The New York Times - Ditch your house keys

With this unexpected summer nice-to-have
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The Recommendation

The best electronic keypad door lock

Illustration: Dana Davis

This time of year, you might find your home’s entrance becomes a revolving door: guests letting themselves in, dog walkers showing up for duty, neighborhood tweens coming to water plants while you’re out of town. The easiest way to manage all this extra foot traffic? Free yourself from physical keys. Instead, consider an electronic keypad door lock, which opens via a code.

Our top pick can accept up to 25 different codes at once, so you can have a unique number for each regular visitor. Of all the locks we tested, we’re certain that it’s the easiest to program, the most customizable, and the nicest looking.

An unexpected summer nice-to-have→

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›


More smart solutions for travel

Three smart sprinkler timers sitting in front of a brick wall.

Keep your lawn watered with a smart sprinkler

A great one factors in details about your soil and your local weather to strike a balance between saving as much water as possible and giving your lawn what it needs to thrive→

The D-Link Wi-Fi Water Leak Sensor and Alarm Starter Kit.

Catch water leaks before they cause damage

Smart water-leak detectors can detect pooling water, trigger an alarm, and send you a smartphone notification→

Two windows with white blinds behind a gray couch

Automate your window shades

When you’re not home, smart shades can help to give the impression that someone’s inside, potentially deterring thieves→

Plus: A little something fun for your luggage

The best luggage tags are durable enough to handle the rough-and-tumble of the airport carousel and distinctive enough to stand out in a sea of black suitcases.

5 luggage tags we love→

One last thing: Coming home to a pile of snail mail? Here’s how to organize it.

An illustration depicting a pair of green boots sticking out from underneath a pile of mail, as if someone got buried by mail
Illustration: Dana Davis

Nothing says “back to reality!” like a mailbox stuffed with bills and junk mail. We’ve got some tips to help you reduce your unwanted spam and keep track of the mail you do need.

How to manage your mail→

Headed to a vacation rental? Here are 5 cheap(ish) things to bring.

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