[UPS_Guru]

Do you still carry keys that lock your safe, house, and vehicle?

We have already moved away from using a key to open our car and start it. It is only a matter of time before we ditch the remote key fob. What about your house or office and the secure storage there? Smart locks have come of age and becoming more affordable, safer, reliable, and fail-safe.

It all started with digital locks that open with numeric codes or RFID cards. Today, we have smart locks with many more unlocking options from biometric (via fingerprint or face recognition) to Bluetooth (via remote controller or proprietary app) for unlocking from close quarters, and Wi-Fi (via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit) for unlocking remotely. Some of these locks even open with a mechanical key if you need it.

Smart locks have been available in India for quite some time but are becoming popular with the proliferation of smart devices and homes. Today, you have a lock for every requirement and price point. You can start by experimenting with a ubiquitous and affordable product to get a feel of it and later graduate to trusted brands such as Yale and Valencia (from ASSA ABLOY) or home brands like Godrej and Qubo (Hero Group).



Here are a few options to start. You can also hunt for deals on Amazon and Flipkart:

Smart Locks for Wardrobes and Cabinets

• IKEA: https://www.ikea.com/in/en/p/rothult...hite-50417925/
• Yale: https://yaleonline.in/collections/wa...k-online-india
• Ozone: https://www.ozone-india.com/pd/digit...r-metal-wooden

Smart Locks for Doors

• Yale: https://yaleonline.in/collections/sm...th-fingerprint
• Valencia: https://www.valenciaonline.in/collec...-lock-products
• Hafele: https://digital-locks.hafeleindia.co.in/
• Godrej: https://www.godrej.com/godrej-locks-...ain-Door-Locks
• Qubo: https://www.quboworld.com/smart-lock.html
• LAVNA: https://www.lavnalocks.com/
• Openapp: https://www.openapp.com/home
• Ozone: https://www.ozone-india.com/pd/woode...-digital-locks
• Vizid: https://www.vizid.in/best-digital-door-locks-online/

So what is stopping you from going smart? When are you ditching your keys?

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by UPS_Guru

Do you still carry keys that lock your safe, house, and vehicle?

We have already moved away from using a key to open our car and start it. It is only a matter of time before we ditch the remote key fob.

Yes we still carry keys except for the car key which has a physical key in case the battery runs out. Having an actual key is very important when something goes wrong with the battery or circuit. Once when my key battery ran out, I was lazy enough to replace it and used the physical key for a while.

Originally Posted by UPS_Guru

It all started with digital locks that open with numeric codes or RFID cards. Today, we have smart locks with many more unlocking options from biometric (via fingerprint or face recognition) to Bluetooth (via remote controller or proprietary app) for unlocking from close quarters, and Wi-Fi (via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit) for unlocking remotely. Some of these locks even open with a mechanical key if you need it.

So what is stopping you from going smart? When are you ditching your keys?

The problem is there are some people in every family who find it extremely difficult to operate any electronic device or machine. My mother still uses a Nokia feature phone with buttons! Even if I tell her a hundred times how to operate anything, she either refuses to do it or simply forgets.

Even having a smart lock key won't prevent the car from getting stolen. This is a video about one such smart lock with a ring which can be hacked:

http://youtu.be/ah2R6-Zg6PQ

One small smart lock:

http://youtu.be/RxM55DNS9CE

So I'm not saying that Smart locks are bad but we need to be aware of how they might be compromised. A combination of smart locks along with other safety tech like One Time Password is required to discourage thieves.

[Electromotive]

Smart security makes people dumb
Conveniences to pound your wallet numb

When the fingers lie and the bluetooth acts sly
You shall curse and you shall cry
For the chips did fry

When the motors fail and the gears derail
You realize they were frail
Was it not time to bail?
But you let the sunk cost prevail

Then came the bug
The stranger took your toys and mug
For the primes no longer stop crimes
And now you sit, counting your dimes.

---Fin---

[GTO]

Originally Posted by UPS_Guru

So what is stopping you from going smart? When are you ditching your keys?

Plan to renovate the house sometime in the future, and smart locks are on the to-do list. However, it is only for cupboards & room doors inside the house. For the main doors to the house, I will stick with conventional lock + key. Just trust the conventional setup more for security reasons.

I'd prefer a fingerprint-based system that can be restricted to family members, rather than a numeric lock that anyone can open if they know the code. But what I'd really look forward to is a smartphone-based system that works as well as in the Tesla's. I lived with a Model 3 for a fortnight and it performed beautifully.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'd prefer a fingerprint-based system that can be restricted to family members

Fingerprint based systems are not hygienic during these times. Consider face recognition systems, no touching required.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Fingerprint based systems are not hygienic during these times. Consider face recognition systems, no touching required.

