Coming home to a dark house is less scary with a smart lock
Save up to $50: Smart locks are on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for as low as $219.99 in early Black Friday deals.
BEST FOR RENTALS AND ROOMMATES: August WiFi Smart Lock — $219.19 (save $30.80)
BEST IF YOU WANT TO KEEP A KEY: Yale Assure Lock SL — $229.99 (save $50)
There are lots of reasons as to why someone might dread the turning back of the clocks. (It is just, unanimously, The Worst.) Living alone or coming home to an empty house certainly doesn't feel as eery when a pink summer sky has your back — but when it's dark, the rush to get inside the house quickly while carrying armfuls of groceries feels like dashing up the basement steps as a kid.
Easing some of that paranoia is as easy as installing a smart lock. With one, you can unlock your car via app or your location (before even exiting the car), use an on-screen code that only you know, as well as receive tamper alerts and notifications if the door has been left open. Some ditch backup keys all together, which is the route to go if you're not psyched on leaving a key under the map.
Here's where to find August and Yale smart locks on sale this week:
BEST FOR RENTALS AND ROOMMATES: August WiFi Smart Lock — $219.19 (save $30.80)
Retrofit locks are a simple solution for renters who can't just trash their current deadbolt (not without a fight with the landlord, at least). Instead, the August WiFi Smart Lock works with your existing lock and keys and sits on the inside of the door. Installation is easy and doesn't get into keypad setup — the lock even comes with its own built-in WiFi. Families and roommates can enter through the app (which works on Apple Watch), location-based auto-unlock, or voice commands. For kids who don't have phones, parents can unlock the door from afar or set up timed or recurring guest access.
Holding CR123 batteries to the bottom can get the lock to turn on in case of a WiFi or power outage.
BEST IF YOU WANT TO KEEP A KEY: Yale Assure Lock SL — $229.99 (save $50)
The Yale Assure SL is sturdy, modern, and one of the internet's favorite full-scale lock replacements. Expanding to a lock with a keypad is a better situation for homes where multiple people have to get in (like kids who don't have their own phone), babysitters or pet sitters, or Airbnb guests. Each person gets their own code, which can be made temporary or for one-time use. The WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities allow for voice commands through Alexa and Google, as well as auto-unlock/lock when your phone is in (or leaves) close range.
There's still a keyhole, so you can use the included key in the event of a WiFi or power outage.
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Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
