You do not choose a smart lock by the brand of your door, but by the lock that is already there: the type of cylinder, how it is fixed, whether a cylinder guard (defender) sits in front of it and how much room there is between the cylinder and the edge of the door. In short: if your door has a euro cylinder held by a fixing screw, at least 3 cm between the cylinder and the door edge and no cylinder guard, a smart lock that replaces the cylinder, such as 1Control DORY, will fit. The DORY compatibility check confirms it in four questions.
Below are the checks one by one, with the reason for each, the cases where the answer today is no, and what depends not on the door but on how you want to open it: up close, remotely or by voice.
Two kinds of smart lock, two kinds of compatibility
Smart locks for front doors come in two families, and the question “will it fit?” has a different answer for each:
- retrofit motor: a unit is fixed on the inside and turns the key or thumb turn of the existing cylinder. What matters is the inside: a key that can stay in the lock, room for the unit and the force needed to throw the bolts;
- cylinder replacement: the euro cylinder comes out and an electronic one of the right length goes in. What matters is the cylinder profile, the fixing, the sizes and what surrounds it, such as a cylinder guard.
DORY belongs to the second family: it replaces only the cylinder, with no drilling and no new door, lock or handle. The checks below are those for this family. If you are weighing up both approaches, Nuki vs DORY puts them side by side.
The checks on your door, one by one
1. The type of cylinder
Look at the keyhole from outside. A euro cylinder has the familiar upside-down teardrop shape: round at the top with a narrow tail below. Not compatible are the round Swiss cylinder, the oval cylinder and the double-bit (lever) lock with its long key: in that last case the lock first has to be converted to take a euro cylinder, by a professional.
2. The fixing screw
Open the door and look at the faceplate on the edge of the door, level with the lock: the euro cylinder is held by a screw that runs through it. Once it is out, the cylinder slides out when you turn the key slightly. This is the screw you remove to fit DORY and put back afterwards.
3. The room between cylinder and door edge
Measure from the centre of the cylinder to the edge of the door: you need at least 3 cm, because DORY has two knobs that must turn without touching the frame or the wall. With less room, the check tells you the door is not compatible.
4. The door thickness
Cylinders do not come in one length: what counts is the distance from the screw to the inside and to the outside. The DORY box contains a cardboard gauge to take both measurements, and the length is adjusted with the extensions supplied. You can also measure before you buy with the printable measuring tool.
5. One lock or more
The check also asks whether the door has more than one lock. DORY takes the place of the cylinder you fit it to: any second lock keeps working with its own key.
6. A door that closes properly
If the key is stiff today, the door rubs or you have to push the door to lock it, fix the mechanics first. A smart lock will not correct a door that is out of square.
Thinking about a smart lock?
Check whether your door is compatible with 1Control DORY: it replaces your existing euro cylinder with no drilling and no changes to the door, and its mechanical key is always available. One-off purchase, no subscription.
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Cylinder guard: what the check says today
A cylinder guard, or defender, is the steel cover that protects the cylinder on the outside, common on security doors: a round or shaped plate with an opening for the key only. If your door has one, the compatibility check today tells you that DORY cannot be fitted at the moment and offers to notify you by email.
The reason is simple: DORY can only be fitted with the 1Control defender, and no defender from any other brand is compatible, whether with a rosette or magnetic. It is not a question of sizes to adjust: with a defender other than the 1Control one, the answer stays no.
What stays the same after fitting
On a compatible door, only the cylinder changes. Everything else works like this:
- the mechanical key stays: DORY comes with its own keys, and the key opens the door even with flat batteries;
- from inside you always open and lock by turning the knob, no phone needed;
- from outside the knob spins freely until your phone, smartwatch or key enables opening: then you turn it to unlock or lock. The door does not open by itself;
- batteries: two CR2 lithium batteries, lasting about a year;
- reversible: keep the old cylinder and the door can go back to how it was.
For the no-drilling side of fitting, see smart lock with no drilling.
How you want to open: that is compatibility too
The door can be fine and the setup not, if you expect a feature that needs another device:
- at the door: your phone talks to DORY over Bluetooth, no internet needed. A smartwatch works too, Apple Watch or Wear OS;
- remotely: you need 1Control LINK, connected to your home Wi-Fi on 2.4 GHz or to an Ethernet cable, and to DORY over Bluetooth, within about 25 metres in a straight line. How it works is explained in unlock your front door remotely;
- by voice: Alexa and Google Home go through LINK;
- knowing whether the door is open: you need the door sensor, again with LINK. See check if your front door is open or closed.
How the DORY compatibility check works
The compatibility check asks four questions: the type of cylinder (pick the picture that looks like your door), the number of locks, the side screw and the distance between cylinder and door edge. There are three possible answers:
- compatible: you can choose the model, with or without LINK;
- not compatible: not a euro cylinder, or less than 3 cm to the edge;
- not possible at the moment: the answer if you have a defender; you leave your email and you will be notified.
Keep a tape measure handy: the distance question is the one that changes the most answers.
Frequently asked questions
Do smart locks work on all doors?
No. A smart lock that replaces the cylinder, such as DORY, needs a euro cylinder held by a fixing screw, at least 3 cm between the cylinder and the door edge and no cylinder guard. Swiss and oval cylinders and double-bit lever locks are not compatible as they are.
How do I know if my cylinder is a euro cylinder?
By the shape of the keyhole, an upside-down teardrop with a tail at the bottom, and by the screw that holds it in the faceplate on the edge of the door, level with the lock. If the keyhole is round or oval, or the key is a long lever key, it is not a euro cylinder.
I have a cylinder guard: can I fit DORY?
Not today. DORY can only be fitted with the 1Control defender, and no defender from any other brand is compatible. That is why the check says it is not possible at the moment and offers to notify you by email.
I have a lever lock: what can I do?
The lock first has to be converted to take a euro cylinder, by a professional. After the conversion you go through the checks again: cylinder type, fixing screw, distance to the edge and sizes.
Does a smart lock need Wi-Fi?
Not to open at the door: DORY talks to your phone over Bluetooth. LINK needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, or an Ethernet cable, to open remotely, use Alexa and Google Home and receive the sensor status.
Will I be locked out if the batteries go flat?
No. DORY also opens with its mechanical key, which works with flat batteries. The batteries are two CR2 lithium cells and last about a year.
Conclusion
Whether a smart lock fits is decided at the door, with a tape measure and a screwdriver: euro cylinder, fixing screw, at least 3 cm to the edge, no cylinder guard and the right sizes. The rest depends on how you want to open, and that is where LINK and the sensor come in. Before you buy, run the DORY compatibility check: four questions and you will know whether your door is suitable.