I don't get it... no burglar ever tries to "unlock" a door. They usually break a window (Kevo avoidance guaranteed), or simply use a crowbar to break open a door (again, Kevo avoidance guaranteed).
So why would I ever pay for a Kevo when it might be better to either buy stronger glass for your windows, or anti-crowbar frames around your door? Sorry for my lack of knowledge of the English words for these things%u2026 I'm Dutch
The Kevo is no stronger or weaker than a conventional deadbolt. It is designed to give authorized users more convenience, although it is debatable if it actually accomplishes that goal.
I'm with many of the commentors. A big "meh" for me. Fairly, if you have lotsa kids, lotsa babysitters coming and going, house clearers, roommates, renters etc etc, it might fill a need I simply dont have. Good on you, tech has a solution. But for $220, this tech gets me exactly nothing, and in some respects sets me back.
The whole "smart home" stuff is intriguing, if not overpirced. I can see stuff like this being a featture of a new home, and marketed as such. Maybe that's these folks big market, and retro fitters an after thought. OK then. I can also see a market for tech savvy installers to offer a service to people that want this kind of thing, but don't want to dork with install and set up. And maybe if I buy a new door, I'd consider this when that time comes. Maybe.
Guess I've become a Jonny Ive deciple. Tech has to be invisible. This kind of thing just isn't. Of all the things in the world I want to think about, my door locks are pretty far down the list.
The Kevo was featured on Shark Tank and they liked the product, but not the $219 price. I would never buy one when a regular Kwikset lock is far cheaper. That was the sharks' reasoning as well. I do not want a lock that requires batteries, and as mentioned above, you have to touch the lock to activate it so you might as well have your key in hand and open the door 3 seconds faster, and with much less noise.
I'm using morning industries key fob locks that also support 3rd party signals... I'm using insteon so I can unlock the lock from my back office when someone approaches my front door (motion detection Video on with an audio link). Also allows me to global lock my 3 doors. And unlock them with my iPhone (I'd rather have people call me than hand out digital keys... I like the idea, just not th e
Fobs are on the same keychain as the key... so the fishing for the key is still an issue, just don't have to install the key in the lock (with groceries, grandkids, whatever in tow)
And cost 1/2 the price of these kevos. Same battery issue, but a much simpler programming method.
As for the price of a key... try getting a locksmith to rekey a lock for less than $1.99 a key;-)
As for security... keys are rarely secure... and quikset's are at the low end of the lockpicking evolution. Key's are like identifiers, having a key proves you have access. but lots of people can pick locks or bypass the lock all together. Security comes from monitoring behind the door.
(like my glass break detectors with PIR in the house), and sometimes, in front of the door (see motion detection above.... It 'wraps' the house with active beams.... I'm in a low density, high crime region [@#$@ meth heads will try to steal anything off a farm, and motion lights don't seem to bother them... like @$#%# racoons]
I'm with many of the commentors. A big "meh" for me. Fairly, if you have lotsa kids, lotsa babysitters coming and going, house clearers, roommates, renters etc etc, it might fill a need I simply dont have. Good on you, tech has a solution. But for $220, this tech gets me exactly nothing, and in some respects sets me back.
The whole "smart home" stuff is intriguing, if not overpirced. I can see stuff like this being a featture of a new home, and marketed as such. Maybe that's these folks big market, and retro fitters an after thought. OK then. I can also see a market for tech savvy installers to offer a service to people that want this kind of thing, but don't want to dork with install and set up. And maybe if I buy a new door, I'd consider this when that time comes. Maybe.
Guess I've become a Jonny Ive deciple. Tech has to be invisible. This kind of thing just isn't. Of all the things in the world I want to think about, my door locks are pretty far down the list.
The IoT world (Internet of Things) is moving towards making 'smart home' an 'TCP/IP' problem, which will drive the costs (most of the cost is the installer and the proprietary nature of signalling stds) way down.
Locks are high on my list... not so much the locking and unlocking, but for making sure they are locked (and doors closed). period. I've got 6 doors that must be locked 99% of the time, but I want them open when I need them open. (arms full, no need to fumble for key). I've got it down to Motion detection during the day unlocking them, when I put them in 'work mode', and me pushing a 'lock down' button on my iPad at night.
