PIN, fingerprint, tag or app: which digital lock?
How each way in works, who it suits, and what to check before you buy.
A PIN keypad suits most homes. Add tags or cards if kids or older parents find codes hard, fingerprint if you want nothing to remember, and an app (with WiFi or a gateway hub) only if you need to let people in when you’re away.
- Simplest
- PIN keypad
- Easiest for kids
- Tag or card
- Nothing to carry
- Fingerprint
- Remote access
- App + WiFi or hub
Four ways in
PIN keypad
You type a code. It’s the most common type and the easiest to live with. Give each person their own code and delete it when they no longer need it. Wipe the keypad now and then so worn buttons don’t give the code away.
Tag or card
A small fob or card held against the lock. Good for children and older parents who find codes fiddly. Carbine makes models that take both a PIN and a tag. A lost tag can be deleted from the lock.
Fingerprint
Nothing to remember or carry. Readers work best with clean, dry fingers, so every fingerprint lock we fit also has a code or key as a backup.
App
Your phone opens the lock over Bluetooth when you’re close. To open it from anywhere, the lock needs to reach your WiFi. Some brands, such as Lion Head’s WiFi models, do that through a small gateway hub near the door. Worth it for rentals and for letting in family or tradies when you’re out, but not needed for everyday use.
Before you buy
- What door is it going on: timber, aluminium, a screen door or a gate?
- Who will use it, and can they all manage a code?
- Do you need to let people in remotely?
- What’s the backup way in if the battery goes flat?
See the brands we fit on our digital door locks page, or read about app and WiFi smart locks.
Straight answers
Which type is the most secure?
A quality brand, properly fitted, matters more than the type. All the locks we supply have a backup way in and can have codes or users deleted.
Can I have more than one way in?
Yes. Most locks we fit combine two or three, such as PIN and tag, or PIN, fingerprint and app.
Does a fingerprint lock work for kids?
Usually, though small or wet fingers read less reliably. A tag or code is a good backup.