French Doors with One Active Side? A Smarter Way to Save

French doors are a popular feature in many homes.

But when upgrading to a smart lock, many customers ask:

“Do I need to buy two full smart locks for my French doors?”

In many cases, you don’t.

How Most French Doors Are Designed

Typically, French doors have:

• One active door – This side contains the full locking mechanism (usually multi-point and lift-to-lock).
• One passive or decorative door – This side often does not contain its own independent locking mechanism.

Most French doors are multi-point and lift-to-lock, which makes them suitable for our Slim Series smart locks.

However, door configurations can vary slightly between manufacturers. Before placing your order, we recommend checking compatibility with us to ensure the correct model is selected for your setup.

In most standard configurations, only the active side requires a fully functional smart lock.

What About the Decorative Side?

If the second door does not contain its own locking mechanism, you may not need to purchase a brand-new full electronic unit for that side.

Instead, you can choose a refurbished Slim Series unit.

These refurbished units are:

• Fully functional
• Tested and working correctly
• Offered at a lower price

The reduced price is usually due to minor cosmetic marks (such as small scratches) or packaging damage — not because of performance issues.

This allows you to:

• Keep a matching appearance on both doors
• Maintain a clean, symmetrical look
• Avoid paying for unnecessary internal components
• Make a more cost-effective decision

A Practical and Balanced Approach

If only one side of your French doors contains the locking mechanism, installing two brand-new full smart locks is often unnecessary.

Using a refurbished unit on the decorative side offers:

• The same visual finish
• Reliable functionality
• A smarter overall investment

It’s a practical way to balance appearance and functionality without overspending.