Ever locked out by your own smart door?
I hear you—my house is from the 1920s, and I just can’t bring myself to trust a lock that needs a firmware update. I like the idea of tech, but I still keep a good old-fashioned key tucked away just in case. Maybe it’s paranoia, but I’d rather not be the person explaining to my neighbors why I’m climbing through a window in my pajamas. Hybrid all the way for me.
I totally get the hesitation. I installed a smart lock last year—thought it’d be a cool upgrade, but I learned the hard way that tech isn’t always foolproof. One morning, the app glitched after a power outage and refused to connect. I was standing outside with groceries, just staring at my phone like it owed me an explanation.
Here’s what I do now: I keep the physical key hidden in a lockbox (the old-school kind with a combo dial), and I also set up a backup code for the keypad. If the app fails, I’ve got the code. If the keypad dies, I’ve got the key. It’s a bit much, but it beats climbing through a window or waiting for customer support to “reset my credentials.”
Honestly, I love the convenience when it works, but I’m with you—hybrid is the way to go. Tech is great, but redundancy is better.
That’s exactly why I still stash a spare key in the shed—old habits die hard. I had a smart lock battery die on me mid-winter, and let me tell you, standing in the snow fiddling with backup codes is not my idea of fun. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried those fingerprint ones? I keep wondering if they’re any more reliable or just another layer of “oops, not today.”
I keep wondering if they’re any more reliable or just another layer of “oops, not today.”
Honestly, those fingerprint locks make me nervous. My hands are always covered in paint or garden dirt—what happens if the sensor can’t read through eco-warrior grime? Has anyone had luck with them when their hands aren’t exactly pristine?
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, I think the whole "smart lock" thing is a bit overhyped for folks like us who aren’t exactly gentle on our hands. I’m usually lugging groceries or fiddling with tools, and I just can’t see myself fussing with a finicky sensor. A good old-fashioned keypad seems way more forgiving—doesn’t matter if your fingers are muddy or you’re juggling stuff. Plus, if something goes wrong, it’s usually cheaper to fix than those fancy fingerprint gadgets. Just my two cents...
