Guides

All smart lock guides, page 4

Practical, research-based guides to choosing, fitting and living with a smart lock, newest first. The newest six are on the home page.

Renters

Can you change the locks in your apartment? What the lease decides

Most leases do not ban lock changes outright, they ban changes the landlord has no key to. What the clause means, how to ask, and what to get in writing.

9 min read

Compatibility

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or a hub: which smart lock connection you need

Bluetooth locks run a year on one set of batteries and stop working at the end of the driveway. Wi-Fi models watch the door from anywhere and eat cells doing it.

10 min read

Buying

Can a smart lock be hacked? The risks that are actually real

Remote break-ins need a specific disclosed flaw. Relay attacks need someone standing at your door. Flat batteries and stale guest codes account for nearly everything else that goes wrong.

9 min read

Buying

ANSI/BHMA grades explained: what a Grade 1 deadbolt buys you

Grade 1, Grade 2 and the newer letter grades come from real lab tests, but the number on the box stops mattering right about where your door frame starts.

9 min read

Compatibility

Alexa and smart locks: why it will lock but not unlock

Alexa locks a door on command but refuses to unlock one until you set a four digit voice code. What that setup involves, which locks offer it, and where it falls short.

7 min read

Renters

Key lockbox or keypad lock for a short-term rental?

A lockbox hands over a key that can be copied; a keypad hands over a code you can kill. Which one you may actually use is often decided by the building.

8 min read

Installation

Adding a deadbolt bore to a door that has none

Cutting a 2-1/8 inch bore is the one step you cannot undo. Which doors can take one, which cannot, and the measurements and jig that keep the hole where you meant it.

9 min read

Compatibility

Smart locks that work with Google Home: how to check before you buy

A lock reaches Google Home by one of four routes, and each needs something different from you. How to tell which one a lock uses, and what you can do once it is connected.

8 min read

Renters

Smart locks for renters: what you can fit without losing your deposit

Renting does not rule out a smart lock. It rules out anything that leaves a mark. Here is what comes off cleanly, what needs permission, and what to never touch.

8 min read