As we were making the many decisions for our new place, there was one feature which we couldn’t quite agree on. The need for a digital lock. Being the embracer of new technology and everything automated, I was all for a digital lock. Come on it’s fun :p I mean convenient :p Joel on the other hand, doesn’t really care much for new technology (yes my loving husband who offers to take my 6 month old handphone so that I can take over the latest model that came from his newly re-contracted line.) I digress.

But yes so we went back and forth on this decision until yours truly finally won the ‘argument’ and loving husband grudgingly went along with it. After all, Happy Wife = Happy Life right?

So here are some of the main considerations that helped us to decide that we wanted a digital lock and the type of digital lock we eventually settled for.

Why even change your lock?

Because our unit is a brand new one and we would have given our keys to several people (i.e defects team, painter, contractor etc) at some point, we were concerned that duplication was done. In all honesty, I wasn’t too concerned about this but if it gives Joel a peace of mind then yes we will change our lock. Since we’re were going to incur that cost any way, why not go one step further and make it digital.

What functions do you want?

Digital locks offer a few key functions – pin code, guest/ one time pin, fingerprint, access card, RFID tag, Bluetooth/ handphone access. Some locks offer all functions (cost more) whereas others have different combinations of the above functions (cost less). Because there are so many different models out there, we decided to shortlist by the type of function we needed.

Fingerprint 

I immediately knew that fingerprint was the one function I had to have. I mean what’s the point of a digital lock if I can’t play with have the fingerprint function. Furthermore I figured that this is the most convenient function to have because there was no pin to remember or access card to lose, it was just me and my fingerprints. 🙂

Fingerprint sensor on the top of the digital lock

Pin Code

Because Joel was concerned that a fingerprint system may have issues reading certain people’s fingerprints, we decided that we needed an old school back up like a pin code. This is a valid concern because I have seen people who have fingerprints that are harder to read or hands that are too dry or too moist for reading to be 100% and fast all the time. So we decided a pin code would be a simple enough back up.

Digital lock ‘awake’ for pin code entry

Guest pin code 

The choice of this function helped to narrow our choices significantly because not many models offered this options especially when coupled with the above 2 functions which we needed. The guest pin code was perfect for us because we usually have our extended family coming over while we are napping with the kids or when we are on the way home from activities. The guest pin code allows us to give them access to the house without being physically present and without giving them permanent access without us knowing who came by and when.

Access card/ RFID tag

While most people would have this function as their first default function for a digital lock, we decided otherwise. I disliked the thought of an extra piece of access card which we would have to carry around, potentially lose and then have to worry about who now has access to our unit because of a lost access card.

Bluetooth/ handphone access

Let’s just say this function was too high tech for me to suggest to a non new technology embracer and yes again I didn’t want the heart attack and headache of worrying about foreign access to my house on top of everything else, should I lose my handphone.

So in the end, we decided on a model which has a fingerprint function, with pin code and guest pin access. The model we chose could also be overridden by a master key or jolted by a regular 9V battery in case the battery goes flat (which shouldn’t happen because you will be prompted 2 weeks in advance to replace the 4 AA size batteries).

View of lock from inside our house. Door auto locks upon closing and you can lock/ unlock with a press of a button. 

I have to say that after using the lock for a few days, I am super happy with the choice to get a digital lock. In fact even Joel has had a change of heart. Just this week, he forgot his keys to our rental place and needed to get in urgently. He had to get my keys from me in order to get in and he confessed later that he realised a digital lock would have saved us both a lot of inconvenience that day. So yay for me, happy wife is always right! :p

Hopefully this post will help you decide if the digital lock is for you and what combination of functions would work best for your home. 🙂

JahBella’s Mummy