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KwikSet Premis
PROS:
- More flexibility in managing codes
CONS:
- Takes more time to operate
- Still not good enough to replace “dumb” locks
Schlage sense
PROS:
- Faster to operate than KwikSet Premis
- Cheaper than KwikSet Premis
CONS:
- Can’t easily re-key lock
- Still not good enough to replace “dumb” locks
| Installation | Battery | Operation | Security | Application | Are they worth it? |
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Installation
We generally didnʼt have any issues with either KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense. The instructions are easy to follow even if you’re not a handy person.
Both KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense includes a plethora of metal pieces, plates, screws. This may seem daunting at first but all these extra parts are used to ensure that the lock fits in whatever door you have. For example, both KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense include different latches depending on how the bolt on your door is cut and adapters for different sized boreholes.
The door we installed the locks on was an older back door. One of the things we had to consider was the size of the actual lock. Our backdoor has a large window which reduces the working area we had around the deadbolt. This means we canʼt use the August Smart Lock on the door.
The older door is also a bit sticky as the weather striping on the door is a little too thick. This is the reason why during the summer months, itʼs actually quite hard to lock the door. Or so we think (not handy remember?) We need to actually press against the door in order to lock it. Neither one of the KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense locks would work well if your door is like ours.
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Battery
Both KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense locks are powered by 4 AA batteries. But KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense can also be use without the batteries as “dumb” locks. The KwikSet Premis came with a set of Rayovac batteries and the Schlage Sense came with Duracell batteries.
The batteries’ mileage will depend on how often you use the locks. For the KwikSet Premis, we got the low battery warning after ~6 months of usage. And even after the batteries were apparently dead, we were still able to get notifications that the lock was being used. We couldnʼt lock the KwikSet Premis remotely but there was still enough juice in the unit to connect to the Apple TV.
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Operation
In general, youʼll get into the house quicker if you have the Schlage Sense lock. To lock the door when youʼre leaving, all you have to do is press the Schlage symbol and walk away.
To unlock Schlage Sense, all you have to do is to punch in your code. There are lights behind the numbers that light up the moment you press the screen. Or if youʼre running Apple Home, you can setup a geo-fence to have the lock automatically lock whenever you leave your home.
One of the odd things, we noticed was there was a rubberized Schlage button on the inside of the lock. The rubber doesn’t do anything but we had this urge of pressing it whenever we see it. There is a small light behind the button that lights up when the internal alarm get’s set off. More on that in the next section.
The KwikSet Premis has a glossy cover and the keypad actually turns on and off. This adds an extra step to activate the lock. Because of the glossy cover, the KwikSet Premis requires you to enter in two random numbers before punching in your code. This is a security feature to ensure that your fingerprints are spread out over the entire surface rather than your code.
If you get one of KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense, the first thing youʼll notice about them is how noisy they are. They are not quiet and itʼs weird to hear your locks make noise. Youʼll definitely know that someone is accessing the door remotely or through the keypad.
The Schlage Sense is much quicker than the KwikSet Premis. However, this probably wonʼt make a big difference on a day-to-day basis. The noise, however, might annoy some people.
The last thing we will note is the keys. The KwikSet Premis comes with a smart lock tool which basically allows you to re-key the lock to work with existing keys. It boggles our mind that Schlage Sense didnʼt include this with their lock. If we were to get two Schlage Sense locks, we would end up with two keys whereas with the KwikSet Premis, we could rekey one lock so that we only have to carry one key.
Schlage Sense does offer a rekeying manual but itʼs labelled professionals only.
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Security
The KwikSet Premis will sound an alarm after 3 incorrect codes. The KwikSet Premis will beep loudly for a minute and then stop.
The Schlage Sense will do the same thing but the alarm on the Schlage Sense is much louder, closer to an annoying car alarm on teenager owned Honda Civic.
We didnʼt get any notifications from either app regarding the incorrect access. However, they do show up in the corresponding appʼs history.
If you need to hear when your door opens or closes, the Schlage Sense has a few more options for that.
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Applications
The apps for KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense are quite simple and youʼll really only use the apps to manage the passcodes. KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense also allow you to add up to 30 codes to the lock as well as time restrictions on those codes.
KwikSet Premis actually goes one step further by allowing you to self-destruct codes after a certain time limit. This might be handy for some people. Kwikset also includes a share function for the codes so itʼs a little easier share the code.
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Are they worth it?
We think the KwikSet Premis is a better product. However,our reason for this is almost inconsequential. We like the fact that we can easily re-key the lock and the application has bit more flexibility in controlling how many people enter our home.
The Schlage Sense is generally cheaper than the KwikSet Premis. If youʼre really pinching your pennies, then your decision has already been made for you.
However it should also be noted that, KwikSet Premis and Schlage Sense are slow, noisy and donʼt work 100% of the time.
We personally think smart gadgets should work better than the dumb gadgets theyʼre replacing. It is actually way quicker for you to insert a key to lock the door than it is to press the button and wait for it to lock. Depending on where you are in the house, sometimes itʼs quicker for you to go to the door to check if itʼs locked then it is to wait for the app to connect.
With the smart locks, we ended up reverting to locking and unlocking the door with our keys after a few months. Our parents couldnʼt even be bothered with learning how to punch in the code. They also forgot the code most of the time.
Youʼd have to really think about the value the product is bringing. Is it really worth the extra cash to remotely access the lock? Do you really want to be notified every time the door is opened?
The remote access is going to be useful for people who forget their keys all the time, it is useful for families with kids who are semi-independent or for homes where thereʼs a lot of human traffic. In those once-in-a-while occurrences, the smart lock is going to be very useful. However is the smart locks really worth it if these features are only used once in every 6 months?
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So this is our Schlage Sense vs. Kwikset Premis comparison! Have any questions? Leave them below! Definitely SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel to stay on top of all the new things we are review!
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