The safety and security of your family is what matters. For your home, there are simple methods and appliances you can install to help keep your family and home safe. We’re here to take you through some of the simple ways to secure your home!

The deadbolts on the entry points to your home are often the only things standing between your house and a not-so-friendly burglar. So buying the right deadbolt is crucial to keeping your family safe and securing your precious personal items!

While there’s no guarantee that any lock is 100% secure, burglars and thieves are looking for a quick “job” – one where they can be in-and-out quickly, with little standing in their way for their score. Installing a stronger and more complex deadbolt will increase the effort and time required to break-in to your home which will absolutely discourage the thieves from selecting your home for their next “job!”

The good news is there isn’t a shortage of options for entry-way deadbolts. The bad news – there isn’t a shortage of options for entry-way deadbolts! Let’s start by taking a look at the different types of deadbolts available to secure your home.

Standard Deadbolts

Deadbolts have been around for decades, really ever since home security has been a concern in modern times! These are generally what you expect to see for anyone who would like a strong secure lock for their home – a lock with a keyhole! These are generally secondary locks as a security enhancement to the simple standard spring bolt lock most doors have.

The important difference about the deadbolt vs. a standard lock is that the deadbolt cannot be rotated to the open position without turning the key. The locking mechanism behind the deadbolt is often a cylinder, either a single or double cylinder.

The difference between the two cylinders is simple to determine from just looking at the locks (assuming you have access to both sides!). A single cylinder deadlock has a keyhole on just one side of the lock and is operated by a knob you can twist or turn on the other side. On the contrary, double cylinder locks have a keyhole on both sides and do not require – and may not even have – a knob to turn or twist. The action of the key itself shifts the locking mechanism in or out of place to lock or unlock the doors.

Standard deadbolts are very common and a dime-a-dozen and we’re not going to dive deep into these here. Our focus is on the newer electronic or keyless deadbolts available for residential homes.

Electronic or Keyless Deadbolts

This is where your head might start to spin. In recent years, everything is shifting towards becoming smart and connected! Believe it or not, you’re actually likely quite familiar with seeing keyless deadbolts from TV or the movies – any lock where a card is swiped, a fingerprint (or eye) is used or a keycode entered is an electronic deadbolt! This technology, once thought of for large corporations or the rich, is now available to the masses at generally affordable prices. The big box stores, like Home Depot or Lowes, your local hardware stores and Amazon all sell electronic deadbolt locks.

Now, let’s dive into the most common types of residential electronic keyless deadbolt locks to help secure your home.

Keypad Deadbolts

Keypad deadbolts are generally the most common type of electronic deadbolt for residential homes. As their name says, these deadbolts have a keypad where you enter your personal code, usually a 4 or 6 alpha-numeric code (note, the numbers might also include letters like the older phone keypads). This code is used to authenticate and open the lock when entered correctly.

Bluetooth Deadbolts

Bluetooth deadbolt locks are mostly commonly connected to your phone. Looking for the ease of access when you approach the door, then this is the feature for you! The ways these work is pretty simple – once paired with your phone, the deadbolt will unlock once you get within a defined distance from the deadbolt itself. Most times you won’t even have to take out your phone! The bluetooth might also be used for additional smart home functionality such as connecting with a bridge or even other locks. But that’s for another day!

Biometric Deadbolts

In residential installations, the most common and most affordable biometric deadbolt is using a fingerprint, very similar to the TouchID on many of Apple’s iPhones. Just as with setting up your mobile device, you’ll store your fingerprint or fingerprints in the deadbolts internal memory and simply press the stored finger when you arrive! Simply entry into your home!

RFID Deadbolts

RFID deadbolts usually come with a small keyfob, similar to what many office workers use to enter their workplace. Certainly has its pluses and minuses, but if you are trying to ditch the keys you might want to look elsewhere! Generally, the locks come with a few fobs, and you can always buy more to sync with the locks.

Wifi-enabled Deadbolts

A wifi-enabled deadbolt lock is more of a feature of many locks than a type itself. The primary benefit of installing a wifi-enabled deadbolt is to be able to lock or unlock your doors remotely, regardless of where you are at the moment. Want to let your neighbor drop off a package or walk your dog – this is one of the easiest ways to do it without needing to give them a code or a key to your house!

Consideration of a Classical Key

Many of the above locks also include the classical (maybe even “old school” with today’s emerging technologies!) key + keyhole combination. This is nice as a fallback should your device not work or you might have forgotten your phone of key-fob. But it’s generally a choice, not a necessity. Some people prefer to have this as an additional fallback or entry method for your otherwise keyless electronic deadbolt. Provides a little piece of mind for some.

Installing an electronic keyless deadbolt is a great way to enhance your existing smart home or start your way on building it! It provides easy and often hands free access to your home and if wifi enabled, allows you to give others access while you’re not at home. And most importantly, it gives you the safety and security you desire for your home.

To help you get started, take a look at our list of the best electronic deadbolts in 2019 !