Looking for feedback on the Smart Lock

Hey mdolfan,

I'll leave it to our forumers to talk more about what they like about the Smart Lock. But here are the features:

• Lock and unlock Remotely via the app, or by included PIN Pad - no key necessary
  
• Lock and unlock automatically based on system state. e.g. by default, when you disarm from Away, the door will also unlock
  
• Automatic locking, so if you forget, the door will lock for you

Admittedly, there are some common issues you might want to look out for. The Smart Lock is designed to install over your existing deadbolt lock, so you'll be able to use the same key. But if that deadbolt can get caught, or requires you to hold the door in a bit to lock properly, the automatic locking may not work as intended.
And of course, since it's a fully wireless component, we might run into interference or other communication issues. But we can troubleshoot that step by step.

Of course, don't forget that all of our products (even individual components!) come with a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee. So you can always give the Smart Lock a try, and return it if it doesn't work for you!

- Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security

Hi mdolfan,
We have the SimpliSafe smart lock on the interactive plan and absolutely love it. The unique feature it offers that no other smart lock has (besides August) is the integration with the alarm system. You can choose to have the lock automatically unlock upon disarming the system from Home or Away modes (or both) and automatically lock when you arm the system. We love being able to disarm the system from our phones when we pull in the driveway or disarm the system from the lock keypad and it also unlocks the door.

The keypad that comes with the lock works a little differently than some other smart locks. It has its own self-contained battery and installs independently from the actual door lock so you can install it literally anywhere it has wireless range to the base station. That also means, in my opinion, that it is much more reliable than other smart locks with a keypad. The keypad is talking directly to the SimpliSafe base station not the "cloud', so in theory even if you lose access to WiFi and the app, the smart lock keypad will work.

Other pros vs. some other smart locks
* Super affordable at $100
* Keypad INCLUDED (August charges extra)
* Works directly with SimpliSafe base station, not WiFi, so it is more reliable
* Remote unlock from app
* Guest and secondary PIN codes can unlock/disarm system from exterior smart lock keypad
* Works with a paired entry sensor to know when the door is closed so it doesn't close the deadbolt in the open position.

It's also not perfect. Here are some small issues we've experienced
* Sometimes app will tell us smart lock is offline. Using the smart lock keypad or restarting the app usually fixes this
* No smart home integration (can't tell Siri to unlock the door)
* To lock the deadbolt manually from the inside, sometimes you have to turn it left (unlock) a tiny bit, then lock it otherwise it is sticky. Might be an issue with our deadbolt though.

Regardless, I think it is totally worth it if you are in the SimpliSafe ecosystem and don't NEED to have the smart home integration.

Hi,
Thanks for the feedback.

I just recently purchased the lock and overall I am pleased with it.  I like the option to lock and unlock it from the app.  The only real problem I am having with it is I can a "We cannot communicate with your Smart Lock" popup on my phone.  What usually happens is that I will lock or unlock the door with the app while in my house.  The lock functions correctly, but the app will sometime not recognize it and this message will popup.  Opening and closing the app does not fix it either.  I have to manually turn the lock for the app to recognize the change and then it works again.  This doesn't always happen, but it is frequent enough to be concerning.

I haven't had the smart lock very long but I have not had any of the connection / network issues others have reported. (I'm not doubting their experiences either by the way.) Based on my experiences I'd recommend it if you have a use case for it and are thinking of getting it.

The only issue I had was unrelated to the lock itself. There's some play in my door when it's closed so that it still moves a little and in one position it's closed but the old bolt wouldn't engage (it hit the strike plate) unless I nudged the door a little more closed. I had the same issue when I converted to the smart lock but I just had to modify the strike plate slightly. I'd make sure that your current deadbolt can also slide smoothly to close regardless of where the door is. If you don't have any issues with the current deadbolt you probably won't with the smart lock.

As for use cases, this will vary by person but...

- If you lose your keys, you can still get in. (Or if you go out to run or bike and don't want to carry your keys.)
- If you need to let someone in who doesn't have a key (a friend checking on pets or moving a package inside, someone doing work on the house, etc.) this makes it easy to take care of remotely.
- If you have a keyless set up for your car and you want to keep that theme going for your house, this allows you to do that so there's no need to deal with a key ever.
- If you use it on the door between garage and house, you can set it to auto-unlock when the alarm is turned off so again, no dealing with keys. It also allows your passengers to get access to the house without having to wait for you to get out, unlock, etc.
- You get in the car, start it and are ready to go and realize someone in the car needs to go back in the house. No need to stop and start the car again (and turn off the AC, heat, etc.) just unlock remotely and send them in.

I don't think any of the use cases are life changing per se but it can make your life a bit easier and less 'manual' as it were.

Hi, to jump on this thread. Is there a max number of smart locks? We would like 4 for our home, but the system suggest the max we can purchase is 2. Is this a system limitation or a deal limitation?

Hi aengblom,

The purchase limitation is more for managing our stocks, since the Smart Lock is a very popular item.

The system limitation you want to know about is the 100 total component limit (which applies to all sensors and components, like Keypads, Panic Buttons, etc.). Please bear in mind that you're adding both the Smart Lock and its PIN Pad to the system, you're actually taking up two slots every time you add a new unit.

- Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security