The BEST Smart Lock in 2022: An Alfred DB2 Review

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I’d like to introduce you to the best smart lock in 2020 2021 (I haven’t changed my mind yet!) the Alfred DB2.

Sleek.
Secure.
Smart.

That is my Alfred DB2 review in three words.

There are four items I’d like to make you aware of before continuing on this Alfred DB2 review and throwing big phrases around like “best smart lock in 2020”. I buried the full explanation after the review because I didn’t want you to have to plow to that prior to the review you really want to see, but they explain why this review has some weight behind it.

The cliffnotes:

This is a promotional lock sent for this review. However, I didn’t just ask any manufacturer willing to send me a lock. This is protecting my home! I actively followed up on THE ONE that has the complete package–looks, a backup plan and security.

**Also, if at any point you would like to SEE any of these features “in person” you can check out the video where you’ll see what the Alfred DB2 is capable of:

Honest and clairvoyant business done, back to the Alfred DB2…

The DB2 is sleek.

Did you do a double take the first time you saw this lock (in photos or in person!)?

I know I did!

This lock can sell itself with it’s looks:

For comparison purposes, you can see how well it holds its own alongside a Samsung Galaxy S10+ and an Apple iPhone 11 Pro. It is unfortunate you don’t get to spend hours on it a day, but it is a classy way to say welcome home.

How many other door locks look just as good as the hottest gadgets out on the market? The Alfred DB2 is made with modern and sleek design in mind.

This futuristic security device is functional jewelry on your front door.

The pictures explain this point more than any lengthy description.

As you can see, if you have a high quality paint job on your front door, both the lock and the door will make each other look even better! If not, the DB2 will just make the door look better.

The DB2 is secure.

Picture me this: you are going in your front door with an acquaintance at your side. With a key you don’t have to worry about unlocking your door in front of them. With a passcode, that’s an entirely different story.

No one is going to get a look at your key and have a duplicate made. However, anyone can remember four digits.

Now, my above statement is in no way meant as a negative judgement on the kind of company I keep, but you can imagine a time or two, like a delivery person, when shooting a YouTube video on door locks, or anyone who just doesn’t need to know. At this point I don’t even want my four year old to know because, in her innocence, she might give it to that same delivery person or anyone who needs an invite to our dinner table.

Blocking the keypad out with your body is a pretty obvious statement: I don’t trust you.

No one wants to have that conversation on their doorstep.

With Alfred you don’t have to!

Other manufacturers have introduced high level security features such as a randomized keypad wake up sequence to keep fingerprints greasing their way across the screen. For instance, the Baldwin Minneapolis lock enables the keypad with two randomized numbers.

Similarly, Benjilock by Hampton’s Luca Touchscreen requires four keys before you can enter in your passcode.

I’ll start out by saying I appreciate the enforced dirty keypad, if the randomized lock button (explained below) is not an option. Otherwise regular cleaning or changing the passcode is necessary to prevent thieves from spying the obvious set of regularly used numbers.

However, making the whole keypad dirty only helps with what is left behind when no one is there (because, admittedly most people don’t clean off their heavily used keypad enough–myself included). You still have to hit your four number passcode in broad daylight.

Alfred locks allows users to add digits at the beginning and at the end of the unlock sequence. This feature allows the keycode to remain hidden. As long as you put your four number passcode in sequence before hitting the ‘#’ key, you are good to go. If you have a card counting friend go ahead and give them a memory test with a rapid fire 50 number sequence!

Just to make that clear, if the passcode is 2020 the following is a possible valid sequence:

1-5-2-0-2-0-3-9-7-#

so is

2-0-2-0-1-5-9-7-#

and so is

1-5-9-7-2-0-2-0-#

AAAAAND so is

1-4-5-2-9-8-4-0-3-7-1-8-3-5-2-0-2-0-5-9-3-5-1-6-2-8-3-5-7-4-2-7-9-0-3-9-2-1-0-7-2-8-#

While the look of the DB2 made my head turn, this embedded number feature stole this engineer’s heart. It is a very thoughtful security measure that will not hurt anyone’s feelings. Admittedly, you can get around this by unlocking the door through your phone, which is an option offered by other manufacturers as well. I appreciate this feature more coming from a keypad keyless entry (not smart) lock.

