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Smart Lock Buyer's Guide — Quick Start

Five Decisions.
Ten Minutes.

Answer these five questions and you'll know exactly which smart lock you need — and what to avoid.

Read the full guide — all chapters
01 — What is a Smart Lock? 02 — Measuring Your Door 03 — Access Methods 04 — Door Types 05 — Fire Doors 06 — Facial Recognition 07 — Airbnb & Rentals 08 — Gateway Comparison 09 — DDA & NDIS 10 — Brand Profiles 11 — Australian Standards 12 — Installation & Troubleshooting 13 — FAQ
1
What type of door is it?
Standard timber front door
Standard Timber
Most locks fit. Measure your backset — 60mm or 70mm. Order the correct latch kit.
 Aluminium narrow frame door
Aluminium
Measure stile width first. Narrow stile (50–70mm) = slimline body required. McGrath A210 / A231.
 Security screen door
Security Screen
Do not order without confirming compatibility. Send your brand, stile width, and a photo first.
 Fire door
Fire Door
AS1905.1 certification required. One lock only — no secondary deadbolt. Locksmith required.
 Pedestrian gate exposed to rain
Pedestrian Gate
IP66 minimum. Back-to-back function. McGrath Ascot SC for fully exposed outdoor use.
 Door with vertical push pull handle
Has Push/Pull Handle
Existing vertical handle can't be removed. Igloohome Retrofit Lock — remote keypad mounts separately.
Fire door? Your apartment entry door is almost certainly a fire door. AS1905.1-certified lock required. One lock only — adding a deadbolt voids the fire certification. Locksmith required. Ch 05 — Fire Doors →
2
What bolt type does your door use? See Ch 01 →
Tubular deadbolt sketch
Tubular Deadbolt
Square bolt. Does not retract on close. Best security. Standard on most Australian homes.
Tubular latch sketch
Tubular Latch
Angled spring bolt. Auto-latches on close. Not for external doors without a deadbolt above it.
Mortice deadbolt sketch
Mortice Deadbolt
Rectangular pocket in door edge. Commercial, older residential, European-style. Locksmith required.
Mortice latch sketch
Mortice Latch
Spring bolt in a mortice body. Commercial and heritage residential only.
Measure your backset — the distance from the door edge to the centre of the borehole. 60mm and 70mm are most common. Wrong backset = lock won't fit. How to measure →
3
How will people unlock it?
Method Works offline? Phone needed? Best for
PIN Keypad ✓ Yes ✗ No Guests, rentals, tradies, everyone
Fingerprint ✓ Yes ✗ No Primary residents, fastest entry
Bluetooth App ✓ Yes ✓ Required Phone-first users, auto-unlock
WiFi / Remote ✗ No ✓ Required Airbnb, remote properties
RFID Card / Fob ✓ Yes ✗ No Strata, offices, staff access
Facial Recognition ✓ Yes ✗ No Luxury, accessibility, hands-free
Always configure at least two access methods. Every method has a failure scenario — wet fingers, dead phone, forgotten PIN. A physical key stored securely off-site is the final backstop. Ch 03 — Full method comparison →
4
Do you need remote access?
No gateway — offline only
PIN, fingerprint, RFID, and Bluetooth work without WiFi. No gateway cost, no extra device, longer battery life. Right for most home users.
Gateway connected
Airbnb
Remote lock/unlock from anywhere. Real-time audit trail. PMS integration. 30–50% more battery use. Requires stable 2.4GHz WiFi.
For Airbnb — Igloohome algoPIN
No WiFi at property needed. Time-limited codes validated locally on the lock. Airbnb Connect certified — automatic guest codes on booking. Guests always get in.
For multi-property — McGrath + Gateway + PMS
G2 (home/Airbnb) · G3 (PoE, commercial) · G4 (4G SIM backup) · G5 (dual-band, solves band-steering). PMS: Hospitable, Uplisting, RemoteLock, Hosthub.
Band-steering trap: G2 and G4 gateways need 2.4GHz WiFi. If your router merges bands under one SSID, split them in router settings. Or use the G5 — dual-band, no splitting needed. Ch 08 — Gateway guide →
5
Does compliance apply to you?
SituationStandardWhat you need
Fire door AS1905.1-2015 McGrath Hamilton Disabled Fire Rated or Yale Unity DDA — certified for your door core type. Locksmith required.
Accessible path / DDA AS1428.1 + DDA 1992 Lever handle (no knob), 900–1100mm height, D-type lever with 20mm return. McGrath Albion — independently certified. Download cert →
NDIS assistive technology NDIS AT categories 0111 / 0123 OT assessment required. We provide specification letters and documentation for NDIS claims.
Coastal property Warranty terms Salt air is excluded from warranty on most brands including Yale. Contact us before ordering — specific coastal-rated products exist.
Pre-1990 or 2021–2025 fire door WHS Act 2011 Asbestos risk in fire door core. No drilling without licensed assessment. Read the asbestos guide →
Pyropanel fire doors (2021–May 2025): The Australian Border Force detected chrysotile asbestos in Pyropanel FRB cores (ASSA ABLOY import). Official guidance: treat as asbestos until confirmed by NATA-accredited lab testing. Ch 11 — Standards →
Battery tip: Always use Duracell alkaline AAs — our recommendation based on years of field experience. Avoid lithium in Queensland heat. When something isn't working, change the batteries to Duracell first. It fixes more problems than you'd expect.

Still not sure?

Send us your door type, location, and what you need — we'll recommend the right lock with our reasoning. No charge, no obligation.

Get a Recommendation (07) 5560 1867
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