Traditional locks
You may be reading this and thinking, what is a ‘traditional’ lock? Until smart Locks came into the mainstream, you wouldn’t consider your door lock that uses a key ‘traditional’. But, now that we have advanced into using Smart Home accessories such as smart doorbells, CCTV cameras and speakers, the horizon for what’s possible in the world of access control has expanded dramatically, making security and management of your properties that much easier.
Traditional locks are different from Smart Locks because they can only be interacted with manually. No matter what type of traditional lock you have, they all use some variant of a key that is shared with others in person.
With a physical key required to enter your property, there also comes the natural worries of ‘What happens if I lose my key?’ or ‘What happens if that key I lost is cloned?’. This is where Smart Locks come into play, improving the security of your home and better protecting your loved ones.
If you’re still wondering ‘Why should I replace my traditional lock if it's good enough?’ Let us tell you why; home security shouldn’t be just ‘good enough’, it should be the best.
So, what actually is a smart lock?
A Smart Lock is a smart home device that operates using either Wi-Fi or bluetooth (or sometimes both!), and opens with an authorised person’s permission, unlike traditional locks that use physical keys. The purpose of Smart Locks is to give property owners complete control over what happens at all times; no more wondering who’s at the house at which time, smart locks do the work for you.
Most Smart Locks are managed via mobile phone apps or websites which allow owners to share and grant access to whoever they desire, without having to hand over (and keep track of!) a physical key. Lots of these apps also record who has accessed the property, lets the admin to set designated time windows for specific people to enter without having to be there in person, and allow for access granting to be customised; eg. If you have a housemate, grant them permanent access. Need to let the cleaner in on a monday between 3 and 4 pm? Temporary access is the way to go.
Smart Locks are completely changing the game for homeowners. All of the complex and tedious tasks that go along with owning a traditional lock that uses keys are eliminated by smart locks. You have more control, and more confidence in the security of your home.
Now that you know what a smart lock is, let's get into why you should choose a Bold smart lock...
What is Bold?
Bold Smart Lock is a Dutch manufacturer whose products allow you to replace your key with a simple to use, quick to install, and safe and secure smart lock. Bold Smart Locks are Bluetooth/Wi-Fi electronic cylinder locks equipped with Duracore ™ construction. These remarkable smart locks are also awarded with the highest possible security rating, SKG*** with anti-theft certification. Controlled completely via the free Bold app, Bold Smart Home accessories are taking the world by storm.
What can smart locks do for me?
Improve the safety of your home
Bold Smart Locks really could not be any stronger (literally). These Smart Locks have an SKG*** Rating, which is the highest possible security rating for the standard of locking cylinders.
An SKG rating of three stars guarantees that your smart lock is burglar resistant, and that they can withstand up to five minutes of destruction using powerful tools. Along with having the highest SKG rating and being built using Duracore ™ materials, the Bold Smart lock also features anti-drilling barriers. We have another blog dedicated to the safety of Bold, so be sure to give it a read if you would like to explore just how robust these smart locks are even further.
As Bold is controlled using an app, your digital security is taken care of too. Messages between the Bold products you own and the Server are end-to-end encrypted. Each product also has its own code that cannot be duplicated, so your Bold devices can only communicate with each other and the secure Bold server.
Connect via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
This is one of the main features of smart locks, and why they've become so popular over the last couple of years; Your home security is all monitored and controlled by something you already rely on, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity. Technology is a constantly evolving, ever changing commodity that as a society, we all utilise and depend on in many different areas of our life. We use technology and our phones to communicate with those we love, we use it to work, to entertain ourselves, to learn; so, why not use it to also protect what's most important to us, too?
Keys can get lost, stolen, and even cloned. With Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Smart Locks, keys are a feature of the past that we no longer need to keep our homes secure. Using Smart Locks is the safest, most seamless way to keep unwanted guests away from what you value most.
Controlling your home security via Wi-Fi means that you are able to utilise real-time monitoring. As smart Locks such as Bold do use Wi-Fi, you as a property owner can view who has entered/exited your home and when. Have kids that attend school and want to make sure they got home safe without having to leave a key under the mat? Your Smart Lock can notify you instead.
Being able to use Bluetooth with your Smart Locks is also an extremely useful feature, as the lock can tell when you’re near using bluetooth range. By simply turning on auto-activation using the Bold app, your lock can open for you upon arrival by recognising that it's you. Pretty impressive, right?
Remote control
With the Bold Connect and Smart Lock bundle , you can expand the possibilities of your smart lock to utilise remote activation. A feature that most people who want smart locks search for, remote activation enables the admin of the lock to activate the lock remotely any time, anywhere; so even when you’re not around, you can let those you love inside.
Have complete control over who has access and when
Using the Bold app, you can completely customise the access that you grant others in a variety of different ways, such as changing the type of access they have. You can select different users that have access to your home, and choose what type of access they have from ‘Always’, ‘Temporary’ and ‘Schedule’. When you invite a user to your Bold Smart lock, they will receive a text message that tells them to join the app. Granting access has never been simpler.
‘Always’ may be used for family members or housemates so that they never get locked out again, ‘Temporary’ may be used for friends that come over unexpectedly, and ‘schedule’ may be used for cleaners, or other personnel that have a set time that they need to arrive, and leave your property.
Using the ‘Schedule’ access setting allows you to select the day of the week and time that your guest will be turning up and leaving. Upon exit, this individual will be locked out of the system to ensure that your home is completely secure.
But, what if somebody I want to grant access doesn’t have a phone?
Of course, there may be some people in your life who do not have access to a smartphone, such as grandparents, parents or children. Bold have a solution; the Bold Clicker These elegant little Smart Devices are essentially buttons that you can link to your Bold account. The clickers will have the same entry permissions as you, so they can be handed to family members or regular guests who need constant access to the property.
If you happen to lose your phone, Bold has a system in place that means you can still enter the property. Simply make a personal backup PIN in the Bold app, and enter the 5-digit code by turning the outside knob.
Make the smarter choice.
So, now you know just how Smart these Bold Locks really are and how much they can simplify the management of your property, and protect those you care for, what’s not to love? Your home security is never something that should have to be compromised, and Bold gets it.
Make the smarter change today, and throw away the keys for good!
