It’s been some one-hundred years since there has been a major upgrade to deadbolt lock. Why its taken so long is beyond me, but the Kevo (licensed from UniKey by Kwikset) has entered the market to do just that. Essentially, you will be able to unlock your deadbolt with a simple touch.
No, this isn’t some strange black magic, but instead is done in part to the deadbolts built-in Bluetooth 4.0 system. What this means is that your Kwikset Kevo has the ability to detect your smartphone, via an app, and unlock your door. The Bluetooth 4.0 allows the deadbolt to unlock itself when the lock face is touched.
But what if you don’t have a compatible smartphone with the required Bluetooth? The Kwikset Kevo has you covered there as well. The unit comes with an FOB similar to the one you have on your key-chain to unlock your car. The difference here is that nothing is required from the user; just keep the fob on your key-ring and touch away to lock and/or unlock your deadbolt.
Additional FOBs can be purchased for those members of your family without smartphones and synced exclusively with your Kevo unit. But what about say, friends or other family that need access to your home, but don’t come over on a regular basis? Well, through your Kevo app you can send anyone you want “eKeys” to allow them to access your home when you aren’t home.
One thing that we really liked during our testing period was the fact that the Kevo lock looks no different from your standard deadbolt. There are no markings or large gaudy accents that would make the system standout in your neighborhood. In fact, most people won’t even notice that you have even installed a new lock at all. The only thing that gives any indication is the units light up feature that aids you in knowing when the door is locked and unlocked, something that is extremely helpful at night. It’s also nice to just have a visual que which gives one a little more peace of mind when locking your door.
The entire system is a sight to behold, and not to mention a great deal of fun to use. When you touch the deadbolt, the LED ring around the lock lights up blue, spinning in a circular pattern. This blue LED is your signal that the Kevo scanning for a linked smartphone or FOB unit. If, within the allotted period, the Kevo finds said phone ot FOB the light will change to green and grant you entry. Likewise, if you are locking the door, the blue LED will change orange when locking. If there is an error with the process, if your phone is dead or your FOB is out of range, the light will change to Magenta and you will have to tap it again to proceed.
We tested the unit for a week leading up through the Easter weekend, so there was a great deal of traffic in and out of our test home. Besides being the talk of the family, the main question we were asked was about privacy. The main question being, “What if someone who you don’t want in taps the lock?” Well, the Kevo has the capability to know when you are inside our outside of the door. This means that if said miscreant taps your lock, they will only be treated to a spinning blue light. They wouldn’t see a Magenta light and knowing if you were home, or in the vicinity.
Okay, enough with the cool looking stuff, as I’m sure you are wondering how the installation process works with something so tech heavy. If you have some experience using a screwdriver, then the installation is as easy as pie. It’s essentially the exact same process as installing a normal deadbolt into a door. They only tricky part comes with the calibration of the unit after installation.
When we followed the instructions, we ran into several problems when calibrating our FOB unit. We were about ready to call the number provided for assistance (Kwikset does provide a lot of help in both print visual and by phone) when we ran through the steps again and getting the unit to work. The instructions provided are shown via illustrations making the process as easy as humanly possible. You tap the calibrate button on the inside portion of the door and hold your FOB against the lock for a few seconds, then head outside once the FOB lights up as ready. From there, the lock on the outside should be glowing green and when this happens all you need to do is tap the lock three times to link everything together. It’s an incredibly easy process, especially with the included instructions, that tends to get finicky for whatever reason. Our tech editor kept joking that there must be ghosts in the machine, but once it worked the unit performed flawlessly.
Something that I had concerns with before our unit arrived was how would the key work in regards to my normal lock. You see, the Kwikset Kevo looks and acts like a standard deadbolt, meaning that it comes with a physical key that can be placed into the lock. This is a great thing, as my elderly father (he’s not that interested in learning new tech) was happy unlocking the door with a normal key. His biggest concern was not wanting to have an extra key on his keyring, making getting into the house a more tedious experience.
The Kwikset Kevo is a fantastic piece of tech but like everything, it isn’t perfect. The calibration can be more finicky than it really needs to be, although this will vary from installation to installation. Another thing is that you have to understand that you aren’t buying some high-end security system. The Kevo doesn’t afford you with any added home protection, it’s just a standard deadbolt with some modern day features. I have been the victim of a home burglary in the past and can say (even with a good deadbolt and locks) that if someone really wants to break in, they can with enough force. But having a Kevo may actually deter a would be intruder. You see, break-ins are quick affairs and if someone notices a fancy light out lock, they may very well just move on instead of dealing with the hassle.
While the unit is very modern, it still runs on your basic AA batteries (a set is included) to get its power. These batteries will of course die over time (you can expect about a year of power on 4 AA’s), but the Kevo will begin flashing red to alert you of this, as well as notifying you via the Kevo app.
The Kwikset Kevo will cost you a pretty penny when compared to buying a regular deadbolt. The unit will run you $219 for a single door unit and FOB. The price can be a turn off for most average consumer but if you are looking to be on the forefront, the Kevo is something to seriously consider. For the price, we would have liked something a little more high-end, but as a standard deadbolt it works amazingly well. We can only hope that future models fix a few of our nitpicks and that with more users jumping aboard, the price will come down.
As it stands, we absolutely love the Kwikset Kevo and how it is a true step-forward in terms of technology and not simply some gimmick to earn a quick buck. Because of that we give the Kwikset Kevo our seal of approval.
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