Door locks are one of the most important devices for securing your home and protecting your family and belongings. Traditional door locks that use keys or mechanical knobs has existed for hundreds of years, and many homeowners are finding them inconvenient, unsafe, or outdated in the era of smart home technology. That’s why many home owners are switching to smart door locks and digital locks that offer more convenience, security, and functionality.
But what are smart door locks and digital locks, and how do they differ from each other? And what are the benefits of using them for your home? In this article, we will answer these questions and give you an overview of some of the best smart door lock and digital lock brands in the market.
What are Smart Door Locks and Digital Locks?
Smart door locks and digital locks are devices that use electronic or biometric mechanisms to lock and unlock your door. They can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app, a voice assistant, a keypad, a fingerprint scanner, a facial recognition system, or other methods. They can also be integrated with other smart home devices, such as cameras, sensors, alarms, or lights, to create a more intelligent and automated home security system.
The main difference between smart door locks and digital locks is that smart door locks can connect to the internet and other smart devices via WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or other wireless protocols, while digital locks do not have this capability. This means that smart door locks can offer more features and functions than digital locks, such as remote access, real-time alerts, activity logs, guest access, geofencing, etc.
However, this also means that smart door locks may require more power consumption, network connectivity, and maintenance than digital locks. Digital locks may be more reliable, durable, and affordable than smart door locks in some cases.
What are the Benefits of Smart Door Locks?
Smart door locks and digital locks can benefit home owners in many ways.
Convenience
Smart door locks and digital locks allow you to lock and unlock your door without using keys or mechanical knobs. You can use your smartphone, your voice, your fingerprint, your face, or other methods to access your door easily and quickly. You can also grant temporary or permanent access to your guests, family members, or service providers without having to share keys or codes. You can also check the status of your door lock anytime and anywhere via your smartphone app.
Security
Smart door locks and digital locks provide more security than traditional door locks by using encryption, authentication, anti-theft, anti-hacking, anti-tampering, and anti-picking technologies. They can also alert you of any suspicious activities or unauthorized access attempts via your smartphone app or email. They can also work with other smart home devices to create a more comprehensive home security system that can deter intruders or notify authorities in case of emergencies.
Traditional locks rely on levers or pins to mechanically unlock – while these traditional methods of unlocking are considered to be easily picked, it must also be noted that most digital or smart door locks also include a lock cylinder that can be unlocked with a key in case of any system failures. Like any mechanical system, this cylinder can also be picked. Many smart lock manufacturers, such as Aqara, use more secure lock cylinders than can be commonly found in the market.
Functionality
Smart door locks and digital locks offer more functionality than traditional door locks by using AI and smart sensors to learn from your habits and preferences. They can automatically adjust the settings of your door lock based on the time of day, the weather conditions, your location, or other factors. They can also provide you with useful data and insights on your door lock usage patterns and trends via your smartphone app.
What are Some of the Best Smart Door Lock and Brands?
There are many smart door lock and digital lock brands in the market, each with its own features and advantages. Here are some of the most popular ones:
- Philips: Philips is a global leader in health technology and consumer electronics. It offers a range of smart door lock and digital lock products that use facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, PIN codes, or mechanical keys to unlock your door. Philips’ smart door locks and digital locks also have elegant designs, durable materials, child safety features, low battery alerts, emergency power supply options, etc.
- Samsung: Samsung is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electronics and appliances. It offers a range of smart door lock and digital lock products that use fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, PIN codes, or mechanical keys to unlock your door. Samsung’s smart door locks and digital locks also have sleek designs, voice guidance, fire detection, intrusion alarm, anti-theft mode, etc.
- Aqara: Aqara is a smart home brand that specializes in Zigbee devices. It offers a smart door lock product that uses fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, PIN codes, or mechanical keys to unlock your door. Aqara’s smart door lock also works with Apple HomeKit, allowing you to control it via Siri or the Home app. You can also integrate it with other Aqara devices, such as cameras, sensors, alarms, or lights, to create a more intelligent and automated home security system.
- Schlage: Schlage is a trusted brand of door hardware and security products. It offers a range of smart door lock products that use WiFi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or Zigbee to connect to your smartphone app or voice assistant. Schlage’s smart door locks also use fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, PIN codes, or mechanical keys to unlock your door. You can also set schedules, guest access, activity logs, geofencing, etc., for your smart door lock via your smartphone app.
- Kaadas: Kaadas is a brand of smart door lock and digital lock products. It offers a range of products that use fingerprint scanning, RFID cards, PIN codes, or mechanical keys to unlock your door. Kaadas’ smart door lock and digital lock products also have stylish designs, high-quality materials, anti-peep features, and silent modes.
What is Apple Home Keys and Which Locks Work with It?
Apple Home Keys is a new feature that Apple introduced in iOS 15 and watchOS 8. It allows you to use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a digital key to unlock your compatible smart door lock. You can also share your Home Keys with other people via iMessage or the Wallet app. You can also use Siri or the Home app to control your Home Keys.
To use Apple Home Keys, you need a smart door lock that supports Apple Home Keys specifically – not just Apple HomeKit. Apple HomeKeys is based on NFC, a wireless technology that allows two devices to communicate when they are close to each other. Some of the smart door lock brands that support Apple Home Keys are Aqara, Schlage, and Level. The first door lock with Apple Home Keys support was, surprisingly, the Aqara Smart Door Lock A100 Zigbee. Since then, Aqara seems to have been the leader in Apple Home Keys, with releases of the Aqara D100 and the Aqara U100 deadbolt lock, all of which supports Apple Home Keys.
Conclusion
Smart door locks and digital locks are devices that can provide more convenience, security, and functionality for your home. With the main benefit of allowing home owners to go keyless, and opening up more options for unlocking with biometric systems, the growth of the industry isn’t surprising. Homeowners are increasingly looking to convenient technologies to help them live better, and the smart lock is a category where the benefits are obvious and immediate. The more difficult question would be – which smart lock to choose? We’d love to make an article about that one day, but with so many different brands on the market, it’s going to be tough!
