Hotel lock battery life is usually be overlooked.
Generally speaking, you will see it in the product specification sheet, battery life 8 to 12 months.
But the truth is that there aren’t that many especially your hotel lock has some new features.
Before we start, let’s take a look at a recent hot topic
Nintendo Switch 2’s worse battery life
Not long after the Switch 2 (Nintendo latest console)was released, many of its first buyers found that its battery life was extremely poor. Especially when it entered “sleep mode”, the power consumption was so fast that it left people speechless.
In the Nintendo Switch discussion section of Reddit, many players posted messages saying they encountered the same problem, and the topic even became popular for a while. The sleep mode, which was supposed to be convenient and quick to return to the game, has now become a power killer.
Nintendo, founded in 1889 as a playing card manufacturer, revolutionized the global gaming industry with iconic consoles like Famicom (1983), Game Boy (1989), and Switch (2017). Renowned for franchises such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, it pioneered innovative gameplay mechanics (e.g., Wii motion controls) and maintained a 20%+ profit margin through hardware-software synergy. Despite stiff competition, its 2024 Switch sales exceeded 146 million units, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.
So you see, even a well-known company like Nintendo has power consumption issues with their products.
But Most hotel locks even don’t have a ‘sleep mode’.
In my past 19 years working, i never seen a hotel lock have a ‘sleep mode’. But their functions are more and more deluxe.
For example the bluetooth, the networked link ability, the QR code function etc.
I once experienced the disaster of a Bluetooth hotel door lock.
That was in 2015, there is a USA project about 400 rooms hotel.
Originally, they use vingcard magstripe hotel lock.
Then they want use mobile key(or called digital key).
We installed about 100-200 hotel locks newly with bluetooth function.
There was a bluetooth chip inside the lock, and it work for communicate with smartphone via bluetooth. Then give command that lock unlocking.
However, the lock don’t have a sleep mode. The bluetooth chip always working.Even the bluetooth itself have a mode i belive it use very low consume battery power.
But that doesn’t work-200 rooms battery runs out in 2 months.
Bluetooth will shorten the hotel lock battery life
Bluetooth is simply not suitable for hotel door locks. It is suitable for devices that use lithium batteries which you can charge them every few days. For example, mobile phones and wearable devices.
But hotel lock use AA batteries, and you can not charge them.
Bluetooth is not match the AA battery.
And the bluetooth software algorithm won’t work.
Our engineer updated 2 times lock’s firmware but still not solve the battery life issue.
It’s not easy to solve such problem.Power Consumption requently Ignored Problem in Electronic products.
Relying solely on the sleep function of the Bluetooth itself is far from enough.The software of the electronic door lock needs to design a power-saving mode, which is determined by external hardware.
Many networked function is useless but use power much
Just as I used to think, you need to be careful when choosing hotel door locks with networking functions, unless your project has a genuine and urgent need. (for example some school, or lab).
If you just follow the sellers’ promotional slogans and empty promises, you’re likely to fall into a trap.
I have a client from Cambodia who told me that he will never choose networked hotel door locks again in the future. Because his networked door lock often fails to connect, yet he has spent a lot of money on it.
My point is- Hotel don’t need very deluxe function. They just need reliable, and bare essentials functions.
Manufacturers don’t consider hotel lock battery life
Unlike consumer electronics, most hotel door lock manufacturers come from the traditional mechanical door lock industry.
For example Dormakaba, AssaAbloy.
The function of electronics is an auxiliary function, while the main function is mechanical.So they did not have the mindset like that of the consumer electronics company Nintendo.
They won’t design a ‘sleep mode’ on their hotel locks.
But in my opinion, the power consumption control of the door lock is more important than that of the game console.The door lock consuming excessive power will lead to an increase in the hotel’s costs.
Dry cell battery could not be charged. Once it use out hotel need buy new.
Calculation Cost
Let’s calculate, the cheapest dry battery of Amazon
Hotel lock’s manufacturers are not Nintendo. And hotel locks are not game console.
But they are all electronic products.
So you know what I mean, the existing hotel locks are not good enough. They don’t desgin a sleep mode.
They don’t have very good hardware plan to reduce battery power consume.
