What is one of the most convenient ways to improve the security of your residence? Using a smart lock with ring. But to install this configuration, you should make sure that the ring you have chosen is compatible with your lock device.
To choose the best option available, you can use the list here. Because not all locks are compatible with Ring.
This article tells you about how to make a choice, asks all possible questions, and gives you a top of the best smart locks that support Ring.
Why you should use a smart lock with a Ring
Here are the benefits of using a smart lock supporting Ring Alarm and Ring Smart Doorbell:
- Increased security. Smart locks have a lot of great safety measures that you can rely on to protect your property from any criminals.
- Simple usage. A smart lock doesn’t require a metal key. This makes unlocking and closing your door much simpler.
- Remote access. If you’re away, but want someone to enter your house, it’s very convenient to give access to them remotely.
- Mental comfort. It’s very nice to know that no matter where you are, when you have a lock and Ring combined your home is safe.
- Versatility. Smart locks are easy to install and are supported by many alarm systems.
- Time & money management. As surprising as it sounds, smart locks can save both your time and your finances. This is achieved by not using physical keys and an automatic locking feature.
What to pay attention to when buying the device
When we buy a device such as this, we have some basic expectations, such as great durability, stable operation, and high reliability.
But to choose the best options that are available to you on the market, you should widen your criteria. Let’s go over some other factors that are helpful in making the decision.
Сompatibility with a smart home system
You may already own some smart devices. Therefore you should check that the lock device will be compatible with your complete home automation system.
Many product brands are compatible with a smart home: Z-Wave, Homekit, Zigbee, and others. Still, check that the lock can be connected to the home hub before you make a decision to buy it.
Security
Commonly, there are three levels of security rating.
Level 1 products are the safest for the modern level, especially if you equip them with additional advanced technologies.
Level 2 ones are good enough for an average user, they provide an adequate level of real estate safety.
Avoid level 3 locks – they are the least secure out of the three.
Key types
Smart locks provide many different methods of locking and unlocking the door. This is one of the greatest advantages of such a security system. Most smart locks offer at least two unlocking ways.
Here are the most popular of them that are supported by Ring-compatible locks:
- Bluetooth. To open or close your door, you have to use your smartphone. There is an option for detecting your phone signal and opening it after that automatically. This way, when you approach the door while carrying your phone, it will unlock by itself.
- Fingerprint. This option provides one of the highest security levels. Alas, it isn’t convenient for all users. Children and the elderly can have problems using these smart locks type. Also, sometimes the reader can’t read the fingerprints as it’s intended to.
- Keypad. This type has two subtypes. Some keypads have physical buttons, while others have touch screens. The first ones are more comfortable to use, while the second ones provide more security features such as anti-peeping technology.
Installation complexity
If you’re not an advanced user of smart home devices or don’t have specialized knowledge, this is an extremely important criterion.
You should pay attention that the product that you’ve aimed to buy goes with clear and precise instructions. It will help you to do the installation right, which solves a lot of problems that can arise during your user experience.
Sometimes instead of following a textual manual, you can watch a video guide. Manufacturers usually provide them on their websites or YouTube.
Warranty
The longer the warranty is, the better it is for you. It’s important not only for smart locks but for all electronic devices because it ensures that you won’t lose your many because of a manufacturer’s mistake.
Don’t forget to check the small print in the warranty contract. Pay attention to the fact that the product you are buying is covered by the warranty.
Price
Before you start making the choice, set a budget for yourself. How much can you spend on the device? Decide on this for yourself and look for the best one in this range.
There are a lot of locks of different quality in different price ranges; don’t be afraid to spend some time searching for the one that suits your needs better.
Compatibility
When you look for a smart lock, you should consider the problem of compatibility with your other devices. This is true if you have a functioning smart home system already.
Most of the smart locks available on the market today are compatible with a lot of systems. Usually, it’s Z-Wave, Zigbee, or Homekit.
It’s advised to choose the lock so it’s easily integrated into the existing system. This is only convenient, but also it ensures the safety of your residence.
Functionality
Some locks can be opened with a key while others use a smartphone or some other credentials.
There are also different features available on the market that can be unnecessary or required for you.
Buy a smart lock that is adequate for your lifestyle and fully matches your expectations and needs.
Design
Today, many people consider their choice thinking not only about how the device works but also about how it looks. It’s a pleasant feeling to know that your lock functions well and appears stylish.
There are different smart lock designs. All of them you can see at the market. Choose the design that suits your home architecture and the one that answers your tastes.
Top-7 of Ring compatible smart lock
Most locks that are compatible with Z-Wave are compatible with a Ring alarm because they use the same connection type. But there are quite a few exceptions to this rule.
Kwikset 99100-064 910
This smart lock model has the most subtle design. It functions without many problems while not making a big show and not making your front door look much different.
