Smart locks are the smart new way to secure your home, property

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - Sometimes it can be hard to tell if high tech is worth the high price, so we asked the experts whether a smart lock could be the smart new way to secure your home.

Aside from safety, a smart lock can help if you feel like you're always looking for your keys, or if your arms are full and you just want to push open the door.

Best Buy manager Jim Murphy showed us what the locks look like, how they work, and what the drawbacks might be.

Smart locks definitely look different than a typical deadbolt, at least from the outside, where there’s a smooth digital panel. Inside, it looks like a traditional lock.  

There's still a key that can be used to unlock the door, but there's also an app, giving you the option to, for example, unlock the door for your dog walker when you're not home.

But for a price range between $100 and $300, what else do you get?

Murphy says, "As you go up in price, you're going to look at different screens, maybe a touchpad option... You can be in another state and you can unlock a door for somebody."

With the touchscreen, you can give a unique code to specific people. You can open it with the app on your phone, or punch in the code.

Some locks rely on Bluetooth, meaning your phone has to be nearby. Locks in the higher price points have more options, like a hub so you can open it wherever you are.

"That's going to work with your wifi and that's going to give you versatility. You can be anywhere and lock and unlock your door," Murphy said.

Before you buy, make sure your wifi reaches the outside of your house so the lock works, and it's compatible with your current deadbolt.

Smart locks don't stop at the door. There are also smart padlocks ranging on average from $30 to $100.

Tapplock, for example, costs $100. The battery lasts a year and it can unlock in less than a second. It can store up to 500 fingerprints for multiple users.

It also unlocks via smartphone and is weather resistant.

Even though the initial cost for the lock is high, most of these products carry solid warranties, letting you lock in some savings over time.