Schlage Encode Review

The Schlage Encode is a full deadbolt that replaces your current front door lock. This device is compatible with many other devices, such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and your smartphone.

Performance Comparison

Smart Features

One of the best aspects of the Schlage Encode's smart features is that you don't need a smart hub to access them. It has WiFi built right in, so it can connect right to your home's network without any potentially problematic intermediaries.

Once connected, the Schlage Encode allows you to lock and unlock the door remotely from your phone. You can create up to 100 unique keycodes to share access with your friends and family, and the app shows you a log so you can tell exactly who accessed the lock and when. You can also grant someone else access to unlock the door from their phone. However, this requires that person to download the Schlage app and make an account, so unless they live in the house full time we found it much more convenient to just share key codes. When you share access, you can also set time limits for it. For example, you can provide a dog walker with a key code that only works on weekdays between the hours of 1 pm and 3 pm.

Keyless Entry

We found keyless entry to be near flawless. Whether we triggered an unlock via the app or with a keycode, the lock responded almost instantly. The one feature that is clearly lacking here is geofencing, which would allow the door to unlock automatically when your phone gets within a certain distance of your home. This is nice if you walk home with your hands full of groceries, as you won't have to dig around in your pockets in order to get the door unlocked.

Security

The Schlage Encode sports an impressive ANSI Grade 1 security rating. To earn this rating, it must withstand at least six attempts to kick the door in. Locks of this grade are generally considered adequate for commercial use, and it's one of the highest security grades you'll find on a residential lock. You can also set the lock to automatically lock after a set time of inactivity, securing your home even if you forget to lock the door.

Installation

We found the installation of the Schlage Encode to be quite easy. We had no issues installing the lock into the hole vacated by the old deadbolt using nothing but a screwdriver, and the process only took about 10 minutes. After another few minutes of downloading the app and linking the lock to our WiFi networks, everything was functioning smoothly.

One potential annoyance with the Schlage Encode is its size. The large battery port juts out quite a bit on the indoor side of the door, and the black plastic covering doesn't look quite as high quality as the rest of the lock. Functionally this does not matter, but if you're picky about your interior decorating, you might want to take this into consideration.

Should You Buy the Schlage Encode?

The Schlage Encode is one of the more expensive models we tested, but most others also occupy a similar price range. Given its reliable and impressive performance, we think it is well worth the money for anyone looking for a fully-featured smart lock — as long as you don't mind not having geofencing capabilities.

What Other Smart Locks Should You Consider?

The Schlage Encode ticks most of the boxes that one could hope for from a smart lock and does so without the extra bother of a separate smart hub. If you'd like a model with geofencing as well, check out the August WiFi Smart — though you'll need to also have a compatible smart home hub. But if you want a smart lock without the hassle of converting your whole home into a smart home, the Encode is a great option.