A smarter way to keep things safe
This padlock uses Bluetooth to ensure it only opens for you. You set it up by installing Master Lock’s app on your Apple or Android phone or tablet and pairing it with the lock. From then on, pressing the illuminated button on the 4400D will release its shackle – but only when your phone or tablet is close to it. You can pair more than one device, which is handy if you have kids who lose keys but are never separated from their phones. The app records who’s used the lock and notifies you if anyone else tampers with it.
What if you lose your phone, or it’s out of battery? Using the four buttons around the middle of the lock, you can enter a combination to open it instead. This still works electrically, so what if the 4400D’s own battery has run out? That’s unlikely, because it should last around two years, and warns you when it’s getting low by flashing its light and sending you a message. If all else fails, there’s a slot to insert a second temporary battery. In case you lose your phone and forget the combination, Master Lock stores a backup code for you.
You can also open the lock without touching it, by swiping in the app, but this doesn’t work well on Android (the app is still being developed) and runs the battery down a lot faster. We found we often had to hold down the shackle as well as pressing the button to make the lock open (see photo below left), but generally the system worked.
The boron alloy shackle claims “maximum resistance to cutting and sawing” and the mechanism has “antishim technology” to thwart lock-pickers. We’re neither locksmiths nor burglars, so we can’t vouch for any of this, but the 4400D seems as convincing as any regular padlock of its size, bearing in mind that none will keep out a determined wrongdoer with a good set of bolt cutters.
The biggest limitation of the 4400D is that it’s only designed for indoor use. The 4401DLH (£75 from www.snipca.com/20253) is waterproof and has a longer shackle, making it suitable for locking bikes (with a chain), sheds and shutters.
VERDICT
We’ll wait until they’re cheaper and work flawlessly every time, but Bluetooth padlocks have some definite advantages.
SPECIFICATIONS
7mm boron alloy shackle • 22mm clearance • CR2450 lithium battery (supplied) • Requires iPhone 4s, iPad 3 or Android 4.3 or higher device with Bluetooth 4.0 • Two-year warranty