Choosing Smarthome Products for Security and Access

When people think about their home, one of the first things that comes to mind is that it is a safe place. Security is tremendously important for any home. Having good security can often make all the difference in how ‘at home’ you feel there. That being said, virtually nobody wants to live in a bank vault. It’s important for your home to be secure and still convenient. You want the peace of mind to know that you’re safe and secure but not have to think about security constantly. Smart home products can really help with that. Not only can you get great security but you can get more convenience, flexibility, and ease of use. It can often feel more like getting a new toy than like getting new safety measures. Today let’s take a look at some of the different types of security and access smarthome gadgets out there and what they can do for you.

Your Front Door

To start with let’s look at the primary access point to your home – the front door. Odds are you probably use a typical lock with the sort of key that hasn’t changed all too much in the past few decades. No surprises there. It can be so easy to just accept this since its all most people know but today there are a multitude of other options out there for upgrading this means of access. Consider looking into a smart lock upgrade. These can be fantastic additions to your home. They generally let you continue using traditional keys which you may be used to but also can go beyond that to provide additional options like Bluetooth connectivity to enable them to automatically unlock as you approach. The Kevo models even allow fob based access, the use of virtual eKeys managed from a smartphone app, and can replace your existing deadbolt lock with ease. eKeys let guests use their Bluetooth compatible smartphones as keys if you enable them. You can monitor, control, and revoke access any time you wish so it’s perfect for the dog walker or house sitter for example.

If you live in a condo like me, or a rental then replacing the deadbolt on your front door may not be an option. Don’t worry we have you covered there too. Take a look at the August smart lock.  This unit has a universal design that can adapt and attach to standard modern deadbolts in such a way that it replaces the interior portion of your existing deadbolt but doesn’t require you to change the exterior of your door hardware, so nobody on the outside needs to know anything is any different. Both the August and Kevo have a number of other good features thanks to their respective apps such that they both provide you with all the security of a traditional lock and yet go beyond to let you have some enhanced security and greater control over who accesses your home and when. You can even check and fix it if you’re at work and worried that maybe you accidentally left the door unlocked!

Your Garage

Of course home access doesn’t stop with your front door. For many people, the garage is a frequently used access point to the home, used just as often as the front door. And of course many people keep a lot of valuable items stored away there too. For these people, Chamberlain has you covered with their collection of Garage controllers and sensors. Start out with the Chamberlain MyQ garage door controller which is a breeze to set up for most people with garage door openers manufactured after 1993.

Integrating this gadget lets you get customized alerts whenever your garage door opens or closes, and removes the common concern people have about accidentally leaving the garage door open. Most people with a garage door opener have likely left it open at least once, or have at least worried that they’ve done so. Worry no more. Now your smartphone can alert you if you forgot, and lets you close it with a simple tap. Want to give a neighbor access so they can borrow your snow plough or lawnmower but don’t want to give them the keys to the house? Just load up the app and open the garage door for them – easy! All your existing garage door openers keep working as before. This system connects your garage door simply connects your garage door opener to a wifi hub, and lets you set up a sensor for your garage door. Then just run the app and conduct the guided setup process that takes minutes. Now you can control your garage door from anywhere, at any time. With this setup you can get additional remotes and sensors and to expand the system as your needs evolve.

If your garage is a tight squeeze for your car you can also pick up the Chamberlain universal parking accessory while you’re at it. This helps you with accurate space-saving parking with laser guided parking. You can use up to two laser parking assists with your garage door opener for dual-bay garages. The laser is powerful enough to be visible without being a danger for your eyes. With a setup like this you can conserve every inch so that you can park exactly where you want to by lining up the laser with a predetermined spot on your dashboard, taking the worry out of getting your car precisely into place.

With a smart lock on your front door and a smart garage setup, you can retain your traditional keys and remotes but have the added benefit of virtual access, tracking, and monitoring of these major access points to your home. It can give you added security, peace of mind and flexibility without you having to sacrifice what you know. More security, and yet better flexibility is the result.

Weiser Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt Lock

August Smart Lock

Chamberlain MyQ