All Smart Locks

Four Primary Considerations

Working through these in sequence avoids the most common and most expensive mistake, which is choosing a lock on features and then discovering it will not fit the door.

Consideration	What you are measuring or choosing	Where it is covered
1. Door format	Hinged, sliding, security screen, frameless glass, fire door or gate. Also stile width on aluminium doors and clearance behind a screen.	Chapter 02 and By Door Style
2. Lock mechanism	Latch, deadlatch, deadbolt, mortice body or hook bolt. Backset (typically 60 mm or 70 mm on residential), door thickness and bolt throw.	Chapter 01
3. Access method	PIN, fingerprint, RFID card or fob, Bluetooth, face or palm, mechanical key backup. Most locks combine three or four.	By Access Method
4. Connectivity	Bluetooth only, WiFi built in, or Bluetooth plus a separate gateway. This is what determines whether you can grant access remotely.	Chapter 08

Specifications worth checking before you buy

Backset — the distance from the door edge to the centre of the spindle or cylinder hole. Australian residential doors are usually 60 mm or 70 mm. Some locks are fixed, some are adjustable.
Door thickness — most smart locks cover roughly 35 mm to 60 mm as standard, with extended spindle and screw kits available beyond that.
Stile width — the width of the frame member the lock sits in. Aluminium and screen doors often have stiles too narrow for a standard lock body.
Handing — some locks are field reversible, others are handed at manufacture and cannot be changed later.
Grading — AS 4145.2 security and durability grades tell you what a lock has actually been tested to, not what the marketing says.
IP rating — relevant for anything exposed to weather. See the standards chapter for what each figure covers.

Fire doors are a separate problem. A fire door needs a lock certified under AS 1905.1 for that door type, and in most Queensland apartment buildings only one penetration is permitted. Older doors may also contain asbestos. Start at Chapter 05 before you buy anything.

Related categories

By Door Style · By Access Method · Digital Mechanical Locks · Smart Padlocks · Key Storage · Smart Lock Accessories

Common questions

Do I need WiFi for a smart lock to work?
No. Every lock here works standalone on its keypad, fingerprint reader or credential. WiFi, either built in or through a gateway, only adds remote control, remote code issuing and event notifications. What a gateway actually does.

What happens when the batteries go flat?
Most locks warn you for weeks first, and nearly all carry an emergency power path, either a mechanical key override or external terminals you can jump from a power bank. Locks without a key override are worth identifying before purchase. Locks without a key override.

Which brands do you carry?
Yale, McGrath, Lockwood, Carbine, Lockton, Vault, Borg, ABUS, SMARTair and others. The brand profiles chapter covers who owns what, which app platform each runs on, and how long each has been supported in Australia. Chapter 10 — Brand Profiles.

Can I install one myself?
On a standard timber front door with an existing 60 mm backset cylinder prep, often yes. On aluminium, screen, glass or fire doors, or anywhere the existing prep does not match, no. Misalignment is the single largest cause of locks that fail early. Three common installation mistakes.

Guides and reference

The Buyer's Guide runs sixteen chapters covering door measurement, access methods, standards, gateways, fire doors and app platforms.

Buyer's Guide — all chapters · Quick Start Guide · Ch 01 — What is a smart lock · Ch 02 — Measuring your door · Ch 11 — Standards and IP ratings · How long digital locks last