If you’re looking to add a smart lock solution to your home or business, but don’t want to rely solely on the four AA batteries that power most locks, check out the Schlage Century Touchscreen Deadbolt Lock (model BE469NX CEN619)($300.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window). This sleek single bolt electronic lock features a touch-screen keypad that lets you open and close your door without keys and has a keyed cylinder as a backup. It is also equipped with an extremely loud tamper and forced entry alarm and has built-in Z-Wave wireless capabilities, but it doesn’t have its own app, so you’ll have to pair it with a Z-Wave home automation network to control it remotely. At $199 the Century doesn’t come cheap, but it’s not out of line with other smart locks we’ve looked at. However, its locking mechanism is considerably louder than any lock we’ve reviewed to date.

Design and Features
Straight lines and sharp corners give the Century BE469NX a sleek, contemporary look that will dress up any doorway. The lock is available in a variety of finishes including Satin Nickel, Satin Chrome, Bright Chrome, and Aged Bronze. The exterior escutcheon measures 5.0 by 3.0 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and features a 2.5 by 2.3 inch touch screen and a keyed cylinder. The resistive touch-screen panel uses a slightly textured matte coating that resists fingerprint smudging. This not only keeps the lock looking sharp, but also prevents would-be burglars from stealing your access codes.

The touch screen remains dark until you press the Schlage logo at the top, at which point the lock emits a beep and the number pad’s extra-large digits glow blue. A green check mark in the lower left corner lights up when you’ve correctly entered an access code and when you’ve successfully engaged the lock, and a red X lights up when you’ve entered the wrong code or if the bolt cannot fully extend for some reason (if the door is not closed all the way, for example).

The interior escutcheon measures 8.0 by 3.0 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and has a 0.6-inch thumb-turn lever, a Schlage alarm button, and a matte black removable battery cover. The lock takes four AA batteries (not included). Behind a small hole in the cover is a speaker that issues soft beeps when the touch-screen buttons are pressed, and piercing 90 dB beeps when someone is messing with the lock. The Century has three alarm modes; Active (gives off two short beeps when the lock is engaged), Tamper (senses activity while the lock is in lock mode and sounds a 15 second 90 dB alarm), and Forced Entry (senses significant force while locked and sounds a steady three minute 90 dB alarm). You can change the alarm mode and its sensitivity by pressing and holding the interior Schlage button (a pattern of flashes will indicate the alarm type and sensitivity level).

The Century comes with a predetermined master code and two user access codes which are printed on the User Guide and on the interior of the lock itself. You’ll need the master code to create and delete user codes (up to 30 unique codes), enable vacation mode (disables all user codes), and enable or disable the speaker. The master code also allows you to enable the Lock and Leave feature, which locks the door behind you when you press the Schlage button, and the Auto-Lock feature, which automatically locks the door behind you after 30 seconds.

This lock has a built-in Z-Wave radio that allows you to control it from your smartphone or PC, but as with the Yale Real Living Touchscreen Lock($499.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), it lacks a dedicated app, which means you’ll need a compatible home automation setup such as the Nexia Home Intelligence System or the Staples Connect Hub to manage it remotely.

Installation and Performance

Installation and Performance
The Century comes with Installation and User Guides, a bolt, strike, and strike reinforcement plate, a support plate, mounting screws, and a backup key. It fits doors that are 1-3/8 to 1-3/4 inches thick with a 1-1/2 or 2-1/8-inch crossbore.

I installed the century in a door with precut holes, which took all of ten minutes. After installing the bolt and strike, I attached the exterior escutcheon to the support plate and ran the data cable through the plate and door holes. Attaching the cable was tricky since it’s relatively short, especially if you have big hands, but I succeeded on my third try. I attached the interior escutcheon to the support plate, installed the batteries, and made sure the bolt slid into the strike easily.

On its own, the lock performed without a hitch. I programmed several user codes, all of which worked like a charm, and enabled the Forced Entry alarm, which also worked flawlessly, but was much too sensitive out of the box. The alarm sounded when my dog bumped up against the door and when someone knocked. Pressing the interior Schlage button quelled the alarm as promised, and I set about changing the alarm sensitivity, which is outlined in the User guide and fairly easy to do. There are five settings; I used setting number four, which offered the most reasonable sensitivity without setting off the alarm accidentally. I like that the alarm will sound if four incorrect codes are entered in succession.

I paired the Century lock to a Staples Connect hub and was able to check the lock’s status (locked or unlocked) and lock and unlock the door, but for now, this particular hub does not support scheduling and trigger events. The same goes for the SmartThings Hub($290.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window); it recognized the lock and let me lock and unlock it, but that’s all it let me do. I then paired it with the Nexia Home Intelligence Bridge, which gave me full control over the lock. From the Nexia menu I could enable vacation mode, create recurring and one-time scheduled codes for each day of the week, enable alarms, and disable the Auto-Lock feature. The Nexia app also let me create a trigger that sent an email alert when a specific user code was entered. The beauty of the Nexia is that you can create scenarios where the lights and thermostats come on when the door is unlocked or when a motion sensor is triggered. (More on this in my upcoming Nexia Bridge review.)

Conclusion
The Schlage Century Touchscreen Deadbolt Lock offers a wealth of security features in a stylish package. For those who are wary of the potential pitfalls of using an electronic lock, the Century’s keyed cylinder provides peace of mind, as do the Tamper and Forced Entry alarms. Moreover, the lock’s smudge-resistant touch screen makes it difficult for anyone to gain unauthorized access to your home or place of business. However, its locking mechanism is loud, and in order to take full advantage of its “smart” features, you’ll need a Z-Wave compatible home automation hub or the fee-based Nexia Home Intelligence bridge, which means you’ll have to shell out more cash if your home is not yet connected. It you’re not ready to invest in a full-blown home automation solution, the LockState LS-500I( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) gives you remote access via a smartphone app that offers scheduling and email alerts, and it doesn’t require a hub. It will cost you around $12 a year for a subscription, though.