There's no reason to buy a fully-integrated home automation system that will leave you overwhelmed or broke. Instead, focus on the items you already use each day and slowly make the right upgrades to add greater convenience and efficiency to your day-to-day life. Here are three “Must Haves” to making your home smarter.

Thermostat

The beauty of smart thermostats is their ability to help save you money by reducing energy costs. Smart thermostats allow you to schedule a desired temperature during the time of day when you’re generally home, away or asleep. Your heating and cooling system only runs when you are home or soon to be home eliminating the time it runs when you’re not using it. Some smart thermostats can save you an average of 25% each month, depending on the size of your home and HVAC system. And let’s be honest, being able to change the temperature of your house on your phone late at night while watching TV in bed is a “nice to have.”

Plugs

Smart plugs may be one of the easiest ways to make your home smarter. You don't have to purchase all new products and appliances to enjoy benefits of smart home connectivity. With products like the iDevices Switch, you can take any ordinary product, plug-it in and watch it transform into a connected device enabled by HomeKit™ and Wi-Fi®.

Locks

It's never a good feeling when you leave home for the day and can't remember whether you locked your front door. Smart locks can provide both peace of mind and convenience. Get started with a lock like our Bluetooth®-enabled Schlage Sense™ smart deadbolt* that allows you to talk to unlock using voice commands with Siri® or enter a custom 4-8 digit PIN to gain access without a key. When paired with an AppleTV®, you can also gain remote capabilities. This allows you to check in to see whether your home is locked and safe no matter where you are in the world.

 

*The Schlage Sense™ lock should be within 40 feet of an Apple TV® for remote capability and uses Bluetooth® Smart technology to communicate with your iPhone®. 

Read more about Smart Homes

How to Get Started with a Connected Home
A Safety Guide
Your Future Home is Already Here

 

Many homeowners think they must sacrifice style to take full advantage of the conveniences of new technology, often installing bulky products that offer little to no customization to suit their tastes. It's tough to find brands that value a quality product as much as quality design.

At Schlage, all of our hardware is inspired by architectural and interior design looks, from classic to contemporary and everything in between. When it comes to our suite of keyless offerings, we've spared no detail. Each of our electronic locks are available in our most popular trim styles, allowing you to coordinate the look of your interior and exterior hardware throughout the whole home.

Here's a quick look at our most popular finishes and trims:

Which look is your favorite? Comment below to let us know!

When it comes to choosing the right electronic deadbolt, it pays to do your research. With so many options available, it can be tough to identify which type of lock best suits your lifestyle. Do you need a quick and easy way to come and go? Are you looking for a lock that allows you to be connected to your whole home? Take a look at what a few Schlage keyless lock users have to say about their electronic locks to help you choose.

Schlage Touch™ Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt

After needing a more convenient way to access her basement entry, Toni of Design Dazzle, decided the Schlage Touch™ with lever was the perfect solution. Here's what she has to say after trying this completely keyless lock out:

"One of the features I really like with this keyless lock is that the touchscreen is fingerprint resistant. I’m sure we’ve all heard stories of people breaking into homes because they were able to guess the code from worn out keypads." Read her full Schlage Touch™ review.

Schlage Connect™ Touchscreen Deadbolt

After installing the Schlage Sense™ Smart Deadbolt to her garage entry door, Kim of Sand & Sisal decided to give the Schlage Connect™ a shot when it was time to give her front door a face-lift in both style and security.

"We were so impressed with the fast installation and ease of use that we decided to switch out and upgrade our front door hardware with a new sleek Schlage Connect™ Touchscreen Deadbolt with Alarm. The classic gold brass matches beautifully with with our door’s gold leading and looks so sharp paired with the nautical blue door paint color." Check out all her tips for achieving an easy curb appeal upgrade on her blog.

Schlage Sense™ Smart Deadbolt

When Katie of Sew Woodsy and her husband moved in to their new home, they knew right away they wanted to update all the outdated brass door hardware and fixtures throughout, beginning with the front door. Here's what she has to say about life with her new Schlage Sense™ lock:

"...we added the new Schlage Sense which has been great for our evening walks out. No need to take keys, just lock the door on the key pad! And when our cleaning lady comes over she now has her own code that is set to the specific time and day she is at the house! We get notifications too when she opens or locks the doors if we aren’t home. I love it!" Get the full scoop from installation to daily life with Schlage Sense™ on her blog.

It didn't take long for Nicole of Haute Style to find the perfect deadbolt and handleset for her friend Nykia's front door makeover. With a sophisticated modern look in mind, she chose the Schlage Sense™ lock with Century trim in a Matte Black finish to give her friend's front door a much needed update.

"I’m a huge tech nerd so I got so excited when I learned about the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt. It works with bluetooth and also pairs with Apple’s HomeKit so aside from unlocking the door via the Schlage app, it also responds to Siri so you can just talk to lock or unlock your door! Say what?! Nykia says this has been utterly life changing when she’s coming and going with her son’s stroller or bags of groceries. Plus, if she ever gets locked out, she can always gain access by unlocking the door with the app." See the full front door transformation at So Haute.

 

Have questions about some of the features and benefits of the locks above? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter! Be sure to check out even more keyless lock reviews here.