Kwikset®, a Black & Decker® company, has been a leader in the lockset industry for 60 years. Kwikset manufactures and markets several full lines of door hardware, including handlesets, knobs, levers, deadbolts, and pocket door accessories, for residential and light commercial markets.
A Little background. Before we dive into the comparison, it's important to understand that Schlage and Kwikset are just brand names and not specific lock models. Both companies, Schlage and Kwikset make many different types of locks, such as residential doorknobs, deadbolts and keypads.
Kwikset is an American lock and lockset manufacturer owned by Spectrum Brands Hardware and Home Improvement Group (HHI), a Division of Spectrum Brands. Originally Gateway Manufacturing Company, Kwikset was founded in California in 1946 by Adolf Schoepe, and Karl Rhinehart.
As a brief background, Kwikset Corporation is a manufacturer of locksets. It had marked these products as “Made in the USA,” even though some of its locksets contained screws or pins made in Taiwan and some subassemblies were manufactured in Mexico.
Our Pick: Schlage
Overall, Schlage takes the crown as our most recommended brand. Even if you have to pay a little more for Schlage locks, the added features and functionality of those models makes them stronger and better to use overall than Kwikset counterparts.
I was very surprised to see 3 security pins in the Defiant, which is more than the Kwikset. It also performed better than the Kwikset in almost every test. The security pins made it extremely hard for me to pick and even the raking took much longer than I expected.
About Spectrum Brands
Kwikset is part of Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI), a major manufacturer and supplier of residential locksets, residential builders' hardware and faucets with a portfolio of renowned brands, including Kwikset®, Weiser®, Baldwin®, National Hardware®, Stanley®, FANAL®, Pfister™ and EZSET®.
Assa Abloy is acquiring Spectrum Brands 'Hardware & Home Improvement' (HHI) division, including lock and security fixture brands Kwikset, Baldwin, and Weiser, in a $4.3 billion USD deal.
The brands are Kwikset Security®, Kwikset Maximum Security® and Kwikset UltraMax Security®, presenting the consumer with a move-up strategy. The Titan product line is re-branded to the UltraMax product line.
Baldwin and Kwikset are part of Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI), a major manufacturer and supplier of residential locksets, residential builders' hardware and faucets with a portfolio of renowned brands, including Kwikset®, Weiser®, Baldwin®, National Hardware®, Stanley®, Pfister™ and EZSET®.
-based Stanley Black & Decker Corp., which bought Baldwin in 2003, said Baldwin's customer- and consumer-services team, numbering about 35, would remain in the Reading area at a location not yet identified.
Company: Kwikset®, a Black & Decker® company, has been a leader in the lockset industry for 60 years. Kwikset manufactures and markets several full lines of door hardware, including handlesets, knobs, levers, deadbolts, and pocket door accessories, for residential and light commercial markets.
Basically, you cannot re-key the lock from Schlage to Kwikset, but you can change the lock cylinder from Schlage to Kwikset. A locksmith will be able to do it for you. Changing the lock cylinder will still cost less from changing the lock itself.
Kwikset door knobs are also a zinc die cast. Similar to Schlage and Weiser they are quite adjustable to whatever you need or are replacing.
When it comes to quality, security and style, both brands go hand in hand. Their traditional lines of door hardware are equally secure and durable. Weiser has become more popular for its high-quality residential locks, whereas Schlage is more popular for its durable commercial door hardware.
Being at the very top of door lock brands, you can take both Schlage and Weiser locks in consideration when choosing a lock for your purposes. Just don't forget that you are probably not going to succeed in re-keying Schlage with Weiser keys and vice versa, since their keyways are different.
Kwikset smartkey locks are certified Grade 1 security for residential use by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association and are advertised by Kwikset as being invulnerable to being hacked with wires, screwdrivers, or anything else inserted in the keyway.
Even one of Kwikset's most vocal critics, Marc Weber Tobias (more on him in just a bit), told us that the SmartKey lock is virtually impossible to pick. Other videos criticizing Kwikset point out that the lock can be easily compromised using a specialized bypass tool used by locksmiths.