Review on Schlage FE599NX CAM 716 ACC by Chris Scalia

Almost all available SmartLock products are designed for deadbolts. Smart deadbolt locks usually need a motor to turn the deadbolt on/off. As a result, they're larger, have shorter battery life, and can jam if your latch needs to "wiggle". The advantage of a cam lock is that to "lock” the device, all it has to do is detach the cam handle from the mechanism (so nothing happens when you turn the handle). Unlocking is just the opposite. As a result, these devices are usually smaller, have better battery life, etc. There may be other reasons you might need a latch (security, hardware you already have), but other things being equal, these devices are easier to use. Just for our house. has a cam lock, not a deadbolt. So by the time I found this product I was on my way to figure out how to put a deadbolt on my door. I was so happy when I found this! Installation took a few minutes - great online tutorial video by Schlage. All you need is a screwdriver. It comes with a physical backup key in case the device fails for any reason. I've had it for 2 months and the battery is down 15% so at this rate I only have to change batteries once a year or less. I use mine with Samsung SmartThings Hub. Pairing is easy if you follow the instructions. Samsung SmartThings' native device type handler (DTH) and smart lock app works fine, but there is a better option coded by RBoy (search for RBoy apps) that offers much more flexibility and solves the specific problem fixes where the lock is not working. Don't send a signal when it's automatically "locked back" so the app's lock status isn't in sync with the lock itself (it shows as unlocked when it's actually locked). The RBoy app also allows you to set up schedules for key codes (for example, if you want to create a code that only works on certain days of the week, at certain times, in certain modes, or set it to automatically expire after a certain time) . period or number of uses) as well as notifications about the use of certain codes. Overall I am very happy with the product and the SmartThings integration. I would deduct 1/2 stars if I could for two reasons: First, I wish I didn't have to buy a separate DTH for additional features (named codes). , notifications, auto-block, scheduled passcodes, etc.), I wish it came natively with SmartThings, but that's an issue with both Samsung and Schlage. Second, I would like this lock to support codes longer than 4 digits for added security. As an example of how useful these things are, we installed them in a country home 100 miles away. The temperature dropped a lot last week and I was very afraid that the pipes would freeze. I called my neighbor and asked him to check the house and leave the faucets running so they don't freeze. While he was walking to our house I was able to provide a code on my iPhone which worked great. We will also be able to use it to remotely set up codes for guests who want to borrow a house, housekeepers, handymen, plumbers and others without having to distribute and collect physical keys. In my opinion, all this convenience and tranquility is worth the price of the castle.