Best Deadbolts & Security Door Locks For 2021 (Comparison)

Home security is a big deal. With break-ins and home invasions on the rise, making sure your home is hard to break into simply makes sense. Keeping the bad guys from being able to get into your home is an important part of protecting your family.

One of the most common ways we have of securing our homes is the lock; more specifically, the deadbolt. A door’s lockset really isn’t enough to secure the door. Adding a deadbolt makes a lot of difference, especially if you install it properly so that it can’t just break through the doorframe when someone kicks the door.

There are two secrets here; the first is to use a security striker plate, which you can buy as an accessory to your deadbolt. This plate replaces the normal door lockset and deadbolt striker plates with one larger integral plate for the two. That makes it harder to bust it out through the door frame. If you install it with three-inch-long screws, it will be much more difficult for anyone to kick open your door, once it is secured.

Putting those three-inch screws it can be a bit difficult, as they tend to bind in the wood. But if you’ll dip the tip of them into liquid dish soap, they’ll go in a whole lot easier. The liquid soap acts as a lubricant for the screw going into the wood and then dries, acting as a cohesive to hold it in place.

Best Deadbolts Security Door Lock – Comparison

IMAGE	NAME	FEATURES	PRICE
	Kwikset 660 Single Cylinder	Weight: 8 ounces Color: Satin Chrome Finish: Satin	Check Price
	Schlage B60 N CAM 716 Lock	Weight: 1.5 pounds Color: Aged Bronze Finish: Antique	Check Price
	Kwikset 92640-001 Electronic	Weight: 2.5 pounds Color: Satin Nickel Finish: Satin Nickel	Check Price

There are three basic types of deadbolts to choose from:

• Keyed on the outside and inside – most secure, but most inconvenient to use
• Keyed on the outside and lever on the inside – easier to use, can be opened by breaking the glass and reaching through
• The keypad on the outside and lever on the inside – most convenient to use, can be opened by breaking the glass as well

What you ultimately decide to use is going to end up depending on a combination of cost and convenience. While a deadbolt that’s keyed on the inside is definitely more secure, there’s no sense using it, if you can’t get your family to lock it, once they come in.

Best Deadbolts & Security Door Locks – Reviews

One of the problems with this particular category of product is that there are only so many trustworthy companies out there who are producing quality deadbolts. So you’re going to see the same brands several times in this list.

1. Kwikset 660 Single Cylinder Deadbolt

Kwikset is the biggest US lock manufacturer, so they’ve got lots to choose from. This model is your basic deadbolt, the kind that has been in use for many years. The good thing about that is that you know it’s going to work. There is little chance of anything going wrong and any design problems have long been taken care of.

One innovation that Kwikset has come out with, which is great to have, is the ability to quickly rekey your lock to match an existing key that you have. There’s a small slot, next to the keyhole which is used for this. Making the change requires having both the existing key and the one you want to change it to, but if you have both, you can do it in about a minute. At the same time, others can’t make that change, because they don’t have the existing key.

2. Schlage B60 N CAM 716 Lock Single Cylinder

Like the Kwikset deadbolt above, this lock from Schlage is rather simple, although with a more attractive finish. Instead of the simple satin chrome finish, this deadbolt comes in a more complex and attractive shape, finished in aged bronze. The same deadbolt is available in a number of other common finishes.

Schlage, like Kwikset, is one of the best-known lock manufacturers in the country, with over 95 years of experience manufacturing and selling products to make our homes and businesses more secure. This deadbolt features their unique “snap and stays” design, allowing you to set the lock in place and have it stay there, while you tighten the screws. That makes it much easier to install.

3. Kwikset 92580-008 Low Profile Contemporary

If you’re going for a more contemporary style in your home, why not make the hardware match? This modern design deadbolt provides the same level of security as all deadbolts, in an extremely simple, square design. The iron black finish matches contemporary styles.

Like the other Kwikset locks in this list, this one has their “SmartKey” technology incorporated, allowing you to rekey the lock to match an existing key that you own. That way, you can make the door lock and the deadbolt accessible with the same key, without having to pay for the services of a locksmith. Key is only used on the outside, while a lever is provided for opening and locking on the inside.

4. Kwikset 92640-001 Electronic Keypad

Touch-key entry isn’t just for cars or commercial office buildings, but for your home as well. This contemporary electronic keypad deadbolt allows you to give your home an incredible level of security while maintaining ease of access. Six customizable user codes allow you to know who has opened the door. In addition, temporary user codes can be added, allowing visitors service personnel access.

