Sound Check! How Loud is That Keyless Entry Lock?

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You see them on a store display, but you can’t always hear them. Keyless entry lock sound is a mystery until you install it…until now!

So you are looking for a new front door lock. One of your questions might be, “How loud is THIS keyless entry lock?” The sound of a motorized lock can be an unexpected (and unhappy!) byproduct when moving from a keyed lock to a keyless entry lock.

As promised, I attended the International Builder Show / Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in January. My husband and I attempted to spot every last door lock manufacturer on the show floor. Our endeavor: get video on all the keyless entry locks to capture their sound.

It was a real life scavenger hunt!

Here are all the locks we found, highlighted in the following video in the order we found them (if you are interested in a particular one you can get the direct link to each lock further down):

1. Schlage Encode
2. Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt
3. Schlage Keypad Deadbolt
4. Kwikset Halo Contemporary Touchscreen
5. Kwikset Halo Traditional Keypad
6. Alfred DB1
7. Alfred DB2
8. BenjiLock by Hampton Luca Deadbolt
9. Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen
10. Yale Assure Lock SL
11. Baldwin Minneapolis Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt

Here are the results so you can hear for yourself:

Admittedly, this is a highly unscientific keyless entry lock sound test. There were many variables that affected the sound:

Difference #1: Not all door locks were on a standalone display.

I attempted to set the microphone just behind the “inside” side of the lock.

The intent is that the motor and mechanicals are on the inside, safe from the elements. Your life is also on the inside of the house. If it is loud, the inside is where you care about the noise.

However, some locks were on a display that had multiple locks on a swivel stand with locks stacked one on top of the other. There was no place to set the microphone. For instance, I had to hold the microphone in my hand behind the Schlage Encode and Schlage Keypad Deadbolt. I’m not entirely sure where the microphone was during the Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt clip as it should have sounded louder than it does on video.

Also, the display sizes are not 100% similar. The locks could be higher or lower, depending on the stand.

Difference #2: Noise from the show.

Obviously I’m taking a video on a conference / show floor. The combination of both the International Builder and Show and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show has 80,000+ people in attendance. It is going to be loud.

Not only that, but each vendor is in a different location. If the manufacturer is closer to the entrance of a hall there will be more noise. Likewise, depending on the moment, there can be a conversation right next to me.

This is a huge variable.

So how loud is that keyless smart home lock? What is the result?!?

Off camera, almost all the keyless entry smart locks are amazingly quiet. Except the Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt. That one was still loud, although it does not sound loud in the video (again, I’m wondering where the microphone was at this moment as Schlage was the one vendor where there was not a place to set the microphone and I was also speaking with a representative instead of going solo).

As a fun note, the first time I tried out the Schlage Encode I did not hear it retract. So I kept attempting to unlock the deadbolt and laughed out loud when I realized it was so quiet it had snuck past me.

You can hear it for yourself in this video (the link below jumps to the correct spot in the middle of the video):

So the good news is that you almost can’t go wrong. With any of the other locks, sound will be a non issue.

I will say I fell in love with one in particular, which I was not expecting. I’ll ruin the surprise so you can look forward to an upcoming video / post on the Alfred DB2 in the next two weeks.

In looking at what you should consider when it comes to choosing a new keyless entry lock, sound is one of those items that would be nice to try, but hard to do in person. We went over this as well as other considerations in the video above as well as here: How to Pick the Best Keyless Entry Deadbolt

I hope these videos give you a warm and fuzzy feeling about the keyless lock you choose BEFORE you buy it. Then you can enjoy your lock without any loud motor regrets.

If you are already considering a lock in the list above, the following links go directly to the exact timestamp of each lock for your convenience along with an additional link so you can peruse reviews and compare prices:

Schlage Encode: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Schlage Keypad Deadbolt: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Kwikset Halo Contemporary Touchscreen: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Kwikset Halo Traditional Keypad: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Alfred DB1: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Alfred DB2: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

BenjiLock by Hampton Luca Deadbolt: Video spotlight. Price and reviews–not out yet.

Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Yale Assure Lock SL: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Baldwin Minneapolis Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt: Video spotlight. Price and reviews.

Related posts:

How to Pick the Best Keyless Entry Deadbolt

Why Every Smart Lock Needs a Gasket!!!

The BEST Smart Lock in 2020: An Alfred DB2 Review

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