Shelter ยท Gear Review
Best Deadbolt Locks. Four doors, four answers.
The Schlage B60 is the right lock for most exterior doors: Grade 1, AAA rated, and it ships with the long screws that make the biggest difference against a kick. Here is how it compares.
At a glance: Schlage B60
Strengths
- Certified ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 and BHMA AAA, the top rating for security, durability, and finish.
- Ships with a reinforced strike and 3-inch screws that reach the door framing.
- Universal backset fits nearly every standard exterior door.
- Backed by a limited lifetime mechanical and finish warranty.
Limitations
- The tight strike opening leaves little room for a door that is slightly out of alignment.
- Some owners report the finish scratching during installation.
- Rekeying requires a locksmith or a pin kit and some patience.
The verdict
One lock for most doors, three for specific jobs.
Before the comparison: here is where we land, and why.
Best overall
Schlage B60
Grade 1 and AAA certified, with a reinforced strike and 3-inch screws in the box. The default for every exterior door.
~$30 to $55 by finish
Rekey it yourself
Kwikset 980 SmartKey
Grade 1 certified, and you can rekey it in under a minute with no locksmith. Best for move-ins and rentals with unknown keys.
~$30 to $45
Best keypad
Schlage BE365
Code entry with no Wi-Fi, no app, and a key backup. One 9V battery lasts up to two years. Grade 2, AAA rated.
~$120 to $170
Upgrade for key control
Medeco 4 Maxum
UL 437 high-security cylinder with patented keys copied only through authorized dealers. Bought and keyed through a locksmith.
~$300 and up, plus locksmith
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Why the pick wins
The lock is only half the job.
In Consumer Reports' kick tests, most failures were at the frame, not the lock. The Schlage B60 wins because it addresses both halves out of the box.
01
Top grades, verified
Schlage lists it as ANSI/BHMA A156.36 Grade 1 and BHMA AAA under the residential standard, the highest marks for security, durability, and finish.
02
The screws are in the box
Schlage includes a reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws. Many locks ship with short strike screws that grip only the trim.
03
Fits almost any door
A universal 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset and a 1-3/8 to 1-7/8 inch door range cover nearly every standard exterior door.
04
Sold everywhere
Hardware stores stock it in about a dozen finishes, so every exterior door can match and every lock can be keyed alike.
Consumer Reports' lab testing backs the frame-first logic. Its engineers report that when a door fails their battering-ram test, the cause is more often than not the short screws holding the strike plate to the frame, and that a reinforced strike plate improves kick-in resistance significantly. That is why the included 3-inch screws weigh so heavily in this pick. (Consumer Reports)
Consumer Reports' current top conventional deadbolt is a Kwikset model. We still pick the Schlage B60 because its certified ratings, included reinforcement, and lifetime warranty are stated plainly on Schlage's spec page and the box, and it is sold in nearly every hardware store. If your local store carries the Kwikset that tested best, it is a sound choice too.
The picks
Four deadbolts, each for a different door.
Every pick here is a single-cylinder lock: a key outside and a thumb turn inside, so anyone in the house can get out fast.
Best overall
Schlage B60 Single Cylinder Deadbolt
The B60 is a plain, all-metal deadbolt with a long track record, and it holds the highest certified ratings a residential deadbolt can earn. Nothing about it is clever. It throws a 1-inch bolt into a reinforced strike held by 3-inch screws, and it keeps doing that for years.
The cylinder is a standard 5-pin design on Schlage's C keyway, which means any locksmith can rekey it and any hardware store can cut copies. That is a convenience, not a security feature: if you need control over who can copy your keys, see the Medeco below.
Installing it on an existing bore takes about half an hour per door. Expect the strike to need careful alignment; the opening is cut tight, which is good for security and fussy on a door that has settled.
Specifications
Rekey it yourself
Kwikset 980 with SmartKey
SmartKey lets you rekey the lock yourself: insert the working key, turn, use the small tool, insert the new key. Owners consistently report it taking well under a minute. For a household that just moved in, or a landlord turning over a unit, that solves the problem of keys you cannot account for, today, without a service call.
The 980 is Grade 1 certified and carries a lifetime mechanical and finish warranty. It uses Kwikset's KW1 keyway, so it can be rekeyed to match other Kwikset locks you already own.
The tradeoff is reputation: SmartKey cylinders drew sustained criticism from locksmiths after bypass tools appeared for early versions. Kwikset redesigned the sidebar and tightened tolerances in the late 2000s, and trade press reported the redesign made force-tool attacks less likely to succeed and likely to leave visible damage. (Locksmith Ledger)
Bypass-tool demonstrations against SmartKey still circulate online, and the debate continues. For the opportunistic break-ins most households face, the frame matters far more; if covert attack is your concern, choose the Medeco.
Specifications
Best keypad
Schlage BE365 Keypad Deadbolt
The BE365 gives you keypad entry without the chores that come with smart locks. There is no Wi-Fi, no app, and no account to secure. You get up to 19 codes, a key cylinder for backup, and a single 9V battery that Schlage rates for up to two years, with a low-battery indicator before it runs down.
That suits households with kids coming home alone, a regular dog walker, or a parent who forgets keys. Give each person their own code and delete it when the arrangement ends.
It is rated Grade 2 and AAA, a step below the B60 on the deadbolt grade. It does not lock itself; you press the Schlage button on the way out. If you want auto-lock and remote access, that is a Wi-Fi smart lock, a different purchase with different upkeep.
