Schlage Encode Review
Pros: Bluetooth key and keypad entry options, WiFi built-in, broad smart home compatability
Cons: Bulky battery compartment, no geofencing, expensive
Manufacturer: Schlage
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Schlage Encode | |||||
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| Awards |  |  | | | |
| Price | $250 List $231.10 at Amazon | $260 List $199.34 at Amazon | $260 List $197.67 at Amazon | $280 List | $280 List $152.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Bluetooth key and keypad entry options, WiFi built-in, broad smart home compatability | Many smart features, compatible with most smart home platforms, charging port for when the battery dies | Simple keycode access sharing, easy keyless entry | Works well within Nest ecosystem, easy to install | Easy installation, effective (though certainly not streamlined) access sharing |
| Cons | Bulky battery compartment, no geofencing, expensive | Requires external smart hub, initial setup can be tricky, expensive | Lower ANSI security rating than other models, not the easiest to install | Remote access sharing often malfunctions, no compatibility outside of Nest, no physical key backup | Keyless entry can be slow and finicky, Alexa compatibility can be buggy |
| Bottom Line | Reliable and simple smart features make this a great addition to any front door and our favorite overall lock | Offers more advanced smart features than most models on the market | The best solution we've found for sharing and carefully controlling access to your home | An easy to install model that is useful for existing Nest users | Overall acceptable performance, but doesn't match the convenience or functionality of a keypad model |
| Rating Categories | Schlage Encode | ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro | Sense with WiFi... | Nest x Yale with... | August Pro + Connect |
| Smart Features (35%) | |||||
| Keyless Entry (25%) | |||||
| Security (25%) | |||||
| Installation (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Schlage Encode | ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro | Sense with WiFi... | Nest x Yale with... | August Pro + Connect |
| Apple HomeKit | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Google Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Smartphone Compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes | With Included Hub | With Hub |
| Z-Wave | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Zigbee | No | No | No | No | No |
| ANSI Rating | Grade 1 | N/A | Grade 3 | Grade 2 | N/A- retrofit |
| Deadbolt Included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Backset | 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" | 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" | 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" | 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" | 2 3/8" or 2 3/4" |
| Door Thickness Range | 1 3/8" - 1 3/4" | 1 1/3" - 2" | 1 3/8" - 2 1/4" | 1 3/8" - 2 1/4" | 1 3/8" - 2 1/4" |
| Face Bore Hole Diameter | 2 1/8" | 2 1/8" | 2 1/8" | 2 1/8" | 1 1/2" or 2 1/8" |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Schlage Encode offers almost all the features one could want in a simple package. Unless no geofencing is a dealbreaker for you, chances are the Schlage Encodewill be a great choice.
Performance Comparison
Smart Features
The Schlage Encode offers most of the smart features one could want, with geofencing being the one salient absence.
One of the best aspects of the Schlage Encode's smart features is that you don't need a smart hub in order to access them. It has WiFi built right in, so it can connect right to your home's network without any potentially problematic intermediaries.
Once connected, the Schlage Encode allows you to lock and unlock the door remotely from your phone, create up to 100 unique keycodes to share access with your friends and family, and provides you with a log so you can tell exactly who accessed the lock and when. You can also grant someone else access to unlock the door from their phone. However, this requires that person to download the Schlage app and make an account, so unless they live in the house full time we found it much more convenient to just share key codes.
No matter how you share access, you can set specific time constraints on that access. For example, you can provide a dog walker with a key code that only works on weekdays between the hours of 1pm and 3pm.
The one feature that is clearly lacking here is geofencing, which would allow the door to automatically unlock when your phone gets within a certain distance of your home. This is nice if you walk home with your hands full of groceries, as you won't have to dig around in your pockets in order to get the door unlocked. However, we didn't miss this feature too much in day to day use.
Keyless Entry
We found keyless entry to be near flawless. Whether we triggered an unlock via the app or with a keycode, the lock responded almost instantly.
Security
The Schlage Encode sports an ANSI Grade 1 security rating. To earn this rating it must withstand at least six attempts to kick the door in. Locks of this grade are generally considered adequate for commercial use, and it's one of the highest security grades you'll find on a residential lock. You can also set the lock to automatically lock after a set time of inactivity, securing your home even if you forget to lock the door.
Installation
We found installation of the Schlage Encode to be quite easy. We had no issues installing the lock into the hole vacated by the old deadbolt using nothing but a screwdriver, and the process only took about 10 minutes. Another few minutes downloading the app and linking the lock to our WiFi networks and everything was functioning smoothly.
One potential annoyance with the Schlage Encode is its size. The large battery port juts out quite a bit on the indoor side of the door, and the black plastic covering doesn't look quite as high quality as the rest of the lock. Functionally this does not matter, but if you're picky about your interior decorating you might want to take this into consideration.
Value
The Schlage Encode is somewhat expensive, but most smart locks occupy a fairly similar price range. Given its reliable and impressive performance, we think it is well worth the money for anyone looking for a fully-featured smart lock.
Conclusion
The Schlage Encode ticks pretty much all of the boxes that one could hope for from a smart lock, and does so without the extra bother of a separate smart hub.
— Max Mutter and Michelle Powell