Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, if we did, we wouldn’t have to lock our doors for one thing. But locked doors and home security are a must and part of everyday life and now they are getting a lot smarter and more hi-tech. When we have locked doors, we have keys to open them, but in an age of technology and smart home security you can now open doors without having to find the correct key on a keyring full of keys. WELOCK is a leading smart home access solution provider that focuses on smart door lock development and have technology packed smart door locks that use a variety of methods to open then – keypads, smartphone, fingerprints, and RFID cards. WELOCK kindly sent us their Fingerprint Smart Lock Electronic Door Lock to try out for ourselves and improve our home security. If you decide to purchase one, use XM50 to save €50.
Having a smart lock can be met with lots of resistance – what if the battery dies? With no key how are you ever going to get in a room? Surely it is easier to just use a key? But they do have battery warnings and alternative options to open the door and are safer than having a key – if you lose your key then you still can’t gain access to the room and anyone that finds it also has access, this means generally having to change your locks and that can be quite expensive.
But smart locks have their advantages over keys – they can only be used by people that have been given access (fingerprints scanned), in possession of a valid RFID card or access to the app. No need to worry about lost keys, no expensive locksmiths needed, and access can be revoked for users when no longer needed (or RFID card lost). They are also quicker to use than a standard door key and you can also see who has gained entry to that room and at what time.
The WELOCK Fingerprint Smart Lock Electronic Door Lock is a biometric smart door lock where your finger is the key to unlocking the door. It can also be opened using a RFID card or phone app.
In the box:
- WELOCK Fingerprint Smart Lock
- RFID cards (x3)
- Special Allen key
- Small Phillips Screwdriver
- Thimble
- Small Fixing Screws (x4)
- Silicone Plugs (x2)
- Small Storage Box for screws and tools
- Instruction Manuals (English, French, Italian, German and Spanish)
Before you get too excited, this lock will not work on all types of doors or locks. So do check before purchasing. You can find the information here and the WELOCK website has a handy chat function should you require more information. It is suitable for doors with thicknesses between 50mm-100mm and has a Euro Profile Cylinder lock.
When you have determined that the lock will fit your door and lock, it really is easy to install, and no drilling is involved. It should only take around 10 minutes to install using the small crosshead screwdriver and hex key that are supplied. It is just a case of opening up the lock with the hex hey, adjusting the length, installing 3x AAA batteries (if you use good quality batteries they should last 1 year or approximately 8000 openings), and then adding users fingerprints.
Once the lock is installed onto the door, the door can now be unlocked using a fingerprint (it can store a massive 100 fingerprints – 3 of them with admin function). To unlock the door you just press the button, press your finger or thumb (whatever you have used to scan your fingerprint, it has to be the same one to unlock the door) and the door will unlock within 0.5 seconds, it has a 98% accuracy rate, although we have not had any problems (I would imagine problems arise from dirty fingers, not placing finger on scanner properly – the same type of problems you have if using your fingerprint to unlock your phone). You don’t just have to use fingerprints either, if you have guests, you can use RFID cards (3 are supplied and up to 20 cards can be paired with the lock), just give the card to someone and they just press it against the lock – very handy for giving someone temporary access to a room). You can also unlock the door using the app on your phone (it is available for Android and iOS).
As mentioned, this lock is powered by 3x AAA batteries. The battery status is displayed on the screen and will alert you as to when the batteries are low and need changing. This is simple and quick to do using the tools provided. If you do happen to leave the batteries to completely discharge, you will be locked out of the room, but you can still open the door using a portable powerbank – plug it in to the micro USB port near the batteries to unlock the door. Don’t worry, you need the tools to gain access to the port, no one can just turn up and plug in a powerbank to unlock your door.
The WELOCK lock is IP65 weatherproof rated and is suited for doors that have a roof covering like a porch, not doors or gates that are permanently exposed to the weather such as garden gates. It has a working temperature of between -10°C and 60 °C.
Overall, the WELOCK Fingerprint Smart Lock Electronic Door Lock is a good little lock that is great for indoor use, it can be used on external doors as long as they have a roof covering and some protection from the weather. If you have a porch or roof covered door, depending on how comfortable you are with having a smart lock you can have it fitted to your main door so that you don’t have to worry about forgetting your keys, the kids can let themselves in after school without the need for a key etc. and no need for hideaway keys.
Personally, I would use the lock on internal doors for rooms that I don’t want everyone going in and out of such as a home office (would be excellent for offices at work as well). For those worried about remote hacking of the lock, it has no connection to the internet so someone sitting outside in a car can’t open the door – they would need tools and time to open the door, same as a standard door lock except that this can’t be picked. For app use, you need to be up close to the door for Bluetooth use (within 10ft), so even if that could be hacked in any way someone trying to gain unauthorised would have to be close to the door and risk being caught.
The lock is extremely easy to install if you have a suitable door and cylinder lock. It is simple to setup and fingerprint access can be monitored on the app so you can see what times the door was opened and who entered.
The lock is aesthetically pleasing in black and silver and doesn’t protrude too far from the door. Unlocking is simple with a fingerprint and then twisting to open – you just open as normal from inside the room – no fingerprints, cards or app needed. Makes opening a door quicker than looking for your keys.
It is a very good hi-tech lock that I would say is much more suited for internal security, office doors (home or work-based), storage cupboards and doors that you don’t want kids to access (maybe doors to a basement etc.). It is great for the convenience of not having to search for keys and adding some security to doors inside your home.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £170
For more information or to buy, visit www.welock.com. Use the code XM50 and get a €50 discount (approx. £45) off the purchase price.
