The SECURAM Touch smart lock is built tough, and the feature set is exceptional for this price point. Its solid aluminum construction feels exceptionally sturdy. If you’re not as concerned with the cost as you are with a high-quality, good-looking door lock, then the SECURAM Touch is a great buy.
- Fingerprint Scanner
- Multiple Entry Modes
- Alexa Integration
- Easy Installation
- Auto-Locking
- Remote Operation (When Paired With Smart Hub)
- Spy Proof Code Entry
- Low Battery Warning Light
- Single Use Codes for Visitors or In-Home Services
- 12 Month Warranty
- Brand: SECURAM
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Integrations: Alexa
- Compatible Locks: N/A
- Battery: (2) CR123
- Keypad: Yes
- Tough Aluminum Construction
- Mechanical Key Included
- IP64 Rating
- 30 User Capacity; Stores 2 Fingerprints Per User
- Keypad, Fingerprint, Key, or App Entry
- Easy to Install
- Auto Lock Is Awesome
- Pricey
- 9V Access Limited
- Poor Cold Resistance Per Manufacturer Limitations
- Unable to Use Key Organizer
- Need to Purchase Smart Hub for Remote Control
SECURAM Touch
amazon
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If you’re looking to improve the security of your home, a smart front door lock is an easy upgrade. Smart locks offer many additional features over the standard deadbolt, the biggest one of which is customizability. Unfortunately, finding a quality smart lock that will deliver excellent performance and solid construction is a difficult task.
That’s why Securam has decided to turn its 29 years of experience toward creating a smart home lock that offers several new features to homeowners. But is it worth your hard-earned cash? In this review, we’re looking at the new Securam Touch smart lock to help you decide if it upholds Securam’s bulletproof reputation.
What Makes SECURAM Touch Different?
Fingerprint recognition is a biometric technology that some major smart lock manufacturers like Kwikset, Eufy, and Securam, have all embraced. While biometrics isn’t a new technology in commercial applications, many smart home product manufacturers have overlooked this technology for the everyday homeowner. But fingerprint scanning—if accurate—can mean a high degree of security. It can also offer the ability to leave your bulky set of keys at home.
Securam’s new Touch smart lock takes advantage of this biometric fingerprint scanning. According to Securam, its scanner uses “radio frequency fingerprint recognition.” Research on this terminology didn’t yield much with regard to physical fingerprints, however, fingerprinting of radio signals is something that has been studied extensively.
In addition to fingerprint scanning, the Touch also offers three additional ways to gain access to your home. You may use the included security key, enter an access code into the touchpad, or unlock your door remotely using the Securam app and the Securam Smart Hub.
What’s In The Box?
- Securam Touch Smart Lock Assembly
- Rear Mounting Plate
- Painter’s Tape
- Strike Plate
- Deadbolt
- Open/Close Magnet
- All hardware to install
In addition to the lock, Securam provided us with a Smart Hub. This Smart Hub normally increases the cost of the Securam package by $89.
Installing the SECURAM Touch Smart Lock
The Securam Touch lock required only a few steps to install, and only one tool—a Philips-head screwdriver. This means that installation for most people will be extremely easy. First, remove your old lock, deadbolt, and strike plate, and then replace them with the Securam deadbolt, strike plate, mounting bracket, and finally the lock.
Securam also provided a strip of painter’s tape to hold the front face of the lock in place while installing. This is a minor detail, but an important one if you’re trying to install the lock by yourself. Batteries are also included in the kit. Once the lock is installed, just pop in the batteries and start programming.
Total installation time took roughly 25 minutes, and that included stopping to take photos for this article. If there’s one thing that Securam has done right, it’s made the installation of this smart lock simple.
One important recommendation to increase the security of this smart lock is to replace the provided door strike screws with a longer variant. We’d recommend 3” screws as they offer added resistance to impacts that might damage the door frame. This is an optional purchase and will require light drilling, but for only a few cents at the hardware store, you can improve the overall security of this smart lock.
SECURAM Touch Smart Lock Operation
Before you can use your new Securam smart lock, you’ll have to program an administrator into the system. This is done by pressing the Settings button on the lock and then entering the default administrator password. Once that is complete, the lock will ask to configure a new password. After, the lock will ask to scan the administrator’s fingerprints.
