Kwikset SmartCode 916 Z-Wave Smart Lock, Keyless Entry Ring Compatible Door Lock, Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt, SmartKey Re-Key Security, Smart Hub Required, Contemporary Matte Black

Quality Smart Lock. I Own Three of Them.
First off, this product is for advanced home automation users who have bought or built an integrated system compatible with Z-Wave devices. It is not a WiFi lock with an app. It doesn’t connect (at least not directly) with your phone’s Bluetooth, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, etc. You *can* integrate those features, but it will be at the hub/platform level, not at the individual device. The lock just takes commands from the hub, while also communicating state (via handle, keypad or key slot) back to the hub. Also note there is a Zigbee version of the 916, but this isn’t it.The installation instructions are clear, but make sure to read them before starting and review before each step. If you managed to get your old deadbolt off the door, you shouldn’t have an issue installing this. It took me ~10 minutes and a fair amount of that was using a level to make sure it was sited true after I had largely assembled it.The core lock itself is standard-ish Kwickset Smartkey deadbolt. It includes a tool to rekey the lock yourself. That process is quite painless and simple enough. It allowed me to buy 3 of these locks plus some keyed handles and rekey them to a single key. That is SUPER convient for something bought from Amazon (which is highly unlikely to ship you multiple locks with identical key codes). The action is smooth. You should feel no resistance when using the manual key or interior handle.The lock is rated ANSI Grade 2, which is medium durability and resistance to forced entry. Which means it will keep out casual intruders no problem. It probably won’t keep out someone determined to kick in your door, though such a person would probably have an easier time just breaking a window. Note that Smartkey locks are extremely hard to pick, but you probably want to spray some lock lube once or twice a year to keep things clean and to prevent anything from seizing up.Note that the competing Schlage Connect Z-Wave is rated ANSI Grade 1, which in theory makes it more resistant and durable. Personally, those units are fugly and therefore couldn’t get spousal approval. YMMV.The keypad is…fine. It generally does not have a problem registering key presses. Feedback isn’t great…it acknowledges a keypress by momentarily winking out the number you just pressed. That’s hard to see since you finger is covering said number. Still, it’s reliable enough that you shouldn’t have to worry about it.The motor is not quiet, it buzzes while in action, but should not be unduly loud either. It takes about 3 seconds to cycle the deadbolt. It comes with four AA batteries. How long those last depends on how often you use the motor and the quality of your mesh network, but they should be good for months on end. Kwikset recommends against rechargeables, but those should be fine so long as you’re okay with swapping them out more frequently.Tech spec time! This is a Z-Wave 500 (a.k.a. Z-Wave Plus) lock with mandated S0 security (you cannot add it without authentication). This is not the newest Z-wave version (it’s at 800 as of this writing) nor does it feature the newest security version (S2). Having said that, Z-Wave is backwards compatible, S0 is secure for real world use. It’s still Z-Wave plus, so it won’t keep your mesh network from auto-optimizing itself. Like Z-Wave products in general (which must go through certification) it plays nice with everything else.In short, if you know what you’re buying, it’s a quality product. It looks sharp too.

This lock claims to be controllable from your phone, but that is simply not true
You will need to set up a smart hub, but be very careful- Kwikset says the lock is compatible with Alexa, but you have to have something called a Zigbee hub. However Zigbee says that only certain items are compatible with their hub, and Kwikset locks are not one of them, so there’s a contradiction here. How about Wink, from Home Despot? Try asking a Home Despot worker if Kwikset will work with Wink, and you’ll get different answers. How about Samsung Smart Home? The Verge says only if you have a Samsung phone. I have still not gotten to the bottom of just how to get these things to be remotely checked and controlled, and neither the instructions nor Kwikset are any help whatsoever.Installation is simple and straightforward, but I have installed a lot of locks. However, the motor drive is weak and fussy, and you may have to modify the bolt-hole in the door frame or it will be hit or miss whether the door actually gets locked or not. For one of my installs, I have to pull in on the door hard to get it to work, and this is after grinding and chiseling the bolt-hole to a larger diameter. The previous two locks I had installed in that door worked smoothly with no binding.I deeply regret buying these locks, and cannot possibly recommend them. If it hadn’t taken me so long to research the lack-of-compatibility labyrinth I would not have missed the return window. Having said that, I may still remove all the locks, cram them into a single box and pay shipping to send them back to Kwikset with a note to management saying “Take this lock and shove it”.

Swapped out a 910 which has no keypad just a key lock with zwave – still working just fine for a couple years – this one is now on the back door. Anyway the 916 with touch pad is so much more convenient… also is zwave + and is smaller and quieter! The original shipment came in wrong color, but Amazon quickly sent a replacement… easy to pair to vera plus… easy to program codes… easy to install… and easy to re-key. Works great!

I have not had a single disconnect with this z-wave lock. Response is good and battery life seems good as well.