I grew up on a farm where the keys were in every truck and vehicle, the house was unlocked and you'd let your neighbor drive his tractor through your fields to get to his... now we have a lock on the gates, the vehicles locked in the machine shed and the keys locked up in a lockbox in the shed. Even the hog house is locked (yeah, they'll steal your pigs... someone will steal your bacon for a fix....;-( ).
I've used the keypad version of their product, and there was definitely a concern over the plastic housing on the inside. On that unit shutting the door would sometimes cause the batteries to separate from the contracts and disable the unit.
It was loud, but really that's not a big deal.
Still, I would much prefer the keypad to an iphone interface. You can assign temporary codes, but the benefit is that a key isn't needed at all.
I'm in a low density, high crime region [@#$@ meth heads will try to steal anything off a farm, and motion lights don't seem to bother them... like @$#%# racoons]
The Kevo was featured on Shark Tank and they liked the product, but not the $219 price. I would never buy one when a regular Kwikset lock is far cheaper. That was the sharks' reasoning as well. I do not want a lock that requires batteries, and as mentioned above, you have to touch the lock to activate it so you might as well have your key in hand and open the door 3 seconds faster, and with much less noise.
The lock is pretty expensive and provides no greater safety against break in than does a standard lock of equivalent strength. Professional burglars have easier and faster ways to get in than to monkey with a lock. The best feature of this device is probably the safety factor for a lady coming home in the dark. She can unlock the door as she approaches (hopefully she also has a motion activated light system), get in , and then close and lock quickly behind her. Not as big a deal for guys...huge increase in safety for a lady. The same is true for a lady who now has the same ability with her car in a dark parking situation late at night. At $219.00 it would be worth it to me if I had someone who was potentially in danger.
It's nice that they kept practicality in mind when allowing use with a traditional key.
But in a world full of beautifully designed kickstarter projects, this is really losing out on looks. Not that everyone wants to be showy but this is way too low key as it doesn't look any different from a 20 year old key lock.
...oh, and you can't give a key code to the cleaning lady because she doesn't speak English and has no idea what you are talking about.
And you can't give one to the delivery man because the store has no idea which delivery man will be assigned your delivery and the customer service rep can't be bothered with or held liable for accepting your key code and making sure it gets to the right person. Plus he's never heard of Kevo and has no idea what you're talking about.
And you can't give one to the babysitter because the version of Android she is using doesn't support Kevo.
And your kid lost his smartphone and was afraid to tell you for two days. So for a couple of days someone may have had your address and an easy way to enter your home. Better hurry up and deactivate that phone. If your kid lost a physical key it would be pretty difficult for someone to figure out what door lock it went to.
And no point giving a key code to the cable guy because someone has to be home when they make a service call.
And you can't give one to the contractor working on your bathroom because he doesn't even own a smartphone.
The ring around the lock lights up in one of five different colors, and that is saweet!
I couldn't agree more. Why not just have a keypad on the thing. I could connect via bluetooth to set it to have a "one time only" open for a guest, or a "time window" if we have someone checking on the house, etc.
This device still makes me reach into my picket, unlock my phone, find an app, and unlock the door. Why not just reach into my pocket and grab my key.
The Kevo does not require you to dig in your pocket, or mess with the phone. That's the elegance of using Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. You simply need to be in-range of the device, and on the correct side of the door. Just walk up, touch the lock, wait for it to wake up your iPhone and authenticate, and the lock opens. That's it.
As for looks, I appreciate that it matches the rest of my lockset. Having a fancy contemporary designed widget stuck to my big stained wood door with leaded glass would stand out, and look quite out of place. This blends in nicely.
I've only just installed it and started playing with it, so time will tell how well it works in the real day-to-day. It locks/unlocks reliably thus far, and install was an absolute breeze since it replaced an existing Kwikset lock.
Functionality - any alternative lock better work flawlessly and improve the 'door and lock experience'. If not it is DOA.
Security - not really a concern to me. The point is to lock the door to prevent opportunistic thieves. If somebody really wants to get in, they will. A crowbar works much better than hacking.
Me too. Waiting for the August review. The August looks way nicer and much simpler to install. Not mention authorised users don't need to drop what ever they are holding to find a key to unlock the door still.
...oh, and you can't give a key code to the cleaning lady because she doesn't speak English and has no idea what you are talking about.
And you can't give one to the delivery man because the store has no idea which delivery man will be assigned your delivery and the customer service rep can't be bothered with or held liable for accepting your key code and making sure it gets to the right person. Plus he's never heard of Kevo and has no idea what you're talking about.
