Are you looking for a smart gate lock for outdoor gates and fences?
I take a look at the various options that make up the Best Smart Locks for Outdoor Gates and Fences.
In this day and age, upgrading your regular outdoor gate into a smart gate just seems right and provides a great convenience in your life.
Let’s take a look at benefits of gate locks like keyless entry, fingerprint touch access, mobile app remote control access, and other convenient ways to unlock and lock your gates.
Truth be told, there aren’t that many available in the smart lock market, as most of the industry is focused on entry points such as the front door and indoor/bedroom doors.
But that doesn’t mean you have to stop your search. There are ways in which you can beef up the security of your driveway or outdoor gates with various technologies available in the lock industry.
Smart Outdoor Gates and Fences Benefits
- You can enable auto-unlock via GPS and Bluetooth through your smartphone to have the gates open automatically as you drive up. You’ll also be able to open and close your gate from another location.
- Pair it with your home security system and outdoor video cameras so you can see who’s at your front gate. Then let them in using your smartphone.
- Through the mobile app, you can keep track of every single activity that goes in and out of your gate. You’ll always know if and when people have arrived home safely, or when they left the house, etc.
- Even if you’re away on vacation, you can allow temporary access to guests with one-time codes to let them enter your property. Maybe you’re renovating the house, you can let the construction guys in.
Let’s start with taking a look at driveway gates.
Smart Lock for Driveway Gates
Driveway gates provide an extra layer of security for your home, especially if you have multiple cars in the garage or driveway.
ismartgate Wi-Fi Standard LITE Gate Opener
The ismartgate Wi-Fi standard LITE Gate Opener provides the ultimate convenience at your gate by pairing with any automatic gate opener (except for Chamberlain and Liftmaster openers). You don’t have to open it manually anymore for any guests who drive to your property.
One caveat however, it takes quite a bit of work to install. So if you’re not used to the technical stuff, ask a more experienced person for help in installing this gate opener.
Once it’s all set up, you’ll be able to remotely open and close your driveway gate from anywhere in the world through your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or even Apple Watch.
The app can give you notifications every time the gate is opened or closed, and alert you if the gate has been left open for more than 10 minutes.
Integration with any existing IP camera also makes it easy to see and control every aspect of your home security via the ismartgate access app.
Smart Locks for Outdoor Entry Gates
If your home has an outdoor entry gate for security, installing a smart lock is a great way to make your life more convenient.
Strattec Advanced Logic RTS-PZ
This smart lock replaces the handles on your outdoor entry gate and features multiple ways to unlock the gate. You can use PIN combination codes, fingerprint unlocking, Z-wave through smart home hubs or other smart devices, or manually with a traditional, mechanical key.
The weather resistant and consistent with IP65 waterproof ratings, meaning that the electronics inside this smart lock will withstand the elements and you won’t have to worry about malfunctions.
Up to 1,000 codes for users, like family and friends, can be pre-programmed to share with your trusted family and friends.
The MS1 User Management software is included for you to configure all the locks on your network and manage your home security on a computer.
This means you have control over everything that happens at your outdoor gate, and you can view the activity history when you need to.
STI 69521S Weatherproof Lock Cover
For those who are thinking about installing a regular smart door lock from August, Yale, Schlage or other brands on your outdoor gate, you’ll need this waterproof lock cover.
Whether it’s rain or snow, this easy-to-install lock cover will protect your smart lock from wet conditions. That’ll help prevent it from malfunctions and it saves you money at the same time.
Getting other smart door locks will provide other benefits like voice control with Alexa, Google, Siri, etc. There’s also more compatibility with other smart home devices to create a smart home ecosystem.
Smart Locks for Z-Wave Relay Gates
Many smart locks and devices use Z-Wave technology to pair with your smart home system. A Z-Wave pairing will be needed depending on your smart platform in order for you to use voice commands and have remote access to control your smart gate.
Read this other post on choosing a smart home ecosystem to better understand the different smart home wireless protocol technologies.
If you already have a smart gate setup, but want to link it to a Z-Wave network setup, you’ll need to put a Z-wave bridge device. The bridge acts as a go-between to send and receive signals with your Z-Wave setup.
Wireless Z-Wave Multi-Input/Output Dry Contact Bridge
This Z-Wave controller allows you to link your smart home system to your smart gate. It works with most home automation security panels, and can be installed on a wide range of garage doors and outdoor gates. The relay is customizable and can be set to momentary or latched modes.
The magic happens in the signal input terminal block, where it receives low voltage Z-Wave signals to connect to your smart home system, or even with contact sensors, water level sensors and your doorbell buttons.
Smart Padlocks
If you don’t want the hassle of having to install or replace any deadbolts or door handles on your outdoor gates – then maybe the smart padlock is the solution for you. It works just like a regular padlock, except it’s way smarter and cooler.
Fingerprint Padlock, Bluetooth Connection Metal Waterproof
This smart padlock looks like a regular padlock, but you don’t need to use keys to unlock it, just a fingerprint. This is a smart touch fingerprint lock and fingerprint unlock type of padlock. All you need to do is place your finger on the fingerprint sensor to unlock it.
The fingerprint padlock has a mobile app (Android and iOS) that’s connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth for remote control. The app allows you to add and remove fingerprints for various users.
The aluminum alloy body and stainless steel lock beam ensures that it’s both lightweight and sturdy.
Because of its compact size, it’s also highly portable and easy to use for other use cases like bicycles and lockers.
Final Thoughts – Best Smart Locks for Outdoor Gates
While smart locks are largely still in the domain of the front door and indoor security, the concept of smart gates are not far behind in terms of technological advancements.
Sure, we’ll probably have to wait a few more years for specialized outdoor smart locks to be an industry standard, but what we have available now is probably enough to get you started in your smart home and gate/fence lock setup.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to get this off the ground. First, unlike doors which are smaller, gates require a lot more power to operate electronically. That means you’ll need stronger batteries or a solar energy solution to feed power to your smart gate constantly.
Secondly, think about water resistance and how your smart gate will fare under constant changes in the weather. A few days of rain storms can cause even the most water-resistant outdoor electronic devices to malfunction. Good waterproofing solutions is an important consideration when setting up your smart lock for outdoor gates.
Finally, you’ll need to ensure that your smart gate is always connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, your smartphone’s bluetooth or your smart home’s Z-wave system in order for it to work correctly at all times. Stay away from wires, especially if your home has constant weather changes.