How are the success/recognition rates of both these systems these days? I remember fingerprint attendance too had some failure rate, not high, but enough to be irritating. This was quite some time ago, but at that point, facial recognition was even less reliable. I guess algos and cameras certainly have gotten better, so is the success rate for facial reliable now? I know a lot of phones have facial unlock, but I still don't see too many people using it.

[Sebring]

The Samsung. Five years back this arrived as a curiosity from the US. Now we cant do without it. Has nfc keys as well

[gkveda]

I come from old school thoughts. Normal lock and keys are like Government job and smart keys are like private jobs in corporate.

Government job is old, rugged and very unsophisticated but gives very high secured feeling

On the other hand, corporate job looks hi-fi, sophisticated but is always insecure.

From a lock, what I expect is secured feeling. So, I prefer a big, rugged, normal conventional lock over smart one for house buildings.

Also, in my opinion, whether it is smart or conventional, internal operational mechanism is the same. Only the UI Layer(user experience) is what is sophisticated in smart locks

[Storm2.0]

I am a millennial but I'd still prefer conventional lock and key setup. Why make life complex and create other problems in the process of resolving one. I have the same view on car keys also. I prefer a conventional key rather than push start buttons and keyless entry.

[UPS_Guru]

Originally Posted by GTO

...For the main doors to the house, I will stick with conventional lock + key...I'd prefer a fingerprint-based system that can be restricted to family members...I'd really look forward to is a smartphone-based system that works as well as in the Tesla's...

For the main door, you can opt for both a mechanical lock (bare bones) and a smart lock (state-of-the-art) till you get comfortable using only one. The additional cost of a mechanical lock will be negligible. Select your locks such that one of them can be completely disabled at any time.

The benefit of a lock with multiple unlocking options is that you need not even enable all options or use multiple options (say fingerprint + numeric code and so on) to make it even more secure.

A smart lock with a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi unlocking option will satisfy your requirements.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Fingerprint based systems are not hygienic during these times. Consider face recognition systems, no touching required.

If you opt for a lock with multiple unlocking options, you can have your way by restricting some unlocking options (say fingerprint) to a select few and forcing others to use another unlock option.

Originally Posted by am1m

..How are the success/recognition rates of both these systems these days?...

Fingerprint systems work very well. The new smart locks take at least five imprints. You can also register the same finger multiple times as different users to take it a finger further .

It is hard for me to justify the cost of a face recognition system as they are still on the higher side and not as reliable as they should have been.

[sj_koova]

I am thinking of both smart lock and mechanical lock for my new house's main door.
Bio-metric smart lock especially for times when someone is at home but do not want to come down to open door for kids during their play time.
A proper mechanical lock as an additional protection when we are out overnight. Mine is a gated community, so do not expect security threat during day.

Any suggestion on the smart lock system to serve basic purposes?

[Rajeevraj]

Have been using Lavna digital lock on my main door for around 2 years now. Works well so far. The internals are like any other door lock and are pretty strong. The unlock options include fingerprint, numeric code, RFID Tag and if everything fails, a physical key is also available. It self locks behind you so no need to worry about checking if you locked the door. An additional child lock is also present on the inner side.

You can also generate temporary codes if you are away and the house needs to be opened for some urgent reason.

On the downside, the app still is a generic one and seems to be of Chinese origin. But you need it only for initial set up and when you need to do edits to the access.

All in all, happy with it. Seeing mine 3-4 other folks have changed their main locks to this.

[UPS_Guru]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

...I am thinking of both smart lock and mechanical lock for my new house's main door...Any suggestion on the smart lock system to serve basic purposes?...

If you plan to use both a mechanical and a smart lock, then ensure only one of the locks has a spring-loaded latch or bolt (for auto-locking the door). Also, ensure the handle is only on one of the locks or none of them. A smart lock with a handle and fingerprint option from Yale, Valencia, QUBO, and LAVNA should work for you.

[Sebring]

Trust the digital lock alone. We Indians always try to put back up on back up

https://youtu.be/7W_b4i3HvDo

Originally Posted by UPS_Guru

If you plan to use both a mechanical and a smart lock, then ensure only one of the locks has a spring-loaded latch or bolt (for auto-locking the door). Also, ensure the handle is only on one of the locks or none of them. A smart lock with a handle and fingerprint option from Yale, Valencia, QUBO, and LAVNA should work for you.

[aadya]

For individual homes basic smart locks are not safe enough. Main grouse with the physical locks were the number of keys. We were four people who keep entering and exiting the home atleast thrice a day and once or twice in a week one of us would forget the key and also the children struggle to open mechanical locks.

We are using the Godrej smart lock for our flat since 3 months. Our apartment has reasonable security presence. Lifts and common areas have cctv and we have our basic cctv setup inside our home. So far its working fine though our domestic help has trouble with fingerprint probably due to chapping of the fingers.