Reevaluating: Has the Motorized Knob on Smart Locks Become an Unnecessary Product Design?
The indoor motorized knob is a locking device located on the interior side of a smart lock, commonly found on back-locking smart locks that use mechanical lock bodies. It allows unlocking by pressing, pulling, and rotating the knob. In recent years, as the development of back-locking smart locks progressed, the indoor motorized knob became a standard feature.
According to industry insiders, in the early days, when smart locks did not yet feature quick-open handles, the indoor motorized knob was introduced as an emergency unlocking solution and to provide positioning for the lock installation. However, many industry professionals may have noticed that in recent years, many manufacturers have started eliminating the indoor motorized knob from their back-locking smart locks.
On e-commerce platforms, many fully automatic locks now only feature quick-open handles and reverse-locking knobs on the rear panel. At the recent offline exhibitions, such as the Door Expo and Wenzhou Lock Fair, we observed that many locks no longer included the indoor motorized knob.
Previously, Smart Lock Research Pro discussed this phenomenon with industry professionals, and we found that opinions on the reduction of indoor motorized knobs were highly diverse.
Some colleagues believe that the removal of the indoor motorized knob is an inevitable trend. On one hand, the back-locking solution is primarily used by small and medium-sized manufacturers. Due to competition within the industry and other factors, eliminating the motorized knob helps save costs and makes the product more aesthetically pleasing. On the other hand, the functions of the quick-open handle and the motorized knob are essentially the same, and with the increasing adoption of one-piece and anti-jamming lock bodies, the role of the indoor knob in emergency situations and preventing lock jams is becoming less significant.
However, other colleagues disagree and believe that the motorized knob should be retained. On one hand, not all manufacturers are equipped with one-piece lock bodies. On the other hand, given the complexity of home scenarios in China, keeping an emergency indoor unlocking option may still be a good idea.
Some colleagues suggest that perhaps a compromise solution could be adopted, where the indoor motorized knob is retained but the product's overall appearance is made more uniform.
After discussing with numerous industry professionals, we found that opinions varied greatly. Each person, based on their own experiences and reasoning, offered different suggestions.
I believe that all opinions have their own merits, though they stem from different perspectives—some focus on emergency use, some on cost, and others on aesthetics, among other factors. From the current trend, it appears that more and more manufacturers are opting to eliminate the motorized knob. However, the motorized knob has been a part of smart locks for many years, and many colleagues have verified the practical utility of this feature.
So, whether the indoor motorized knob in smart locks has become a redundant product design that should be phased out does not have a clear-cut answer at this stage. This is primarily because it concerns emergency unlocking safety, and we believe it is important to respect the natural course of development. Looking at the overall development of smart lock products, many hardware configurations and product functions have emerged and disappeared over time, many of which sparked considerable debate in their early stages—such as gear locks, square steel motors, etc. Some of these solutions were so excellent that they are now widely adopted, while others have gradually faded away. Ultimately, what truly determines the functionality of a product is the user, as they are the ones who can best feel and judge its value.
It is important to note that in the industry, back-locking smart locks with an indoor motorized knob are only one direction for product development. Currently, many manufacturers have focused on electronic lock bodies as a key area for innovation. Paired with an indoor quick-open knob, these locks offer excellent stability and convenience.
As the trend of removing the motorized knob continues to grow, manufacturers should carefully consider the implications. While optimizing product quality, attention should also be paid to the consumer experience, so that the most informed and correct decisions can be made.