This week our Key West team went over to Don’s house to check out the home automation he has going on, which is very impressive. I felt like I was in Back to the Future between his Sonos equipment, remote cameras, his Nest thermostat controller and his new Kevo entry system.
If you have ever arrived at home juggling an armload of groceries you know how difficult it can be to get into the house without having to drop everything to unlock the door. With Kwikset’s Kevo lock, available here at Small Dog Electronics, you can gain entry to your home or office without the need for a key. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, the Kevo lock reads an eKey code stored on your iOS device and lets you unlock the door with a touch of your finger. It also creates a log of door openings and closings. The lock is fairly easy to install and does exactly what it is supposed to do. If you are ready to lose your traditional keys, it is worth checking out.
**Design and Installation
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The Kevo Bluetooth lock comes with a single cylinder deadbolt locking assembly, an interior housing, two traditional keys, a keychain fob (pre-enrolled for the lock), two eKeys, four AA batteries, and all the mounting hardware you’ll need to install the lock. You also get installation instructions, a user guide, and a drilling/boring template if your door is not already prepared for a deadbolt.
At first glance the Kevo looks like an ordinary deadbolt lock. In fact, you won’t notice anything different about it until you get up close and actually touch it, at which point a ring around the cylinder displays a spinning blue light. That means the lock is looking for an iOS device with an authorized encrypted electronic key (eKey) or an enrolled keychain fob. If it finds one, the light will turn green, flash twice, and the lock will open. If not, it goes dark. When locking the door from the outside with a fob or smartphone, the blue spinning light will change to amber, flash once, and the lock will engage. The light ring uses different colors and flashing codes to let you know things like when the batteries need changing, if the smart device or fob is out of range, an unauthorized device is trying to gain access, or the lock is jammed.
If you know how to install a door lock, the Kevo installation process is fairly simple and should only take ten minutes or so. Even if you have no prior experience the installation guide is very straightforward and easy to follow. Don said replacing his single cylinder deadbolt lock was a snap. Once the old lock was removed he installed the Kevo cylinder and deadbolt mechanism using the existing mounting holes in my door. He then attached the Bluetooth and power/data cable from the cylinder to the internal housing and secured the housing and the cylinder to the door using the supplied bolts. Don manually engaged the deadbolt to see if it extended and retracted smoothly, made a quick adjustment to the bolt housing, and was ready to program the lock.
Once the free app is downloaded from the Apple App Store, it walks you through the setup and registration process. First, you have to enable Bluetooth, location services, and notifications on your iOS device. Once you create an account using your email address and three security questions, you are ready to enroll your device as the Owner, which gives you full rights. The included fob is already paired to the lock. At this point you have to remove the battery cover from the lock’s interior housing, press and release the program button, and hold your device against the back panel. After ten seconds or so the lock beeps and the app asks you to name the lock. You can then calibrate the iOS device to enable the lock’s inside/outside security feature, which uses a sensor to prevent unauthorized entry while your fob or smart device is inside your home. Once calibration is complete (it took Don less than a minute), the Kevo lock is ready to go.
The Kevo comes in three finishes: Polished Brass, Venetian Bronze, and Satin Nickel. Additional keychain fobs cost $25 each, and extra eKeys are $1.99 each. Kwikset covers the Kevo with a lifetime finish and mechanical warranty, and a one year electronic warranty.
