Viral On TikTok: Is This Smart Lock Door Handle As Good As They Say?

Many front doors have two locking mechanisms — a deadbolt and a knob or level. There are now many smart deadbolts that allow you to use passwords, fingerprints, and even your smartphone to unlock your front door. However, you'll still need to fish out your keys to open the doorknob, which cancels out the convenience of having a smart lock like the SwitchBot Lock Pro.

So, if you've already started automating your home, why not add your doorknob (or door lever) to that list? The Ironzon F190 Smart Door Lock is one such smart door lever that will help you secure your home with a fingerprint or passcode, and it's going viral on TikTok because of its ease of use. But is it really easy to use? Let's check out the Ironzon F190 Smart Door Lock to see if it's really that easy to install, program, and use. More importantly, will it help you keep your house secured or will it just be something that anyone can easily bypass?

The Ironzon F190 Smart Door Lock includes everything you need to install on an already existing or even a new door. It comes with the key, strike plate, a square spindle, the latch bolt assembly, the indoor and outdoor levers, and two emergency keys.

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It also comes with four screws for mounting the latch bolt and strike plate, two handle screws, two short and two long connecting pipes, and a screwdriver. You should note, though, that you need four AAA batteries to use the door lever, and it's not included in the package.

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I chose black for the lever, as it matches the color of my SwitchBot Lock Pro, but it's also available in silver. The F190 costs $49.99 if you choose the 'None APP' option. But if you want to control the smart lock from your phone, you must pick the 'App' style, which is only available in silver and costs $10 more.

It's pretty easy to install the smart door lock. Since the Ironzon F190 uses standard measurements, it would just slide in any door which already has pre-existing doorknob or door lever. You also won't have a problem if you're working with a new door that already has pre-existing cutouts. Even if you're starting with a blank slate and need to cut out the holes for the knob, you can just stick to the standard requirements for knobs and levers, and you'd be good to go.

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You also get a colored instructional booklet that lists everything included in the package. It has clear text and images, meaning it's easy to follow along if you're DIY-ing the installation. If you're still confused with the printed directions, you can also scan the QR code under the box that will lead to the instructional YouTube video. However, the instructions do not list the things you need to finish the installation.

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While the package already included a small screwdriver, you can't use it to tighten the big screws that will secure the knob to your door. In fact, it's barely enough to open the battery compartment. There's also nowhere in the instructions or box that states that the batteries come separately, so it's a good thing that I always stock some AAs and AAAs at home.

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With the installation complete, you can now program your fingerprints and passwords to the smart lock. Again, the instructions are clear, and you can easily follow it to program the door lever. It can store up to 50 fingerprints and 100 passwords, allowing everyone who lives in your house (up to five people) to register all their fingers and have their own unique codes.

However, the shape of the lever makes the right thumb or left thumb, depending on how your door opens, the most obvious choice to use for opening the lock. It's also convenient to use as you can scan your finger at any orientation and the smart lock would still recognize it.

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The only downside with this particular door lever is that its keypad is limited to the numbers one through eight. So, you cannot have a code that includes nine and zero. If you want that, you need to get the slightly more expensive F200 version. Also, the TY190 model, which lets you control the smart lock with your phone, wasn't available in black. Because of that, we couldn't test how well it works with the app.

There are three ways you can unlock the Ironzon F190. The first way is to use the fingerprint. All you need to do is to tap your registered finger on the sensor, and you're good to go. It works pretty fast and is usually accurate, reading my fingerprint in less than a second or two. It also has a status light that shows me if the fingerprint reading was successful or not.

If the fingerprint reader isn't working well, or if you want to let someone in and they haven't registered their finger yet, you could also give them a code. Just touch the surface and the digits would light up, you can then enter your code and the door would unlock if its correct. If you mistyped the code, the indicator light turns red.

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Finally, if your fingerprint and code refuse to work, you could unlock it with a physical key. There are two keys included in the package, and you can have it recopied by a locksmith. However, it doesn't use the usual key from Yale, so you'll need to find someone who has blanks that match the included keys.

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The door lever also has a single USB-C port on the outside, allowing you to power it if it runs out of battery. It's not a problem on the outside, though, as the inner lever is physically connected to the latch bolt and will open whether it has power or not.

If you're looking for a more convenient way to secure your door, the Ironzon F190 Smart Door Lock is useful upgrade for your home. You can register as many as 50 fingerprints and 100 passwords on it, allowing everyone to have their unique access to the lock. It's easy to install and operate, and it's also reasonably secure.

It has great build quality and doesn't feel like it will break off if you put weight on the door lever. You also get two color options — silver and black — allowing you to get a smart door lock that will fit in your home's aesthetics.

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You can also use this for interior doors that you want to keep secure. For example, if you have a cleaning lady that comes by, and you want to ensure that they stay out of your home office or main bedroom. Install this smart door lock. and your door will always be secured; only registered users will have easy access. But if you want remote access to let delivery people drop off your packages in your house, then make sure to get the more expensive model — the $10 difference will make it worth it to secure your deliveries.