All Reviews
Every guide we've published, newest first.
How to Install a Smart Lock Without Calling Support
2026-09-27
Smart lock installation fails in the same three places every time: the door bore, the 2.4GHz band, and the setup order. Here is the sequence that actually works.
How to Install a Smart Lock on a Front Door Without Calling Support
2026-09-27
Smart lock installation goes wrong in the same three places every time: a deadbolt that never fully throws, a 2.4GHz network the lock cannot see, and the app and gateway paired in the wrong order. Here is the sequence I run on every door.
How to Install a Smart Lock on a Front Door Without Calling Support
2026-09-27
Smart lock installation goes wrong in the same three places every time: the deadbolt throw, the app-before-gateway setup order, and a router that only speaks 5GHz.
How to Install a Smart Lock: Pair the App Before the Gateway
2026-09-27
Smart lock installation goes sideways in the same spot every time: the app and the gateway. Here is the setup order that saves a factory reset, plus what to check before you drill.
The Best Smart Locks for Rental Doors and Airbnb Turnovers
2026-09-17
A practical comparison of six smart locks and lock plus doorbell units for rental doors, covering auto-lock, fingerprint entry, keypad backup, and connectivity so hosts and landlords can choose the right one.
Smart Locks and Video Doorbells: What Actually Fits Your Door
2026-09-17
A practical comparison of smart locks and video doorbells, covering wired 4K and battery cameras, keypad deadbolts, local storage, and the installation details that decide which one belongs on your door.
Best Video Smart Locks With Cameras: 5 Keypad Deadbolts Compared
2026-09-17
A practical comparison of five video smart lock with camera options, from a keypad-only deadbolt to all-in-one locks with fingerprint, doorbell video, and an indoor display.
Best Smart Locks for Rentals and Front Doors: 5 Picks That Install Clean
2026-09-17
A locksmith's shortlist of smart locks for rentals and front doors, covering keypad handle sets, WiFi deadbolts, fingerprint entry, and a lock with a built-in video doorbell.
Best Smart Locks for Front Doors and Rentals: Keypad, Fingerprint, and Camera Picks
2026-09-17
A practical roundup of smart locks for front doors, from a touchpad deadbolt to fingerprint and camera models, and how to pick the one that fits your door and the people who use it.
Best Smart Locks and Video Doorbells for Rental Front Doors
2026-09-17
A locksmith's-eye roundup of smart locks and video doorbells: which deadbolts fit an existing door, which models carry their own camera and keypad, and how to avoid the pairing-order mistakes that cost an evening.
Best Smart Locks and Video Doorbells for Real Front Doors
2026-09-17
Comparing smart locks and video doorbells for front doors and rentals: what to check on retrofit fit, connectivity, guest codes, battery upkeep, and night vision before you buy.
6 Smart Locks for Rentals: Fingerprint, Keypad, and Video Picks
2026-09-17
A landlord-minded roundup of smart locks for rentals, from a video deadbolt with on-board storage to an Apple Home Key model, a long-life fingerprint lock, and the spare battery that keeps a unit online.
Best Smart Locks for Rentals: Kwikset, Lockly, Philips and Keypad Picks
2026-09-07
Smart locks for rentals compared: a keypad deadbolt, a WiFi deadbolt, a camera lock, and a budget fingerprint handle, plus what each one really costs you at setup time.
4 Smart Deadbolts Compared: Camera Locks vs a Plain Keypad
2026-09-07
A smart deadbolt with camera comparison from a former locksmith: the Schlage Camelot keypad, the HIFAM face recognition lock, the EIYSIE WiFi model, and the syndesmos camera lock, judged on install time, pairing order, and what survives month seven.
4 Keyless Entry Smart Locks Compared for Rental Front Doors
2026-09-07
Keyless entry smart locks compared by a former locksmith: four WiFi deadbolts judged on install time, pairing order, auto-lock, and what happens to the fingerprint reader by month seven.
How To Choose Between Smart Locks With Keypads Or Fingerprint
2026-09-03
How to choose between smart locks with keypads or fingerprint, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
How To Install A Smart Lock Step By Step
2026-08-31
How to install a smart lock step by step, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
August vs Schlage: The Two Brands Every Landlord Asks Me About
2026-08-29
I've installed over 300 smart locks in the last two years, and every landlord in Columbus asks me the same question: "Should I get the Schlage or the.
Best Battery Smart Lock: 7-Month Battery Lives Are a Red Flag
2026-08-28
What is the our pick: ultraloq bolt se best for $89.99. That's the price, and it's a no brainer. The Bolt SE is the first lock I've tested under $100 that actually delivers on its battery claim.