The DB2 is smart.

There are a few reasons why my engineer mind loves the Alfred locks:

#1. Push any key for three seconds for the deadbolt to lock.

This is desirable for two reasons:

#1. This is a security feature.

It is a smart way of adding fingerprints to the keypad. Even if you settle on a number that is not in your normal keycode you’ll have a 1/99999 chance of someone guessing your keycode based on five fingerprints instead of a 1/9999 chance based on four fingerprints (assuming you have 4 distinct numbers in your keycode). Keep it random and it will be IMPOSSIBLE to guess!

#2. Less wear on the keypad.

A button press is necessary to lock the door anyway. So the random key you choose to close the door is already a required step in using the lock.

As mentioned above, some other manufacturers have introduced artificial extra touches to the keypad to add this same security measure. Admittedly, they are enforcing even wear–but if you’ve made it past the quasi-statistics in the last point you are probably more nerdy like me, want to own your own destiny, and will attempt to keep your key choice random. Optimizing and appreciating the ability to do something ourselves is what we do! **Fun fact, even my four-year-old daughter is systematically going through every digit! I’M SO PROUD!**

While randomization is necessary to keep the wear even, artificially added keypad touches are adding extra wear on the keypad. While these other locks do not have to use the ‘#’ key to unlock the door, for every five touches (four for the key code and one to the lock the deadbolt) you are adding another two more with the Baldwin or four with Hampton. That’s a 17%, and 50% increase from the 6 digits required by Alfred locks! Assuming the minimum 4 digit pin code since we are talking about minimizing wear, although your pin code can be between 4-10 digits on Alfred.

My old keypad deadbolt has none of these security features.

The ability to minimize the wear, possibly save some power and make it useful is a win-win-win! I absolutely LOVE this from an optimization standpoint.

#2. The Alfred DB2 has a well thought out backup plan.

The bottom of all Alfred locks has a hidden emergency micro USB power port. This will give you enough juice to get back into your house.

One of my concerns I talked about in the “what to look for” post was battery usage and a backup key (mentioned post: How to Pick the Best Keyless Entry Deadbolt for You).

I’m going to be honest. Even though my old school mind screams it wants a backup key, and there is one on my Schlage Keypad Deadbolt, I don’t carry it. In fact, I don’t know where it has been for years.

So, if the battery goes out while I am out, I’m SOL.

ALL Alfred locks have an emergency port where you can attach a power block with a micro USB cord–event the keyed versions (DB1-A, DB1-B and DB2-B).

When you plug it in, it powers on INSTANTLY. I was surprised how fast the keypad lit up!

Let’s also consider you also have the ability to connect to the Alfred Home app, which keeps tabs on how much life is left in the battery right on the main screen:

But you might ask, “What if I don’t carry a power block in my back pocket / purse?”

Let’s pair this problem with the most likely time when the batteries will die: when you are out of town for a long work trip or vacation (although you can easily check this on the Alfred app before heading out the door and switching the batteries out, if needed).

In my case, my laptop goes with me when I leave town. This way I’ll have my own power source (laptop) and micro USB for “my” tablet (where my daughter uses it for games and videos in the car). If we don’t leave with all our gear, I know I have at least a few neighbors with a laptop and a micro USB cable.

At some point we will all change over to a USB-C port, but in the meantime all our old Android phones, tablets and other devices are most likely micro USB (sorry Apple users).

Some other keyless locks have other means of powering back when the batteries go out. For instance, the Yale lock uses a 9V battery set of connections. I think my neighbor is more likely to have a laptop and micro USB cable than a 9V battery.

Maybe that’s just me–I’m always out of batteries other than AA’s.

