What is a Smart Door Lock & Should You Get One?

You may have heard about smart door locks but wondered how they worked differently than your current locks. While traditional door locks are mechanical, smart door locks work digitally. Instead of using a key, you use a smartphone app or keypad to lock or unlock the door. To do this, most smart door locks use Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Bluetooth wireless technology.  

5 Benefits of a Smart Door Lock

Is a smart door lock right for you? Depending on your home and lifestyle, smart door locks can provide many valuable benefits. Here are the top 5 uses of smart door locks that most households find very beneficial.

1. Avoid getting locked out without the keys.

Have you ever wondered what you would do when the day came when you found yourself locked out of the house without your keys? Well, with a smart door lock, this is something you never have to worry about. Most smart door locks are keyless, so all you have to do is unlock the door with your smartphone or a keypad code.

2. Let people in even when you’re not home.

Have you ever wanted to let someone into your home while you weren’t there but didn’t really feel 100% comfortable leaving the key under the mat? Whether it’s a dog walker, service person or neighbor, you can give anyone temporary access to your home with a smart door lock.  Simply assign a temporary passcode that only works when you know someone needs it. Then, all you have to do is deactivate the passcode when they are done and they will no longer have access to your home.  It’s like changing the locks every time you give someone the keys to your house!  Also, if you don’t want to be troubled with access codes, you can unlock the door remotely, letting anyone in at any time.

3. Know who is coming in and out with assigned access codes.

Speaking of access codes, some security companies (like Frontpoint) give you the ability to add names to each smart door lock access code. This way, you know exactly who is entering your home while you’re not there. This is especially useful if you have kids.  You can assign each of them their own access code, which will also provide you insight into exactly when they entered or left the house. 

4. Check your phone to make sure you locked the door after you’ve left.

Let’s paint a picture: You left home in a hurry. You’re now sitting at work when you think, “Did I lock the door?” You just can’t remember and you can’t drive all the way back home to check.  With a smart door lock, your problem is solved. You can simply check your smartphone to see if your door is locked or not. PLUS, if it’s unlocked, you can lock it remotely from wherever you are with the push of a button.  That provides peace of mind without the hassle of trekking all the back home or, worse, worrying about it all day.

5. Schedule timely notifications to verify that your door is locked.

You can automate a notification to your smartphone at a scheduled time. So, if you always go to bed at 10:00 PM and head to work at 6:00 AM, you can get notified if your door is unlocked at those times. If you’ve already left the house or you’re already in bed, no worries; just lock the door with your smartphone.

If these benefits sound like they would be helpful to your household, consider buying a smart door lock or two from a highly-rated security company like Frontpoint. Frontpoint’s smart door lock has all the benefits listed above and more.