Schlage VS Kwikset
If you are reading this article, chances are you trying to decide what type of locks to purchase for your home. Schlage or Kwikset? That seems to be the question on every new homeowner’s mind. While they are certainly not the only two lock options, they are known as the top sellers, controlling over 95% of the market for residential locks. They’re found in just about every hardware store from The Home Depot, Menard’s, to Ace Hardware, and of course your local locksmith shops. So, which one is better you may be asking? To get straight to the point, I will compare between the standard deadbolt of each company as it is the most common lock being sold by both Kwikset and Schlage. The rest of the locks both brands sell do go through similar manufacturing processes, contain many of the same parts, and are also of very high quality standards. So, by comparing their most basic lock, the deadbolt, we can easily determine which one is superior.
Security pins
Think of a security pin as the modified version of a key in a deadbolt, or what is known as a pin-tumbler mechanism, that makes the lock harder to pick. The general consensus is the more security pins a lock is equipped with, the more difficult it is to compromise the lock without destruction involved. Schlage uses 4 security pins or “spool pins”, while Kwikset has chosen to use 2 for their deadbolts.
Drill Resistant Plate
Located at the front side of the lock, is a thin metal plate known as a drill resistant plate. It is what covers and protects the lock, with screws holding it in place. The plate may look like it is there for vanity purposes, but it is actually used to protect the screws that hold the lock in place from any attempts of picking/drilling. This is important because a drill resistant plate should be basically just it sounds, impossible to drill. While there is never a 100% guarantee that the lock or plate cannot be compromised, a drill resistant plate is a great safety measures because it just makes it that much harder to compromise, keeping burglars away. Let’s compare the two brands and see where each brand stands in this category.
The housing in the
Schlage deadbolt is completely resistant to drilling. Not only is it nearly impossible to expose the screws, but a drill resistant plate also guards the face of the cylinder itself, which makes the Schlage lock incredibly difficult to drill through. However, the Kwikset lock is not built with drill resistant plates which makes it very easy to compromise both by picking it open and drilling the cylinder.
Price
Despite the fact that this characteristic does not pertain to the features of the lock, it is still important to view the quality in comparison to the the retail price.
Because Schlage locks are made of stronger materials, are superior in their mechanism, and provide far greater security than Kwikset locks, it should be mentioned that they are more expensive compared to Kwikset. For example, let’s look at the retail price for a deadbolt from both Kwikset and Schlage. Kwikset’s brass deadbolt retails $14 while Schlage’s brass deadbolt retails for $30. Only you can put a price on the security of your property, but I do think the price difference is truly worth it.
Verdict:
In conclusion, the winner here is Schlage. As we can see from the comparisons above, Schlage wins in each category. Due to the excellent protection against against common forced entry methods, stronger drill resistant plates, and overall, affordability. Kwikset, while not a terrible option, it does lack all of these features when compares to Schlage which is a cause for concern when one is looking for optimal safety and security of a home. All in all, Schlage locks are good not only in comparison to Kwikset, but also in general they provide a wide variety of locks that all are created with such great security and are available at a very affordable price.
