement, although the manufacturer claims that under normal use battery life is closer to 16 months. If the batteries die with the unit in the “locked” position, you can use the supplied keys to open the lock.

There are several features that can be modified, including the audible clues and the “auto-lock” feature that locks the unit 30 seconds after the door is opened. These are controlled via small switches housed behind the easy-to-remove cover of the rear escutcheon plate.

Remote Access
The Kwikset lockset has built-in circuitry that allows you to wirelessly connect the unit to a remote device such as a computer, handheld device or smartphone. You can lock and unlock doors from any web-enabled device, program the lock to open at a specific time, or provide customized entry schedules for family members and guests.

For remote control, the keypad locks support two popular remote electronic systems: Z-Wave or ZigBee. These systems link to a wide range of wireless home control and security systems.

Special Features
Kwikset offers “Smart-Key” locks that improve resistance to the picking of locks by using patented technology inside the lock. All their new locksets also provide an easy be-keying system. This feature allows you to create new keys and set the lock without removing the lock from the door. Simply insert the new keys, push a “reset tool” into a special slot in the front of the lock, turn the key a specified distance, and the tumblers reset to accept the new keys.

Price
Units with Smart Code capability normally run about $240, although online prices can be as low as $85-115. The contemporary keypad is often about $5 to $10 more in price than the traditional design models. Generally, models with levers are about $20 more than those with only a keypad/key combination.

Buying Advice

You can’t go wrong with high tech electronic deadbolt locksets from either Yale or Kwikset. Both companies offer well-built units that can be installed on any standard door. There are some differences in styles, features and lock construction, but none are compelling reasons to eliminate either company’s offerings from serious consideration.

For those on a budget, the Kwikset locks are generally priced lower than Yale electronic locks. However, there may be features available on the Yale locks (such as a sleek touchpad interface or up to 250 user codes) for which you may wish to pay more.

All three locks reviewed accomplish the goal of providing added security and the ability to remotely access the locksets via a home security system console, personal computer, or smartphone application.