Bring your home security into the 21st century
One of the latest security gadgets to make its way into the home is the smart lock. Using connected technologies, smart locks allow you to open doors without the need for keys. But how do they work? Are they safe? And what are the benefits? Here, we’ll tell you.
How They Work
Rather than a physical key, smartlocks are opened using your phone, watch, tablet or other smart device. Generally, this means using an app to either send the lock a command to open using either Bluetooth or your home’s existing wi-fi connection.
In theory, this gives you a huge number of additional benefits compared to a standard lock. For instance, you can create as many virtual ‘keys’ as you like. If you take a lodger, have a friend to stay or want your child to have their own access, you just create a key on the app and then assign it to them. If you ever want to revoke access, you can simply delete it. There’s no concern about a key getting lost or forgotten so it allows anyone in, and even if the device is taken, you can remove its access in seconds.
Most smart locks go even further, allowing you to do things like set access restrictions by day or date, or assign temporary keys that only work for a limited time before self-deleting.
Some locks are operated entirely over software, but it’s also possible to get locks that incorporate a hardware keypad. Input codes can still be managed by software and can typically be anywhere from four to ten digits in length. And there is, of course, typically a manual override in case your phone (or the smart lock itself) loses power for any reason.
Are They Safe?
Probably the biggest question any potential smart-lock buyer will ask themselves is the really obvious one: can it actually be trusted?
The connection between your lock and device is, in theory, uncrackable. Although it varies from device to device, you can expect at least 128-bit encryption, meaning that it’s essentially impossible to crack and can’t be intercepted. That alone means it’s no less secure than a standard key, and probably a great deal more. It’s not like there’s a master code that’ll work for every lock.
But that said, in practice, all locks are only secure until they aren’t. If you decide to go for a smart lock, you’re working on the assumption that the hardware and software are both free from serious bugs and will remain so, which might be a big leap for some people.
Of course, even your normal front door lock is only notionally secure, so in that sense a smart lock is no worse than what you have now. Really, you buy a smart lock less because of security and more because of convenience.
Smart locks do have additional security features that other locks don’t, though. They’ll alert you if there are unauthorised access attempts (and, for that matter, authorised ones if you like). They can temporarily lock down completely if too many unauthorised access attempts are made. Some will even alert the authorities for you!
Any Other Features?
It depends on the hardware, but you can have the option to lock and unlock your door completely remotely if you want to allow access to an unexpected guest while you’re not in. Some units incorporate a video camera and speaker so you can communicate with someone at your door, even giving the impression that you’re inside your house when you’re actually steaming your responses over the internet.
Some units also have an auto-unlock feature, so as soon as you’re nearby, your house unlocks for you. What this actually means is that when you connect to your home wi-fi or come within Bluetooth range, it sends a command automatically. Likewise, if you leave your house and go out of range, the hardware can lock automatically as well.
Finally, some units have hardware key fobs, which can be used to unlock doors in an emergency, or by people who don’t have smartphones.
The only tricky part is installation. The mechanism differs for every lock. Some replace the lock completely, incorporating a handle, where others simply fit into an existing locking mechanism in the door’s interior. Some have sensors on both sides of the door, some just on one. There’s no particular standard; it’s all down to the make and manufacturer.
What Models Are Available?
Many of the most recognisable smart lock models (and indeed, product reviews) are US-centric, which can make researching them more difficult than it should be. For the last section of this guide, we’re looking at a pair of smart locks you might want to buy, which are definitely on sale in the UK and compatible with standard locks and doors.
Kwikset Kevo 925
At almost £300, this smart lock is pretty pricy, but it has a lot of benefits that make attractive. It’s a standard Yale lock, for example, so it’s familiar as well as being connected. You can create unlimited eKeys for Android and iOS devices, and it comes with two master hardware keys and two unlocking keyfobs.
Installation is simple and can be done without any special tools, and the Kevo app provides plenty of stats and administration options. It’s compatible with Google’s Nest system. If you’ve got your smartphone on you, you don’t even need to take it out of your pocket: just tap the lock and if the hardware is detected outside the door, it’ll unlock automatically.
On the interior of your house, you get a simple unlocking lever so you don’t have to use your phone while you’re indoors, and access to the battery slot so you can replace the batteries easily when the time comes (and your phone will let you know when that time is getting near!)
Lockstate Wi-Fi Remotelock 500i
This lock is a fair amount cheaper at £230, but it incorporates a lot of the same hardware features. It’s wi-fi enabled, so you can unlock your door remotely, it has access logs so you know who’s been inside and when, and you can add and remove access codes using just your phone. Unlike the Kwikset lock, it doesn’t use Bluetooth, so you have to enter a code manually to unlock it, but you do have the option of using a standard Yale-type key or going completely keyless if you prefer.
Unlike Kwikset’s lock, it has a hardware keypad on the outside, so you can get in even if you don’t own a smartphone (or have a key on you), and on the door’s interior it has a standard latch and battery access.
Ultimately, it’s not quite as smart – but the wi-fi capabilities mean it’s still pretty futuristic, and again it’s both fully compatible with standard UK locks and simple to install, as long as you know your way around a screwdriver.