Reliable home security starts at front door, that’s why advancements in technology have completely transformed the way we lock our doors. Modern locks come now with many new features, but do they really provide the security we need?
In the United States most homeowners install locks from just a few brands with Kwikset and Schlage are leading this list where Kwikset has a larger share because of its lower prices.
Schlage locks on the other hand are considered more durable but they come at a higher price.
About 80% of U.S. homeowners are using standard Kwikset locks and the rest use standard Schlage and Defiant locks.
These locks have the same main which is goal to protect your home and keeping it safe, that is why many people ask if these locks provide enough security.
How safe are these popular traditional locks?
Burglars usually use these 5 common techniques like picking, bumping, raking, drilling and pick guns to break standard deadbolt locks.
To test how secure this traditional locks are our security experts applied all these methods on four different locks in a controlled test environment and the results showed that these locks offer low to medium security level, where each lock could be broken into with at least one method.
What about smart locks?
Modern keypad locks, advanced biometric locks and smart Bluetooth locks are becoming more and more popular for home security. They look impressive reflect advanced technologies but actually they aren’t always as secure as they seem.
Most of these smart locks still include a traditional keyhole for emergencies situations like a dead battery or system failure, this keyhole creates a weak point that can be easily exploited by experienced burglars.
While smart lock technology offers better security features the lock’s cylinder itself is the vulnerable part and If the cylinder is easy to bypass the lock itself is not truly secure.
What are High Security locks and what are their benefits?
High security locks made from strong materials and they designed to handle break-in methods like lock picking and lock bumping.
Some people are worried that if having a high security lock on their front door it might attract burglars, but most research shows quite the opposite! Almost all burglars are looking for easy targets, that’s why when they notice a door with high security lock they turn around and move on to the next easy prey.
These locks are extremely hard to break even by an experienced locksmith and the only way to do it is by drilling, which can take lots of time and make lots of noise.
Making new keys is also quite complicated because it require a special card that is provided when buying a new lock.
