We are having new doors installed and decided to finally get zwave locks. Need recommendations. We have mains powdered devices directly above each door so repeaters are not an issue.
Look for locks using the 700 series zwave chip, off the top of my head both Yale and Kwikset make them, but I'm sure that there are others.
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According to ANSI, locks are graded into three groupings. Grade 1 is most secure and Grade 3 is least secure. Most smart-locks are rated Grade 2 which should be satisfactory for most homes. I chose a Schlage Connect Z-wave lock. It is one of the few smart-locks rated Grade 1. There are several things I like about these locks. The keypad has a touch key pad that is waterproof and can be wiped to remove fingerprints that might compromise your pin number. The lock can be opened with a key, with the code, or digitally. It has an autolock feature should you wish to use it.
Be aware that pairing Z-wave locks with Hubitat can be cumbersome. I had to remove my lock from the door, place it a few feet from Hubitat and then start the pairing routine. Once it was paired, I moved it back to the door. Depending upon the location of the Hubitat and the location of the locks, you might need Z-wave range extenders to maintain a reliable connection.
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I love my Alfred lock. BLE, Zwave, WFI enabled. I don't have a key. Keypad ONLY version. I really like the lock. I have tried others like August (I think it is part of Yale now). I had a lot of issues with that both logic (Zwave, Wifi wasn't great either) and the mechanics had issues too. The gearing just didn't hold up.
Alfred (like any lock) as long as the lock operates smoothly the batteries last about year or so. We use the lock a lot so that is very good. August 3-5 months.
I really like that lock.
Check out this thread:
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I have Kwikset Connect 620s and they've been solid since installation. I put them into service on 7/12 and they are at 96% battery right now with pretty heavy usage on one. I originally looked at the Kwikset 916s, but, after digging through reviews, found that the glass had issues with being in sunlight constantly. My back door gets full sun most of the day, so it was a non-starter for me.
I think what gets folks the most with Z-wave locks is not having a solid z-wave mesh in the first place, but sounds like you may be alright. I paired slapped the batteries into the z-wave module and paired them sitting on the shelf with my hub. Then, pulled the batteries and installed them. After about 24 hours for routing and what-not to update, they've worked flawlessly.
I have (2) Kwikset 914 originally Z-Wave, converted to Zigbee a few years later. The difference in battery longevity is night and day. Didn't have issues with either protocol, but I prefer Zigbee.
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We have both ZigBee and Zwave. However, ZigBee has proven to be flaky at times. We also have it set up where "vital" stuff is Zwave and ZigBee is for more casual things. I think the mesh for Zwave is pretty solid.
Sounds like it doesn't matter all that much which specific lock as long as it's the right chip set and has the features we want.
Somewhat side question.....
If we go with a keypad style, will we be able to control HSM from it as well? Example: kids come home from school, HSM is set, they use lock key pad to unlock and HSM disarms.
IF HSM recognizes it as a keypad you could possibly use HSM directly, but my locks aren't so I have a webCoRE piston provide the necessary instruction to HSM; RM should also be able provide this function.
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Pretty much.
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Well I guess I need to find ones that are recognized
Not necessarily, as @thebearmay was getting at. Regardless of whether HSM will directly recognize a lock for arm/disarm (like it would a keypad), I believe you can easily setup a virtual button, set that to "disarm" HSM, then write a rule that says:
IF(lock code from lock entered) THEN push disarm button.
You could even setup different buttons tied to different lock codes if you wanted to differentiate who did what.
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