Stuff We Love: WiFi Smart Locks
Updated: Sep. 13, 2022Don't Think Twice, Get a Smart Lock
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How many times have you thought twice about loaning or hiding a key, or wondered about your child getting safely into the house after school? Worries like these can be resolved by installing either of the smart locks we have today on Stuff We Love. Watch Mike Berner in the following video as he explains the features and benefits of two smart locks, then read on for the complete details of each product.
Schlage Encode
This smart lock from Schlage will allow you to lock and unlock your door from anywhere using the Schlage home App or Amazon’s Key App on your phone. You can also set up and manage as many as 100 access codes for recurring, temporary or permanent entry. The exterior touchscreen is fingerprint resistant and has one-touch locking. Schlage also built in an alarm technology that alerts you of any potential security breaches at the lock. The Encode has built-in WiFi so there’s no need for a bridge unit to connect to your phone, Alexa or Google Assistant. Schlage made the install easy with their “Snap and Stay” feature which holds the lock on the door while you put it together. Family Handyman editor Mike Berner has had this lock on his home for several months and has nothing but good things to say about it.
Kwikset Halo
The WiFi-enabled Kwikset Halo connects to your home network or smartphone directly with no third party hub, panel or subscription. Using the easy-to-upload Kwikset App enables you to operate the lock remotely, create up to 250 user codes, and receive notifications of the lock’s activity. The unique feature of this Kwikset lock is that you can re-key it yourself and make it compatible with other Kwikset locks in your house. Halo’s security features allow you to temporarily disable the keypad if needed. And if more than three consecutive false codes are entered, an alarm will sound within the lock itself. Right now the Halo only works with Alexa. But we hope it will become more universal soon, because everything else with this lock is ahead of its time.