The backup power solution can also be considered a safety feature as well. You could take the batteries out before you go on a long vacation or work trip. Just plan on bringing your power block so you can get back in your home. And, obviously, you’d have to lock the door on the inside and then have to go out your garage door or some other exit. It would be pretty crazy, but it is an option for the ultimate super secure, long term lock.

It would be nice if the backup emergency port was changed to a C-USB port, but this is the next best thing. There are plans to move to a C-USB port in future Alfred locks.

#3. What if someone steals your phone?!?

If you have the app on your phone anyone has access to your door. That is, until you log in using your account somewhere else. If your phone is stolen log in to your Alfred account using another phone, then contact Alfred at app@alfredinc.com.

Now that I sound like the end of an advertisement on the radio, here is the inside scoop. While I may not want to install an app on someone else’s phone, if my phone is stolen, the minute I log into my account on another phone, I am logged out of the Alfred app on my stolen phone. A single account can only be logged in to one place at a time. So don’t share your account with your significant other. They need their own. That should give you peace of mind (that was not intended to be a status report of your relationship, but true peace of mind knowing a thief cannot walk in to your house with your phone).

There are two ways to think about this scenario. Most of us are hyper vigilant about where our phone is at any given time. They are our lifeline to the outside world. Between the fact that we are so attached to our phones and we like the convenience of keyless entry, one-touch entry and the security of knowing when the door is locked–there is always a trade off.

If you absolutely can’t handle the fact that your phone is your key you can log out of the app, just log in when you want to easily modify the key codes or any other settings. While you lose one-touch entry, you still get the huge benefits of a sexy looking lock with embedded passcodes.

Either way, you have the ability to do whatever is in your comfort zone.

A few other observations.

There is a protective silicone gasket between the door and the lock ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DOOR!

I’ve done some UV testing of EPDM gaskets and, as a result, I am now a HUGE fan of EPDM: Durability Experiments for Different Sill Sealers

From my research online, the silicone gasket should perform similar to EPDM. It will perform much better than polyethylene foam and ANYTHING is better than nothing, which is what most manufacturers have on their metal casing locks.

The gasket protects both the mechanicals of the DB2 from dust, rain and dirt.

The silicone gasket also protects the door from rubbing or gouging.

Over time even the most evenly installed door lock will have some uneven pressure from the constant key presses and the deadbolt moving.

Discovering the the marks of the old lock on the fresh paint as I dislodged the lock from –it literally was held in place by paint–was THE worst part of the lock switch. The Alfred DB2 has a skinnier profile than the Schlage Keypad Deadbolt and I had  to do some touch-ups before installing the new lock (AKA the four layers applied all over again, delaying the install a day and requiring one overnight of painter’s tape on the opening). This is not a unique problem to Alfred–this could happen with any change between locks. Just be aware and prepared, if need be.

You can see here between pressure, desert heat, and a lack of primer my old keypad deadbolt had taken off some of the latex paint and had a good bit of dirt and dust from 10 years. It still works great, but I don’t think this will happen with the silicone gasket protecting the door and Alfred DB2.

There is even an silicone gasket on the back side–a good thing since the backside has constant twisting pressure from locking and unlockig the door from the inside.

Like I mentioned above, most locks from other manufacturers do not come with a gasket on either side. Even if you don’t get an Alfred, please do yourself / the next homeowner a favor and get a lock with a gasket!

For more info: Why Every Smart Lock Needs a Gasket!!!

The Alfred DB2 is very handicap and arthritis friendly.

The front side of the lock requires no turning. Just one touch unlocking (if your setup supports it), button presses or using the phone app.

On the back side there is an additional button.

This button is only for locking the door. To unlock the door from the inside you can either twist the deadbolt knob or use the app on your phone.

You can access ALL functionality through the Alfred app.

Pairing the Alfred DB2 with an easy to push lever, like this modern Kwikset Halifax will help too.

As with any honest review, here is what I feel could use some improvement or address a potential concern from the average potential buyer.

This is certainly a sleek, smart and thoughtful lock, but with any smart device, there is always room for improvement.

Welcome home with one-touch entry.