Specifications
Upgrade for key control
Medeco 4 Maxum Deadbolt
Medeco builds its Maxum deadbolt to UL 437, the standard for high-security key locks, with hardened steel inserts and rotating pins for drill and pick resistance. The bigger household benefit is the patented M4 key system: keys come only through authorized Medeco providers, which Medeco says makes unauthorized duplication virtually impossible. (Medeco)
That matters for homes with a history of loose keys, households with caregivers or contractors coming and going, or anyone who simply wants to know exactly how many keys exist.
It costs several times what the B60 does, and key copies cost more and take a trip to the dealer. We do not link a retailer here: buy it through an authorized Medeco locksmith, who sets up the key control that is the point of the lock. Many online listings are for the older M3 version.
Specifications
What owners actually say
Beyond the spec sheet, after the install.
These patterns come from owner reviews across thousands of ratings. A theme appears here only when many owners raise it independently.
Schlage B60
Owners consistently describe solid metal construction and a key that turns smoothly, and most find the install straightforward with ordinary tools.
The recurring complaints are fit and finish: a strike opening with almost no tolerance, face screws that strip if driven too hard, and finishes that scratch during installation. A smaller number report units arriving with missing parts from third-party sellers.
Kwikset 980
Owners consistently praise how fast SmartKey rekeying is, and many bought it specifically to rekey a newly purchased home themselves.
Durability reviews are mixed, with some owners reporting wear after four or five years of daily use. Others mention a strike hole that needed filing to fit, the occasional unit that failed out of the box, and the security debate described above.
Schlage BE365
Owners consistently like the simple code management and the battery life, and many value that it works with no app or internet at all.
The pattern worth knowing: a share of long-term owners, including people managing many units, report the inside thumb turn starting to spin without engaging the bolt after years of use. Some also mention buttons that need a firm press.
We found too little owner discussion of the Medeco 4 Maxum to report patterns. Its buyers mostly purchase through locksmiths rather than retail listings.
The one thing to know
Use the long screws, every time.
Every deadbolt on this page is only as strong as the wood its strike is screwed into. When a lock ships with 3-inch screws, use them in the strike and at least one hole of each hinge. When it does not, buy a box of 3-inch screws for a few dollars.
Drive them snug, not hard. Overtightening pulls the jamb inward and the bolt starts to bind, and a bolt that does not extend fully gives you little of the grade you paid for. Our locks and door reinforcement handbook explains the whole door, step by step.
How they fail, what they cost
What wears out, and what to do then.
A mechanical deadbolt costs almost nothing to own. The keypad adds a battery; the Medeco adds key copies.
Schlage B60
The usual failure is a sticky or binding bolt, most often from a strike that has drifted out of line as the door settles, so realign the strike before blaming the lock. A worn key is the other common culprit; cut a fresh copy from the original, and lean on the lifetime mechanical warranty for the lock itself. Ongoing cost: nothing beyond an occasional key.
Kwikset 980
Complaints about SmartKey include rekeys that leave neither the old nor the new key working, so follow the steps exactly and test the new key with the door open before you close it. Worn units fall under the lifetime warranty. Ongoing cost: nothing.
Schlage BE365
Change the 9V battery when the low-battery light comes on, not after, and keep a spare by the door and the key somewhere you can reach from outside. If the inside thumb turn starts spinning freely, contact Schlage about the electronics and mechanical warranties. Ongoing cost: one 9V battery every year or two, covered in our 9V battery comparison.
Medeco 4 Maxum
Mechanically durable; the ongoing cost is control. Every key copy and rekey goes through your authorized dealer, which costs more and takes a visit. Keep a written record of who holds each key.
What we didn't pick
And who should skip these.
Double-cylinder versions
Each of these locks comes in a version keyed on both sides, and we do not recommend it on any door you might leave through in a fire, because nobody inside can open it without the key. If glass near the lock is the worry, fix the glass instead. The handbook's safety section explains why.
Ungraded bargain deadbolts
Online marketplaces are full of $12 to $20 deadbolts with no BHMA grade or an ungraded "ANSI" claim. Consumer Reports' lowest-rated locks failed its drilling, picking, and kick-in tests. Our advice: spend the few extra dollars on a certified lock.
Who should skip these picks
If your exterior door is hollow-core, replace the door before buying any lock; no deadbolt holds in a door that splits. If you rent and cannot change the lock, ask the landlord to rekey it and add longer strike screws. If you want auto-lock and phone access, wait for our smart lock comparison.
Where it fits in your readiness
A baseline, not an emergency purchase.
A good deadbolt belongs in the Survive tier: the everyday baseline a household has in place before any hazard arrives.
Hurricane and wildfire evacuations
An evacuation can leave a home empty for days. Every exterior door locked and anchored is part of leaving it ready.
Power outages
Mechanical deadbolts do not care about the grid. A battery keypad like the BE365 keeps working too, and its key works when the battery does not.
Civil disruption
During unrest nearby, a door that resists a kick makes a home a poor target, the same way it does on an ordinary Tuesday.
Maintenance
Five minutes, twice a year.
- Close the door and turn the deadbolt. It should throw fully without pushing or lifting the door. If it does not, adjust the strike.
- Check that the strike and hinge screws are still snug.
- Test every key you hand out, and retire any that stick.
- On a keypad lock, check the battery indicator and keep a spare battery by the door.
- Clean the finish with a soft damp cloth, not an abrasive cleaner.