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Schlage Encode Plus: The Only Smart Lock That's Actually Grade 1
Almost every smart lock traded physical security for connectivity. This is the one that refused: Grade 1 and Grade AAA on the same bolt Schlage puts in its mechanical deadbolts, plus Apple Home Key. It costs around $300, and the reason it can charge that is on the certification label rather than in the app.
By Johnny T.
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March 2026
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11 min read
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Researched — not tested
We don’t own this lock. Everything below is manufacturer specification, certification records and published reporting — tagged so you can see which is which. Two claims in the earlier version of this page overstated what the sources support and are corrected in place.
The rare smart lock that is a better lock than the mechanical deadbolt it replaced, rather than a worse one with an app. It carries Grade 1 on the commercial scale and Grade AAA on the residential one — the top of both — with an anti-pick shield, a built-in alarm and a full deadbolt replacement rather than a motor bolted to somebody else’s hardware.
Apple Home Key genuinely changes how you use a front door if you live in an Apple household. The price is real, the batteries do not last as long as a hub-based lock, and the smart half still depends on a cloud service.
Physical security9
Access methods9
Smart home integration9
Battery life6
Value for money7
How to read this page
Scores are relative to the whole deadbolt category, mechanical included. Grade 1 and AAA is the top of both scales, which is why physical security scores where it does.
TestedPhysically in hand. Nothing on this page carries this tag.
DocumentedPublished specification, standard, regulatory filing or security research.
ManufacturerThe maker’s own claim. A claim, not a fact.
CommunityOwner reports and locksmith consensus. Informed opinion.
CorrectedSomething we previously published that the record doesn’t support.
The short version
The only connected lock that did not trade away the bolt. Buy it for the certification and the Apple tap; budget for batteries and accept that the smart half needs a cloud.
Start with the number, because it is the reason this lock exists.
The Encode Plus carries Grade 1 on the commercial scale operated by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association — ANSI/BHMA A156.36 — and Grade AAA under A156.40, the separate residential standard that rates security, durability and finish independently. Manufacturer Documented
Both marks matter and they are not the same claim. An earlier version of this page called Grade 1 "the highest residential classification," which is the wrong scale — Grade 1 is commercial, and the residential top mark is AAA. Corrected Holding both is the stronger statement, and it is the one Schlage can actually make.
What Grade 1 means in test terms
Ten blows from a 75 foot-pound impact ram, with the lock still functional afterwards. Grade 2 must survive five. Grade 3, two. Documented That is the whole difference stated honestly, and on a smart lock it is unusual because the connected category has largely settled at Grade 2.
One correction to how we framed the competition. We previously listed the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock as "Grade 2." It is not — it has no grade of its own at all, because it is a retrofit that replaces only the interior thumb turn and inherits whatever deadbolt is underneath. Corrected That is covered properly in our August review. The Yale Assure Lock 2 genuinely is Grade 2. Manufacturer
The physical package behind the grade is Schlage’s ordinary one, which is the point: a full deadbolt replacement with an anti-pick shield and a built-in alarm, not a smart module grafted onto a thinner bolt. If you want that bolt without any electronics at all, it is the B60N at a fraction of the price.
The Encode Plus supports Apple Home Key — unlocking by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock, the same near-field interaction you use to pay at a till. Manufacturer No app to open, no code to type, no phone to unlock first.
If you live in an Apple household this is the feature that changes behaviour rather than adding a menu. Arriving with shopping, children home from school with a Watch, running without pockets — all of it becomes a wrist near a lock. It is the closest a front door has come to a hotel key card.
The credential lives in Apple Wallet, so it backs up and moves across your devices the way any other pass does. Apple also reserves power for near-field transactions when a phone is critically low, which means the tap can still work on a handset that has otherwise given up. Community
The rest of the connectivity stack
Built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with no hub or bridge required, plus Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Manufacturer Remote access, notifications and code management all run through the Schlage Home app. The touchscreen holds up to 100 access codes, which is generous — the Z-Wave Connect BE469 manages 30 — and codes can be scheduled, temporary or permanent, with direct Airbnb integration for automatic guest codes.
The touchscreen is fingerprint-resistant so wear patterns do not reveal your digits.
One claim we have pulled
An earlier version listed Matter and Thread support alongside a specific encryption key length. We could not confirm either against Schlage’s own current documentation for this model and have removed both rather than restate them. Corrected If future-proofing through Matter is decisive for you, confirm it against the specific stock-keeping unit before ordering — Schlage’s connected range spans several radios and the model numbers are close together.
Battery life is the real cost of built-in Wi-Fi. The lock runs on four AA cells, and maintaining a constant network connection at the door is what drains them. The hub-based Connect BE469 roughly doubles the service interval on the same cell count for exactly this reason. Community If you have an Apple TV or HomePod acting as a home hub, routing through that rather than straight to Wi-Fi eases the load. Community
There is no fingerprint reader. A $80 Wyze Lock Bolt has one and this does not, which is a genuinely odd gap at four times the price. Your fast-access options here are the Apple tap and the keypad.
