--October 2015 Update--
Check below for the original review. I have had 3 of these locks running day in and day out at my own house, my parents house, and my office. They are working great! People still are amazed when I just touch the lock and enter my home. They have since updated to allow my Android phone to work with them so I don't carry the fob around anymore. It works about 95% on the first try, and the other 5% usually just requires a second tap(still quicker than getting out my keys). That is pretty good considered I am using it in 3 different types of environments. For people having issues I would say calibrating it is essential to ensuring a reliable operation of the lock.
The locks get a little slow towards the end of the batteries life but that can easily be rectified by a new set of AAs. My parents are not tech savvy and both have the app and the fob on their keys so its rare that they have issues.
This product has saved my bacon many times, especially when carrying something heavy/cumbersome. I cannot tell you how integrated this lock is my daily routine. It might be unnecessary but if you can afford it I don't think you will regret it.
Apparently there is a new accessory they are selling that lets your remotely unlock/lock from your smart phone.
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So I have been following this product for a couple months on Amazon after I saw an early ad for it. I was very excited and pre-ordered a set of two, one for my house and the other for my parents. I am in my mid 20's and the "Tech Guy" for my family for a little background. Much of the review is focused about the Support and Launch of the Kwikset Kevo, and I will include a "TLDR" PROs and CONs list at the end.
Once I got the first unit in my house I opened it and it looked pretty solid from the outside. So I took my time installing it and following the instructions, and for the life of me could not get the touch feature to function when put together. The strange thing was though, when the unit was assembled without a door, it worked perfectly. So I tried the troubleshooting PDF guide and spend about 2-3 days on it a couple of hours a night trying to figure it out myself. Finally at a lost I decided to contact Kwikset Customer Support.
The first person I spoke to was Jose, and he was very helpful. He gave me some tips on troubleshooting it a little further, because I knew the unit worked I just figured I was failing somewhere on the installation. Afterwards we realized the unit itself was defective as other reviewers are mentioning with similar issues as mine, and they promptly Next Day Air Shipped a new unit out to my house. They also emailed me a label to ship my defective unit back to them. But before I got the new unit I tried to install the other one I had purchased for my parents house. After having taken mine apart and reinstalled it around 7-8 times I had gotten pretty familiar with how it was put together. I installed the 2nd one within 18 minutes and it functioned perfectly and well within my expectations of this product.
I have an Android phone so I am using the fob, and in terms of the range and consistency my experience is at 95%, as it is rare for me to tap it for it to not unlock within 2-3 seconds. My keys can be pretty much anywhere as long as they are on my person for it to make the authentication. My roommate uses the iPhone app and has had a pretty much same experience and he has not conveyed to me any issues with it. In terms of actual usage the convenience of it is pretty great, and streamlines leaving and entering the home. My parents are not tech people at all and they have said their unit it makes entering the home really easy for them, especially with groceries or dogs in tow. We also have a unit at our office and my fob now works at all 3 locations without any issue. Its very convenient for the 3 main places I go to on a daily basis to have the same level of ease of access.
So I had various questions over the process of getting all the keys and fobs working between multiple people and houses and locks so I contacted their Customer Support staff several times and with each time I had a pleasant experience. It sometimes took up to 15 - 20 minutes to reach someone but I know many people were calling with their own issues during the launch and the weeks afterwards. My questions and issues were taken care of promptly and every call my info was recorded so I didn't not have to reexplain everything when I called again, they just looked it up. I spoke to Danny, Eddie, and Jose and all of them were very helpful to my family and I.
At one point I failed in the SMARTkey rekeying process of a 3rd Lock I had purchased for our office so that neither the key that came with the lock or the key I was trying to set would open it. I didn't even know you could do this but somehow I did :) So I gave Kwikset a call because I figured I would have to take it to a locksmith to have them take apart the cylinder and insert a new one for a cost. But after explaining what I did within minutes they had created an order to ship a new cylinder and keys to me. Instead of trying to blame customers or have them troubleshoot something to death(even when the customer actually knows what he/she is doing) their Customer Support team distances itself from the practices of other companies by being very committed on making the launch of Kevo a success, even with the issues it was/is suffering at the time.
