Okidokeys Are an Accessible Entry into the Smart Home Arena

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The quirkily named Okidokeys are smart locks for your doors. Consider Okidokeys the gatekeeper to your Smart House. With these neat gadgets, you can unlock your doors using mobile phones or RFID tags without changing the look of your door from outside. Okidokeys are compatible with all cellphones and smartphones on all carriers. The Okidokeys Access Pack retails for $259.

Okidokeys

The Access Pack comes with two products: the Smart-Lock, which allows your existing deadbolt lock to be unlocked using a smartphone app, and the Smart-Reader, which allows your Smart-Lock to be unlocked using any old cell phone as well as RFID tags like the included credit card sized cards or bracelets.

The Smart-Lock is easily installed by removing your existing interior deadbolt thumbturn and replacing it with the Smart-Lock. It’s not a difficult procedure, and you don’t need to be Bob Villa to figure it out. Once it’s installed, you create your account on Okidokeys online portal, create users and assign them to the Smart-Lock, install the Okidokeys App, and sync the app with your Smart-Lock using Bluetooth connectivity. The neat thing about this Smart-Lock is that you can still use your current metal keys from the outside if you want to.

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The Smart-Lock comes with three different cover plates in bright stainless steel, gold, and antique bronze. It also comes with a door sensor that can be optionally installed, which allows for additional features like auto-relock, door open alarms, and more.

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The optional Smart-Reader is a small device that is installed on the outside of your door and is attached using an adhesive rather than being mechanically fastened using screws. The Smart-Reader connects to your Smart-Lock to allow for access to your home using phones without Bluetooth connectivity as well as Okidokeys RFID Smart-Tags. The Smart-Tags included with the Smart-Reader include a credit card sized tag, a keychain-type tag, and a wristband with an RFID chip inside.

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Installation of the Smart-Lock was surprisingly easy, having taken only about 15 minutes. The kit comes with all of the tools and screws you’ll need for installation, which is important for something like this. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to be super-handy to install this lock. The Smart-Lock is powered by four AAA batteries, which were a little difficult to install and remove due to their configuration.  Check out the installation picture gallery, below:

However, once everything was installed, it was simple to figure out how everything worked. Making an account on Okidokeys’ online portal was quick and appeared to be very security conscious with multiple email/text code confirmations. You can set up users on the online portal and I made two, one for myself and one for my wife. You can even set up times that those people are allowed to use the Smart-Lock, in case you want to give a contractor an RFID tag, but don’t want him coming in when you’re not there.  Check out the app screenshots, below:

The Smart-Lock worked great with my garage door, except for the fact that my garage door is a little off kilter so that you have to push the door in while locking the deadbolt in order for the lock to catch. That situation precludes any automatic locking that the Smart-Lock tries to do. That’s the only reason that the Okidokeys Smart-Lock is not staying on our garage door permanently.

Overall, I think the Okidokeys Smart-Lock is a great product for the tech-savvy home. It installed/uninstalled very easily, was simple to learn, simple to use, and has some very nice features. Being able to use your existing metal keys is a great way to make the Smart-Lock accessible to those who aren’t as nerdy as you.

You can purchase the Okidokeys Smart-Lock and Smart-Reader directly from the manufacturer.

Source: The Okidokeys Smart-Lock and Smart-Reader were provided to me as a review sample by the manufacturer.

What I Like:  Easy to install; Easy to remove; Simple to learn; Still able to use existing metal keys; Accessible to non-techy folk.

What Needs Improvement:  The look could be slightly improved to make it less obvious.

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About the Author

Perry Brauner
I'm an architect by trade, but the overarching theme of my life has always been trying to keep up with the newest, coolest technology. Ever since I picked up an NES controller, I've been hooked on the latest and greatest gadgets, gizmos, and toys. Whether it's gaming, mobile phones, and accessories, or PCs and Apple products, I'm interested. I use many Apple products in my daily life, such as the iPhone, iPad, and my MacBook Pro. I've also built a few PCs in my day, so I'd like to say that I'm a pretty well-rounded techie.