The only design downside is that the lock comes with one color only, so you don’t have a lot of choices. This color is satin nickel, and satin nickel doesn’t suit wooden doors well. The lock has a middle price that is completely justified for its wide functionality.
Kwikset offers remote auto-lock and auto-unlock features. This model can be integrated not only with Ring but with other smart home devices thanks to Z-wave compatibility.
This model has a pretty old design that looks like a factory lock from the 90s. But don’t make a mistake thinking that it’s as old with its functionality as it looks. Kwikset provides features compatible with any other modern lock despite the odd design.
There aren’t a lot of locking and unlocking ways or getting too many keycodes inside the database, but this Kwikset device allows you to use all the basic stuff such as using a physical key or a smartphone to open the door. Unlike other products on the market, this one is so simple it’s convenient.
The downsides are situational and obvious. The lack of some features can be devastating for some users. For example, this Kwikset smart lock doesn’t give you a detailed access log and multiple code combinations, which is important in a variety of cases.
This device is as basic as it’s possible because it’s intended that you are going to use in a smart home system where other smart devices are working. Most importantly, this lock is simply reliable.
Schlage Connect Z-Wave Plus
Schlage Connect is one of the most popular smart locks. It was received by the users with great feedback.
The broad range of prices for smart lock devices doesn’t really allow us to say if Schlage Connect is cheaper or more expensive than an average smart lock model, but I can confirm that its cost is just for the functionality that it provides. The downside is that this smart lock is rarely in stock.
This model has a good upside. It’s fully compatible not only with Ring alarm but also with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Also, it can be integrated with a smartphone.
You can add up to thirty access codes to the Schlage Connect security system. The installation process is simple even for non-advanced users. There are a lot of other features that work pretty well and can be considered quite useful for a number of users.
Schlage Connect comes with a lockset, a second key for safety measures, a battery set, and a user manual.
While this model is obviously compatible with the Ring alarm, it also has a built-in alarm system. Because Schlage Connect bears a mark of Z-Wave Plus it can be connected with a Z-wave system.
Of course, this smart lock has some cons. Some users have reported that Schlage Connect spends a lot of energy, draining the battery life quickly.
For those who don’t want to spend time and money changing the batteries too often (every week according to some customers), it’s a big downside. If you fail to keep up with the battery life draining temp, you will face the drawbacks and problems of a smart lock with dead battery life.
Another frustration is that it’s difficult to disarm Schlage Connect smart lock. Also, sometimes it takes time to respond to your commands, which can be quite annoying.
Despite this, Schlage Connect is a good choice for its price. It provides a lot of convenient features and usually works pretty well.
Yale Assure Lever Smart Lever
This model is intended to be used on entrances without latches, such as side doors, office doors, or bedroom doors.
It’s perfect if you use it on these types of entrances and can even replace a door lever or a knob with some design decisions.
The advantages of the Yale Assure Lever Smart Lever include the fact that it can be installed without any troubles, is comfortable to use, and has a high security level.
There are a lot of unlock command varieties available: keypad code, smartphone app, and biometric verification. Voice assistants are supported: by Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
Yale Access App allows you to track who accesses your room and also monitor the usage history of the device even from a long distance. It gives you an important notification when the battery life is low and should be recharged.
Battery life is not a problem for this model, especially if you have Dash Replenishment.
Kwikset 99390-004 Halo wifi
Kwikset 99390-004 Halo is a model that has succeeded in a technological race. All lock manufacturers strive to improve the safety of their devices, and therefore they made new models to resist modern break-in methods.
Kwikset 99390-004 Halo was the most successful on the market in that regard. It’s one of the most modern and secure locks today.
SmartKey Security technology allows us to avoid dangerous hacking tricks that have been quite a problem for a few last years.
Also, Kwikset has made an effort to make an innovative design of remote control and monitoring of the lock. You can fully manage your electronic keys with their system simply and quickly.
You can program 250 user pins inside this smart lock database. The Kwikset app sends you notifications instantly if unusual things are happening with your lock.
With this device giving your loved ones access to your residence is easy and secure at the same time.
Yale Real Living Electronic Push Button Deadbolt
This option is adequate for those who want to get a good product for a budget price. Yale push-button deadbolt is the best choice for this purpose.
With Yale push-button deadbolt you don’t have to deal with a huge list of additional accessories that you have to buy if you want to use your device to a full extent.
This model serves its purpose fully and accordingly to its low price. It’s fully compatible with Ring alarm, though – otherwise it wouldn’t make it to this list.
Still, this smart lock has some unusual features. Let’s go over each one of them. The biggest advantage of this smart lock model is that it can hold 250 pin codes inside its digital system. This is a lot even for an expensive lock, not to say a budget one such as this.
Other features include:
- Auto-locking.
- Low energy notifications.
- Tamper alarms.