One of the major selling points is you can walk up to your door and unlock it at the touch of the keypad, with Bluetooth enabled on your phone and the Alfred app installed.

I will say, one-touch entry works MUCH better than the key cards at the elevators at a certain hotel in Las Vegas…

In fact, it has worked 100% once I figured out how to enable it on my phone.

Here is the catch: with my Andriod S10+ I have to have a notification at the top of my home screen stating that Alfred Home is detecting the geofences.

Second, the permissions on your phone for Alfred Home must have the Location set to “Allow all the time”.

If these two are both set up you are golden. If it is not, well, the card reader on the elevator will work better.

Let’s take a step back here and consider what every smart lock / app / device has to contend with right now:

• Any number of smart phones with different software.
• Software that tries to optimize phone apps to limit battery usage–perhaps my new smart phone is too smart and turns off the Alfred app even though I had it pulled up during my initial testing of this feature?
• The load on the network (we’ve all experienced some lag on the network with everyone home during our shelter-in-place, right?!?)
• Differences in routers, hubs, devices on your home network.
• Alfred is a new company in the smart lock arena. They’ve gone from start to a product out the door in a year. I’m going to put it out there that I believe this is just the beginning.

Is this the most elegant solution for this feature to work? Perhaps not, but once you know the steps and resign your space on top of your screen to keep the notification up permanently, it is SOLID. Note, I have an Samsung Galaxy S10+ and I also tried it out on my HTC A9. My subset of testing is limited to two Andriod phones. It does not sound like iPhones have this issue. YMMV. While I am using the word resigning, and indeed, I feel I am reserving rotating notification space for a permanent resident. However, I’ll take a few pixels used over a few seconds wasted on typing in a number (although a keypad is a significant improvement over fiddling with keys!) while balancing my daughter on a hip or on the back of a bicycle. What is your time and balance worth?

In all honesty, I’ve giggled the last few times when I’ve returned home with my daughter balanced in her child seat on the back of my bike (because you all know I keep my bikes inside). This is heaven. The way the keyless entry keypad was heaven, but now that’s old news and this is SOOOOO much better. I get that da-dink from my phone 8 houses out and I excitedly tell my older daughter, “We have 5 minutes to race to the door!!!” *You get to set this time between 1-120 minutes.

So you might wonder, “Why this is sort of in the cons category?”

It took a lot of convincing this was the setup with lots of runs up and down the street (on my bike) and a discussion with how it works with the support team. If you read the reviews other people complain it does not work.  IT DOES. It just doesn’t quite work the way you expect it because you have to have that notification on all the time in a place where you think a notification should get dismissed (at least in my Android experience).

Again, be patient with the implementation and enjoy this feature.

The Alfred DB2 requires additional add-ons for remote connectivity.

I’m not a fan of add-ons, just like I’m not a fan of subscription services. A Z-Wave accessory costs $29.  A WiFi Bridge will set you back $49.

Rather than just sharing my preference, let’s compare the WiFi bridge to the performance of a family member’s set of Schlage Encode locks, the newer Schlage smart lock which has onboard WiFi. In her first year, she is going through batteries every four months.

This makes sense because WiFi requires much more power than Bluetooth. Alfred made the conscious decision to offer a WiFi bridge or Z-wave module instead of integrating WiFi because of the power demands of WiFi, and thus, constant battery changing.

Back to the Encode performance: from an numbers and battery standpoint, that means every year the door lock eats 12 batteries.

Let’s do some math!

We’re going to go for an economical answer for the batteries: buy a 48 pack at the current rate of $20.49 because we’re going to go through them in 4 years–well below the advertised shelf life of 10 years. 2.5 packs of 48 batteries cost $51.47–keeping the battery numbers round so we can fully reload that last set. With those numbers, we are going to need both the Schlage Encode and Alfred DB2 to last 10 years to break even (totally ignoring the energy usage of the WiFi bridge and how often I’m going to change the batteries in Alfred because I don’t have my own data point yet and I’m going to stop the math here).