Many of these negative reviews I feel are unwarranted. So many of the 2-3 star reviews are based on misconceptions and fantasies about what this product could do before it was released. Like the 2 E-Key thing, however upset you are that they are charging you $1.99 for lines of code in an app, this information was widely available before the launch. And they choose to give out 5 E-Keys for free which is great, however I agree with most that should have been the case at launch. Same with the iPhone Smartphone support only, and I am an Android user. I had access to the same amount of information on Amazon, Google, and Kwikset's Website as anyone else and did a moderate amount of research before choosing to preorder a rather expensive lock. Also for people who don't like to read, there were several previews/sitdown videos with the Kevo by sites likes Newegg(really good video), CNET, and others.
To be honest I was really let down when my first unit did not function and especially after I tried a fair amount of troubleshooting on my own to make it work. But the response I got from the Customer Service team (who from my understanding was working overtime/extended hours) to help with these issues was enough to restore my faith in the product. Yes any reviewer who got a defective unit deserves a replacement and from a large company like Kwikset, we shouldn't have to expect this. However they made the process painless and pleasant as possible, and completely rectified the situation. Not many other companies we can say the same about, thats why we love effortless returns at Amazon compared to the Nightmare that is BestBuy or other BigBox Stores :) And sure its Generation 1, and may not be exactly what we wanted, but thats the price of being an early adopter.
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The PROs and CONs list below is more or less focused on smaller aspects of the lock system, as I think you already have to be sold on the idea of a Smart Lock before investing the amount of money into it for a system of locks, fobs and E-Keys.
---PROs---
-LED Lets you know the status of your door
-A decent array of colors(3: Silver, Bronze, and Brass)
-Included fog is small and pre-paired
-The App allows you to send E-Keys rather quickly(also Contacts integration)
-Notifications (which I push to my Pebble Watch)
-Tech Support :)
-SMARTkey Rekeying
---CONs---
-Wiring should be one cable, better sheathed
-WiFi connection, or BLE enabled WiFi addon for remote features(like unlock from phone)
-Leave more room for wiring, hide/shield more sensitive electronics like the board
-The initial setup should be more streamlined, as in more easily repeatable for troubleshooting, but if it all works you should only have to do it one time anyways ;)
-Android app atleast for E-Key management till the BLE software side comes through, this really should be there because it would allow the Kevo App to have a presence in the Play Store then push the update that gives BLE E-Key access
Please feel free to ask me any questions or comments you have. I enjoy reviews and the process of learning more about people's real experiences with products. Thanks for reading.
-Austin
| Brand | Kwikset |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Keyless |
| Lock Type | Keyed One Side |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Home |
| Style | Traditional |
| Color | Satin Nickel |
| Finish Type | Mixed |
| Included Components | Smart Lock, fob |
| Controller Type | nest, iOS, Android |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Item Weight | 3.5 Pounds |
| Control Method | App |
| Connectivity Protocol | Bluetooth |
| Manufacturer | Kwikset - Kevo |
| Part Number | 925 KEVO DB 15 |
| Item Weight | 3.5 pounds |
| Item model number | 99250-002 |
| Batteries | 4 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 Pack |
| Finish | Mixed |
| Power Source | Hand Powered |
| Voltage | 1 Kilovolts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Water Consumption | 1 Gallons per Hour |
| Type of Bulb | Low Pressure Mercury Discharge |
| Number of Handles | 1 |
| Cutting Diameter | 1 Inches |
| Special Features | Keyless |
| Usage | Inside; Professional |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Average Battery Life | 8766 Hours |
| Warranty Description | This product comes with a lifetime mechanical and finish warranty |
| Assembled Diameter | 1 Inches |
