Schlage Encode Deadbolt Smart Lock, Reviewed by Popular Mechanics

I never thought smart home tech was for me. Maybe that’s because my introduction to it was largely centered around my friends incessantly yelling “Hey Google!” whenever they wanted a light turned on or a playlist changed. I didn’t think the privacy trade-off was worth a slight uptick in day-to-day convenience.

And to be clear, I’m still not a “Hey Google!” person. But I’ve seen the light when it comes to smart home tech thanks to my smart lock—the Schlage Encode Deadbolt. I no longer have to fumble around for my keys when my hands are filled with grocery bags, nor do I need to trudge downstairs, sometimes with a toddler in tow, to let guests in. And most importantly, it gives me peace of mind when I’m out of town and the house is empty.

The keypad is large, clear, and easy to set up.

Schlage promises this lock is very easy to install, and in fact, when editors Tom Price and Bradley Ford reviewed this lock, they said the process took about 15 minutes with a screwdriver (and would have been faster still with an impact driver). Full disclosure: I did not install the lock itself because when I started the process, I discovered an issue with the way my door was constructed that frankly flummoxed me. A locksmith fixed that and spent five extra minutes finishing the smart lock install for me.

At that point, I popped in four AA batteries and connected the lock to the Schlage app on my phone via Bluetooth. After that, the lock connects to your home WiFi network easily, and Bluetooth is no longer required.

All of this took no longer than 10 minutes. I chose my lock’s code and was turning the deadbolt over and over with just a few button pushes. I love the lock’s touchscreen keypad. The digits are big enough that I rarely mishit when I’m entering my code, and locking the door behind me requires only pushing a single button. The touchscreen also doesn’t pick up fingerprint smudges, so you don’t need to worry about leaving behind clues about your code to potential intruders.

Unlocking the door using the app takes seconds.

Once I felt comfortable with the lock’s setup, I sat on my couch and turned the deadbolt over and over using my phone. Yes, I’m aware that this is not a toy, but I was having fun nonetheless.

My son is of the age where turning my attention from him for a moment means unleashing all kinds of havoc on the house. So I really appreciate this lock and the app for how easily I can let people in without running to the door.

And while I don’t have multiple locks on multiple properties, if you do, the app allows you to manage all of those in one place.

It’s an extra layer of home monitoring while I’m away.

This is probably my favorite use case for the Schlage Encode. When I’m out of town, I have someone feed my cat once a day. With my old lock, that meant giving out a key to my house, and while it was never an issue, part of me also felt uncomfortable about it.

That is now a thing of the past. And what’s cool about the smart lock is I can set up a code that’s separate from my family’s standard PIN and specific for the cat sitter (or anyone else I want to have access to the house). I can choose a range of time for that code to stay active—the duration of my travels, for instance—before the Encode doesn’t accept it anymore.

Turning on push notifications means I know when the sitter has arrived and when they leave (and most importantly, it gives me confirmation that they’ve locked up after they leave). I also have notifications set up when the lock’s battery life reaches 20 percent. I will say that happened sooner than I would have expected—possibly caused by some brutally cold winter nights—but I’ll just change them as soon as I’m notified to avoid any access issues. (If I neglect to for any reason and the batteries die, the lock comes with a backup key to let you in.)

Final Thoughts

The Encode received a rating of AAA from the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA), which means it earned top marks in all three of the categories the organization grades on: durability, security, and finish. It’s very straightforward to set up and start using, and it gives you the freedom to create up to 100 unique access codes and manage as many separate entry points as you need. And not for nothing, it’s a good-looking lock, too.

Whether you’re a smart home tech skeptic like me (now reformed) or someone who wants to fully integrate every element of their home onto one platform, the Schlage Encode has everything most people will need from a smart lock.