The Future is keyless thanks to the Igloohome Smart Padlock
Padlocks are a tried and tested method of keeping something safe. Be it a postbox, a safe or even a cargo container, a padlock will in most cases, protect your belongings from theft. But somewhere along the line, someone had an idea to make a padlock more intelligent. Thus, we have the Igloohome Smart Padlock.
The packaging includes the padlock, a CR2 Lithium battery, a Torx Security Screwdriver and related reading material
If you’re not familiar with Igloohome, they are a company based in Singapore, that manufactures and provides smart locks and infrastructure for both home and industrial use. Founded by Anthony Chow and Kelvin Ho, the company’s products are sold in over 100 countries globally. The reasoning for the duo to create a lineup of Smartlocks is due to the popularity of AirBnB.
Unlocking the igloohome smart padlock via Bluetooth is as simple as it can be
“When Kelvin and I started the company, we simply wanted to offer a solution for Airbnb hosts who were inconvenienced by key handovers at awkward hours. As rental hosts ourselves then, we thought life could be made easier if access was never an issue. We wanted to unlock freedom for people to make the most out of every moment”, shares Anthony on the igloohome website. With these words in mind, I was ready to see what the igloohome Smart Padlock had to offer.
The Igloohome Smart Padlock
Time to throw away your keys
I held the padlock in my hand, and my first thought was “wow this thing is heavy!”. My second thought was to not drop it on my toe or my phone. The padlock weighs in at 450g and has a matte black body. The device itself is made up of industrial Most of the body is taken up by a number pad (1-0), a Back key and an Unlock key. An indicator light on top of the number pad lights up to show if the padlock is locked or not. Enter the correct key, and the padlock beeps and the indicator flashes green. Enter an incorrect key and the padlock beeps with a red indicator light.
But wait, there’s more
If you thought that this padlock is just a fancy padlock with a number pad on it, you’re missing a lot more in the picture. The padlock also has built in Bluetooth to pair with your smartphone or tablet via the igloohome app. Once the padlock is paired to the app, you can also use the app to unlock the padlock without having to enter the code via the number pad. Depending on how much of a hurry you’re in, you can decide between loading the app to unlock the padlock or keying in the code.
The setting up of the app includes creating an account with igloohome, connecting the app to your smart padlock, checking for any firmware updates, setting an initial PIN code and finalizing the setup. The app can also be locked for additional security via a PIN or biometric authentication (aka your fingerprint). Once set up, the app is quite straightforward to use, a large padlock icon sits on the homescreen of the app. Pressing the padlock loads a small animation and the padlock is unlocked in a few seconds. Once unlocked, the status of the padlock on the app changes to show that the padlock is unlocked. It would have been cool if the app could also lock the padlock in the same manner, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
The “Access” tab allows you control access to all your igloohome devices, in my case, the Smart Padlock. As such, the Master PIN of the padlock can be changed from the existing one, if the combination doesn’t work for you. If you want to keep track of who/when the padlock was unlocked, you can do that via the “Logs” tab.
The Igloohome app gives you complete control over igloohome devices such as monitoring when your device was locked/unlocked
You might think that because the igloohome smart padlock lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, its functionality would be hampered. But that is not the case. Igloohome claims that because their devices work offline, they offer greater security and reliability. If you need to let someone access your smart padlocked space, you can do so by sending them a One Time Password (OTP). This also ensures that once the password is used, it cannot be used again to unlock the smart padlock. In case you’re wondering how the OTP is generated, it’s all in the app. Once the smart padlock is paired to your igloohome account, your smartphone will sync the unique PIN token to igloohome’s secure servers (no information is stored locally).
From there, igloohome’s proprietary algorithms come into play, generating unique PIN codes that have a specific validity duration. If the duration exceeds the limit, the code will not be accepted. Once generated, the PIN can be shared via Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or SMS. What I found really helpful in all this is that the guest user doesn’t need to download any app or fill out any details. They get the pin, then enter the pin, and that’s all there is to it.
The Igloohome app can also generate one time passwords for guests if you want to grant them temporary access to your safe space.
The padlock runs off a CR2 Lithium Battery that will last upto one year. In case you are unfortunate and the padlock runs out of juice faster, you can hook up a 9V Alkaline Battery as emergency power.
Priced at LRK 28,000, the igloohomes Smart Padlock is not exactly cheap. But it has a lot of things going for it. It’s IP66 rated, and made up of Zinc, stainless steel and hardened steel. It should be noted that the igloohome smart padlock is not suitable for heat sensitive environments.
If you’re looking for a way to step up your security with a versatile solution, you can give the igloohome Smart Padlock a shot. It’s available at Digital Ear (Pvt) Ltd and you can visit their showroom at No. 21, Joseph’s Lane, Colombo 04.