These igloohome Locks Offer Great Design and Convenience

The smart lock space is getting very crowded as companies introduce more and more new locks for residential customers. We’ve seen lots of variety and innovation here, too—keypads, touch-to-open features, retrofit solutions, and even voice control. Of all the products out there, one brand we haven’t noticed before is igloohome. What differentiates this company’s products—specifically its deadbolt and mortise solutions—are slick industrial design and a new level of convenience in granting access to homeowners and guests.

On the design front, igloohome’s locks are sleek and modern, yet they have a universal design aesthetic that might fit with nearly any decor. Available in white and black, the monochromatic locks are noticeably thinner and more compact than many other locks on the market, which can often be big, bulky, and industrial-looking. We had a chance to play with several of their current and announced products at CES, and the build quality on these locks is superior—rugged design yet easy to operate and maintain.

As for convenience, the products trump anything we’ve seen for residential, multifamily, hospitality and rental properties. While the locks sport Bluetooth for some operations, these devices are not—and don’t need to be—connected to the Internet. They use a sophisticated encryption scheme to establish and grant access to generated keys without ever communicating with the app. Think about that: no matter where you are, you can use your igloohome app to generate bluetooth or PIN-based access keys for this lock without ever communicating with the lock itself. The app uses a complex encryption algorithm that can create a key that only your lock will respond to. Then, your designated occupants and guests can either punch in the unique code you’ve shared with them or use the igloohome app to open the lock during the specified time frame. It’s incredibly clever technology that’s more than a little difficult to wrap your head around.

The locks from igloohome are ideally suited to rental properties like Airbnb since they offer both master and guest keys. The master account can view activity and access logs and, with an optional add-on service, automate key generation from your Airbnb rentals calendar. An SDK makes hospitality and multi-unit use appealing, since provisioning and monitoring can be integrated into existing management systems. But don’t just assume these are intended for commercial and rental applications. At $199, the Deadbolt 02, shown above, would be great for private homes, too.

The igloohome locks also feature an interior privacy button that can easily prevent access from outside, tamper detection and alarm, a lockout waiting period after multiple unsuccessful access attempts, an option to automatically re-lock after a period of time, emergency power via a 9-volt battery, and a keyway. That round protrusion you might mistake for a turn knob conceals a keyway, so if all else fails, an owner can use the provided physical keys to lock or unlock the deadbolt.

The Deadbolt 02 and comparable Smart Mortise Lock are available today, and at CES we got a preview of the next-generation deadbolt with an even more streamlined design. This is a company we plan to watch over the coming years, as this is one of the best thought-out lock designs we’ve seen to date.