Keeping your little ones safe is a top priority. And when they begin walking and crawling, you’ve likely taken many steps to babyproof your home, like adding padding to the corners of sharp furniture or adding secure covers to your electrical outlets. But don’t forget to also keep them from wandering off by adding child-proof door locks to both interior and exterior doors.
This ingenious design will prevent your children from opening doors they shouldn’t to keep them out of harm’s way. Learn more about potential hazards and the different types of childproof locks that will give you added peace of mind.
What Are Childproof Door Locks?
Child-proof door locks are specialized locks—or attachments for existing doorknobs and locks—that prevent doors from being easily opened by curious little ones. While child safety locks are often used on kitchen or bathroom cabinets, they can also be used on full-sized doors to prevent children from gaining access to areas that pose a potential risk.
Why Are Childproof Door Locks Necessary?
Unlocked doors can pose many hazards in your home. Adventurous little ones can sometimes find themselves in hazardous situations if the right precautions aren’t put in place.
For example, children can find themselves in dangerous areas like in a kitchen with hot appliances or a garage with toxic chemicals. Accidental exits can also pose potential security threats, with children leaving doors open and compromising home security or wandering outside on their own. Finger or hand injuries can also pose a threat, with small fingers getting caught between the door frame and injured unnecessarily.
Childproof door locks help prevent all of these scenarios, offering added peace of mind and creating a more secure home environment that better protects little ones and lets parents feel more secure in their child’s safety.
What Are the Different Types of Childproof Door Locks?
There are many different types of childproof locks available depending on your door type and your family’s needs.
Door Lever Locks
Door lever locks are designed specifically for lever-style door knobs. These C-shaped locks have a slender piece that protrudes both above and below the lever, preventing it from moving and opening the door. When an adult needs to open the door, they simply press down on a button on top of the lock that allows the top and bottom pieces to slide to the side. Once unlocked, the lever can freely move up and down to open and close the door.
Latch-Style Locks
Childproof latch locks can be added to most door types. Often magnetic, these latches are similar to a chain-style lock. One piece of the latch is attached to the door frame, while the other is attached to the door itself. The plastic latch, when attached to both the frame and the door, prevents the door from being opened. When unlatched, the door opens as usual.
Door Knob Covers
Door knob covers are plastic or knit products that can be added on top of an existing doorknob. While adults can easily grip and open the doorknob while the covers are on, little ones have trouble gripping the knob with the addition of the cover, keeping them safe and preventing them from wandering outside or from room to room.
Chain Locks
Chains are an addition to your door lock that helps deliver added security. These locks feature a chain that is affixed to the door frame and a lock that attaches to the door itself. Once the slide slides into the lock, it prevents someone from opening the door from the outside. Because chain locks are typically installed on the upper half of the door, they also help keep your children safe because they are installed at a height that only an adult can reach.
Childproof Smart Locks
Certain smart locks, like the Lockly Secure Plus Dementia-Proof Smart Lock, offer a removable thumb turn on the interior part of the lock for an added layer of security. When removed, the deadbolt cannot be turned, and the door cannot be opened from the inside to ensure that children will never leave the house without permission. can’t gain access to areas that could potentially be dangerous.
Benefits of Childproof Smart Locks Over Traditional Childproof Locks
Lockly's advanced security features prioritize the safety of your home and loved ones. The biometric fingerprint technology ensures that only a registered fingerprint can unlock the door, providing an added layer of security against unauthorized access. Additionally, the PIN Genie Keypad is designed to prevent children from gaining access to potentially dangerous areas. Not only does it require a registered PIN code to unlock, but the PINs are also shuffled regularly to prevent attempted guesses. If someone tries to unlock the door with three consecutive incorrect access codes within a 5-minute span, the lock enters Safe Mode. In this mode, the lock status icon flashes as a warning. To exit Safe Mode, the correct access code must be entered twice consecutively. Any further incorrect attempts will disable the keypad for a duration of 10 minutes, ensuring maximum security against unwanted intrusions.
Unlike regular smart locks, Lockly Secure Plus Dementia-Proof Smart Lock is specially designed with child safety in mind. Features like the removable interior thumb turn, biometric fingerprint scanner, and randomized PIN codes prevent children from unlocking doors and wandering into unsafe areas. Lockly prioritizes a childproof design to give parents peace of mind that their curious little ones will stay securely in safe zones. With advanced technology to thwart unwanted entry combined with childproofing features, Lockly's smart locks are uniquely equipped to keep homes safe for both children and adults.
Practical Tips for Using Childproof Door Locks Effectively
-
Auto-locking: Ensure you set up the auto-locking feature. This ensures that even if you forget to lock the door, it will automatically lock after a set period, enhancing security.
-
Secure Link Wi-Fi Hub: Consider adding a Secure Link Wi-Fi Hub to your Secure Plus smart lock. This allows for remote control and monitoring and provides real-time notifications and alerts on the lock status. Additionally, it offers a tracking log for access history, helping you monitor who accessed the lock and when.
Keeping Your Home Safe For Your Little Ones
Childproof smart locks are just one of many precautions that should be taken to child-proof your space. In addition to childproof locks, parents take other childproofing measures like adding outlet covers to all unused electrical outlets, putting baby gates at the top and bottom of all staircases, and affixing all tall, heavy furniture—like bookshelves, dressers, or mirrors—to the wall with anchors to prevent toppling. Fireplace covers should be added, latches should be added to cabinets, and all cords should be kept out of reach to create a safe environment for curious children who can crawl and walk throughout your home.
Taking these steps, in addition to adding childproof smart locks to all necessary doors, can help grant you the peace of mind you’ve been missing. When it comes to childproofing, proactivity is key to ensuring your children’s safety before an incident occurs. Take the first step today and learn more about Lockly’s childproof locks today to create a fun, safe, and secure home for children of all ages.
Sources:
Sanford Health - 10 Safety Hazards for Children in the Home
Travelers Insurance - 5 Tips for Childproofing Your Home
What to Expect - How to Babyproof Every Room in the House