The keypad opens the deadbolt through a motorized deadbolt; yet you can still open the door with a key, giving you dual-method entry into your home. one-touch locking saves time when leaving. A customizable door locking setting allows the deadbolt to lock your door automatically after 10 to 99 seconds.

5. Schlage BE365CAM619 Camelot Keypad Deadbolt

This lock appears to be Schlage’s answer to the Kwickset lock above, although in a more traditional style. While not a low-profile, modern style, it is a 10-key electronic lock, programmable for a number of users. Actually, this lock can be programmed for up to 19 users, as opposed to the Kwikset’s 6 plus 1 temporary code.

One unique thing about this lock is that it has a thick door kit available if you have an entry door that is more than two inches thick. That’s usually a problem, as most entry doors are 1 5/8” or 1 3/4”. However, some custom doors, especially custom metal doors might be thicker. The buttons on the keypad are silicone coated, to keep the numbers from wearing off.

6. Kwikset 99130-002 SmartCode Electronic

This electronic deadbolt is a closer match to the Schlage mentioned above than the other Kwikset electronic lock. Even so, it’s available at a considerably lower cost, making it a more popular unit. The electronic function on this lock accepts up to 16 separate programmable access codes, plenty for family, friends, guests and service people, as well as allowing keyed access when needed.

As with many Kwikset locks, this one incorporates their SmartKey technology, allowing you to re-key the lock, without a trip to the locksmith. BumpGuard protection is built into the lock. It also offers one-touch locking, as well as automatic locking after 30 seconds.

7. Elemake Keyless Entry Door Deadbolt

This lock is rather unique for one that has a keypad, in that it is a mechanical keypad, rather than an electronic one. That means there’s no risk of the lock not working due to a dead battery. However, the order the keys are pressed isn’t critical, just as long as it includes the 4 to 8 numbers you’ve programmed. The lock can also be set up to require both the passcode and key, for extra security.

You may need to widen the pre-drilled hole in your door if you install this in the standard locket hole, rather than the deadbolt hole. However, this is a fairly easy change to make.

8. Honeywell Safes 8712409 Entry Deadbolt

Honeywell safes isn’t a brand you see every day, mostly because they are used more in offices, than in homes. But like many other Honeywell products, these locks are excellent. As with the more commonly known brands, this lock combines passcode and keyed entry into one deadbolt, allowing you that option.

You can set up to 50 different access codes, each with four to eight digits. A vacation mode lowers power consumption while preventing passcode use until the vacation mode is turned off. This lock includes a one-touch lock function, as well as an automatic lock.

9. Schlage FE595 CAM 716 Camelot Keypad

For those that are looking to create an “upscale” style for their home, adding lever doorknobs, rather than standard ones is common. This lock combines that with a keypad and the standard key lock. Available in six different finishes, this set will nicely finish out any door.

Schlage included what they call their “flex lock” function in this lock, which allows for quick and easy turning on and off of the auto-lock function. When the lever on the inside of the door is in one position, the auto-lock function locks the door after five seconds. When switched to the other, it doesn’t lock the door. That’s convenient for carrying in the groceries or when you’re doing outdoor activities.

10. Lockly Bluetooth Keyless Entry Smart Door lock

With everything going Bluetooth these days, it’s not surprising to find a deadbolt that is as well; but there aren’t many of these around. This is a new area for Bluetooth to move into and I suspect we’ll see more in the near future. It also incorporates fingerprint technology, allowing family members access with nothing more than their fingerprint.

This is a truly amazing lock, incorporating all of the latest technologies. It can be opened by keypad, fingerprint or a good old-fashioned key. The keypad is unique, in that it consists of four buttons, with three number on each. But the numbers change each time you use it, so nobody can guess your access code by watching you operate the lock. The lock enters lockout mode after three wrong attempts, forcing you to unlock it with another method.

The fingerprint sensor is even made to be difficult to fake, as it combines capacitance with the fingerprint itself, preventing the use of lifted prints. Bluetooth technology allows constant monitoring of who has gained access.

Conclusion:

Deadbolts are a great addition to your entry doors, increasing security for your home. Modern deadbolts, using keypad technology do this, without reducing access. They also make it possible to gain access to your home, even if you lose or forget your keys. The most modern systems also provide added options, like Bluetooth access and fingerprint sensors.

Never count on a deadbolt alone to provide your home’s security. Rather, this needs to be combined with other security measures, as there are ways to defeat a deadbolt and gain entry to your home.