Question about the multitude of "Z-wave Locks" out there

Devices & Integrations
1

I have recently bought my first house, and want to install a smart lock to the front door. It has both a dead bolt and a standard knob.

Will I need two smart locks to cover one door? It’s fruitless to have a smart lock on the deadbolt, only to have to use a key to open the doorknob lock.

Any suggestions?

2

I agree.

We have this situation on our backdoor, so we “tape open” our doorknob (lever) lock inset.

I don’t see much value in double-locking your door … guess it would slow down a lock-picker slightly, or save you if one key was stolen.

The “doorknob” lock type is mostly handy for automatically mechanically locking the door behind you when you close it… But with an automated deadbolt, you can have it set to auto-lock after a ~30 seconds, or whatever.

3

I went ahead and replaced the knob with a standard pass-through (i.e. no lock) knob. My wife (as much as she hates home automation) has the amazing capacity to lock herself out of the house, especially when I am traveling for work.

Replacing the bottom knob ensures that she can always enter with the pin code and/or her phone.

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4

Of the compatible locks offered to work with the ST hub, any opinion of which one is the better?

Some have rubber buttons, some have capacitive touch screens, most are backlit (needed for my tastes) but it must have a keyed entry and multiple code entries for different people (which most have also)

Thank you for the quick responses, I do like the “use a non-locking” knob in place of the regular one.

5

Very tough question if there is some particular feature other than lock reliability that’s important to you.

There are non-motorized locks (lever locks and similar latching that requires the user to turn the bolt manually after entering code). These are inherently more reliable, but you lose automatic locking and unattended unlocking.

Personally happy with Schlage, but presume the major well-reputed legacy lock vendors are also ok (Kwikset, Yale, …). Screen is not capacitive, I think, but pressure sensitive… Worry it’s not as durable as buttons, but no evidence.

I find new vendors with no history in the “lock” business to be untrustworthy (August and many others).

6

I just removed my tape as mental reprogramming has been completed. :wink:

7

I use the Yale Z Wave lock.
http://www.amazon.com/Yale-Security-YRD240-ZW-619-Electronic-Technology/dp/B00HS1O77G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1439582473&sr=8-2&keywords=Yale+ZWave

With the custom Lock Code Manager code/Device type I love it even more.

Lock Code Manager:

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8

Both Yale and Schlage are high-quality locks that work well with SmartThings. There are some differences. The Yale has a true capacitive screen, like a touchscreen tablet. The Schlage has a resistive touchscreen where you actually have to press physically on the spot. Many people won’t see the difference. Some prefer one over the other but different people have different preferences. The Yale lock is a little quieter but not by a lot. The Yale lock does cost a little more. The Kwikset is a midrange lock noticeably cheaper than the other two. Most locksmiths advise getting one from the category of the Schlage or the Yale, but that’s up to you. Kwiksets are certainly easier to pick but is that really likely to be a problem in your neighborhood?

There are also aesthetic differences. The Schlage comes in a wider range of color finishes then the Yale. But of course it only takes one to make you happy so again, just personal preference.

Deadbolt Features

You can buy a deadbolt that has an attached handle set, in which case you don’t have two keys you just have one that unlocks the deadbolt. The handle set is secured by the deadbolt locking mechanism.

For the deadbolt itself, the features are typically the ones you already mentioned: does it have lighting, what type of buttons or touchscreen, does it relock on a timer or not. At my house we use the one that automatically locks itself again after a brief period of time so that I don’t have to check up on everyone who leaves to make sure that they relocked the door.

Handleset Features

If you have a separate handle set you have a choice between one that doesn’t lock at all, in which case you just depending on the deadbolt, or one that Can lock if you turn the button but can also be left unlocked if you don’t turn the button, or one that always relocks itself.

If you get the last kind, the one always relocks itself, but it is not part of the deadbolt, then there’s no way around it: you have two locks that have to be undone each time. This is unusual for a Z wave lock on a residence.

At our house, we use the kind where there’s a button turn which leaves the Handleset unlocked until someone set it to relock again. So the deadbolt automatically relocks itself every time, but the handleset is left unlocked during the day when someone is home. No one can come in the house unless they have the combination for the deadbolt or we let them in, but it doesn’t require a double unlock process for someone who doesn’t have the combination.

Then, when we want the second level of security, we just turn the button on the handle set and now it also has to be Unlocked before the door can be opened.

So it’s just a matter of personal choice as to whether you also want to secure the handle set independently of the deadbolt or not, and whether you want to have the option to sometimes only require unlocking the deadbolt.

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