Keys:
dull chunks of metal that have been used to open doors since
pre-history. Ugly, heavy when grouped together on a keychain, and
easily lost, keys are sooooo last millennium. Don't believe us? Just
ask Yale. The lock and security experts have created a whole system
of key-less ways to secure your home, and we've had the chance to
test yet another in their growing smart range; the Yale Keyless Connected Smart Lock.
Remember
the Yale Keyless Digital Lock we installed and tested a couple of
years ago, well that model just got a hell of a lot smarter. The Yale
Keyless Connected Smart Lock uses the same principle (removing the
physical metal key and replacing it with a keypad-entered pin code)
and takes it further. As well as using a pin code, users can also
open the lock by way of a credit card-sized key card, a key tag
(which is a small fob that can dangle from a keychain), or just their
smartphone, if connected to a separate smart-home system (more on
that later).
The
unit Itself is independent from your home's power supply, running
from four included (thanks Yale) AA batteries. When these batteries
are starting to run low you get a warning on the lock itself, giving
ample time to change them. But should the lock ever be drained of
juice, there is a connector on the underside to attach a battery and
give it an emegency power it up. The keypad is actually a back-lit
touchscreen, so no physical buttons to get damaged or jammed, and
there is even a tamper alarm in case some dodgy scoundrel tries to
crack it open.
A
really great feature that we like about the Yale Keyless Connected
Smart Lock is the ability to programme it with a short-term 'friends
and family' code. This is a separate pin number that you can give out
to whoever you want to have access to you home, then after 24 hours
it becomes invalid. This way you don't have to worry about leaving
keys under a plant pot, or arranging to hand over a spare set for the
neighbours; you can simply text them the pin, and they'll be able to
enter. And fret not about them blabbing, or misplacing the code,
because one day later it will be a dud.
But
the real smarts, and the justification for the use of 'smart' in the
title, is the lock's connectivity potential. The Yale Keyless Connected Smart Lock ships either with a Yale module or a Z-Wave
module. These components allow the lock to wirelessly connect to an
existing smarthome system you might already have set up in your home.
The Yale module allows the lock to interface with any of Yale's smart
systems, such as the CCTV system (reviewed here) or their Smartphone
house alarm. That way the Yale Keyless Connected Smart Lock can be
accessed and programmed via the Yale app, integrating it fully into
your home's security.
The
Z-Wave module allows it to connect to other Z-Wave devices and
systems, such as Piper (which we reviewed here), allowing it to be
controlled by that app instead. The fact that Yale have included this
option, therefore making their product compatible with other systems
(who may or may not be Yale's competitors) is both very impressive
and progressive. If only all the smart tech in Test Pit Towers was
compatible – we'd certainly need fewer apps on our damn phones!
This
is a great security addition, even if you choose not to connect to a
smarthome system. We discovered that our favourite method to open the
lock was actually the tiny fob, but knowing that we could quickly
enter the pin if so we so chose – like when we can't be bothered to
reach into our pockets to retrieve the fob – was refreshing. One
thing to note is that the Yale Keyless Connected Smart Lock is only
compatible with timber doors. We had designs on installing it on our
uPVC front door, but had to settle for the wooden back door instead
(tradesman entrance, Madam). So bear that in mind if your home is
fully uPVC'd up.
Apart
from that, an awesome product from a company that is getting
increasingly interesting. High five, Yale!
£139