The front door is the first line of defense for any home, and the lock you choose either gives you 30 minutes of resistance against a determined intruder or 30 seconds. Picking the best exterior door lock set with deadbolt means looking past the brass finish and the showroom feel to the ANSI grade, the bolt throw, the strike plate, and whether the cylinder can be picked or bumped. The good news is that for $150-300 you can install hardware that puts your door in the same security tier as a commercial building.
This guide covers the top picks at three price tiers, what each grade actually means, and the install details that determine whether the lock holds or fails.
Understanding ANSI Grades
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) grades door hardware on three levels.
- Grade 3: Residential basic. Tested to 200,000 cycles, 800 lb hammer test. Most builder-grade hardware
- Grade 2: Residential heavy duty / light commercial. 400,000 cycles, 1,000 lb test
- Grade 1: Heavy commercial. 800,000 cycles, 1,600 lb test. Strongest residential option
Skip Grade 3 hardware on any exterior door. Spend the extra $30-60 to step up to Grade 2 minimum, and Grade 1 for the front door of any home in a high-crime area or any home with valuables.
Top Pick: Schlage B60N Plus Schlage F-Series Knob Set
The Schlage B60N is the workhorse Grade 1 deadbolt that homeowners and contractors come back to year after year. The 1-inch hardened steel bolt resists hammering and pry attacks. The cylinder uses pin-and-tumbler with anti-pick pins, and the keys are restricted enough to make casual duplication harder than a Kwikset.
- Price: $50-80 for the deadbolt, $40-60 for the F-Series knob
- ANSI Grade: 1 (deadbolt), 2 (knob)
- Bolt throw: 1 inch
- Finishes: Satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, polished brass, matte black
- Best for: Front and back doors of any single-family home
Pair with a Schlage F-Series passage knob or lever to keep the keying matched. Total cost for a complete set runs about $100-140, and Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Amazon all stock the line.
Premium Pick: Medeco Maxum 11C600
If you want commercial-grade security without going to a dedicated locksmith, the Medeco Maxum is the upgrade most security professionals recommend. The cylinder uses a patented angled-key design that requires both rotation and elevation of the pins to open, making it virtually pick-proof and bump-proof. Keys are restricted, meaning hardware stores cannot duplicate them; you need a Medeco-authorized dealer.
- Price: $250-350 per deadbolt
- ANSI Grade: 1
- Bolt throw: 1 inch hardened steel
- Cylinder: Medeco angled key with restricted blanks
- Best for: High-value homes, homes with previous break-in history, vacation rentals
The Maxum is overkill for a starter home but worth the cost for premium properties. Pair with a Medeco knob set or use a complementary Schlage knob keyed to a separate cylinder.
Smart Lock Pick: Schlage Encode Plus Deadbolt
The Schlage Encode Plus is the best smart lock with built-in deadbolt for homeowners who want keyless entry without sacrificing security. It is a Grade 1 deadbolt with a built-in WiFi module (no separate hub required), Apple Home Key compatibility, and storage for 100 unique access codes.
- Price: $300-330
- ANSI Grade: 1
- Power: 4 AA batteries, 6-month life
- Smart features: Apple Home Key, WiFi, Schlage Home app, Alexa and Google Assistant
- Best for: Smart-home users, families with multiple kids, vacation rentals
Pair with a matching Schlage handleset. The Encode line works without removing the deadbolt key cylinder, so you keep physical key access as backup.
Budget Pick: Kwikset SmartKey 660 Plus 740 Knob
For tight budgets, the Kwikset 660 SmartKey deadbolt and 740 entry knob deliver Grade 2 protection at a fraction of premium pricing. The SmartKey cylinder is rekeyable in about 30 seconds without removing the lock, which is great for new homeowners and rental properties.
- Price: $50-70 for the set
- ANSI Grade: 2
- Bolt throw: 1 inch
- Best for: Rental properties, secondary doors, homeowners on a budget
The SmartKey cylinder has been criticized over the years for being vulnerable to certain bumping techniques, so use this for back doors and side entrances rather than the main front door if security is a top concern.
Installation Details That Matter
The lock is only as strong as the door, frame, and strike plate behind it. Simple changes during install dramatically improve security.
- Replace the standard 1-inch strike plate screws with 3-inch wood screws that anchor into the wall stud, not just the door jamb
- Add a heavy-duty box strike plate (Defender Security E 2456 for $20) to reinforce the bolt area
- Use a high-security strike plate like the StrikeMaster II for $40 on critical doors; it spreads kick force across a much wider area
- Make sure the bolt fully extends into the strike when locked; misaligned bolts that only partially throw fail under impact
- Install a wide-angle door viewer (peephole) at standard 60-inch height
Other Features Worth Considering
Beyond the basic lock, look for:
- BHMA certification: Listed alongside ANSI grades; confirms independent testing
- Anti-saw bolt: Hardened steel insert in the bolt that resists hacksaw attacks
- Anti-drill cylinder: Hardened pins inside the cylinder that resist drilling attacks
- Free-spinning cylinder ring: Prevents pliers and pipe wrench attacks on the cylinder
- Lifetime mechanical warranty: Standard on Schlage and Medeco
The Defiant brand at Home Depot and the Brinks brand sold widely both lack many of these features. Avoid both for exterior doors.
Common Pitfalls
Even good hardware fails when installed badly. Avoid these mistakes:
- Using only the short screws that come in the box; always upgrade to 3-inch screws into the stud
- Buying matching finishes between knob and deadbolt from different manufacturers; subtle color differences look cheap
- Forgetting to rekey or change codes immediately after move-in
- Sharing smart-lock codes via text rather than the app, which keeps no audit trail
- Hiding a spare key under a mat or planter; burglars know every common spot
- Installing a new lock without checking the door for warping or sag, which can prevent the bolt from fully extending
Spend a Saturday upgrading the hardware on every exterior door, install long screws in every strike, and your home moves from a 30-second target to a serious challenge for any opportunistic intruder.
