INTRODUCTION

    When I was growing up one of the things that really stood out for me when watching sci-fi movies were all the doors that not only opened by sliding left and right (Star Trek, Star Wars) but also used biometric scans (fingerprint, iris, voice) for access/authorization. This became the standard later even in regular adventure movies and even though such devices were available for certain industries even as far back as two decades ago (if not more) it wasn't until somewhat recently that such technologies made their way to the global consumer market. WELOCK specializes in the design and manufacture of fingerprint and keypad locks which are compatible with most doors regardless of region and with me today I have their SECBN51 (SECBNEBL51) Smart Fingerprint Door Lock.

    WELOCK is a leading smart home access solution provider that focuses on smart door lock development, manufacturing, and marketing for over 10 years. In 2013, we have established our brand WELOCK, dedicated to popularizing high-quality smart home products and providing people with a safe and convenient life experience. WELOCK takes smart lock cylinders and fingerprint lock cylinders as its leading products and has become the first company in the world to implement biometric fingerprint technology in lock cylinders. We've established partnerships in Europe, North America, Middle East, and Australia to provide users with the most localized service and support.

    The SECBN51, just like most products by WELOCK is not a complete door lock, instead it's meant to be used with the lock already inside your door thus cutting down not only the cost but also simplifying installation (just take out the old cylinder and put back in this one). So, the SECBN51 model consists by the main cylinder (adjustable length, up to 100mm), fingerprint and RFID scanners (up to 100 fingerprints and 20 cards can be stored), tiny OLED screen (displays battery life and activity), battery compartment (3xAAA batteries - up to 8000 uses) and a solid rear handle. It also features Bluetooth connectivity which allows it to communicate with your smartphone via the WELOCK app, is IP54 waterproof certified and even sports a failsafe microUSB port which can be used to power the lock in the event all AAA batteries run out of juice. Well, everything checks out so let's take a close look at the SECBN51 smart fingerprint door lock.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

WELOCK uses a blue box to ship the lock which on both sides has a partial product drawing, the company logo and their contact information.

Both the lock and its bundle (located in a plastic box) are placed inside a formed piece of foam.

Along with the SECBN51 inside the box you'll also find 3 RFID cards, cylinder extension, Allen key, push tool, Phillips screwdriver, 5 screws, 2 rubber seals and the Instruction manual.

THE SECBN51

By default, the SECBN51 can fit inside door casings from 30mm and up to 70mm thick but thanks to the included cylinder extension you can even use it on up to 100mm thick doors.

The exterior end of the lock includes the set button, fingerprint scanner and the RFID scanner (Bluetooth connectivity also inside).

Next, we have the cylinder on which we again find contact information for WELOCK.

The rear handle is solid zinc alloy.

The ID printed on the other side of the cylinder is for when you pair the lock to your smartphone.

WELOCK bundles 3 RFID cards with the SECBN51 just in case something happens, and the fingerprint scanner can't be used.

At the front of the lock there's a rubber cover just over the microUSB port and reset button used for emergencies.

To access the battery compartment you will need to remove the zinc alloy cover as seen above (held in place with just a small screw).

Once you install all three AAA batteries you will need to use the large screw found in the bundle to secure the compartment as seen above.

Mounting the SECBN51 requires just removing the handles and the cylinder of your door.

Once you do that just slide the SECBN51 inside as above and you're basically good to go.

Last part is to mount the zinc alloy handle at the rear.

WELOCK APP

For complete control over your new smart lock, you should download the WELOCK app to your smartphone.

As with similar apps you will need to choose the type of product from the main tab.

After that you will need to scan the 2D barcode found right in front of the fingerprint scanner.

From this up you can pair fingerprints and cards with specific users, add/delete fingerprints and cards, set a lock pin, check unlock history records, sync records and time, reset the device back to its factory settings, use the USB reset function, lock/unlock the device, check the status of the batteries and access the Wi-Fi box (didn't get that with our sample).

You can also access a quick menu from the top left of the main tab (here you can see the device is compatible with Alexa and will be compatible with Google Home).

CONCLUSION

    The SECBN51 (SECBNEBL51) was designed with convenience and low-cost in mind and well, it delivers on both. It’s very easy to install (removing the door handle and cylinder, mounting the SECBN51 inside and attaching the door handle again took less than 5 minutes) and costs roughly the same as some of the premium Italian locks sell for where I live. Needless to say, using a fingerprint scanner (and an RFID one) is not for all, I for one happen to like it but some people (older people mostly) don’t feel very comfortable with such smart locks and well, I understand why that is. Luckily WELOCK also makes keypad locks and well, these tend to do better with older people (again, not great however). Worth pointing out is that WELOCK claims that the fingerprint scanner works 98% of the time but during my tests I didn’t encounter a single failure, so I guess that’s good news for everyone (must have used it at least 80 times). As for battery life since WELOCK states that three fully charged AAA batteries can last for up to 8000 locks/unlocks I never came near to that number so that’s not something I can really comment about (all I can say is that the battery level didn’t change at all from the moment I installed the batteries and up until the end of my 2 week review). If I had to nitpick, I’d probably point out the lack of tamper and forced entry alerts which is something other similar models do have in the market and personally find very useful (not as compatible and easy to install however).

    Just in time for this review WELOCK currently has the SECBN51 smart fingerprint lock on sale for just 144.84Euros inside the EU from Amazon.de (use code secbn063 for a final price of 132Euros) and 139Euros directly from WELOCK (use coupon VD50 for a final price of 139Euros), a price tag which is very balanced for what you’re getting. That being said if fingerprint identification is not for you then perhaps one of their keypad models would make a better choice (will try to get one in the lab to test). Still, the SECBN51 as a product delivers as advertised and for that the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Overall Quality
- Fingerprint, RFID & Smartphone Use
- Fingerprint Sensor Accuracy (98%)
- Door Compatibility
- Easy Installation
- Battery Life (Up To 8000 Uses)
- Emergency MicroUSB Port
- WELOCK App
- Current Price Tag (For Some)

CONS

- Requires AAA Batteries (Not Rechargeable)
- No Tamper & Forced Entry Alerts