The Best (and only) Smart Lock for Sliding Doors 2021

When thinking about home security people usually want to secure the front door and potentially the separate entrance door to the basement. Most people ignore the sliding doors leading to your patio or backyard. This leaves thieves an easy route into your home. You have all heard stories of fake delivery guys traipsing through someone’s backyard to see if their patio doors are open or unlocked. There are currently no smart locks for sliding doors available for sale despite the number of security lock companies. Due to a large variance in the typed of locking mechanisms used on sliding glass doors, it has been incredibly hard to develop a smart lock that works with most doors. This is further complicated by the different locking mechanisms used around the world.

Developing a smart lock to fit such a variety of doors was not cost effective to say the least. That is until LOCKLY showed off their LOCKLY Guard™ sliding door smart lock at CES 2021. The LOCKLYGuard™ sliding door smart lock will be available for sale later this year so let’s walk through how they work and why it’s the best (or only) sliding door smart lock. Update: LOCKLYGuard™ was originally meant to release in Q2 2021. But as of September 2021, there is still no news on the actual release date. We will update this article once more information is available.

LOCKLY Guard™ Sliding Door Smart Lock

LOCKLYGuard™ brings the level of security and safety for your sliding glass doors that was only available for most front doors. The LOCKLY Guard™ smart lock is designed for new and existing style of sliding glass doors making it compatible for a retrofit to your old sliding doors. The well-built design is suitable for standard aluminum and metal frame sliding doors.

PIN Genie™: LOCKLY locks are powered by a patented algorithm called PIN Genie™. It works by randomly switching the numbers on the pin pad in groups of three. So, if anyone is looking over your shoulder, they will not be able to see which four numbers you clicked on the pin pad. Check the video below to see how this works.

Biometric Fingerprint Access: You can save multiple fingerprints to open the LOCKLY Guard™ sliding door smart lock. This is the same technology that LOCKLY uses for its front door locks.

Smartphone Control: LOCKLY Guard™ is the first sliding door smart lock to support smartphone control. Download the app and set-up your lock. You can now lock and unlock your sliding patio doors and get notified if someone opens it without your permission.

Voice Assistant Integration: You can also choose to install the LOCKLY Secure Link WiFi Hub. This will multiple useful features, the most important of which is WiFi control of all your LOCKLY smart locks. You can then set them up with Alexa or Google Voice to control your locks via voice. It also allows remote access to your locks from anywhere in the world. The Secure Link WiFi Hub is packaged with a set off door sensors. Install these and get notified when your door or window is opened when it is active.

Other Solutions:

Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

An excellent solution would be to install outdoor security cameras at the backyard entrance. Most of these are WiFi compatible and they will notify you via an app if there is an intruder at the door. There are several different variations in these including the ones with motion sensor floodlights that deter most intruders. For the most ardent intruders, the cameras will record the intruder and send a footage to your phone so you can stop them before they cause any damage.

If you are concerned about people walking through your backyard or possibly gaining unauthorized entry, an outdoor security camera should be your first line of defense.

Autoslide Automatic Sliding Door

Autoslide has been available in the market for while now and their updates line of products are a big improvement on the original design. It is undisputably is the leader in automated sliding door solutions and multidrive systems.

This is not really a smart lock, but a system that enables your existing patio door to open and close automatically. The doors can be opened by wireless push buttons that are installed on both sides on the sliding doors. The Autoslide Automatic Patio Door Starter Kit can be installed on your existing sliding doors to make those patio parties easier.

The starter kit includes:

1 x AUTOSLIDE drive system
1 x Aluminum cover
2 x Wall Mounted Wireless Push Buttons
1 x Low voltage plug-in power pack
2 x 20-inch racks with assembly kit
Friction Tester
Installation hardware

Door Sensors

If you just want to know when and if your sliding doors are opened when you in the house, a simple door sensor alarm will do the trick. These work by emitting a loud noise when someone slides open the door when it is armed. There is a simple switch to arm or disarm the sensor. It would be good use for houses with children that might open the door while you are not around to watch them.

These simple battery operated devices are a breeze to install and provide a slightly more secure sliding patio door, without the high expense or complication of an actual smart lock.

Questions:

Can you put a smart lock on a sliding door?

LOCKLY Guard™ is the only solution to put a smart lock on a sliding door. It was showcased at CES2021 and is stated to release in the later part of 2021. There are several keyless entry solutions currently available for sliding glass doors, but none that have smart capabilities such as app or voice control, and remote lock/unlock.

How can I make my sliding door more secure?

Install a secondary deadbolt lock to make your sliding door more secure. A sliding door deadbolt lock works beside your existing mortise lock to provide an added layer of security. There are several deadbolt locks available for sliding glass doors but we like the Prime-Line High Security Deadbolt Lock.

You can also install door sensors that are connected to an app. If someone opens the door while they are armed, they will emit a high pitched alarm to notify you. Most sensors are also WiFi compatible allowing you to arm or disarm them remotely.