The smart half still depends on a cloud. Grade 1 certification protects the door; it does not protect the app, the account or the service behind them. The mechanical key and the interior thumb turn keep working regardless, which is the failure mode you want — but remote access, guest codes and logs are a service, and services change.
Who actually makes it
Schlage is a brand of Allegion plc, which is incorporated in Ireland with its operations and manufacturing rooted in the United States. Documented Unlike most of the smart lock field, Schlage has not changed corporate hands in the recent shuffle — Kwikset went to ASSA ABLOY in 2023 and Yale and August went to Fortune Brands in the same settlement. Continuity of ownership is not a security feature, but on a product whose smart half is a service, it is worth a line.
Is the Schlage Encode Plus really ANSI Grade 1?
Yes, and it holds two marks rather than one. Grade 1 on the commercial A156.36 scale, and Grade AAA on A156.40, the residential standard that rates security, durability and finish separately. Grade 1 means the lock survived ten blows from a 75 foot-pound impact ram and still worked. Most connected locks sit at Grade 2, which is five.
What is Apple Home Key and do I need an iPhone?
Home Key lets you unlock by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock, using the same near-field technology as tap-to-pay. The credential lives in Apple Wallet. You need an Apple device to use it, but the lock still works normally with the touchscreen keypad, the app and a physical key if you do not.
Does the Encode Plus need a hub?
No. Wi-Fi is built into the lock, so remote access and notifications work without a bridge. That convenience is paid for in battery life, which is shorter than on the hub-based Schlage Connect. Routing through an Apple TV or HomePod home hub eases the drain.
Does it have a fingerprint reader?
No, and that is the most surprising omission at this price. Access is by Apple tap, keypad code, app or physical key. If a fingerprint is your priority, the Wyze Lock Bolt has one for around a quarter of the money, at a considerably lower physical security grade.
How many access codes does it hold?
Up to 100, which can be permanent, temporary or scheduled, with direct Airbnb integration for automatic guest codes. The Z-Wave Schlage Connect manages 30 by comparison, so if you run a rental this is the model to choose.
The Spec Sheet
Product
Schlage Encode Plus — full deadbolt replacement with touchscreen
Certification
Grade 1 on the commercial scale and Grade AAA on the residential one Manufacturer
Impact test
Ten blows from a 75 foot-pound ram, against five for Grade 2 Documented
Access methods
Apple Home Key tap, touchscreen keypad, app, physical key
Connectivity
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi built in, no hub required; Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Access codes
Up to 100, schedulable, with Airbnb integration
Batteries
4 × AA. Shorter service interval than hub-based alternatives
Physical extras
Anti-pick shield, built-in tamper and forced-entry alarm, fingerprint-resistant touchscreen
Brand owner
Allegion plc — Irish incorporation, United States operations Documented
Mechanical equivalent
Schlage B60N — same grade, no electronics, a fraction of the price
Almost every connected lock on the market made the same bargain: thinner bolt, lighter body, Grade 2, and a very good app to distract you from it. The Encode Plus is the one that did not, and everything else about it follows from that decision.
Buy it if you want a smart lock that would still be a good lock with the electronics removed, and especially if you are an Apple household, because Home Key is the rare smart-home feature that removes a step rather than adding one.
Do not buy it expecting a fingerprint reader, do not expect a year on a set of batteries, and do not assume the certification protects the app — it protects the door. If you want the same bolt with none of the dependencies and none of the price, that product exists and it is the B60N.
And as ever: the frame is the limit. A Grade 1 bolt in a jamb held by three-quarter-inch screws is a Grade 1 bolt in a Grade 3 door. Fix that first.
Verdict — 8.5 / 10
The connected deadbolt that kept the deadbolt. Top of both grading scales, the best tap-to-unlock in the category, and a battery bill for the privilege.
Sources & Method
- Grade test values — Documented Grade 1 hardware must survive ten blows from a 75 foot-pound impact ram and remain functional; Grade 2 five; Grade 3 two. Grade 1 sits on the commercial A156.36 scale, while A156.40 is the residential standard whose top mark is AAA. NoPryZone — ANSI grades explained
- Product specification — Manufacturer Grade 1 and Grade AAA certification; Apple HomeKit and Apple Home Key support for tap-to-unlock with iPhone and Apple Watch; built-in Wi-Fi with no additional accessories required; up to 100 access codes with Airbnb integration; fingerprint-resistant touchscreen; built-in alarm; four AA cells. Schlage — Encode Plus
- Grade scale correction — Corrected An earlier version described Grade 1 as the highest residential classification. Grade 1 belongs to the commercial A156.36 scale; the residential standard is A156.40 and its top mark is AAA. This lock holds both, which is the stronger claim.
- Competitor grade correction — Corrected An earlier version listed the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock as Grade 2. August is a retrofit that replaces only the interior thumb turn and therefore carries no grade of its own, inheriting whatever deadbolt it is fitted over. NoPryZone — August review
- Claims removed — Corrected An earlier version listed Matter and Thread support and a specific encryption key length for this model. Neither could be confirmed against current manufacturer documentation for this stock-keeping unit and both have been removed rather than restated.
We do not own this lock and nothing here is hands-on. If you run one — particularly on real battery life with and without an Apple home hub — tell us and you will be credited.