- Notifications for minor activity.
- Installation guide.
- Four AA batteries are included.
- Compatibility with Ring.
- Voice functionality and integration with Alexa.
Yale push-button deadbolt also has some cons. The most serious one of them is hard installation. It’s really tedious. Not only that, but Yale hasn’t described it properly in their guides. Before making a purchase make sure that the dimensions of the deadlock are compatible with the smart lock. If not, the installation will become even more inconvenient than it already is.
Making sure that your deadbolt is compatible with the Yale smart lock is another headache and one that many customers have commented about. It frustrated them and made an otherwise great user experience much worse, at least for the period of installation.
Don’t think that the low price of the smart lock equals poor quality. Yale smart lock is a great exception to that rule. It is cheap without sales, and often Yale offers a discount for it. But for a budget price, it functions really well and works for a pretty long time, which is confirmed by a lot of positive user reviews.
This is a perfect option if you don’t have a wide budget for this purchase, or if you have some skepticism about smart locks overall and don’t want to risk spending too much money on them yet.
August wi-fi 4th Generation Smart Lock
August wi-fi Smart Lock of a 4th Generation is arguably the best of the smart locks available today. At least among those that support Ring.
One of the advantages of this model is that is very versatile regarding the door latches. You can almost freely upgrade your door latch without having to spend a lot of time on research and being afraid that your security device and your door are not compatible.
Overall, the entrance structure isn’t changed much by installing the August wi-fi Smart Lock. But it increases the residence’s security level drastically.
Sharing access to this product is quite easy and comfortable, which is another advantage of it. You can make permanent or time-limited passcodes and give them to certain people, such as your friends, family members, or service workers. It’s much more convenient than making physical copies of the same key.
This August lock also has an auto-lock feature, although you have to set up the automatic opening and closing as well as the DoorSense provided by the manufacturer company.
Also, the August wi-fi Smart Lock is compatible with a variety of voice assistants: Alexa, Samsung Smartthings, Google Assistants, and Apple HomeKit. This sort of connectivity allows us to integrate this device model almost into any existing smart home system.
Lockly Secure Pro Deadbolt PGD728WVB
This might be the best Ring-compatible smart lock on the market. It has a lot of interesting things about it that make it the first choice for the front door security system with Ring.
The most prominent feature of this model is the advanced 3D fingerprint reader. It takes less than half a second for the sensor to receive and identify your fingerprints. The door itself will be unlocked very soon – only after a 1-second pause. Not only this is the safest way of opening the door, but it also saves some time for you.
For those who don’t want to use biological credentials such as fingerprints, there is a keypad. It provides some great anti-theft features.
Unlike a regular keypad, Lockly Secure Pro Deadbolt has a virtual keyboard that shuffles the code, therefore the sequence of the numbers is not shown to potential intruders that try to look for it.
Changing all the passwords is quite an easy task with this smart lock. You only need to use the app on your smartphone or do it through a virtual assistant if your devices are linked properly.
Other advantages are wear resistance, a modern and beautiful design, and high durability. All of this makes Lockly Secure Pro Deadbolt PGD728WVB a perfect smart lock for the front entrance equipped with a Ring alarm system.
FAQ about smart locks combined with Ring
You probably have a lot of questions surrounding smart locks and their compatibility with Ring.
Here I try to answer all possible frequently expressed concerns regarding this topic. This allows you to avoid almost any obstacles that can worsen your user experience.
Is it worth buying such a smart lock?
Unfortunately, today smart locks are a luxury. It’s a complex device that costs some money and needs specific knowledge to use properly. But yes, it’s worth it.
For extra money spent on the device itself and its regular maintenance, you get much higher security and quite a few quality-of-life features.
It’s always convenient having a backup way of opening the door in case you’ve lost your keys or need someone to get into your house while you’re away.
This is usually possible with a smartphone app that allows you to manually lock and unlock the door from any point on Earth. Also, it allows monitoring of what happens to the entrance and who goes through it, which is a massive security boost.
Smart locks make it much easier to share access to your residence either permanently or even temporarily. There are a lot of features regarding this: guest pin codes, shared smartphone app access, and a variety of credentials.
Does Ring sell its own smart lock?
No, Ring doesn’t provide any smart locks manufactured by them. They only give an opportunity to integrate their alarm with other Ring-compatible smart lock models that are sold by other companies.
How does the auto-lock feature work?
The auto lock and unlock feature starts working when you have connected the Ring to the smart lock. When the alarm is triggered, the door unlocks by itself, which is called auto lock.
This is made so that emergency personnel can enter your home. And when the alarm is then disabled, the door will lock automatically again.
How do you connect the Ring Alarm system to the lock?
It’s quite easy to integrate the smart locks with Ring when you’ve already installed it on your door.