Best Fingerprint Smart Lock: The 95% First-Try Test
2026-08-27
What is the our pick: ultraloq bolt se best for The ULTRALOQ Bolt SE is the lock I kept on my own front door. It's $89.99, and it has built-in WiFi, so you don't need a separate gateway. That alone puts it ahead of half the competition.
Best Keyless Door Lock: Keyless Doesn't Mean Lockless
2026-08-26
What is the our pick: veise ks01c keyless entry deadbolt best for This is the one I keep coming back to. At $63.99, it's the rare lock that does everything right and doesn't cost a fortune.
Best Smart Door Lock Without Subscription: Own Your Lock, Keep Your Money
2026-08-25
What is the our pick: eufy security smart lock c210 best for The eufy C210 costs $84.99 and has no subscription. That's the headline. But the reason it's our pick isn't the price, it's the fingerprint reader.
The 7 Best Smart Locks of 2026, Installed on 300+ Real Doors
2026-08-24
I've got a spreadsheet with 300+ installs on it, and a folder of support chat transcripts I keep as cautionary tales.
Best Smart Lock for Airbnb: Guest Codes, Auto-Lock, and No Keys Under the Mat
2026-08-23
Well, the Veise RZ07 is advertised as the perfect Airbnb lock, but is it really? I've been installing smart locks on rental properties around Columbus for.
Best Smart Lock for Apartments: Renters' Rules, Landlords' Realities
2026-08-22
The job is simple: a lock that opens with a code or a fingerprint, locks itself behind you, and doesn't leave your tenant standing in the hallway at.
Best Smart Lock With Camera: One Device, Both Eyes on the Door
2026-08-21
What is the our pick: myq secure view 3-in-1 best for At $199.99, this is the one I'd buy for my own rental duplex. The deadbolt shoots home every single time, and I've installed two of these on doors that see Airbnb guests weekly.
Best Smart Lock With Keypad: Codes Beat Keys, and Tenants Agree
2026-08-20
What is the our pick: philips wi-fi smart lock best for The fingerprint reader on this thing has survived February. I installed it on my rental duplex door while my girlfriend was yelling at me to hurry up because the Airbnb guest was arriving.
The 6 Best Video Doorbells of 2026, Mounted on Real Porches
2026-08-19
What is the our pick: ring battery doorbell 2k best for $69.99. That's the price, and it's a no brainer.
Best Video Doorbell Without Subscription: Local Storage, No Monthly Bill
2026-08-18
What is the eufy security video doorbell e340 best for The biggest problem with the eufy E340 is that it made me distrust every other doorbell I tested after it. That's not a flaw in the product, but it's a real issue for this review.
Best WiFi Smart Lock: Remote Access Without the Pairing Hell
2026-08-17
The best WiFi smart lock for most people is the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro, but only if you understand that the gateway pairing order matters more than the metal.
How to Choose a Video Doorbell: 6 Questions Before You Mount Anything
2026-08-16
I've installed over 300 smart locks in the Columbus area, and the doorbell is the one thing landlords ask about second. Not first, mind you.
How to Fix Smart Lock Issues: The Setup Order That Saves Your Sanity
2026-08-15
What is the yamiry smart door handle lock best for The biggest issue with this lock is the manual. It skips the pairing order entirely. I had to factory reset mine twice before I figured out the app-first sequence. That's on them, not me.
How to Install a Smart Lock: 20 Minutes Without Missing Parts
2026-08-14
Well, the Wyze Bolt v2 says it installs in minutes with no missing parts. Is that actually true, or is it the same promise every lock box makes before I’m.
How To Reset A Smart Lock To Factory Settings
2026-08-12
How to reset a smart lock to factory settings, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
How To Secure Smart Home Devices From Hacking
2026-08-11
How to secure smart home devices from hacking, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Smart Lock Battery Life And Low Battery Warnings
2026-08-10
Smart lock battery life and low battery warnings, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Smart Lock Guest Codes How To Manage Them
2026-08-09
Smart lock guest codes how to manage them, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Smart Lock Keypad Vs Fingerprint Vs App Unlock
2026-08-08
Smart lock keypad vs fingerprint vs app unlock, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Smart Lock Vs Traditional Deadbolt Which Is Safer
2026-08-07
Smart lock vs traditional deadbolt which is safer, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Video Doorbell Field Of View Explained
2026-08-06
Video doorbell field of view explained, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Video Doorbell Wired Vs Battery Which Is Better
2026-08-05
Video doorbell wired vs battery which is better, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Wifi Vs Bluetooth Vs Zwave Smart Lock Explained
2026-08-04
Wifi vs bluetooth vs zwave smart lock explained, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.