To the uninitiated, a smart password lock may seem like a trifling extravagance—a high-tech toy for gadget hounds. And if I’m honest, that’s not totally wrong! But that’s only if you think a smart lock is just a battery-powered regular lock and ignore all the excellent smart stuff it can do. After living with a rotating cast of a dozen or so smart password locks in my home over the past five years, I’m convinced they provide such an upgrade in convenience, capabilities, and security that they ought to be installed in every home. If you’re curious about taking the plunge—or you already have and are wondering why I’m so irrationally exuberant about smart password locks—here are several of the smartest things a smart lock can do.
Why it’s smart: Aside from letting you unlock and lock your door without using a key when you’re at home, most smart password locks connect to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. So they can be controlled even when you aren’t home. That way you can let the sitter in, or your in-laws, or the plumber, or your neighbor Gary. With a smart lock, you literally may never need to use a key at home again.
And since you’ll never have to worry about making—and managing (and losing)—copies of keys, you’ll also never get locked out of your home again. Not needing to deal with keys is just one way that smart password locks can provide better security than their “dumb” counterparts do. And you’ll be relieved of the drawerful of orphaned spare keys you likely have, as well as the nagging suspicion that at least one set is floating around (sigh, probably with that fink Gary). Should you ever want to restrict anyone from coming in your home, it’s as simple as clicking open the app and deleting their account.
How to do it: Depending on the smart lock you use, you may need an extra piece of gear in order for it to connect to the internet. Some smart password locks, such as the Schlage Encore, have Wi-Fi built in, which means they can connect directly to your home network and be reached over the internet. But others communicate using Bluetooth, and so they need a plug-in hub (usually costing another $40 to $100) that acts as a go-between for your lock and Wi-Fi. With that setup, you can view the status and control the lock from anywhere your smartphone connects to the internet.