Why bother putting together smart home accessories from several manufacturers when you can buy the entire system outright? That appears to be the concept behind the Masonite M-Pwr smart door, which includes a built-in video doorbell and smart lock.

M-Pwr smart door

The Masonite M-Pwr smart door began as an idea a year ago, but the business demonstrated its viability at CES 2022. A Masonite door, a Yale Assure smart lock, and a Ring Peephole Cam for video surveillance are the first products, created in partnership.

Masonite understands that the same components cannot be left in the door indefinitely. Thus, the M-Pwr will be serviceable. “It’s intended to be upgraded over time,” Masonite International SVP and Chief Innovation Officer Cory Sorice told The Verge.

Sorice also suggested the possibility of a “Google Nest door” furnished with the company’s smart home accessories, implying that more component alternatives are on the way. That would be a welcome alternative, considering that not everyone wants to go all in with Ring (especially given its reputation in the home security industry), and there are so many other businesses vying for a spot on your front door.

The Masonite M-Pwr smart door requires professional installation because all of its components must be wiring together. The smart door is now only accessible to model homes and will make its debut in North Carolina initially. Individual prices did not announce yet, but Sorice told The Verge that refurbishment options should be available in “one to two years.”

Final Word

This concept of a set-it-and-forget-it smart home bundle may appeal to more people than the do-it-yourself option. Even if you purchase the most user-friendly smart home hub with accessories, getting everything on the network and synchronized together takes effort. Assuming it’s affordable—and it doesn’t sound like it will be—the pre-configured M-Pwr smart door sounds a little less of a problem.

There is a flip side to everything. If you live in an older house, built before developers considered devices, you will have to consider replacing gorgeous, decades-old technology to get online. For example, I adore my original 1970s doors; they are beautiful and solid, and they are one of the reasons I chose this property over others. However, installing a smart lock with rusted hardware was my most difficult smart home device installation to date. At the same time, I couldn’t see replacing those doors to make adding automated locks easier. If only it were possible to do both.