Addalock The Original Portable Door Lock for Travel & Home Security, Durable 1-Piece Door Latch Lock for Houses, Apartments, Hotels, Motels, Dorms & AirBnBs - Lock the Door & Stay at Home or Away

We've been struggling with our family member who has Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD), a form of dementia often coming to younger individuals. She likes to leave the house and wander or take long walks and it's difficult to keep an eye on her while trying to work or get other things done. She can unlock normal locks and we were putting heavy things in front of the door, but she can move them. I saw this and thought why not give it a try. I watched the install video, read the directions, and then happily put it on our door on the first try. It's actually quite simple - open the door, insert into the latch, close the door, put the key in. Opening it - also easy! just pull it up and out. However - not so easy for our patient -- she has not been able to figure it out, and, since she's easily frustrated, has stopped even trying. This is so perfect! I applaud the inventor. It seems very durable so I see it lasting a long time. You can also buy a version that comes with a doorstop alarm just in case someone is able to open it -- we don't envision having to use that, but it also seems a good solution. I think this product is fantastic as well for personal security when in a hotel room, rental unit, etc. I will getting one for just this purpose!

I live in an apartment and work from home some days. One day I was on a conference call when I heard a knock at the door. The man behind the door shouted "maintenance," but he literally gave me 10 seconds to get to the door before he just started unlocking it. The landlord didn't provide me any warning that maintenance would be installing new air filters that day. After that incident, I knew I needed some sort of lock.I narrowed down my options between the Addalock and a security bar. The reviews for security bars are mixed: the success or failure highly depends on finding the right angle and using the bar on the correct flooring. Also, while one of the more inexpensive security bars on Amazon is cheaper than Addalock, the better-reviewed ones are more expensive.I could not figure out how Addalock worked from the pictures. My brain just wasn't putting it together. So I searched "Addalock" on YouTube and there were several videos, including one from a home shopping network, that demonstrated it. If you are like me and the pictures aren't doing it for you, I highly suggest you watch one of the Addalock videos.As others have said here, this works best if you have a quarter's width between the door and the jam. I didn't have a quarter, so I used 2 and then 3 credit cards. I had ample space, so I ordered it.My front door has a dead bolt and a doorknob lock, but my doorknob lock hasn't worked since I moved in. The doorknob locks, as in the knob won't turn when the lock is engaged, but the latch doesn't catch in the strike for some reason. Maybe it's not long enough to extend into the strike. So right now I am using my regular dead bolt and the Addalock on the broken doorknob lock. I also tried installing it on the dead bolt, but my dead bolt could not push all the way through the Addalock plate into the strike. The Addalock still WORKED, of course, and no one would be able to get in, key or not, but it just seemed like more security against intruders to use the dead bolt and the Addalock on the lock that's broken. If I am trying to keep out unexpected landlord visits, though, then it wouldn't matter where I installed it because no one with a key could get into the apartment.When I first used Addalock, the door didn't open fully, but I could get it open a tiny crack. I realized that I wasn't properly lining up the stainless steel part that inserts into the strike. Take the time to push that plate into the strike of your door jam and then slowly close your door. After that, I couldn't move the door *at all*.I am so thrilled to have this portable lock that I can attach and remove whenever I please and one that won't violate the terms of my lease agreement. It's VERY easy to use, but it's just not intuitive from the instructions for some reason, at least for me. I am a spatial learner, so the videos and getting my hands on the Addalock helped. I was able to install it in under 10 seconds and remove it in under 10 seconds the first time I tried it.*EDIT: (10/15/2015)Maintenance decided to make yet another surprise visit without warning. As it turns out, he read the apartment number incorrectly.This time, unlike last time, I had the Addalock engaged. He could not open the door. He tried multiple times. I even heard him banging his shoulder into it. This lock really does work. I was able to answer the door on my own time rather than just have a maintenance man barge in on me in the middle of the day. If you're a renter with an inconsiderate or incompetent landlord, I highly recommend you purchase one of these for all your doors.

Once I figured it out it worked fantastic and I felt a little bit safer in my hotel room. If you couldn’t figure it out there’s a video that helps if you look on your Amazon order. It comes with 2 and felt very sturdy. I will have it for all my travels.

I ordered this just a few days before leaving for a few weeks of travel. It comes in a very nice, "rip-stop-canvas" type carrying pouch that's small, thin, and deep red: thus, takes up next to no space in a suitcase, yet easily found when unpacking.As noted in the sales description of this device, it only works on doors that open in toward the room that you're seeking to make more secure. And yes, viewing the quick demo on You Tube will definitely aid the newcomer in understanding how this device works. I used it in a hotel in Instanbul, an "airbnb" flat in Ukraine, and a rented time-share in Cabo san Lucas. It worked fine in all of them. In fact, the biggest difficulty I had was using it in my own condo's door in Seattle. That's because the latter's door has very little "gap" between the edge of the door and that door's frame. As noted in the directions, if you can nudge a 25-cent coin between the door and its adjoining frame, then this Addalock (as in, of course "add-a-lock"), will work just fine.I'm a reasonably strong chap, and when I tried with some determination to open the door after installing the Addalock, I couldn't get the door to budge. That's not to say that a hefty guy, throwing himself at a normal house door a few times couldn't overcome the door. But that's a separate matter from whether the Addalock will keep the door latch itself from being opened. I found it provided added peace of mind. It's obvious that no hotel housekeeper is going to inadvertently enter your room when you've taken the few seconds to install the Addalock.I liked it enough that as soon as I returned home from my travels, I bought one for my girlfriend.It's worth noting that when I was shopping for hers, I discovered at least one outlet that offers 2 of these for only about 50% more than what several other retailers charge for just one. Given that it makes for a nifty little gift, I'd suggest finding the two-fer offer.Why didn't I give it 5 stars? It became apparent to me fairly quickly that if the frame next to the door handle is snug against a perpendicular wall, it's difficult to initially place the metal portion of the Addalock in place AND hold onto it whilst closing the door (thereafter easily adding the red "swage" piece). One obvious solution would be to add just a 1" or 2" long additional "L" or inward curved section to that metal piece, thus making it MUCH easier to hold onto during the brief installation process. But even as is, it's still a clever, and very satisfactory means of further securing yourself in a room when traveling . . .OR to improve your security at home, too!

Looks like a great product. Haven't used it yet.