Expert's Rating
Pros
- Much more full-featured than Philips’ entry-level electronic lock
- High number of PINs and fingerprints supported
- App is quick to navigate—and much easier than manual programming via keypad
Cons
- $40 bridge required for Wi-Fi connectivity
- Still difficult to install
- No provision for emergency backup power
Our Verdict
Philips takes its 1000-series lock and adds Bluetooth; plus, a few additional features that give this lock extra power.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: Philips 4000-series smart deadbolt (model DDL240XI5KNB/37)
Philips’ entrée into the smart lock market only began in earnest late last year, but the company now has no fewer than 14 SKUs in three series. There are six models in the 4000 series, with the version reviewed here (model DDL240XI5KNB/37) having the most features.
We previously reviewed the entry-level Philips 1000-series Electronic deadbolt (model DDL210S-1H). I’ve emphasized that part of the otherwise capable lock’s name because it’s not a true smart lock. While it has both a numeric keypad and a fingerprint reader, it offers no wireless connectivity, and it can’t be upgraded with such a feature.
The Philips 4000-series’ Bluetooth-based setup process was quite painless, and I had the lock up in running in just a few minutes.
All but one lock in the 4000-series has a Bluetooth radio that lets you interact with them through the Philips Home Access app (I’ll explain the exception in a moment). On the outside, this model looks identical to the 1000-series, to the point where you’d need to disassemble both locks to tell the difference. Both have a numeric keypad and a fingerprint reader on their exterior escutcheon, and the installation process is also the same: A mounting plate sits inside the door and connects to the exterior escutcheon via two lengthy bolts. A third support bolt can be used higher up on the device if you need extra stability—and you don’t mind drilling another hole in your door—but this is optional.
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks.
I didn’t encounter any trouble with the bolts fitting into the receiving nuts, though, as with the 1000-series, threading the cable that connects interior and exterior escutcheons into the routing channel can be tricky. Fortunately, my prior experience with the 1000-series gave me a head start on navigating this challenge.
The app that accompanies the Philips 4000-series smart deadbolt makes it easy to add users–with PINs and/or fingerprints–and it maintains a detailed history of authorized users’ comings and goings.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Again, just like the 1000-series, the interior escutcheon connects to the interior mounting plate not via bolts but via two clips on the sides of the escutcheon, which slide downward into place. These are tricky to engage, and without a more permanent locking mechanism, the lock seems less secure than it should be, as they’re easy to accidentally unclip.
With the hardware installed, I encountered one final hiccup in getting the system to work; namely, I’d forgotten my password to the Philips’ Home Access app, which is required to complete setup. A password reset request was never answered, and requests to Philips tech support never got a response. After stepping away from the issue for a weekend, I tried the password-reset system again and this time was successful in receiving the reset email. After completing the reset, I was able to continue with and quickly complete setup.
An integrated fingerprint reader means you don’t need to remember a PIN or carry your phone with you to unlock the Philips 4000-series smart lock.
Philips
While the Philips Home Access app is rather dated, the Bluetooth-based setup process was quite painless, and within a few minutes I had the unit up and running without needing to scan QR codes or jump through any additional hoops. Since the 4000-series does not connect to Wi-Fi without an external bridge—which Philips didn’t send for us to test—users need to be up close and personal to interact with the lock. That’s no burden, though; making changes via the app is so much easier than tapping in codes on the lock’s touchpad, as you must do with Philips’ 1000-series lock.
As with the 1000-series, the 4000-series offers multiple access methods, including a touchpad supporting PINs of 4 to 10 digits, a fingerprint scanner, and a physical key (two are included). Naturally, you can also use the Philips Home Access app if you’re within Bluetooth range. Each type of access—except for physical keys—can be set as permanent, “I live here” users or restricted in some way. PINs and fingerprints can be recurring over regular time periods, temporary over a short duration, or one-time use.
App access can be restricted to just allowing lock/unlock activities in lieu of giving full administrative access to settings. In addition to configuring accounts, those settings include access to an auto-lock feature that can be set for anywhere between 10 seconds and 3 minutes as well as control over an included magnetic door sensor that can detect whether the door is open or closed. (Use of the sensor is optional but it does prevent auto-lock from engaging if the door is left open.)
The Philips app tells you the status of the lock at a glance. It makes setting up users with either PINs or fingerprints very easy.
Christopher Null/Foundry
The lock can support up to 100 PINs and 50 fingerprints, the former a big step up from the 20 stored on the 1000-series; and if you’re a glutton for punishment, you can still use the keypad to configure them both instead of the app. Helpful voice prompts, in addition to the usual beeps, provide effective guidance to novices who might need a little extra hand-holding with the unit.
The lock isn’t perfect. Philips rates it as ANSI Grade 2 lock, rendering it suitable for medium-duty residential and commercial use (Grade 1 is higher on that 3-point scale; Grade 3 is lower). Fingerprint registration is a bit slow and failed on me once, and you’ll need the physical key if the four AA batteries (provided) die, as there is no emergency power connector (neither a USB port nor terminals for a 9-volt battery) to help you out.
And of course, without Wi-Fi access, this lock isn’t a great solution for rentals and other units where remote management is necessary. Adding the Philips Wi-Fi gateway that forms a bridge between the lock’s Bluetooth radio and your Wi-Fi network costs about $40 (Philips doesn’t bundle any of its 4000-series locks with its gateway). As noted above, the Philips 4000-series also includes model with a Z-Wave radio instead of Bluetooth (model DDL240XG5KMS/37, which sells for $200).
If you’re shopping for an inexpensive Bluetooth smart deadbolt with a Wi-Fi upgrade option, you might also want to compare Philips’ Bluetooth 4000-series to our Proscenic Smart Lock L60 review, as that lock shares many of the same features but also adds a few more—and at a lower price than even the barebones and unconnected Philips 1000-series lock: $109.
Best Prices Today: Philips 4000-series smart deadbolt (model DDL240XI5KNB/37)
Author: Christopher Null, Contributor, TechHive
Christopher Null is an award-winning technology journalist with more than 25 years of experience writing about and reviewing consumer and business tech products. Previously, he served as Executive Editor for PC Computing magazine and was the founder and Editor in Chief of Mobile magazine, the first print publication focused exclusively on mobile tech. In addition to covering a wide range of smart home gear for TechHive, he is a frequent contributor to Wired, This Old House, and AAA’s Via Magazine.