What is the best type of smart lock?

WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 52 points –

Hello Lemmy!

I have moved to a walkable area and no longer need to have my car keys on me all the time. My landlord has put in a crappy 4 digit combination style door lock, but said I could change it.

What is the best kind of keyless door lock that I can use instead? Ideally one with decent enough security to be as good or better than a key?

Thanks for your input!

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If you watch lock picking lawyer, you may as well just leave it open. Most smart locks seem to prioritise convenience over security. -possibly check that your insurance is happy with a smart lock.

As my father would say "locks keep honest people honest"

I know most aren’t great—that’s why I’m asking for suggestions here.

Replace "most" with "all of them" and you'll get somewhere... I have still to find one I'd be using, and so far I've only found crap and worse crap.

So what is the best way of securing a door without spending thousands?

I'd go with a good quality traditional key lock fitted properly in a good door and frame. Security isn't a single point task, it depends on many things so think like a bad person and do what you can to make your property a harder target than your neighbours.

A good lock on a bad door doesn't work, neither does a bad lock on a good door. Everything needs to work together. If you're likely to lose your keys or many people need access a smart lock may be an idea, but good probably isn't cheap. If it's just you and you can keep your keys safe, then I think tried, tested and simple kit is good.

Ultimately though, as ever, it's your risk assessment based on your needs.

Good advice. Thanks. 🤝

A good lock on a bad door doesn’t work

Oh, it does work. It saves the lock from being picked if a sharp kick does the job ;-)