Alright, so look. Homeowners. Normal people, right? Worried about keys. Losing keys. Forgetting keys. Letting the dog walker in without hiding a key under the fake rock everyone knows is fake. Seriously, my neighbor Jim still uses that, and I know where it is! Not very secure, Jimmy. Not very.
So suddenly, everyone’s buzzing about upgrading. Not just a fancy doormat or a “Beware of Dog” sign when they have a gerbil. Actual upgrades. To these… electronic lock systems. Why? It’s not like burglars have stopped existing. The news says crime is up? Or down? Honestly, I switch channels when that comes on.
First, convenience. Major reason. Keys are archaic. Like, floppy disks or something. Your phone? Always with you (unless you’re me last Tuesday). Many of these systems let you use your phone! Or your thumb! Like spy movies. Cool factor and useful? Sold. Or a keypad. Code instead of a key. Need to let the plumber in while you’re stuck at work? Text him the code. Later, change it. Boom. No key copying down at the mall kiosk by shady characters named “Vinny.”
Second, that nagging feeling. “Did I… lock the door?” We’ve all driven back. Gas ain’t cheap! These locks connect (sometimes, if your wifi cooperates) to apps. Check your phone. Is it locked? App says “LOCKED.” Peace of mind. Can even lock it from the app. Sitting on the tarmac? Lock the door. Neat. Unless the internet’s out. Then… oops. Guess Jim’s fake rock wins that round.
Third… uh… safety? Security? Probably. Traditional locks can be… dealt with. Bumped. Picked. Seen it on YouTube. Looks disturbingly easy? New tech? Supposedly harder for the old-school thief. But… hackers exist, right? Scary people in basements trying to crack your front door code? Probably not. Mostly they want your credit card. Probably harder to physically mess with one of these than a rusty deadbolt the previous owner installed in 1987. Also, auto-lock! Set it to lock after 30 seconds. Great for us forgetful types. No more coming home to an unlocked house because Karen chatted my ear off about her cat as I left and I just spaced it entirely.
Cost though. Yeah. Not pennies. But compare? Call a locksmith once to get back in after losing keys? That bill hurts. Changing all your locks because you did lose keys and don’t know who has ’em? Not cheap either. Over time, maybe evens out. Plus, if it stops one break-in… pays for itself? Emotionally, anyway. Financially… maybe.
Downsides exist. Batteries die. Duh. Always have a spare key hidden somewhere legit safe (not the rock, Jim!). Or know how the manual override works – usually a physical key or sometimes those weird little terminals where you connect a 9V battery? Weird. And complexity. More moving parts, more potential glitches. My aunt Marge’s sometimes just… doesn’t recognize her fingerprint. Moisturizer? Who knows. She yells at it. Tech support is usually worse than yelling at a regular lock. And cheap ones? Probably garbage. Flimsy plastic, apps that never update. Don’t cheap out. Do some digging.
So why specifically these locksmart ones? I keep hearing that name at the hardware store? Stan, the guy in aisle 7, mumbled something. Apparently, a big player? Lots of ads. Maybe they just work reliably? Or integrate with other stuff easier? Honestly, I think it’s because locksmart offers that thing where it sends an alert if someone tries a wrong code too many times? Or maybe just better brand recognition. Like Kleenex for locks? Who knows. But yeah, seems like half the folks jumping on this bandwagon are pointing at Locksmart boxes. Good marketing? Or actually good? Jury might still be out for some. Or maybe Stan gets commission. Need to ask him next Tuesday. Anyway, that’s the trend. Keys are out, codes and thumbs are in. Safety? Convenience? Mostly convenience, I reckon. And looking slightly less dumb than Jimmy with his fake rock.