The Great Lock War

There are many different lock manufacturers. The most common in North America are Weiser and Schlage. Now I wouldn’t call either the “best” by any means, but as far as reliability, and the ease of which you can find their products, they’re definitely winning there. Each has their perks, and their disadvantages. Both have been around for a long time, is one better than the other? Let’s find out.

Weiser

While Weiser generally comes in cheaper than Schlage, that doesn’t mean it’s worse. In fact, we prefer Weiser’s electronic deadbolts over Schlage greatly. While both brands on the low spectrum of electronic locks are easy to use, Weiser wins out for us on their high end products. The Weiser Premis and Weiser Halo have a far superior phone app, and most of all, you don’t need a smart home hub to use them. The only major downside for us in that the electronic locks you’ll find at Home Depot utilize SmartKey. Which is anything but smart. We find SmartKey cylinders to be junk. If you make a mistake using the rekey feature you’ll likely be calling a locksmith. Now Weiser does still make standard lock cylinders, and they’re pretty decent, but they still don’t quite hold up to Schlage. Abloy makes a Protec2 cylinder that fits most SmartKey locks, which is a significant upgrade.

Want to know more about the Weiser Halo?

Looking to buy?

Schlage

While most of the Schlage electronic deadbolts are not great for phone use, their keyways, levers, and knobs, are far superior to Weiser. That is except the Schlage Encode. The Encode is a stand-alone WiFi unit, and is amazing. The price tag is substantially more than the Weiser Premis though. However, if you just want to keep it old school, ie no electronics, get Schlage. For the price point they are made far superior to most Weiser products. Their levers are sturdy, and the keyway is tighter, and milled more adequately. Best of all, should you ever decide to upgrade to a high security keyway, most Schlage products accept most of the major high security cylinders found in North America. While Weiser cannot accept many cylinders, Abloy now makes a Protec2 cylinder that fits in SmartKey locks. Now Schlage is in no way up to the same level as Baldwin, Emtek, or other boutique lock manufacturers, but for a big box brand, they’re quite good.

Want to know more about the Schlage Encode?

Looking to buy?

The Verdict

If you’re looking for an electronic lock, go with Weiser if you’re on a budget, Schlage if you’re not. If you’re looking for purely mechanical hardware, go with Schlage. Just remember though, if you want to have your locks keyed alike, stick with one brand. You might end up with a handful of keys otherwise.

Do you live in the Langley or Surrey area and are looking for new locks? Visit our Lock Installation and Repairs page for more information. Secure your home today.