For completeness, it will take 1.4 packs of 48 batteries for the Z-Wave accessory with a breakeven of 5.7 years, but then again, this is not comparing Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi capability.

Will they last that long? I don’t know. I was on my eleventh year on my Schlage Keypad Deadbolt with no end in sight along with another two Schlage Keypad Deadbolts on my rental property. While those are not smart, by any means, it is proof that there is some durability to these battery powered locks.

There is something to be said for not having to change the batteries three times a year. While we’ve just determined you have to change 120 batteries (2.5 packs of 48 batteries!) to recoup the initial WiFi bridge cost, constant battery changing is a source of customer complaints. You can see for yourself it in more than a few of the Encode reviews.

Again, with regard to the Z-Wave accessory, it will take 68 batteries (just over 1.5 packs of 48 batteries!) to recoup the cost.

What is your time and the real/perceived waste of batteries worth to you?

Let’s be fair too, the Encode doesn’t offer one touch entry, embedded passcodes, has a dedicated lock key and does not enable the keypad with random numbers.

Then again, you could use four month battery change as your reminder to change your air filter and Brita filter, both which should be changed every three months. And every time you get a new box of 48 batteries–every four years–change the anode rod in your water heater. Just sayin’.

The speaker is on the inside of the door.

As you may have noticed, I’m a bit adverse to sound inside the home after experiencing the Schlage Connect: Sound Check! How Loud is That Keyless Entry Lock? and How to Pick the Best Keyless Entry Deadbolt.

Alfred offers three settings for the sound: loud, medium and off.

While my girls love the “door open” and “door closed” statements, the fact that the speaker is saying this on the inside is not the best location in my book. If you want to know when people are entering, leave the sound on–you can advertise every last button press too.

The speaker location made it slightly more difficult to hear the sound during setup–I didn’t realize the speaker was on the inside of the door. So heads up, leave the door cracked during setup and you’ll be ahead of me. Don’t do the setup on the keypad. DO IT ON THE ALFRED HOME APP. Seriously. Save the button presses. The app is way easier.

I’d leave it on the medium setting if the speaker were on the outside so that I can hear if the lock is detecting button presses without making noise inside the house. Mine is now silent. I am thankful for the multiple options.

I totally get that any penetration in the lock has potential for weather and debris to get inside. Sound is just is not as useful (to me) on the inside.

Side note, one of the taglines is that Alfred is a butler who greets you coming home. It would be super fancy if it was programmable to greet people by name, according to the pin code used. I know that’s way out there–WAY less important than speaker location–but hey, this is a smart lock so I’m throwing out a suggestion. 😉

Drilling an (optional) additional hole in the door.

The top screw attaching the face plate to the back plate IS OPTIONAL for additional security and/or for warped or weak doors. The BILT interactive directions state this multiple times, but the paper instructions, which I followed due to using my phone for the video, did not mention it.

Sigh. I could have gotten away without an additional hole in the door I just refinished.

I realize this is a taller lock and that height demands additional support. But between a good door and the gasket with so much surface area holding it in place, I don’t think the keypad or motor on the back is going to move a lot and cause additional stress on the deadbolt and motor.

As you can see in the picture, the new hole is just above the old Schlage Keypad location. There is no going back now!

Learn from my mistake. I’d recommend trying to install it first. If there is still some play you can always remove the lock, drill the additional hole and then reinstall it.

FYI, it only took me 10.5 minutes to install the lock and that’s with me talking and dropping the set screws during the unboxing/installation video. You’ll probably be faster.

Use the BILT instructions.

#1. It has more information and makes every step crystal clear.

Now I know the additional hole is optional. I also know I need to add the additional reinforcement plate beneath the strike plate, which was not entirely clear on the written instructions.

#2. The Alfred team can update it as needed and make the instructions even better since it isn’t on a piece of paper sealed up in a shrink wrapped box.

The rest of the Alfred DB2 features:

The DB2 comes in black, gold and chrome.

You can have up to 20 pin codes, which can be modified at a moment’s notice on the Alfred app if you have remote access.

