Okay, so I’m finally replacing my old lock. Seriously, who carries keys anymore? Mine got all rusty last winter, it was a nightmare. So, looking online, like everyone does. Reviews everywhere! But man, so many options. Feels like every company makes a lock now. Bluetooth, WiFi, fingerprint, some even have cameras! Why does a lock need a camera? Seems overkill, unless you wanna see who’s stealing your Amazon packages live, I guess. My phone already gets too many notifications anyway.
Battery life is a big thing for me. These locks, they suck power fast sometimes. Especially those cheap ones maybe. Found a brand, Uloq, I think? Or maybe it’s Uloque? Seen it mentioned a lot. People say the battery lasts ages, like over a year even with daily stuff. Hope thats true, cause changing batteries sucks. Also important is how it works with like, Alexa or Google Home, or Apple Home. My house has Google stuff, mostly. My sisters house uses Apple everything. Makes it tricky to find a lock that really fits everyone, you know? Localisation is key, or compatability? Whatever. Need one that just works without messing around for hours with setup. The installation part looks scary on some videos, like drilling and stuff. Maybe I should hire someone? But that costs extra money. Saw this one model, the Yale something Real Living maybe, seems popular on the DIY stores site. Definetly top rated smart locks people talk about, but does it need its own separate hub thing? I hate buying hubs. Or the Kwikset Halo, thats everywhere too. Does Halo use WiFi directly?
Anyway, confusing times. Some reviewers rate things based only on features, but not if its actually reliable. Like, does it lock properly every single time? That’s the point, right! Seen complaints about ones freezing in cold weather, which, let’s be honest, happens. Also, security is tricky. How easy is it to hack a smart lock? That guy at Best Buy claimed all Bluetooth locks are insecure, but I think he just wanted to sell the super expensive one with military encryption or whatever. Probably overkill for an apartment door. But you do want something solid, obviously. Price is also all over the place. From like 500! Is the expensive one really 5x better? Seems unlikely. Also, should they look modern or blend in? My door is ugly anyway, heh. My neighbor has this huge bulky lock, looks like a robot arm is guarding their door. Too much.
So yeah, after reading for like a week, still kinda deciding. Maybe that August lock. It keeps popping up. Or maybe Schlage Encode Plus cause it has Apple HomeKey which my sister insists is amazing. But I don’t have an iPhone yet. Argh. Need to pick something soon before I give up and just buy a regular deadbolt again. Hopefully I dont brick the lock during install. Remember to turn off the power when drilling near wires!