Overall the Alfred lock is a work in progress. I wouldn’t recommend the lock to most people. If Z-wave S2 security is important to you, than this lock is good value for now. The overall build quality is good, although the inside housing is plastic. The screen is easy to read with very good touch sensitivity.
Installation instructions are clear, but the engineering design is poor. Note, the PR picture supplied on 鶹 is misleading as it shows no hole above the latch hole. This is not the case, as you are required to drill an additional ⅜” hole approx 4” above the latch hole. If you ever want to replace this lock, this hole could be exposed and need repair. The competing units from Yale and Schlage to not require the additional hole. Now my $2000 front door has a new hole in it!
There is a tiny switch on the motherboard to determine the latching direction, very easy to set in the wrong direction requiring you to disassemble and reset the lock. The screws holding the plastic case are tiny and the screw located under the unit is difficult to insert as the door knob interferes with this location. The rubber gasket on the outside display is little to flimsy, the Yale lock has a thicker gasket.
The phone app appears to work well with bluetooth. But be aware, the feature to unlock the door with one touch is beta. Check if your phone will support this feature. I haven’t checked my phone’s ( pixel 3 ) battery drain when this feature is enabled.
Hubitat hub does not support this model and future support is not optimistic.
Check carefully with your hub’s community for any support issues before buying.
Time will tell if Alfred has the resources to support long term.
I’m hoping Alfred does well against the big brands, but more work is needed and quickly.
Update: 4/23/20 Good news: The Alfred DB1 now has a working device driver for the Hubitat hub. I have tested it. The Alfred held up well through the winter weather with no touchpad issues. Added one star.
Update 9/25/20 They updated the installation manual explaining how to install without the requirement for the additional hole. Would have been nice to know back when I installed it. Great support on the new Hubitat C7 hub with S2 security working. ...worth another star.
| Manufacturer | Alfred Inc. |
|---|---|
| Part Number | DB1-C-BL |
| Product Dimensions | 17.15 x 9.53 x 10.16 cm; 1.68 kg |
| Batteries | 4 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Item model number | DB1-C-BL |
| Colour | Black |
| Style | Modern |
| Material | Metal |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Installation Method | Surface-Mounted |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number of Pieces | 4 |
| Special Features | Touchscreen |
| Included Components | Key |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Battery Description | battery_type_aa |
| Item Weight | 1.68 kg |