Create temporary pin codes. See PIN-Key 16–Santa Claus has been approved for entry between 10 pm – 2 am on Christmas Eve / Christmas Day.

Create recurring pin codes. See PIN-Key 17–the Tooth Fairy is scheduled for every Friday night. That seems kind of rough in this household, but it looks like reoccurring pins means on a weekly basis.

If you have the Z-Wave module or WiFi bridge you can enable notifications so you know who is entering your house and when.

The keyless version of the DB2 is bump proof, there is no cylinder to pick!

The DB2 has voice prompts in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin.

There are two additional modes: away mode and inside deadlock modes. Both modes will lock everyone out except the master code and access through the phone app. The difference is, away mode will set off an alarm on the lock and send a notification to your phone, if you have remote access.

Auto relock is another optional feature where after 30 seconds the lock will automatically deploy.

Fred, here are the two permission setting options you assign to an account: family and guest. Each separate family account can have the desirable one-touch entry:

Guest permissions only include bluetooth activation:

This video link goes straight to the part of the video with how the guest Bluetooth key works:

Thanks for making this post stronger (and a total miss on the video!!!).

There is an automatic button on the back side to automatically lock the door on the inside.

As I said before, this is an excellent feature if turning the manual knob is difficult. However, there are a few reasons not to use it, from a optimization standpoint:

1. Save battery power.
2. All doors shift and move. The ability to feel how the deadbolt slides into place (or starts to struggle) is keeping up with maintenance. If you feel resistance, that motor is going to have to work harder to lock and unlock the door, shortening the lifespan of the motor and batteries.
3. You are just used to locking the door manually.

I’m not judging your tendencies because I suffer from old habits, a desire to save battery power, and an insistence on keeping up with how the door is behaving. I want this lock to make it past 10 years…

Alfred locks are supposed to be compatible with Alexa and Google Home.

While my house has gotten insanely smart over the last year, we do not use either system. So I can’t give you feedback on how compatible it really is.

Heh, well, Alfred solved this “problem” for me. 😉

Here are four videos to prove it:

Using Alfred (while setting up Alexa)

Using Alfred (while setting up Google Assistant)

How to Pair Alfred with Alexa

How to Pair Alfred with Google Assistant

So far the Alfred app has done a great job through the WiFi bridge.

If you have any issues, call the Alfred team.

I’ll admit to having an inside contact from the International Builder Show. However, when I had an issue with the WiFi bridge and with the subsequent shipping, I called the customer service line both times. Partly not to abuse the individual since I had a whole list of questions last time, and also so I could speak to how well their customer service team treats their customers.

They even overnighted a second bridge for me to try when the first replacement bridge took the scenic route. I’m not saying they can splurge on overnight shipping to everyone. Also note, two are going back. What I am saying is if you have a problem, give them the opportunity and they will make it right. You will love your Alfred lock even more, knowing you are supporting a team with this kind of customer service.

I’ll be frank here–this is a small team going up against manufacturing lock giants. They are building a business in an EXTREMELY tough environment right now. You have to give them credit for overnighting a package and, in all honesty, I don’t have major followings on any account–here on the blog, my fledgling YouTube channel, Instagram (although Pinterest is about to hit 1,000 followers! Pinterest hit 1,000 followers the day this post was published! **also admittedly still small in reality). Translation: I’m a nobody, attempting to crank out an iJustine inspired video on how the DB2 really works despite the fact there is no proof on my YouTube channel.

In fact, I am glad I went through some issues so I could share a more rounded experience here with you!

If at any point you have questions, reach out to them! They were very polite and solved my issues.

Or ask your question here. I might not be as helpful, but I can share my experience. 😉

The Alfred DB2 review in conclusion (because it is now obvious why I dared to call the Alfred DB2 the best smart lock in 2020).

THIS IS A PHENOMENAL LOCK.

I am not aware of another lock with all these features on the market. There is no comparison when it comes to looks: the Alfred DB2 is the hottest one out there. The points I with regards to improvements are minor in comparison to the capability this smart lock delivers. This is disruptive innovation that is going to change the looks and features of smart locks from here on out.

