Schlage Camelot Trim Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset REVIEW

8 min readSep 14, 2018

When I got my first apartment, my dad sort of went a little crazy about his ‘little girl’ living all alone. He called an alarm company about installing an alarm on my newly rented residence and talked about how the building could be better secured. At the time, it felt like overkill to me. After all, the building already had a security code that required guests to be buzzed into and the deadbolt to my second-floor apartment worked just fine. Today, as a homeowner, I am much more aware of the security issues in our home. When we bought our house 7 years ago, my fiancé wanted to start installing security cameras and alarms throughout the house. I suddenly had flashbacks to that day when my dad called the alarm company. We eventually made a compromise and installed a video doorbell, camera on our back patio, and decided we wanted a smart deadbolt on our door. We knew there was only one company we would turn to for that — Schlage.

When we moved into our home we invested in a keyless door lock for our front entry door. It was a Schlage model and consisted of a battery-operated keypad that was attached to the doorknob. The previous homeowners did not have a deadbolt installed and so we had some work ahead of us when we upgraded the keyless doorknob to the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset.

DETAILS

The Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset is one of Schlage’s packages for homeowners to have a ‘complete’ kit for a door. It includes the Sense Smart Deadbolt and the Camelot Single Cylinder Handleset with Georgian Knob.

Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

The Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt gives you the freedom of entering your home with an access code rather than fumbling with keys. It’s easy to pair with your smartphone through Bluetooth technology and the Schlage Sense app. With the app, you have the ability to share access with friends and family permanently or temporarily. The deadbolt is battery-operated and there is no hardwiring required. Just in case the batteries die or you just plain forget your code, a backup key is included with for the deadbolt. The lock can be updated easily through the Schlage Sense app. The Sense Smart Deadbolt is certified as a commercial grade 2 lock. This deadbolt will work with Apple HomeKit, Schlage Sense (WiFi Adapter), Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant (NOTE: Integration with Amazon Alexa Voice Service or Google Assistant requires a Schlage Sense Wi-Fi Adapter. Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the Schlage Sense Wi-Fi Adapter are not compatible with the Schlage Sense HomeKit set-up.)

SPECS

Applications: Residential single family doors
Battery: Uses 4 AA alkaline batteries (included)
Certifications:
Commercial Standard Certification: ANSI/BHMA A156.36–2010 Grade 2
Residential Standard Certification: ANSI/BHMA A156.40–2015 Grade AAA in Security, Durability, and Finish
Door thickness range: 1 3/8″ to 1 3/4″; thick door kit extends 1 7/8″ to 2 1/2″
Exterior Dimensions: 3″ x 5″ x 1″
Interior Dimensions: 3″ x 8″ x 2″
Works with Apple HomeKit® using Bluetooth® Smart technology
Pre-set, unique 6 digit programming code, 2 pre-set unique 4-digit access codes, 30 access code capacity (4–8 digits)
Warranty: 3-Year Limited Electronics Warranty; Limited Lifetime Mechanical Finish Warranty
Codes: Pre-set, unique 6 digit programming code, 2 pre-set unique 4-digit access codes, 30 access code capacity (4–8 digits)

Camelot Single Cylinder Handleset with Georgian Knob

A great pairing with the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt is the Camelot Single Cylinder Handleset. This handleset includes an impressive metal handle for the exterior of your door and a gorgeous Georgian-style knob for the inside of your home. This set comes with a lifetime limited mechanical and finishes warranty. Installation of the handleset only requires a Philips screwdriver and it’s patented through bolt slides up and down so you don’t have to patch or redial your door. The handleset is certified as commercial grade 1.

SPECS

Applications: Residential single and multi-family entrance doors.
Backset: Universal latches and deadbolts fit 2–3/8″ (60mm) or 2–3/4″ (70mm) backsets.
Certifications:
Commercial Standard Certification: ANSI/BHMA A156.36–2010 Grade 1
Residential Standard Certification: ANSI/BHMA A156.40–2015 Grade AAA in Security, Durability, and Finish
Door thickness range: 1–5/8″ to 1–3/4″ thick standard. Thick door kit available.
Inside Trim: Levers are zinc-based plated to match finishes indicated.
Keying: F-Series handlesets are 5-pin tumbler with two keys per lock.
Outside Trim: Handlesets are solid forged brass; wrought brass trim rings with concealed security inserts.
Trim Rings and Security Inserts: F-Series handlesets are furnished with 7/8 wrought brass cylinder trim rings. The cylinder trim rings are reinforced by a tapered die-cast security insert installed under the trim ring for resistance to wrenching or prying the cylinder unit.

