Schlage Keyed Entry Door Handle w/Alarm Review

I've had the pleasure over the last 3 months to thoroughly review the Camelot Style Keyed Entry door handle with a built-in alarm made by Schlage. I chose the aged bronze finish, and this lock set is very classy and well built.

I first spotted this door handle in my Handyman magazine. Yes my Mom got me a subscription to Handyman as a gift. See in my family (I have 2 sisters) all us girls are the DIY type. We want something done we usually do it ourselves. Especially my Mom. Not that our husbands can't, we just  usually don't wait for them to do it.

Anyways, I spotted this door handle in Handyman and they were describing the features and I knew that this was something that every family needs to have on their doors. Let me tell you why.

This door handle has a built in alarm. And not just one alarm, it has 3 different options depending on the type of alarm you want at the time. You can also adjust the sensitivity of each alarm and how easy you want it to go off.

Alarm Types
• Activity Alert
• Tamper Alert
• Forced Entry Alert

Activity Alert: This alarm gives two short beeps to let you know when the door has been opened or closed. This is a great feature for families with small children, like mine, where they are big enough and smart enough to open the door but should not be headed outside alone. The alarm is loud enough to be heard through my entire one level house. This would also be great for families with teenagers, sorry kids no sneaking out this day and age. Or will alert you when someone is home past curfew :o) Also just a great everyday use for the comings and goings of the household.

Tamper Alert: This alarm gives one long alarm sound when the lever has been disturbed. Perfect for at night when everyone is home and inside. Or when you are home alone and not expecting anyone. A great feature for single mom's, or a family where the husband is gone a lot. If anyone touches the door handle and messes with it the alarm will sound and you will be notified.

Forced Entry Alert: This is perfect for when you are out of town or again home alone. If someone attempts to mess with your door with some force or tamper with the lock a steady siren alarm is triggered and acts as a theft deterrent. This is the most common use for all the time usage.

You can easily turn off any alarm settings as well with the simple push of a button.

The handle and lock was so simple to install. I easily installed this in less than 10 minutes. And this was including removing the old handle and lock set. There is no wiring required and the lock comes with two AAA batteries to it is all ready to use. Batteries are said to have a three year battery life as well as a low battery indicator.

Inside BEFORE

Inside AFTER

(Please disregard the ugly brass deadbolt lock. This will be next to go. Very soon I hope.)

The lock set also comes with a handy feature of removing the strike plate on the door lock if you door is not equipped to have one. I was so happy it had this feature or I would have spent some extra time chiseling on the door. The lock is guaranteed to fit on all existing pre-drilled doors.

Outside BEFORE

Outside AFTER

Programming the alarm is a breeze. Simply press the alarm button and scroll through the led lights. Each led light represents a different alarm. Choose the one you want for that time and your done. Easily change the alarm to different settings anytime you want.

Now what I think is so cool about this built in alarm/handle system is that for one it is so affordable. For the safety of your family this handle set costs right around $100. For $100 bucks you can manage the comings and goings of your household and be pre-warned or cause an intruder or attempted intruder to flee before entering your home.

Did you know? 70% of home break-ins are kick-ins to a door. Exactly why the factory setting is defaulted to the forced entry mode. (fact from Schlage)

I also love there is no wiring or programming. Simply install the lock and your done.

Now there are a few things I didn't like or wish could be possible with the lock. First I wish that you could utilize all three alarm settings at the same time. As I would like to have the activity alert setting on at all times with my little ones as well as the forced entry alarm for at night time.

I also locked myself out of the house with this lock. Yes this was mostly my fault, but let me tell you why. The door handle can be opened from the inside even though it is locked. I'm sure this is a security feature, however going to take out the trash, walk, etc if you are not careful and shut the door your are stuck. Me and my boys headed out for a short walk and I had yet to put a spare key out for the new lock. And as soon as I shut the door I knew I was in trouble. We have always had to have a key to lock the door when going out, so this new lock has been an adjustment. But you can be sure I won't do that again.

Third thing and it is more annoying than awful is that on the forced entry setting, if I have my hands full of groceries or kids or whatever and I kick the door too hard to close it, the alarm will go off. Again not awful but I find myself doing this more and more lately. And perhaps I just need to adjust the sensitivity of the lock, but I do still want it to go off easily if someone attempts to break-in.

Overall for right around $100, I think every family needs to have at least one of these lock systems on their main door. Add a little extra piece of mind for you and your family.

Schlage has been making homes more stylish and secure for over 90 years. And did I mention they have a lifetime limited warranty on mechanical components and finish! So you can't go wrong!

You can purchase this system as well as other Schlage products at many different retailers. Most popular include Amazon.com, The Home Depot & Lowe's. But you can check out a full list here.

Make sure to also check out Schlage on Facebook. They currently have a contest going on for the chance to win 10 lock sets for your neighborhood and to help keep it safer!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.