Smart AND Secure Door Lock Sentinel Pro By Prism+

About 2 months ago, we had the Prism+ Sentinel Pro Door Lock installed at our place, and after spending some time with it, we're ready to share our experience. We'll cover everything from our considerations before purchasing to the installation process and, most importantly, how it has performed in daily use. Let’s dive in! 

Prism offers two types of locks - one designed for gates and the other for standard doors, like the one we have here. Beyond that, there are two tiers to choose from: the Standard and the Pro. The main difference between them is the 3D facial recognition camera, a feature I personally really like. However, using it does impact battery life – but more on that later on. 

The Prism Lock comes with multiple authentication methods for entering your home. If you prefer a straightforward approach, you can use the keypad to enter a code. This is useful for personal access or for generating single-use codes for guests, family members, or any ad hoc occasions. 

The package also includes two access cards and two stickers, both utilizing MiFare format for contactless access. These stickers can be attached to any personal items, like a phone case, keychain, or a wallet. 

Additionally, the Prism Sentinel Pro also supports Bluetooth 4.0 with AES 128-bit encryption, enabling secure mobile access via the Prism app. If your phone is nearby, you can unlock the door through the app giving you another type of access if needs be. 

For even greater convenience, the lock can connect to Wi-Fi via a bridge, secured with WPA2 encryption. This allows for remote access, so you can lock or unlock your door from anywhere, check access logs, and install firmware updates as needed. 

There is also fingerprint scanning for quick and secure access. This provides an extra layer of security by ensuring only registered fingerprints can be used. 

Another factor to consider is your existing door hardware. In our case, we already had a smart lock, so the installation was a bit more complex. The engineer had to remove the existing hardware, then drill and route the door to create space for the lock cassette and components. 

The process itself is relatively quick, taking around an hour, but it is quite messy and noisy so if you work from home, you might want to avoid scheduling any meetings during the installation. 

The next consideration depends on your door’s finish. If your door is painted, there’s a chance some paint might chip during installation. If you want the door to look pristine, you may need to arrange for touch-ups or repainting yourself. Prism does offer basic patchwork, but anything more may come at an additional charge. I’d recommend checking their Terms and Conditions or reaching out to them in advance if you’re unsure. 

 Once everything was installed, I have to say – it looks pretty sleek. Prism highlights the lock’s slim profile, and while I wouldn’t have minded if it stuck out a bit more, it definitely has a premium look and feel. 

Setting it up is pretty quick. The engineer will walk you through the basic features, and the rest of the setup is done through the Prism app. The initial step is to establish a Bluetooth connection between your phone and the lock, after which you can set up the Wi-Fi gateway to enable remote access. 

From there, you can invite other household members, configure various authentication methods, tweak settings, and view access logs to monitor entry history. 

My favourite feature is the camera. I really like that I can simply walk up to the door, and it will automatically unlock. It is not super fast, you kind of have to stand there for a bit which is good in a way – I wouldn’t want it scanning every person that walks past. 

There are four sensitivity settings to adjust how close you need to be for facial recognition to work. Ours is set to Medium, which detects faces from 0.8m to 1.0m. You can also disable auto-detection or extend the range if needed. 

I’ve occasionally had issues with the fingerprint scanner not recognizing my print on the first try, sometimes needing two or three attempts. At one point, I even triggered the lockout alarm after too many failed tries, which was a bit frustrating. 

Fortunately, there’s a simple fix – register your fingerprint multiple times from slightly different angles, just like we used to do on older smartphones. After doing this, recognition has been much more reliable. 

This brings us to one notable issue we experienced after the install. When the door was closed too softly, the latch did not fully engage with the door frame, leaving the door unlocked and sometimes even sliding open.  When the door was closed with greater power, it locked every time. This happened to us a few times, which wasn’t ideal. So we reached out to Prism support, and they were able to send someone over and change the metal plate on the door frame to align it better, and that seems to have fixed the issue.  

One potential recommendation to prevent this issue and generally to ensure door is always closed would be installing a door closer, which would ensure the door fully closes each time, allowing the lock to engage properly. However, that comes with an additional cost, so it’s something to consider. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see there is also a mechanical key override for emergency situations. It’s discreetly hidden behind the handle and can be accessed by pressing a small button underneath, then sliding the handle aside. While it takes a bit of force to operate, it works reliably when needed. 

Another feature Prism advertises is specific for users who have a lockable gate and door combo. The system allows you to sync them, so authenticating at the gate unlocks both, and same goes for locking back up. Additionally, you can generate a PIN code for delivery drivers that grants access to the gate only, allowing them to leave parcels in a secure area while keeping the main door locked. Unfortunately, we don’t have a gate so we can’t fully test this feature. 

In case the battery dies due to missed alerts, you can quickly restore power using a USB-C port at the bottom, allowing access with a power bank. It’s a clever failsafe that ensures you are never locked out. 

Speaking of batteries, the Prism Sentinel Pro is equipped with a large 37Wh battery, which is easy to remove using a pull tab at the top of the unit. It charges via USB-C, making recharging very straightforward. The advertised battery life is 8 to 12 months for the Standard version and 6 to 9 months for the Pro, with the shorter lifespan primarily due to the power demands of the 3D facial recognition camera. 

During our first month of testing, the battery level dropped from 61% to 36%, which gives a good indication of real-world battery performance under regular use. Obviously, this really depends on your situation – how often the door is opened and how frequently the camera scans for recognition, even when someone is just standing near the door. While I would not say we were heavily using this lock, I work from home, so our usage is likely above average. Also we did a fair amount of testing so that drained it even further. Based on this, I’d estimate our battery life will be closer to 4 to 5 months, which I’m quite happy with. For reference, our previous lock struggled to last two months and became completely unusable once the battery drained. 

On the Sentinel Pro, removing the battery completely disables its smart features, leaving only manual operation with the physical knob inside or a key from the outside. Without power, the deadbolt won’t engage, so the latch alone keeps the door closed. To be safe, you can purchase additional battery to swap them between charges.  

If you’re considering getting one of these locks, the next step is to check whether your door or gate is compatible with the installation. Prism actually has a really good, detailed guide on their website that covers door and gate thickness, clearance requirements, and other key measurements. Be sure to double- and triple-check before making a purchase to avoid compatibility issues. 

Overall the Prism Sentinel Pro has been a mostly great experience, and I genuinely enjoy the convenience and premium feel it brings to daily use. The 3D facial recognition is a standout feature, I love walking up to the door and having it unlock automagically. 

I think this is a well-executed smart lock that delivers on its promises. It is not perfect and there are more features that can be included, but for most households this will be a nice upgrade.