I’d never used smart locks before because they had many limitations and I didn’t think it could be a useful addition to my house. However, smart locks have gained more popularity in the last few years and manufacturers keep improving their product quality. Therefore, I decided to give it a try and tested the SECURAM Touch smart deadbolt lock.
Disclosure: I received the smart lock in exchange for the review. I spent at least a month testing it to make sure the review is honest and unbiased.
Unboxing & Setup
Features & Performance
I was hesitant to upgrade to a smart lock party because I thought the setup would be complicated. In fact, I could install the SECURAM Touch in just about 10 minutes. It could easily replace my old deadbolt lock and the only tool I needed was a screwdriver. You can install the SECURAM Guard app and it will walk you through the whole installation process with video tutorials.
The smart lock is still bulkier than a traditional lock but it no longer looks like an ugly calculator attached to my door. The black exterior makes it look more modern and I really like the fingerprint scanner on top. This is also the most useful feature of the product. I even disabled the keypad and use the fingerprint only for verification. I added fingerprints of mine as well as other family members’, and the scanner has never failed to verify. Apart from fingerprint, there are 3 other ways to unlock, which are the keypad entry, smartphone app, and mechanical key.
The construction of the lock is really sturdy as it features an anti-drill aluminum exterior, a stainless steel deadbolt, and interior metal gears. It also has IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. Its operation temperature is recommended from 14 to 140 Fahrenheit degrees; I used it on some cold 8-degree days and had no problem at all, probably because the parts with batteries stay warmer indoors.
Another useful feature of the smart lock is auto lock. I always forget to lock the doors at night and that opens my house to the possibility of a home invasion. The feature is not enabled by default, so you should go to settings and enable both auto-lock and door sensor features.
The SECURAM Touch is powered by two CR123A batteries, there’s no wiring involved. You can check the battery level in the app and it also has a warning when the battery is running low. Even when the batteries do fail, there are still backup methods to unlock it. You can either use a mechanical key or connect a 9V battery to the jumper underneath the keypad to provide temporary power, then use fingerprint or enter code to verify and unlock your door. According to the manufacturer, the battery life lasts somewhere between 6-8 months; I haven’t used the lock long enough to verify it but I will update the post as soon as the battery is drained out completely.
The phone is connected to the smart lock via Bluetooth, so if you want to control it remotely, you will need to purchase the SECURAM Smart Hub which will connects the lock to the Internet. Another benefit of the hub is that you will be able to add the lock to Amazon Alexa or Google Home, then it will become another smart device in your house. You can use voice commands and even unlock the door automatically when you come home. The hub is available separately for about $99.
All in all, the SECURAM performs flawlessly during my test. I’m totally satisfied with my first smart lock and will keep using it for a while. We at BikeFolded highly recommend the product.
