Security is a word that echoes hard in our brains especially in this convoluted world; since the numbers about break-ins and robbery have been increasing year after year, people are worrying more about the necessary way to provide good protection to their belongings – especially their houses – and top of all their families. That is the main reason why you hear all over when term such as security arises, everybody starts talking about the best alarm system you can buy; surveillance cameras and where to place them to have a better view of your home and surroundings; hiring a security guard service, especially when living in a tall building or being the proprietor of a big warehouse, for instance; and so many things that go to the biggest and most complex security systems you could ever get.

But one thing that most people tend to forget and dedicated little talk is one of the basic security items which has been used for several years since Egyptians came with the idea of the very first lock. It is basically the first instrument that can guarantee the safety of our home and, of course, relatives, visitors, and friends. 

For many years traditional locks have been providing that sense of security which makes us feel relax at the moment of being home or when we are away and they have improved through years offering a wide array of features as usual locks get more and more complex, giving burglars a hard time at the moment of a break-in attempt. But recently along with traditional locks have seen the emergence of some technological devices known as smart locks and people are tending to buy these new and innovative gadgets. But are these new devices more secure than traditional locks? That is what the following lines are going to deal about, so you can have a clear idea of what is more convenient for your own security as well as your family and home.

Traditional Locks

The main idea of locks is to protect your dwelling or office from the unwanted action of a unpleasant intruder and allow those people of your trust the entrance to your place of living or work. They primary function with the turning of a key, and there are a lot of models with different futures that range from very basic protection to the most sophisticated locking systems. According to the lock manufacturer, these features can vary in categories such as security rating or locking mechanism; characteristics that have to be taken into consideration at the moment of deciding acquiring a lock of this type.

Smart Locks

Brand new in the market, smart locks take advantage of another smart device for being operated: your smartphone. These newest technological devices take advantage of all the possible connectivity your phone has; you can access the lock by using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi; some of them can use geolocation to check if you are at home or allow you to open your door to let a relative in to look for something they need at the moment. Although they are brand new in the market, many of the lock manufacturers are getting involved into the development of these devices.

Now What Lock is the Best Choice?

Now you get to a point where a decision has to be taken, and some points have to be highlighted, such as:

• Traditional locks can be chosen from a variety of models and they have those features that will make you feel calm about the needed security.
• Smart phones also are presented in several sort of models but the variation is not as wide as the one offered by non-smart locks
• There is the need of a key to open and close all sort of traditional locks, so as long as you have a key at hand security lies in your hands exclusively
• Doors can be opened using your smartphone when you have installed a smart lock at your place; security also lies at your hands, but smart locks are susceptible to be hacked or even disabled by the manufacturer when the device software needs updating.
• Traditional locks come in a different sort of design and models that make selection a very interesting and hard to go through too.
• Smart locks look almost the same in their design with slight differences in their features and apps.
• A traditional lock is priced in a range from $20 to $100, so they are available even for the tightest of budgets.
• On the other hand, smart locks are from $175 to $230 or more to acquire one of them; a considerable amount of money to invest in order to buy one.

Furthermore, it is advisable to get the opinions of experts in the locksmith area to find out their opinions about advantages and disadvantages of both sorts of locks. For instance, traditional locks are less susceptible to be broken contrary to the easiness of hacking a smart phone. And the proximity to a traditional lock gives a sense of security that you don’t have when you are away and depend exclusively on your smart phone or a computer – both devices that are highly vulnerable to be hacked and manipulated easily.

But smart locks are better when you need to let some friends or relatives access into you house, you just program the lock to open at a certain time or unlock it while you are at work or in a concert. On the contrary, to let friends or relatives enter you house, you need to leave the key in a hidden place – and make you worry thinking someone else can take it; or give it to any of them in a place making you wasting time from any activity you would be doing at that specific time.

The decision is completely on your shoulders. After checking all the features both locks offer and taking into account the amount of money you are able to invest in buying a new lock, you can go to the convenient or hardware store of your preference to get the lock that would satisfy your security needs.