The fingerprint scanner on this lock holds up to 30 unique users, and each user can register two fingerprints. The lock also assigns a code to each “owner” when they are added. The “owner” profile class is used to recognize users with permanent access.
There are also two additional profile types. The first is “administrator,” or superuser, and the last is “visitor,” which is used to grant temporary access to guests or in-home service personnel
Biometrics functioned well during testing, and even after this reviewer caked his fingertips in dirt, the sensor still recognized them. It was only when mud completely covered my fingertip that the biometric sensor got a bit cranky.
This may be important for those who are constantly finding themselves with dirt or grime on their hands. Mechanics, like myself, can rejoice in this fact. In addition to my own fingerprints, the other member of my household was able to configure her fingerprints without issue.
Locking the Securam Touch can be performed in one of two ways: touching the number pad, or enabling the auto-locking feature in the Securam App. One-touch locking is a neat feature, as it’s nice to lock the house with only a single button press as opposed to entering a four-digit code.
For the ultimate in laziness, however, it’s best to enable the auto-lock feature. This feature sets the locking function to activate upon door closure, or after 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1, 2, 3, or 5 minutes. After setting the app to 15 seconds and receiving a grocery delivery that was interrupted by constant locking and unlocking, I chose to use 3 minutes.
SECURAM Touch and Alexa Integration
One of the best features of the Securam Touch is its integration with Amazon Alexa. By enabling the Securam skill in Alexa, you are able to lock and unlock your front door using just your voice and an Alexa-enabled smart device.
This might make you wonder what happens if a passerby shouts “Alexa, open front door” from the street. Well, rest assured, Alexa requires a verbal PIN code to use the unlock feature. Unfortunately, it also means there is one more code to remember alongside your lock access code.
We tested this feature from different parts of the house, and while we were able to get our Amazon Echo and Echo Dot to recognize the smart lock and lock it, any time we tried to unlock the front door with our voice, Alexa reported no response.
However, this might be due to a weak signal. Our door lock was a single floor below our Echo devices. We’d like to giveSecuram the benefit of the doubt here, but it is important to note that the voice lock function seemed to work without issue regardless of distance.
Cold-Weather Testing
The product documentation for the Securam Touch indicates that it has a temperature limitation of 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10C) at the cold end and 120 degrees Fahrenheit (60C) at the warm end. Heat performance for a smart door lock in this instance is acceptable, but cold-weather performance may be concerning for users in colder climates.
Here in New England for example, it is not uncommon to see temperatures plummet into the single digits and stay there for multiple days during the winter. Couple that with snow and ice, and there is a strong possibility that the cold might exceed this lock’s temperature limitations.
During testing, the demo model Touch we received was subject to cold temperatures outside at a minimum of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but this was only for a few hours before the sun came up. Therefore, lock behavior at hard limits could not be determined.
My guess is that this lock will perform well for most folks, but for colder climates, it might be worth considering options that are more suited to colder temperatures.
SECURAM Mechanical Keys
There were a few additional limitations of this smart lock that are worth mentioning in this review. First was the security key. For most people, having an extra key on their keyring defeats the purpose of owning a smart lock. However, because this lock is battery-operated, it is important to have another method of entry if the batteries die.
These keys aren’t your standard house key. Instead, they feature a design similar to a laser-cut vehicle key. This design is used in the automotive industry to increase the security of ignition locks.
Despite the added security that the Touch’s key brings, I ran into a single limitation. Under most circumstances, I carry a KeySmart Rugged to keep my keys from jingling around in my pocket. I tried to use the KeySmart Rugged with the Securam mechanical key, but the lower doorknob on my door blocked the Rugged, and it wasn’t able to turn far enough to fully throw the deadbolt.
This means if you’re using a key organizer—like many folks—then you’ll want to make sure you keep the Securam key out of it. While smaller key organizers like the OrbitKey may work, we didn’t have one to test with this unit.
Can You Pick the SECURAM Touch?
We wanted to test the potential pickability of this lock. While this reviewer is no locksmith, I do have tools available to pick common locks. That’s why, in the name of science and good journalism, I dug up my lock picks and gave it a go.