And you can't give one to the babysitter because the version of Android she is using doesn't support Kevo.
And your kid lost his smartphone and was afraid to tell you for two days. So for a couple of days someone may have had your address and an easy way to enter your home. Better hurry up and deactivate that phone. If your kid lost a physical key it would be pretty difficult for someone to figure out what door lock it went to.
And no point giving a key code to the cable guy because someone has to be home when they make a service call.
And you can't give one to the contractor working on your bathroom because he doesn't even own a smartphone.
The ring around the lock lights up in one of five different colors, and that is saweet!
Your life sounds miserable. You have my sympathy. I hope you were at least one of the six who got registered for Obamacare.
Functionality - any alternative lock better work flawlessly and improve the 'door and lock experience'. If not it is DOA.
Security - not really a concern to me. The point is to lock the door to prevent opportunistic thieves. If somebody really wants to get in, they will. A crowbar works much better than hacking.
Garage door openers and cars have successfully used "Key FOBS" for decades because they are secure and reliable. The REMOTIZER is an adapter that lets you keep your existing single cylinder deadbolt and key. The REMOTIZER Key FOB works from up to 80 feet away and utilizes RF security protocol of one in four billion. The REMOTIZER beeps five times, mechanically confirming your deadbolt is locked. Patented and shipping since 2008, priced at $49.95, the REMOTIZER is the most cost effective Remote Control Deadbolt aka Smart Lock available. No routers, Wi-Fi, hackers or hassle! It installs in minutes:
Interesting. Ugly?? It looks like... a DEADBOLT. How is that "ugly"???
Exactly. You'd expect some new tech to look a little less old-fashioned.
Despite that, it's not really what put me off.
I have two major concerns with KEVO's electronic solution:
1. Having to pay for eKeys
Why can't they put a key generator inside the app or their site? They're just packets of data and most keys and certificates nowadays can be self-generated or signed (such as SSH keys or SSL certificates.)
This is a straight-up money grab.
2. You rely on the manufacturer
You're spending a lot of money on this lock, the least you deserve is knowing that if the manufacturer's site goes down or if they just go bankrupt, taking their servers down along with them, you can continue to use your device as normal.
This means:
a) They'd have to provide the server software for Linux / Window to host the necessary site for managing keys, checking history logs, etc
b) They'd have to include the ability to generate keys ourselves (preferably via the self-hosted site and/or the phone app).
I'll be holding off my purchase of a KEVO lock until they release a self-reliant model or software update.
Comments
I don't get it... no burglar ever tries to "unlock" a door. They usually break a window (Kevo avoidance guaranteed), or simply use a crowbar to break open a door (again, Kevo avoidance guaranteed).
So why would I ever pay for a Kevo when it might be better to either buy stronger glass for your windows, or anti-crowbar frames around your door? Sorry for my lack of knowledge of the English words for these things%u2026 I'm Dutch
The Kevo is no stronger or weaker than a conventional deadbolt. It is designed to give authorized users more convenience, although it is debatable if it actually accomplishes that goal.
The whole "smart home" stuff is intriguing, if not overpirced. I can see stuff like this being a featture of a new home, and marketed as such. Maybe that's these folks big market, and retro fitters an after thought. OK then. I can also see a market for tech savvy installers to offer a service to people that want this kind of thing, but don't want to dork with install and set up. And maybe if I buy a new door, I'd consider this when that time comes. Maybe.
Guess I've become a Jonny Ive deciple. Tech has to be invisible. This kind of thing just isn't. Of all the things in the world I want to think about, my door locks are pretty far down the list.
The Kevo was featured on Shark Tank and they liked the product, but not the $219 price. I would never buy one when a regular Kwikset lock is far cheaper. That was the sharks' reasoning as well. I do not want a lock that requires batteries, and as mentioned above, you have to touch the lock to activate it so you might as well have your key in hand and open the door 3 seconds faster, and with much less noise.
I'm using morning industries key fob locks that also support 3rd party signals... I'm using insteon so I can unlock the lock from my back office when someone approaches my front door (motion detection Video on with an audio link). Also allows me to global lock my 3 doors. And unlock them with my iPhone (I'd rather have people call me than hand out digital keys... I like the idea, just not th e
Fobs are on the same keychain as the key... so the fishing for the key is still an issue, just don't have to install the key in the lock (with groceries, grandkids, whatever in tow)
And cost 1/2 the price of these kevos. Same battery issue, but a much simpler programming method.