USER EXPERIENCE

When we first looked at upgrading our front door’s hardware, we weren’t exactly sure what we wanted to change to. We knew that Schlage was the ideal answer and when we found the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset, we were sold. The kit arrived as separate boxes (the deadbolt in one with the handleset in the other). I laid all the parts out to make sure that we had everything we needed before removing the older doorknob set. Our door is well-aged (as you can see from the photos).

The house was built in 1969 and I’m pretty sure that before we moved in the doorknob hadn’t been removed since it was originally installed. That said, the hole drilled for the doorknob is a traditional size and no additional construction was needed for the install of the new handleset. I carefully removed the older Schlage keyless doorknob. With the Camelot handle replacing the keyless doorknob, I found that I did have to use a drill to drill out a hole for the stabilizing joint of the handle at its base. This wasn’t a problem, but a little more than I thought I would need to do. After the hole was drilled, I tapped the base of the handle through the door and secured it with the provided screw. Unfortunately, the screw head was a bit fragile and it became a bit stripped out after I tightened it in. Thankfully, I don’t plan on removing it anytime soon, but if it’s possible to swap out the provided screw with something a little more solid from your local hardware store, you might want to consider doing so. The doorknob on the interior of the door is installed with two screws. It can be a little awkward trying to get them tightened since the doorknob extends into the opening of the screw holes, but it’s not difficult to complete. In total, it probably only took me a total of 10 minutes to install the handleset.

Now, when it comes to the Sense Smart Deadbolt, it’s a little more complicated for installation. I already mentioned how the house did not have a deadbolt when we moved in. We did install one — just a simple key-lock deadbolt — which required drilling out a hole in the door to fit the mechanism. This is a fairly standard sized hole for deadbolts so replacing it is not too difficult. You will have to replace the deadbolt mechanism even if you are using a Schlage deadbolt. Once you have the ‘smart’ mechanism installed, most of the installation is the alignment of the inner and outer parts of the lock. Once you have the lock installed, you add the keypad on the outside of the door and then connect it to the door alarm on the inside of the door. Then you tighten it all together with screws. The lock is powered by batteries and once it has power you can start programming it through the app. The Schlage Sense app is very easy to use. Once I opened the app and tapped on “Add a Lock”. The lock and the app paired within about 30 seconds and I was able to connect it to HomeKit within about 2 minutes. It was a very painless process. Programming codes were even easier. You have a couple of options. You can program the lock codes from the keypad or once it’s connected to your phone, you can program codes directly from the app. I did it both ways and definitely found the app was a lot easier.

Use of the smart lock has been virtually flawless. The only thing I’m not a big fan of is that codes have to be at least 8 digits in length. I would love to have them have a limit of 6 digits just because it takes such a long time to tap in the code on the keypad. The keypad has been very responsive to the app and voice controls through Siri. I’ve been able to control it when I’m away from home and keep tabs on the door’s activity through the app.

Schlage Sense WiFi Adapter

In addition to the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset, we also got a Schlage Sense WiFi Adapter to round out the kit. One thing to point out about our home is that it’s super smart — meaning we use Apple HomeKit alongside Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. We wanted the Schlage Sense Smart deadbolt to work with all of the smart assistants, but as it turns out, that’s not really possible. The WiFi adapter makes it possible for the non-WiFi deadbolt to connect to WiFi-connected items like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, you will have to make a decision about whether or not you want to be connected to HomeKit because the WiFi adapter is not compatible with Apple HomeKit AND if you have already connected your smart lock to HomeKit, you will have to reset it and complete the set-up process using the WiFi adapter. Since HomeKit is our primary smart system, we decided to leave the smart lock on that system. Schlage did make it very easy to set up the adapter though. It’s built to plug directly into a power outlet and then be set up with the help of a smartphone.

CONCLUSION

If you want to protect your home, it’s belongings, and your family, one easy way to do that is to upgrade to a smart lock like the Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt + Handleset. The kit has a straightforward installation process and it works — plain and simple. You have the flexibility of monitoring your lock’s activity so that you always know when people are coming and going from your home. And, you can always make sure your house is locked up. Even though this type of door lock is an investment, it’s a small price to pay for safety and peace of mind.

For more information, visit schlage.com.
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Originally published at macsources.com on September 14, 2018.