HomeKit Homekit Smart Lock

[tbone7467]

I'm looking at getting some smart accessories for my house. I just installed the Lutron Caseta and love it now I'm ready to move to smart locks. I am getting ready for my upcoming wedding and have a lot of family coming down. I rather not hand out like 50 keys for people staying at the house. The ability to unlock and lock remotely or give out guest Keys would be awesome. I like the Kevo but it doesn't support Homekit and I cant find anything about if they ever will. Also to keep in mind my door gets direct sunlight most of the day. I also do not want to remove the traditional key lock for a touchpad. Id be willing to do both but the traditional key access has to stay.

I would love to hear the pros and cons of the smart locks your using.

 

[Coffee50]

I use the August Smart Lock Pro & it's great!

A huge plus is that is doesn't replace your deadbolt, so you can still use your keys. It attaches to the inside.

It's HomeKit enabled & with the Connect, you can see if the door is open, closed, ajar, etc.
You can issue guest keys (and the app keeps a log of every time a guest opens or closes the door....and you can adjust these settings in the app.

Anyway, it's worked great for me & issues digital keys (and cancelling them) is a breeze.

 

[tbone7467]

have you issued digital keys while out of town? my friend has august connect and he said it was spotty connection at times. he has a android though not sure if that matters. Do you need the hub? How long do the batteries last? I like the Danalock except no digital guest keys. I should look at this more. have you had any issues of are there any cons you can thank of? can you control it by apple watch?
[doublepost=1565128705][/doublepost]Just read that the connect bridge is for remote access. that isn't needed if its homekit enabled correct?

 

[Coffee50]

I have only issued digital keys in town, but I imagine the process is the same. Spotty connection could be a factor (I haven't experienced it), but I'm guessing it may depend on the device & the wifi strength.

Batteries last roughy 5 or 6 months, although this could vary based on how much heavy usage there is.

It is HomeKit enabled, so you can use apple watch.....but there is an actual apple watch app that exist as well.

In terms of cons, I can't really think of anything specifically. This is my first smart lock, so I can't compare it to anything, but I've been very happy with the results. I had it a for a bit over a year.

 

[tbone7467]

I have only issued digital keys in town, but I imagine the process is the same. Spotty connection could be a factor (I haven't experienced it), but I'm guessing it may depend on the device & the wifi strength.

Batteries last roughy 5 or 6 months, although this could vary based on how much heavy usage there is.

It is HomeKit enabled, so you can use apple watch.....but there is an actual apple watch app that exist as well.

In terms of cons, I can't really think of anything specifically. This is my first smart lock, so I can't compare it to anything, but I've been very happy with the results. I had it a for a bit over a year.

That is awesome thank you. As for the hub do you use it and is it really needed?

 

[Coffee50]

That is awesome thank you. As for the hub do you use it and is it really needed?

I use the connect. To be honest, it's plugged in (now), so anytime my door is locked or unlocked (or open) I'll get a notification (and if it from a guest key, I'll receive that info). I believe the connect is needed for remote access & notifications.

Now, there were a couple of times I forget to plug it back in, after removing it (while moving something through the hall)
I couldn't tell a difference (my HomeKit scene still worked & I have it auto locked) But I"m not 100% sure how much functionality I would've had if I tried operating it while away....(not really sure how much HomeKit functionality is enhanced by the connect. It specifically mentioned Alexa & Google....but it came with August Lock I purchased, so I'm using it.....I figured I'm still covered by having the connect, if the HomeKit aspect hits a hiccup.

 

[tbone7467]

oh that is a good point! I have a question a buddy of mine has Gen 2 an we were wondering if the Gen 3 had Zwave built in or if that functionality is in the connect. like he can get the Zwave just by swapping out his connect

 

[Coffee50]

I believe Zwave is built into the lock. The Pro version (Gen3) can be purchased without the connect & still mentions it works with Z Wave.

 

[tbone7467]

ive looked at a few smart locks and it looks like august is by far the most feature rich. even with the issues it still seems more people recommend it.

 

[bbednarz]

Finding a HomeKit smart lock for a decent price was way more difficult than I thought it would be... I ended up getting 4 of these for the house and garage. I put them on in April and they have been fantastic since. Siri works great for them. Just make sure your deadbolt lines up with the hole really well. They are battery operated so they dont have a ton of force when they are lcoking/unlocking. The batteries on these things seem to last really really long (4 AA and they come with the lock. The front door (which is the most often used) is sitting at 94%. Best to keep a 9V battery in your car or something because if the lock is to die while you're outside you can just press a 9V battery to the bottom to give it enough juice. It is touch screen only though, no key.

https://www.amazon.com/Yale-Assure-...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[tbone7467]

yeah that does look neat.

 

[rdowty]

You can probably save about 50% if you get the second generation over the pro. You still get out of home access through HomeKit if you have an iPad or AppleTV at home.

 

[tbone7467]

that is definitely something to look into.

 

[LiveM]

After much research I got the Schlage Sense and it seems to have fulfilled all its supposed promises and advantages. It is completely reliable and easy to operate whether manually, digitally or remotely, and the key tumbler is rated the top residential security level. It also looks much nicer than the cheaper glass-fronted designs IMO.

 

[tbone7467]

I actually looked at that and liked the keypad just in case option. The issue was people saying that the keypad would be iffy at best in heat. my door gets a fair amount of direct sunlight. have you had any issues with the keypad? any pros and cons youd like to share? I do think that design is nice.

 

[LiveM]

Ours faces west into the afternoon sun and we have never had any issues with it. It can be operated with gloves and has a high weather rating as well. I’d like the notifications to include who has opened it, based on the code used, but I almost always know based on the time of day anyway and that’s a software feature, not firmware.

I have dealt with many smart locks and my biggest beefs with most of them is that they get all scratched up with fobs on the glass, and the glass facades also get fingerprints all over them. Plus I hate the melodies they employ and the way they auto-lock when you close them (an option I have disabled on my Sense; I have also disabled beeps, but turned on the forced entry alarm which sounds just like a house alarm).

Mine is set up to connect to one of my Apple TVs upstairs and send me notifications when I am not home. After sunset it also turns on the lights at the entrance for 2 minutes and I have set up a spare door code for tradesmen. It’s funny if I get a call from the electrician to say he is at our place and can I give him the code, but I unlock the door for him while we are still on the phone. He didn’t see that one coming, even though he is a sparky. He was also impressed with the Philips dimmable candle LEDs that reduce the colour temperature as they are dimmed, but that’s a story for another day.

If there were one more software feature I would like besides knowing which user had accessed the door, it would be for it to only auto lock when it is closed. The Sense knows whether the door is closed and it can be set up to beep when opened or closed, so I really think it should be smart enough not to auto-lock when it’s open. But some models will always auto-lock when they are closed, which is quite annoying, so I’m glad I can disable that or set it to do it after a set time.