A smart lock opens new doors and offers an easier life. For example, you open your door with an app, remote control or wall switch. No more physical keys to lose, but digital keys with secure encryption.
Especially in collaboration with a smart doorbell , from now on you always know who is entering or who is trying to enter. Do you not feel like having keys made, or walking to the door every time to open it? Then a smart lock is an indispensable addition to your smart home.
More about smart locks
In the past, you could safely leave the front door open all day long. Nobody thought of coming to steal anything from you. Unfortunately, that is different nowadays. Everything must be locked, otherwise it will be stolen. The smart lock is therefore a handy innovation, because you can unlock or lock the door whenever you want.
By means of your presence, a push of a button or fingerprint, you can be in or out within seconds. That is ideal, because it makes a smart lock extremely useful. It is not without reason that the locks are widely used in hotels, Airbnb and residential complexes.
Which smart locks are there?
Where you have few options with a normal lock, you do get those options with a smart door lock. Because everything is set digitally, you determine everything yourself. Below you can see which options you have with a smart door lock.
Connecting via an app
A smart lock with an app is in many cases the most convenient. You can then send digital keys to everyone yourself, so you always know who is coming in. All your family or friends have to do is download the app and wait for the invitation.
If the smart lock works via WiFi, it is possible to open the door remotely via the app. Handy if your visit arrives before you. You can also set that you receive a notification when someone comes home. You can immediately see who is at home.
Remote control, pin code or fingerprint
Some smart locks have a remote control. That option is also ideal. A number of remote controls are then connected to the lock, so that you can distribute them yourself among the family members. If you are near the door, you can open the door with the push of a button. The remote control is well secured, so it is also a reliable way to unlock the door.
Do you want an advanced smart door lock? Then you can buy a smart door lock with a pin code or fingerprint. Your visitors have the opportunity to enter in different ways. You can of course share the PIN code and change it periodically. The fingerprints must be stored first.
Door lock with Bluetooth or Wifi
Most smart door locks work on Bluetooth or the comparable Z-Wave or Zigbee. These so-called protocols ensure that you can reach the devices within a range of 10 to a maximum of 50 meters.
That is of course fine when you come home or if you want to open the door from the couch. However, you are limited because the lock is not connected to the internet. It is therefore not possible to open the door at a greater distance. You need a bridge for that.
With a WiFi door lock you have a greater range than with Bluetooth. Then you can open the door from work or even your vacation destination. Ideal if a friend or family member is just bringing or picking up something.
Smarthome Fans’ favorite smart slot
Pretty much all smart locks have something that makes them the best. Nevertheless, we are particularly pleased with the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 . Why? Because of the following reasons:
- The lock is very easy to install (within 3 minutes).
- You don’t have to replace the cylinder.
- Integration possible with Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit and Google Assistant.
- Fair price.
Of course, smart locks with fingerprint scanners and keypads are also nice and handy, but they are often a bit more expensive and difficult to install. We think the Nuki Smart Lock 2.0 has more than enough options for the average smarthome fan. Sending digital keys is fast, the app works intuitively and the lock is reliable.
Nuki Smart Lock 2.0
What does a smart door lock cost?
There aren’t that many smart locks on the market, and that’s not surprising. A lock must of course be secure and not everyone can create good encryption just like that. Because a smart door lock is an important part of your smart home, you also pay quite a bit of money for it. The cheapest smart lock costs approx. 200 euros. Do you also want extra options such as a fingerprint scanner and pin code? In that case, the amount is between 200 and 300 euros. You also have to take into account the purchase of a bridge. In a package, these often cost 80 euros extra. You can buy a bridge separately for approx. 100 euros.
How secure is it really?
If you previously lost a physical key, you were often forced to replace the entire lock. This works differently with a digital key. There, you simply change the code or deny a specific telephone access to the door. If someone has lost their phone, that is not a disaster.
Then the lock itself. Because it must of course also be sturdy. Fortunately, it is, because almost all smart locks are provided with a quality mark, such as the SKG in the Netherlands. There are also authorities abroad that check the locks for safety. Does the lock of your choice have a quality mark? In that case, you can assume that it is safe and reliable enough for your front door.
Encryption
Next we have encryption . Because can hackers crack a smart lock? Yes, that’s possible. But very difficult. Because the security on a smart lock is comparable to the encryption used in the army and at the bank. you can therefore assume that you are safe from the home-garden-and-kitchen hacker. But if someone really wants to break in, they can of course always smash a window. And no lock can beat that.
Install smart lock; how does that work?
You can install the one smart lock in just 2 minutes. The other slot takes more than an hour of your time. Why that big difference? Because the cylinder of the existing lock sometimes has to be removed and sometimes not. Locks such as Nuki are placed over the existing cylinder, with the key remaining in the cylinder. The mechanism then simply turns the key when you unlock the door.
The mechanism works differently with other smart locks. There, the smart lock replaces the existing cylinder in the door. So you need some tools and technical knowledge for this. You have to disassemble the existing lock and then assemble it with other parts.
Advantages of a smart lock
- You can open a door remotely
- You walk in with heavy stuff in one go
- You simply hand out (temporary) codes
- You always see who comes home when
Disadvantages of the smart lock
- Difficult to enter with an empty phone
- Unlocking the door takes longer if the reach is poor
- Some locks do not allow the use of a physical key
Popular smart locks
Are you curious about your most popular smart locks at the moment? The locks below each stand out for their easy installation, list of options and ease of use.
1. Nuki Smart Lock 2.0
The Nuki Smart Lock is one of the most useful smart locks. Installation takes less than 5 minutes and you can easily share digital keys via the app. The geofencing option ensures that you never have to take your key or phone out of your pocket again.
2. Yale ENTR
Those looking for an advanced smart lock choose the Yale ENTR . The standard options are enough, but you can also expand the smart lock with a keypad or even a fingerprint scanner. You immediately give the safety of your home a significant upgrade.
3. Danalock V3
the Danalock V3 smart lock is one of the most popular smart locks. This is mainly due to the reasonably affordable price, but also because the lock communicates via Bluetooth and / or Z-Wave. This allows you to connect the lock to various other smart devices. The slot doesn’t have that many exciting features, but it’s just really good at what it does; lock and unlock your door whenever you want.
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