Smart lock review - Should you get one?

[terrytheberry 0]

Since i recently bought my new place, i took this chance to upgrade my house starting with a smart lock. I wanted keyless access as i'm super forgetful and always lose my keys. 

I came across this gold mine while hunting for cheap smart locks,  the igloohome mortise (PS. its a Singaporean brand). Here's my honest review of it. 

Pros: 

1) It has a total of 4 modes of access - Bluetooth keys, access PIN, and RFID tags and stickers. (Most smart locks have this too but i was impressed that i got so many features for such a cheap price) 

2) Product works offline, which is perfect for my home, since we live in a cluster terrace and our main door is at basement level, meaning it doesn't get any Wifi connection. So any smart lock that requires wifi connection wouldn't work for me. Since it works offline, is that there is greater security, it is less prone to getting hacked over the internet.

3) I can check whenever my kids come home (Bluetooth key). I always worry if kids get home on time from primary school, but now i can check if they've reached home as the app sends  notifications when they enter. That's a life changer for kan chong Singaporean parents like us. 

4) One time pin. Comes in handy when someone needs to enter the house but no one's at home. I have a cleaning lady that comes every week to tidy my place. I'm able to create a one time pin for her which works for a specified period. 

5) CHEAPER than most global brands like epic, Samsung and Yale, and quality and reliability is not compromised. 

Cons

1) unable to connect to smart hubs or smart speakers like amazon echo, so you cant tell Alexa or the google assistant to lock or unlock the doors for you. 

2) The app will not send notifications if someone enters via access pin, since it is not WiFi enabled. Only if your guest uses the Bluetooth key, you will be notified. If you want to check your access logs for the PINs you'll have to “update” your master phone by using the Bluetooth key on the lock. (not really an issue for me since my kids use Bluetooth keys) 

3) Guest have to download the igloohome application if they want to use the Bluetooth key access feature. (may be a hassle) 

Final thoughts 

Overall, you're still definitely getting a good product for your money, for the features you're getting. Its also very user friendly and simple to use. I am a strong advocate for this product as it definitely improved the quality of life for me and my family and i highly recommend it to all homeowners, especially if you want less worries in your home life. 

Edited May 30, 2018 by terrytheberry