To Think, It Was Once Just a Remote Possibility

I haven’t used a key to open or lock my car door since purchasing my Acura sedan, which came equipped with a remote that performs those functions (it also opens the trunk!). It’s a simple and practical technology that makes life easier when hands and arms are occupied with groceries and bulky gym bags.

But all that convenience, all those wonderful milliseconds of saved time, were negated each time I approached my front door. Sure, I got in and out of the car relatively hands-free, but then I had to set down the groceries and fish around in my pockets to find and then insert the proper key.

It may seem like the most obvious and intuitive leap to transfer the remote technology for cars to the home, but it’s taken a surprisingly long time for such a product to hit the market. Now it has, with Freehand, a remote control lock opener for the house.

The remote has four buttons: one to lock, one to unlock, and two for garage doors (though Freehand is compatible only with Genie Intellicode and Overhead Door CodeDodger). Because it’s battery operated, Freehand (which comes with backup keys) won’t go dead in a power outage. And unlike most garage door openers, Freehand uses rolling code technology, not a fixed code, making it extremely difficult for someone else to open your door. Even more good news: Installation requires only a Phillips-head screwdriver and is fairly simple.

Now that I’ve got Freehand locking and unlocking my house (and opening and closing my garage--as soon as I change to a compatible system), I want a remote control for every other facet of my life.

Freehand ($159.95) is available from Keyless DoorLock Co., (888) 919-3311, or https://www.freehandlock.com.