If you have kids, there are places in your home you may need to keep secure. But it's really annoying to need a key to get into that room when you need to.

For years I had shopped for a keypad doorknob to use have on the door to my gun room. My guns are still locked up in a safe in there, but there is also reloading equipment, gunpowder, hunting gear, knives, and other things that they do not need to be messing with. I always had a keyed locking doorknob to make sure my kids were kept out, but it got old needing the key. Most of the keypad doorknobs are not cheap. I found they were usually priced at $80 to as much as $130. I wasn't willing to pay that much when a keyed doorknob was just as effective and cost a fraction of that.

(If you currently have firearms in your house, and kids and they are not secure, take steps to secure them today.)

Randomly about seven months ago I searched for one on Amazon and hit the jackpot. The Turbolock Keyless Doorknob showed up as a top seller. It was only $39.99, half the price of the cheapest doorknobs I had shopped for. It had lots of ratings and they were mostly good so I took a chance.

With over half a year of use, I think I can say with certainty that it is a very good value and works very well. Installation is no more difficult than a standard doorknob, although I did have trouble because I did not read the directions. Batteries go in both sides of the compartment, not just one side. I even returned it because it wouldn't work with two batteries, but did work with the backup battery pack. It contains four batteries and it comes with the knob in case your batteries go dead while the door is locked. After getting the new one I realized I screwed up and there was nothing wrong with it. I was an idiot.

The Good

  • You can program multiple codes for different members of your family without giving them the master code.
  • Backup battery pack to open the door when batteries are dead.
  • Code camouflage allows you to type in the first number of your code and then punch as many random numbers as you want to confuse nosy kids trying to learn the code. Then finish with the remainder of your code to hide the code.
  • Locks three seconds after unlocking.

The Bad

  • No key to unlock it.
  • The knob does not always engage the latch immediately upon unlocking.

Friends who have come over and saw the knob have all asked where I got it and I know of one for sure who ordered it. Overall I highly recommend it as a good budget solution.

 

 

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