You just have to download the Ring app on your smartphone, log in to your account or create a new one, and then follow the detailed instruction to connect the device to your wi-fi net.
After that, you can manage both the alarm and the smart locks through the Ring phone app.
Does Ring have other smart devices?
Some smart locks can be controlled with a Ring device. They support the use of the Ring smartphone app and can be managed with it.
Using a Ring smartphone app, you can manage access to your home. Smart locks also can be connected to other smart devices: lights, movement sensors, and thermostats, effectively combining all of them into one complete smart home system.
Ring offers some of these, such as the Ring Door Viewer or the Ring Alarm. There are no Ring smart locks, though.
What lock models are compatible with Ring?
To help you learn which models can be equipped with Ring, you can visit the Ring support service webpage. There you can find a list of all lock models compatible with their alarm devices. Some of the most popular smart locks that can be equipped with the Ring alarm are August, Kwikset Kevo, Schlage Sense or Yale Assure models.
Can I share my Ring code with someone?
Yes, your Ring code can be shared with up to thirty people. Therefore your friends and family will be comfortable visiting your house as often as you both want to.
You can share the code using the app on your smartphone. Open the “Settings” menu and select the “Share Ring Code” option. Then you can choose specific people that you want to have access to your residence. Instructions on how to use it can be sent by text or e-mail.
How do you connect Ring Doorbell to the lock?
First of all, you need to have the Ring Doorbell device, a compatible lock, the Ring app installed on your phone, and an active wi-fi connection inside your residence. Then you have to follow these instructions:
- Open the Ring app and log in.
- Select the “Menu” option. It should be on the top left of the screen.
- Tap “Settings” and then “Device Settings”.
- Scroll down until you see the Ring Doorbell. Select it.
- Tap “Smart Lock” under “Connected Devices”.
- Follow the instructions that the app will give you.
Are keypad smart locks secure enough?
Door locks with a keypad are considered a lot safer than traditional locks. There is no risk of losing the key and you don’t have to carry it everywhere, which might be inconvenient.
Also, with smart locks, you don’t need to hide your physical keys when you leave your residence. Therefore the possibility of the key falling into the wrong hands is non-existent, which improves security drastically.
One other advantage of smart locks is the many safety features provided by the manufacturers.
Can I use a traditional lock and Ring alarm?
Yes, a traditional lock with a physical key can be equipped with a Ring alarm. But it’s not the recommended way of using the Ring devices. It’s much less secure than combining the Ring alarm and a locking device.
Smart locks are not as easily picked or hacked, and also can be controlled and managed remotely. This is not a thing for traditional locks, making them much less convenient to use and less effective.
How do I check if my lock is compatible with Ring?
To make sure that the lock that you’ve chosen is compatible with Ring devices, you can look into the list of such products on the Ring website.
Sometimes even if the lock itself isn’t on the list, you can still be able to integrate it with the Ring alarm. This is accomplished by purchasing an adapter that allows the device to be used with the Ring app.
How do I make the best choice?
It’s not a simple task to choose and purchase the device that works best for your case and needs. You should consider a lot of things to make the decision: type of door, type of lock, available features, installation process, alarm compatibility, and security level. Take some time doing all the research about them. It will allow you to find the best door lock devices possible.
Can I open the door with the Ring app?
Yes. If you have a lock connected to your Ring alarm, it can be easily unlocked via the Ring app. There is an option of tying the Alarms state to the door lock device itself. With it, when you enter the code on the keypad of the lock device, your alarm will be disarmed after you’ve entered the house.
How does a smart device connect to the Ring system?
A lock doesn’t just connect with the Ring app but instead is integrated with the Ring Alarm system itself. Therefore you should first install the Ring Alarm Base station that will create and provide a hub that smart devices can be tied.
The base station works with Z-Wave, which allows products from non-Ring manufacturers. Also, there are options for using Bluetooth as well as the connection via Alexa or the Sidewalk network.
Can any Z-Wave lock be used?
The Z-Wave connection allows you to connect all the devices that use Z-Wave-certified controllers or a hub. Alas, Ring only supports a number of models to function with their products properly. It’s not a Z-Wave problem, but the Ring app one.
Always remember that Z-Wave radio frequencies are region specific, they can vary in different regions and therefore can’t work together.
This makes it so that you have to pay attention when you buy devices from the same region as the base controller to avoid any compatibility problems.
After all, Ring has great quality control both for themselves and third-party products.
Conclusion
The smart locks market provides 1.5 billion dollars in a single year. There is no slowing down and these numbers are rapidly going up. Such a big industry makes it slightly harder to choose the lock among all the ones it provides.
Therefore I made this article to help you make this decision. It will help you save both time and money by narrowing down the huge choice of products to the few best ones.
Do you want a bright, but secure house? Are you in search of peace of mind? This top allows you to choose that one door lock to meet your wishes.