One of the most effective ways of picking locks is called “scrubbing” which involves raking a lock pick along the pins while tension is applied to the lock cylinder. Using this technique on most standard household locks will unlock them very quickly.
I could not pick the lock on the Securam Touch. I “scrubbed” the keyway for about ten minutes before finally giving up and using the included key.
Additional 9V Lockout Prevention
Aside from the key, another lockout prevention feature that is offered by Securam is the ability to use a 9V battery to power the lock when dead. If batteries on the unit die the user can place this battery on two contacts at the seven o’clock position of the lock face to enable entry for a short period of time.
This is a great feature, but there’s a bit of an issue with the logic here. If you don’t have a mechanical key, and you’re locked outside of your house, there is a slim possibility you’ll have a 9V battery in your pocket.
Conversely, if you are the type of person that carries spare 9V batteries around, then just disregard this limitation. But, for this reviewer, the only 9V batteries in my home are housed in my smoke detectors.
Also of note is the location of the contacts. For those who have door locks mounted on the right side of their door, these contacts are easily accessible. But, for those with their lock on the left side of the door like me, these contacts become unusable.
I tried to position a 9V battery on the contacts but no amount of pushing or shoving would allow me to touch the connections. I suppose you might carry a jumper wire with you if you were so inclined, but again we’re adding additional items to your daily carry outfit.
The SECURAM Smart Hub
With the lock sent to us by Securam, we also received a Securam Smart Hub. This hub is the key to enabling remote access for your Touch smart lock. By configuring the hub, and pairing it with your mobile device, it becomes possible to trigger unlock and lock events from anywhere with internet access.
This is a desirable upgrade for those who want to limit access to their home at certain hours, or who want to unlock the door for a stranded family member. Unfortunately, the Smart Hub normally adds an additional $89 to the total cost of the Securam package. (Though you can often find reasonably-priced bundle deals on Securamsmart.com)
It should be noted that the Smart Hub only supports 2.4 GHz wireless networks. If you’re thinking of buying this hub then you may want to check your home wireless network to make sure it’s compatible.
The ideal position for this hub may also be an issue, as it needs to be within 30 feet of the wireless router per Securam’s instructions. It must also be within the same distance of the smart lock.
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for (var i = 0; i In our configuration, the smart lock is downstairs, adjacent to the garage, while the Smart Hub is 10 feet above, on the next floor. Despite this proximity, the hub still reports the smart lock’s connection as Medium to Weak at certain times.
Of course, this may also be related to the construction of the home where this unit is being used. Regardless of these limitations, the Smart Hub is still an excellent addition to a solid smart lock package.
It’s important for us to note that this review is centered only around the Securam Touch lock, so no points were deducted based on the Smart Hub’s performance. But, in an effort for full transparency, we wanted to include our experience so you could make an informed decision.
Can You Repair the SECURAM Touch?
Not really. You can replace the batteries, but there aren’t any user-serviceable components in the smart lock body itself. If you needed to replace one-half of the lock and were able to find a replacement from Securam, then perhaps yes. But this lock is not meant to be tinkered with by the end-user.
Should I Buy the SECURAM Touch Smart Lock?
Overall we feel the Securam smart lock earns a solid 8.3 out of 10. There aren’t many reasons why we wouldn’t recommend this lock.
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a smart lock with built-in remote access, then you’ll need to up your budget by almost $90 to enable this capability. At the time of writing, the Touch smart lock retails for around $239. At full price, the Smart Hub add-on takes the package to over $300.
Is this a good value? That depends. Other smart lock manufacturers like Eufy and Kwikset employ similar biometric technology for a lower cost. And Kwikset’s Halo system offers remote access for around the same price as the Securam Touch by itself. So, the features of these other locks should be considered before making a commitment.
However, the Securam Touch smart lock is built tough, and the feature set is exceptional for this price point. The solid aluminum construction just feels sturdy. If you’re not concerned about cost as much as about buying a high-quality, good-looking door lock, then the Securam Touch is excellent.
If features like multiple entry methods are important to you, then this lock is also a good buy. And, for households mixing the tech-savvy with the technophobic, having physical keys or coded entry is something that will please everyone. But, if budget is your main deciding factor then you might want to choose another option.
We feel the Securam Touch is pretty great, and if you are willing to pay a little extra for additional features, then we think you’ll be very happy.