I Tested A Palm Recognition Lock That Doubles As A Video Doorbell - And It's Stylish And Smart

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Eufy FamiLock S3 Max is simply a caller video smart fastener disposable for $400.
• This smart fastener besides features a camera and doorbell button, and an indoor surface shows you who is astatine nan door.
• I conscionable wish nan FamiLock S3 Max could unlock pinch quality nickname utilizing nan Eufy HomeBase BionicMind, and nan smart fastener isn't convenient for immoderate users, for illustration those pinch a surface aliases large wind door.

That viral phrase, 'I don't person a favourite kid, but location is 1 we effort really difficult not to annoy,' perfectly fits my rowdy three-year-old. She's unabashedly commandeering yet sweet, ever getting distant pinch mischief. She's tossed our car keys successful nan trash tin and now runs to bust unfastened nan beforehand doorway and invited visitors whenever she hears nan doorbell ringing (sorry, UPS guy).

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We subject her plenty, but we cognize we're nan biggest culprits for her brazenness, being nan babe of nan family. Giving her power complete mini things helps her enactment assured without tipping into chaos. I taught her really to talk to Alexa to power euphony and lights and, much recently, really to adjacent into nan beforehand doorway camera pinch nan Eufy FamiLock S3 Max, which has proven rather effective.

The Eufy Security FamiLock S3 Max was designed to beryllium a family-friendly smart lock, hence nan FamiLock branding. This fastener uses palm-vein nickname for unlocking, a biometric scanning exertion that is much meticulous than fingerprint scans, passcodes, app unlocking, and a beingness key. 

Also: I tested a smart fastener pinch facial recognition, and it spoiled each different 1 for me

On nan inside, nan smart fastener features a show that shows what is happening extracurricular your doorway successful existent time. This is cleanable for kids, visitors, and different family members who whitethorn not person entree to nan Eufy app to spot mobility alerts.

When nan doorbell rings now, my kids tally to nan beforehand doorway and look astatine nan show alternatively of my three-year-old moving to plaything nan beforehand doorway unfastened (yes, I already bought an other child-proof lock). Now, she looks astatine nan lock's show to fulfill her curiosity and runs to show america whether nan 'box motortruck guy' has a box. 

Thanks to nan built-in camera and accompanying doorbell button, nan FamiLock S3 Max besides functions arsenic a video doorbell. This is cleanable if you unrecorded location pinch doorbell restrictions, arsenic immoderate rentals don't let video doorbells, aliases if you conscionable want a 2-in-1 solution. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The champion part? The Eufy FamiLock S3 Max is subscription-free if you adhd a Eufy HomeBase 3 for section storage. The HomeBase tin besides usability arsenic a doorbell chime and a information siren for nan Eufy Security system. 

But nan HomeBase 3's biggest powerfulness is AI-powered facial recognition. It accurately identifies group successful your family to show you precisely who is astatine nan door, whether it's 'Dad' aliases a stranger. I only wish nan HomeBase 3 and FamiLock S3 Max could harvester this characteristic to unlock nan doorway erstwhile a known and authorized personification is detected. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

I'm perpetually testing smart locks, which intends that my family ever has to set to a caller doorway fastener connected nan fly. Though I effort to support akin passcodes erstwhile switching smart locks, nan changeless alteration intends losing saved fingerprint data, which makes it harder for my kids to unlock nan door. 

But galore of nan smart locks pinch fingerprint scanners I've tested person been finicky and unreliable, pinch nan glaring objection of nan Lockly Visage Zeno Series, truthful I was eager to trial thenar vein recognition.

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Palm vein nickname is considered a much meticulous biometric screening than fingerprint scanning. The veins successful your thenar are acold little apt to alteration complete time, dissimilar fingerprints, which are susceptible to changes successful your tegument and tin beryllium temporarily affected by thing arsenic elemental arsenic barren wintertime skin. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Setting up nan thenar vein nickname is besides overmuch quicker than fingerprints, arsenic accelerated arsenic taking a snapshot of your hand. Unlocking nan doorway pinch my thenar has been a soft process this weekend, but I'll trial each of nan FamiLock S3 Max's features complete nan coming weeks earlier nan smart lock's wide release.

ZDNET's buying advice

Testing nan Eufy FamiLock S3 Max has been an easy and convenient acquisition frankincense far. This smart fastener is cleanable for caller and existing Eufy Security customers, particularly if you person nan HomeBase 3 to bypass monthly subscription fees and bask facial nickname alerts. It's easy to instal and has proven itself to beryllium reliable and responsive, ne'er losing connectivity and consistently unlocking and locking erstwhile prompted.

The only drawbacks to this smart fastener are that your position is obstructed if you person a surface aliases large wind doorway successful beforehand of your beforehand door, arsenic I do, nan truth that it doesn't unlock pinch facial recognition, and it is very expensive, though you tin get 1 without an interior show for $50 less.