Are Smart Doors Worth The Investment? Here's What To Know Before Installing

Homes are getting smarter, and the front door is no exception. Not that long ago, a good door was just a simple piece of material, hinges, and a strong lock. Today, there's far more that goes into it. With features ranging from fingerprint scanners to remote activity monitoring and even app-supported unlocking, the doors of today are turning into the intelligent entryway systems of tomorrow. But are they really worth the investment?

This is a valid question, especially because smart doors are pricey. When purchasing a new front door, some sellers now offer the option to swap a standard handle and lock for a smart one. Doing this can add upwards of $400 to the price of the new door, making it quite a costly upgrade. Any door can be turned into a smart door after the fact, too, by adding a special lock to it. This option isn't much cheaper, costing anywhere between $150 and $400. So while they sound cool, it's natural to wonder whether you really need one, or if you'd be better off saving your money.

At the end of the day, it all depends on your budget and your needs. For example, if you're notorious for losing and forgetting your keys, a smart lock can save you a lot of headaches. If you regularly have visitors while you're away, like dog walkers or home cleaners, it can also save you from having to make and share too many copies of your keys. In addition, homeowners looking to improve front door security for more peace of mind may find smart locks useful.

To understand what, exactly, you're getting when investing in a smart door, let's look at some of the specs. The key component of these doors stays the same: they're meant to open and close whenever you come in and out of your home. But instead of keys, smart doors might allow you to use a code to enter. This is particularly helpful to make sure your whole family can get inside even if they misplace or forget their keys. Some models also let you choose a temporary code you can share with visitors, which is perfect if you have pet sitters or if your guests arrive at your home while you're still at the grocery store, for example.

Some more advanced models go even further than codes and integrate facial recognition. That means you don't even need to remember a code. Simply walk up to your house, face the door, and wait for it to unlock. Some of them also allow you to use voice control, so that if your guests arrive while you're cooking in the kitchen, you can simply ask a smart speaker to unlock the door for you.

Finally, another key feature of smart doors is the ability to automate some security features. For example, a smart door can connect to your phone so that you can monitor whether you've locked the door remotely. If the door is open, simply use the app to fix it. Forget those "did I forget to lock the door?" panics on the way to the airport.

While all of these features seem high-tech and exciting, are they really worth your money? First things first, if you're looking to increase curb appeal, do keep in mind that a smart door isn't going to elevate the look of your home. Smart doors look like any other door, even if they come equipped with smart hardware. While they sound futuristic, these doors won't make your home look like a spaceship from the future, and their benefits are purely technical.

Before you toss out your keys and look for a smart upgrade for your front door, ask yourself whether this will solve an existing problem. If you're constantly losing the key to your door, or if your teenagers keep getting locked out by mistake, a smart door could be helpful. If you're having to let a lot of visitors into your home while you're away but would prefer to avoid making copies of keys or leaving a keybox outside for security reasons, a smart door can also be a good investment. This could be a game-changer if you do home exchanges or short-term rentals on your property, where entry codes can make your life (and that of your guests) a lot easier.

However, if none of this applies to you, a smart door might not be worth your money... at least not yet. Every day, technology continues to get sharper and more effective, and so are smart home features. If your door works fine and isn't in need of a replacement yet, you could wait a bit longer to purchase a smart lock with even greater abilities a few years from now. Biometric features like fingerprints and facial recognition are also becoming cheaper as they become more mainstream, and battery life is getting longer.