PRISM Door Lock Review: Gate and door locks from $379

A couple of years ago, when my family and I were moving into our 4-room HDB resale home, we did not have many reasonably priced digital door lock options. We went with the traditional locks for the first month. After a few incidents of finding physical keys left at the unlocked door overnight, we knew that we had to improve our home security.

However, our entry-level door locks did not cut it after 2 years, and we looked forward to the day when we upgraded our digital locks to something better and smarter, like this PRISM+ digital door lock.

PRISM+ Smart Locks for Gate and Door Review

When PRISM+ launched their smart locks last year in 2024, we thought that the bundle deals were too good to be true, with the affordable price point and attractive design. The first-hand experience with the PRISM+ smart locks changed our minds completely and it turned out to be even better than we imagined.

The PRISM+ smart locks were able to solve most of the issues we had with our previous entry-level door lock. It offered a convenient home security solution within the PRISM+ mobile app.

PRISM+ Smart Locks: Installation Process

We were unsure about what the PRISM+ smart locks installation process would be like since we had our old digital locks installed previously. The efficient PRISM+ installer helped us with dismantling the old locks on both our gate and door. After an initial assessment, he shared with us that the new PRISM+ smart locks were able to cover up the holes caused by the previous installations.

The entire installation process of the gate lock, door lock, and even letterbox lock took around 3 hours to complete. There was a whole lot of drilling and debris flying everywhere, which our PRISM+ installer helped with covering up the possible affected area prior. We would also like to add that we were appreciative at how our PRISM+ installer went above and beyond by going through the mobile app setup with us, to ensure that we knew how to use our smart locks right from the get go. 

PRISM+ Smart Locks: Rechargeable Batteries

One of the key features that we wanted in our new door locks has to be for them to come with rechargeable batteries! Our old entry-level door locks were powered by disposable alkaline batteries. I found myself carting out boxes of disposable batteries every few months, as our previous door locks required 8 AA batteries in total with every low battery alert.

What is great about the PRISM+ smart locks are the 5,000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with up to 12 months of battery life! We also feel extra assured with the rechargeable batteries being a separate component which we can remove and replace at any point in time on our own. This means that you can opt to buy an additional battery pack at $99 each on the PRISM+ website so that you can always ensure that the batteries on the door locks are always fully charged.

PRISM+ 3D Facial Recognition Smart Gate Lock

You know how the latest smartphones all come with 3D facial recognition and I was also really excited to try this feature on the PRISM+ Sentry Pro gate lock, since it is not readily available in most smart door locks in the market. 

As I used to suffer from eczema, I have issues with fingerprint scanners in general, even during customs clearance. Having the option to unlock the door with 3D facial recognition is also helpful for our family, since our hands are always full either with bags or carrying our toddler.

However, we have to mention that the design of the gate matters if you were to install a smart gate lock with 3D facial recognition. We have the standard HDB gate, where the placement of the gate lock is below eye level. This meant that we would have to bend our backs or half squat in front of our doors to unlock our gate with the 3D facial recognition feature successfully.

PRISM+ Fire Rated Smart Lock Design

HDB takes fire-rated doors seriously, as it is part of the renovation guidelines on the official website. This guideline also applies to digital door locks which have to be fire-rated too, under SCDF’s requirements. We feel extra safe knowing that PRISM+ smart locks are fire-rated to the SCDF SS:332 testing standards.

Additionally, the PRISM+ smart locks feature an aerospace-grade aluminum unibody design and are lab-tested for military-grade reliability standards, so no need to worry about corrosion. Safety and sturdiness aside, the design of the PRISM+ smart locks is also sleek and stylish, offering homeowners 3 colour options including space grey, nickel silver, and copper rose.

PRISM+ Connect Mobile App

More than enjoying the smart door locks, we have a deeper love for the PRISM+ Connect mobile app. Our previous old entry-level door locks did not come with any app, so having an overview of the door lock, gate lock, and doorbell all within a single app was something new to us. The PRISM+ Connect app is user-friendly and offers a fuss-free setup process, where I got to share the devices with my husband, without having him repeat the entire setup.

On the PRISM+ mobile app, we get to check the battery life of the door lock, the access log, create access, or remote unlock easily. We could also set up geofencing if we wanted to so that our door could unlock before we reach home, something like how you can turn on your aircon first before reaching home. With the integration of the Scout video doorbell, we also get to check to see who is at the door on our phone first, before deciding to remotely unlock the door on the same screen.

PRISM+ 24/7 Customer Support

We encountered some teething issues on the first day when we just got the locks installed. I was unsure if it was due to my fingerprint problems or if there was something wrong with the door lock. I had to resolve the issue ASAP despite it being 10 pm, so I went ahead to call the PRISM+ customer support hotline.

I was extremely pleased with how I got to speak with a tech support guy, and not have to deal with any automated chatbot. The PRISM+ tech support dude was patient in hearing out my concerns, and he waited on the phone and made sure that I resolved the issue before we ended the call. It turned out that my fingerprint was the cause, and I was unable to unlock the door from home. I ended up adding more fingerprint access just to avoid having this problem again.

PRISM+ Sentinel Door Lock and Sentry Gate Lock Prices

After some research on the market price for smart door locks, we found out that the prices offered at PRISM+ are almost unmatched, and you can get them for under $1,000.

• PRISM+ Sentry Gate Lock: From $379
• PRISM+ Sentry Gate Pro Lock (with 3D recognition): From $449
• PRISM+ Sentinel Door Lock: From $599
• PRISM+ Sentinel Door Lock and Sentry Gate Lock Bundle: From $799

These PRISM+ smart lock prices are inclusive of installation, accessories, and 3 years of warranty under conditions.

For first-time homeowners who are looking for a smart digital door lock, consider getting just a gate lock or door lock for your BTO home, so that you can save some money. Our experience with having smart locks on both our gate and door felt a bit excessive, especially when Singapore is a rather safe country to begin with.

PRISM+ Smart Lock Accessories

For better peace of mind especially if you are always out of town, you can get the complete PRISM+ home security bundle from $799.

The smart lock accessories in the bundle include a Wi-Fi gateway, remote, and a total of 8 RFID cards and stickers. An additional $100 top-up will give you a video doorbell and a digital letterbox lock.

Due to the design of our home, we also needed a hydraulic door closer to be installed, so as to prevent the PRISM+ door lock from hitting the wall. PRISM+ also offers door closer as an add-on from $80.

PRISM+ Sentinel Door Lock and Sentry Gate Lock Review

Having our new PRISM+ smart locks installed was an upgrade that we never knew we needed. It gave us added convenience and security knowing that we always have an eye on our home even when we are not physically at home, with the video doorbell viewer.

We spent about $600 in total for our old entry-level door locks in our first year of moving in. With our previous door locks, I didn’t even know how to add fingerprint access or the ways to create a PIN code as it was super manual and old-school. In retrospect, it was not the best use of money and it would be best to invest in a smart door lock, which you have to use and come in contact with daily. Thanks to the smart door locks from PRISM+, everything is easily accessible at a glance with the PRISM+ Connect mobile app.

We know that we are in safe hands with the smart door locks with their sturdy design and the 24/7 customer service that we can always reach out to.