Door Lock Buying Guide

The deadbolts, electronic locks, and smart locks that enter CR’s labs get kicked, picked, and drilled into oblivion.

For the kick-in tests, CR’s test engineers built a custom jig that allows them to swing a 100-pound steel battering ram at a replaceable section of a door with the deadbolt installed. They repeat the test eight times, dropping the weight from increasing heights or until the lock fails. The models that fail—and at least half do—then go through another test round with a reinforced box strike plate installed on a new lock sample. Again and again, CR’s experts have found that this basic do-it-yourself upgrade improves security for any lock (more on that later).

For the drilling test, we evaluate how well each lock can withstand an attack from a cordless drill. And for the picking test, we assess the internal mechanisms of each lock to see how easily it can be picked.

All models, including smart locks, receive a score in each of the four break-in tests, allowing you to easily compare a lock’s strengths and weaknesses in the face of a physical assault. The only exception is with retrofit smart locks. These locks replace only the interior side of your existing deadbolt, essentially adding smarts to the lock you already use. As a result, a retrofit smart lock’s resistance to kicking, picking, and drilling is entirely dependent on the deadbolt it’s paired with.

Both types of smart locks also get additional testing. We investigate features such as smartphone alerts, remote locking and unlocking, geofencing (the ability to automatically lock or unlock the door based on your phone’s location), third-party app and voice control (via Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Assistant, and Apple Home and Siri), shareable electronic keys, access logs of who comes and goes, and even tamper alarms. Our testers factor these features into our ratings under headings that include ease of remote access, convenience, and security add-ons. We also run through the wireless setup process to see how difficult it is to connect the locks to a smartphone and other smart-home devices (such as smart speakers), putting ourselves in your shoes. For details on how well each door lock performs in these tests, see the results in our door lock ratings. 

Very few locks we rate earn a high Overall Score, and some are far more susceptible than most to brute-force attacks. Below are a few key takeaways.

With all but the high-security locks we test, even an ordinary cordless drill can disable the cylinders in 2 minutes or less. Our drill test on the Medeco Maxum 11*603, which has hardened cylinders, ruined the lock, but testers were still denied access. So you’d have to replace the lock but not the contents of your home.

All locks come with a strike plate that attaches to the doorjamb. But many of these come with short screws that catch only the jamb and not the framing of the house. The kick-in resistance of most locks improved significantly when we replaced a stock strike plate with 3-inch screws and a box strike, which you can buy online for as little as $5. “We think manufacturers should include beefier hardware with their locks,” says CR’s lock test engineer, David Trezza. “A lock should be secure without consumers having to buy an aftermarket part.”

We find keypad-operated door locks to be convenient. These models allow you to create codes for temporary access to guests and contractors. You can delete the codes when access is no longer needed without having to change the lock or call a locksmith. This process is even easier with smart locks, most of which allow you to create and delete PINs and electronic keys from your smartphone. But many of these high-tech locks are still susceptible to physical break-in tactics, such as drilling and picking.

Here is a simple step-by-step guide to choosing the right door lock for your home.

The deadbolts we’ve tested, both conventional and smart, are usually single-cylinder, operated using a key (or keypad and PIN) from outside or a thumb-turn from inside. The high-security locks have hardened cylinders, unique PIN configurations, and other defenses. Industry rankings, Grades 1 to 3, seem to track with our ratings, with Grade 1 locks being the most difficult to disable. But packages don’t always display that information, so you might have to check a company’s website to find out how a lock is rated.

A high-security lock of the Medeco caliber might seem expensive, and smart locks aren’t cheap, either. But if you have a break-in, the deductible on your homeowners insurance is likely to be higher than the cost of the lock. And insurance policies commonly give discounts for homes with deadbolts.

The price alone might be enough to make you scoff at buying a smart lock, but before you dismiss it, consider the convenience it delivers. A smart lock can be very helpful if you often forget to lock your door or need to let in a contractor, cleaner, or dog walker when you’re not home. They’re also a great way to know when kids get home from school.

Smart locks solve those problems by way of smartphone apps and optional remote locking and unlocking features. Just know that remote access sometimes requires some sort of WiFi bridge at an additional cost. (Many smart locks now have WiFi built-in because the technology has become more power-efficient over the years.) And if you’re considering a smart lock but don’t want to pay extra for WiFi access, an electronic lock might serve your needs. This type offers keypad access and the ability to program and distribute PINs to various guests, but it can’t talk to your smartphone.

Weak doors—in particular, hollow-core doors—may give way before the lock does. Whichever type of lock you buy, be sure to use a box strike made of heavy-duty metal and install it with the screws provided. Another option is to install 3-inch screws on your existing strike plate. Hinges should also be secured with 3-inch screws.

You might not want to spring for a double-sided lock, though. Many municipalities consider them to be a fire hazard because you need a key to unlock the door from inside, which creates the possibility of being trapped. But they can offer peace of mind if installed on a door adjacent to glass sidelites by denying a would-be burglar the ability to break the glass and reach in to unlock the thumb-turn.

Door locks don’t tend to evolve as quickly as other products, such as appliances and electronics, but these days there’s plenty of change afoot when it comes to smart locks.

Internet-connected smart locks have improved in several ways. Many new models connect directly to WiFi, negating the need for the hubs and bridges that used to be required to connect locks to the internet. Some smart locks now feature fingerprint sensors, giving you a way to unlock your door without a key, PIN, or smartphone.

Retrofit smart locks (models that essentially add smarts to your existing lock) are getting smaller. August (a sister brand of Yale) made its latest retrofit model, the August WiFi Smart Lock, smaller than the previous version. And Level (a sister brand of Kwikset) has made its retrofit model, the Level Bolt, so small that it simply replaces the bolt of your existing deadbolt.

We’re seeing more changes in smart locks as the smart-home industry continues to adopt a new interoperability standard called Matter. Through this standard, smart-home devices from different manufacturers can talk to each other without the need for dedicated partnerships between companies.

The standard is supported and has been implemented by Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and over 400 other companies, including August/Yale, Eufy, Kwikset, Level, Lockly, and Schlage. Several Matter smart locks are available to buy, including a few in our ratings from Aqara, Level, and Switchbot. More Matter smart locks will come to market this year.

In addition to Matter, some smart lock makers are adopting a new low-power wireless networking technology called Thread. Devices that support Thread can connect directly to the internet, similar to WiFi devices, by connecting via Thread Border Routers. Don’t fret about needing yet another hub or bridge, though. Thread Border Routers are being built into many products already on the market, including smart speakers, streaming media players like Apple TV, smart TVs, WiFi routers, and even smart refrigerators. For more information on Thread, see our guide to the Matter smart-home standard.

In 2021 Apple introduced Home Key, which uses near field communication (NFC) technology—the same tech used in Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay systems—to let you unlock a compatible smart lock by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch on it. There are only a few Apple Home Key smart locks currently on the market, with models available from Aqara, Level, Schlage, and Yale. Matter smart locks with NFC technology can also use Apple Home Key.

Some smart locks will soon adopt a new wireless technology called UWB (which stands for ultra-wideband) that can accurately determine a device’s location within centimeters. It’s the same technology used in Apple AirTags. Smart locks can use UWB to track your phone’s precise location to unlock a door as you approach it and lock it when you leave, all hands-free without you needing to take your phone out of your pocket or bag.

Smart locks with this technology will hit the market later in 2025. This technology is part of yet another new industry standard called Aliro, which is being created by many of the same companies behind Matter. You will likely see Aliro branding on smart locks with hands-free unlocking in the near future.