As for the price of a key... try getting a locksmith to rekey a lock for less than $1.99 a key;-)
As for security... keys are rarely secure... and quikset's are at the low end of the lockpicking evolution. Key's are like identifiers, having a key proves you have access. but lots of people can pick locks or bypass the lock all together. Security comes from monitoring behind the door.
(like my glass break detectors with PIR in the house), and sometimes, in front of the door (see motion detection above.... It 'wraps' the house with active beams.... I'm in a low density, high crime region [@#$@ meth heads will try to steal anything off a farm, and motion lights don't seem to bother them... like @$#%# racoons]
Guess I've become a Jonny Ive deciple. Tech has to be invisible.
With Jony Ive, text has to be invisible too.
I'm with many of the commentors. A big "meh" for me. Fairly, if you have lotsa kids, lotsa babysitters coming and going, house clearers, roommates, renters etc etc, it might fill a need I simply dont have. Good on you, tech has a solution. But for $220, this tech gets me exactly nothing, and in some respects sets me back.
The whole "smart home" stuff is intriguing, if not overpirced. I can see stuff like this being a featture of a new home, and marketed as such. Maybe that's these folks big market, and retro fitters an after thought. OK then. I can also see a market for tech savvy installers to offer a service to people that want this kind of thing, but don't want to dork with install and set up. And maybe if I buy a new door, I'd consider this when that time comes. Maybe.
Guess I've become a Jonny Ive deciple. Tech has to be invisible. This kind of thing just isn't. Of all the things in the world I want to think about, my door locks are pretty far down the list.
The IoT world (Internet of Things) is moving towards making 'smart home' an 'TCP/IP' problem, which will drive the costs (most of the cost is the installer and the proprietary nature of signalling stds) way down.
Locks are high on my list... not so much the locking and unlocking, but for making sure they are locked (and doors closed). period. I've got 6 doors that must be locked 99% of the time, but I want them open when I need them open. (arms full, no need to fumble for key). I've got it down to Motion detection during the day unlocking them, when I put them in 'work mode', and me pushing a 'lock down' button on my iPad at night.
I grew up on a farm where the keys were in every truck and vehicle, the house was unlocked and you'd let your neighbor drive his tractor through your fields to get to his... now we have a lock on the gates, the vehicles locked in the machine shed and the keys locked up in a lockbox in the shed. Even the hog house is locked (yeah, they'll steal your pigs... someone will steal your bacon for a fix....;-( ).
It was loud, but really that's not a big deal.
Still, I would much prefer the keypad to an iphone interface. You can assign temporary codes, but the benefit is that a key isn't needed at all.
I'm in a low density, high crime region [@#$@ meth heads will try to steal anything off a farm, and motion lights don't seem to bother them... like @$#%# racoons]
The Kevo was featured on Shark Tank and they liked the product, but not the $219 price. I would never buy one when a regular Kwikset lock is far cheaper. That was the sharks' reasoning as well. I do not want a lock that requires batteries, and as mentioned above, you have to touch the lock to activate it so you might as well have your key in hand and open the door 3 seconds faster, and with much less noise.
The lock is pretty expensive and provides no greater safety against break in than does a standard lock of equivalent strength. Professional burglars have easier and faster ways to get in than to monkey with a lock. The best feature of this device is probably the safety factor for a lady coming home in the dark. She can unlock the door as she approaches (hopefully she also has a motion activated light system), get in , and then close and lock quickly behind her. Not as big a deal for guys...huge increase in safety for a lady. The same is true for a lady who now has the same ability with her car in a dark parking situation late at night. At $219.00 it would be worth it to me if I had someone who was potentially in danger.
But in a world full of beautifully designed kickstarter projects, this is really losing out on looks. Not that everyone wants to be showy but this is way too low key as it doesn't look any different from a 20 year old key lock.
Y'all techies like cool new stuff. But in the real world that is very often a disadvantage.
Looking old while actually being hi- tech is a huge advantage.
...oh, and you can't give a key code to the cleaning lady because she doesn't speak English and has no idea what you are talking about.
And you can't give one to the delivery man because the store has no idea which delivery man will be assigned your delivery and the customer service rep can't be bothered with or held liable for accepting your key code and making sure it gets to the right person. Plus he's never heard of Kevo and has no idea what you're talking about.
And you can't give one to the babysitter because the version of Android she is using doesn't support Kevo.
And your kid lost his smartphone and was afraid to tell you for two days. So for a couple of days someone may have had your address and an easy way to enter your home. Better hurry up and deactivate that phone. If your kid lost a physical key it would be pretty difficult for someone to figure out what door lock it went to.
And no point giving a key code to the cable guy because someone has to be home when they make a service call.
And you can't give one to the contractor working on your bathroom because he doesn't even own a smartphone.
The ring around the lock lights up in one of five different colors, and that is saweet!
I couldn't agree more. Why not just have a keypad on the thing. I could connect via bluetooth to set it to have a "one time only" open for a guest, or a "time window" if we have someone checking on the house, etc.
This device still makes me reach into my picket, unlock my phone, find an app, and unlock the door. Why not just reach into my pocket and grab my key.
I'll stick with my keypad and a 4 digit code. Somebody mentioned August, looks better than this. Maybe the marketing video got the best of me.
The Kevo does not require you to dig in your pocket, or mess with the phone. That's the elegance of using Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. You simply need to be in-range of the device, and on the correct side of the door. Just walk up, touch the lock, wait for it to wake up your iPhone and authenticate, and the lock opens. That's it.
As for looks, I appreciate that it matches the rest of my lockset. Having a fancy contemporary designed widget stuck to my big stained wood door with leaded glass would stand out, and look quite out of place. This blends in nicely.
I've only just installed it and started playing with it, so time will tell how well it works in the real day-to-day. It locks/unlocks reliably thus far, and install was an absolute breeze since it replaced an existing Kwikset lock.
...oh, and you can't give a key code to the cleaning lady because she doesn't speak English and has no idea what you are talking about.
And you can't give one to the delivery man because the store has no idea which delivery man will be assigned your delivery and the customer service rep can't be bothered with or held liable for accepting your key code and making sure it gets to the right person. Plus he's never heard of Kevo and has no idea what you're talking about.
And you can't give one to the babysitter because the version of Android she is using doesn't support Kevo.
And your kid lost his smartphone and was afraid to tell you for two days. So for a couple of days someone may have had your address and an easy way to enter your home. Better hurry up and deactivate that phone. If your kid lost a physical key it would be pretty difficult for someone to figure out what door lock it went to.
And no point giving a key code to the cable guy because someone has to be home when they make a service call.
And you can't give one to the contractor working on your bathroom because he doesn't even own a smartphone.
The ring around the lock lights up in one of five different colors, and that is saweet!
Your life sounds miserable. You have my sympathy. I hope you were at least one of the six who got registered for Obamacare.
Functionality - any alternative lock better work flawlessly and improve the 'door and lock experience'. If not it is DOA.
Security - not really a concern to me. The point is to lock the door to prevent opportunistic thieves. If somebody really wants to get in, they will. A crowbar works much better than hacking.
Looks - this thing is fugly
Looking forward to the August review - http://www.august.com
[/quote]
Interesting. Ugly?? It looks like... a DEADBOLT. How is that "ugly"???
http://www.ebay.com/gds/REMOTIZER-Remote-Control-Deadbolt-Smart-Lock-/10000000177833233/g.html
Interesting. Ugly?? It looks like... a DEADBOLT. How is that "ugly"???
Exactly. You'd expect some new tech to look a little less old-fashioned.
Despite that, it's not really what put me off.
I have two major concerns with KEVO's electronic solution:
1. Having to pay for eKeys
Why can't they put a key generator inside the app or their site? They're just packets of data and most keys and certificates nowadays can be self-generated or signed (such as SSH keys or SSL certificates.)
This is a straight-up money grab.
2. You rely on the manufacturer
You're spending a lot of money on this lock, the least you deserve is knowing that if the manufacturer's site goes down or if they just go bankrupt, taking their servers down along with them, you can continue to use your device as normal.
This means:
a) They'd have to provide the server software for Linux / Window to host the necessary site for managing keys, checking history logs, etc
b) They'd have to include the ability to generate keys ourselves (preferably via the self-hosted site and/or the phone app).
I'll be holding off my purchase of a KEVO lock until they release a self-reliant model or software update.