Great job, Alfred team!

Check out other Alfred DB2 reviews and pricing here.

For more on Alfred, check out their website here.

If you like the look of the Alfred paired with the Kwikset Halifax lever you can check the lever out here.

Stay tuned to my YouTube channel because tomorrow’s video will be unboxing the Alfred DB2 and next week I’ll be highlighting everything the DB2 can do for you!

I also want to be clear: when I made these comparisons I was not saying these other locks are not good. THEY ARE VERY GOOD LOCKS THAT WILL PROTECT YOUR HOME. What I am saying is that Alfred is just a step ahead in terms of how thoughtfully planned out every detail is with this lock: features, key presses, gasket, aaaaand looks!

How this Alfred DB2 review started.

#1 I will start out upfront: Alfred gave me a DB2 to try out along with the WiFi Bridge. Thank you, Alfred! Other than the lock and bridge, this is not a paid review.

#2 My husband and I attended the International Builder Show / Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in January. One of our main goals was to hunt for every last keyless entry lock on our path, as shown in this post Sound Check! How Loud is That Keyless Entry Lock?  and video:

In other words, we intentionally checked out every lock for sound. What was unintentional was discovering so much about each one. It was simply a byproduct of trying to figure out how to get each one unlocked.

#3 The most significant surprise of our quest was to discover one smart lock that is so good looking and well designed, with extra security features. I am not aware of any other manufacturer that offers all of these together in one package.

In other words, I made the chance discovery that this lock was going to be better than the others because I was trying them all in person.

• There were no missing batteries in any locks we encountered.
• They were all turned on.
• Even better, every single lock had a knowledgeable representative RIGHT THERE to tell me about each one.

As much as I love you Home Depot (my credit card proves it!), it just isn’t possible to have this opportunity during a weekend visit to the store. It is better than comparing 11 YouTube videos, although I tried making one for sound comparisons.

#4 I normally keep what I have for as long as it works. My Schlage Keypad Deadbolt has served me well for over 10 years. Other than some sun damage it is going strong. While it does not have the features as some of the newer smart deadbolts, I don’t have to carry a key and it is a quiet lock. It would really have to be a jump in looks and technology to get me to switch.

ALFRED IS THAT LOCK.

***On top of all those reasons I put an extra hole in my door THAT I JUST REFINISHED. I’m not going to lie, for one split second I thought about putting it back in the box. I felt the same gut feeling slapping the first trowel of stucco mix onto the side of my house when I changed the entire outside of my house from skip trowel to smooth coat. But then I thought about all those new features and took the plunge–literally! That’s commitment!*** Just don’t be like me and try it out first without the extra penetration in your door.

While I am thrilled to try out their DB2, even the DB1 would be worth a switch. The main differences between a DB1 and DB2 are looks and sound.

The Alfred DB1 vs DB2:

• The screen is curved on a DB2 while the DB1 is flat.
• The DB2 comes in matte black, chrome and gold. The DB1 comes in shiny black.
• The button colors and sound are different between the DB1 and DB2.

Otherwise the functionality is the same. They both have the emergency power port (even the ones with keys) and visual pin protection. Both are photogenic smart locks with some extremely thoughtful security solutions.

Since this is all the way at the bottom…while my husband was proofreading this article, he commented on my reaction when I saw these for the first time at the Builder Show: googly eyes with a bit of Christmas morning excitement. I had to try it! Much like writing this Alfred DB2 review NOW (Feb 24) instead of the other articles I have planned out ahead of it!

Related posts:

Alfred DB1 First Look [Alfred DB1 Review]

How to Pick the Best Keyless Entry Deadbolt

Why Every Smart Lock Needs a Gasket!!!

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Related videos:

A lightweight DB2 feature video:

The full version of the features breakdown (made with only the DB2, but really, 95% of this applies to the DB1 as well):

A fabulous and fun unboxing and install video for a more visual first look:

DB2 Unboxing and install video:

A lightweight DB1 feature video: