Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are pretty mixed reviews about this product so I'm going to try to clarify a few things. As other people have indicated, there are a couple different versions. The original version has a clear door with an extruded "range" knob whereas the newer version has a frosted door with a flush "sensitivity" knob. Some have complained about the older version. I received the newer version so can't comment with that respect. There are actually 3 different versions, though. Lowe's sells a version of this door which is "iris" compatible. This is a replica of the newer version of the door but can be distinguished by one additional "4th" blue LED as the leftmost indicator marked "link". I lucked out and got the "Lowe's" version of the door. As such, here is my review accordingly: This door is excellent. Some complain about range, intermittent ID recognition failure, magnet strength, binding, installation, etc., none of which I have noticed. If there is a range or recognition failure, it is probably caused by RF interference in the area. Mine works great and has not "forgotten" any of the 3 keys. After experimenting with a number of different pet doors, this is by far the best weatherized model I have had. It stops heavy winds and has no problems with binding or jamming. The rigid door makes a huge difference over the rubberized flaps. I ensured that the hole was square when I installed it, which is probably an issue for some. Correct installation is obviously a necessity. If the door is un-level or not squared appropriately, I can see a problem with binding. Mine is installed in an insulated steel door. Framing and mounting this through a wall would not be difficult, even without the tunneling kit sold separately. The doors frame is plastic so when the installation screws are installed, the door could easily skew if the hole, level, or square are incorrect. This would absolutely cause binding or jamming, as the door actually slides down into a channel to fully "lock" or secure. The door is pretty quiet, except for a rather loud "pop" when it lifts from the channel to unsecure. It scared the crap out of my Dingo for a few days but he got used to it quick. Now the two dogs and cat have learned that the "pop" means it's time to push. Yeah...if you didn't catch that...my 4lb. cat can easily open the large version of this door, but the wind does not stop it's reset. Now that the functionality is explained, I'll go into the Iris part. Just for entertainment, I got the matching "Iris" hub from Lowe's which is a Zigbee and Z-Wave radio home automation controller. Not only does this allow you to switch from "Automatic" "Locked" and "Unlocked" modes from a smartphone or PC (locally or remotely), it monitors which animal (based on the collar transmitter) exits or enters. You can look at the "activity log" in the Iris app or website and see which animal went "in through the door" or "out through the door" and when. This is a pretty cool feature which has a ton of practical application, even if you don't realize it at first. (ie. it's now pretty simple to see if the kids actually let the dogs out). I should note that, although it is annotated nowhere in the documentation, I have determined that the internal radio for this door is Zigbee, not Z-Wave. If you purchase it with the intent of using it with a Z-Wave controller, it will NOT work. Lowe's convolutes these systems with "Iris" by selling both Z-Wave and Zigbee devices and not bothering to tell you what product is which. There is a lot of room on the inside of the device also. I wanted to add an alarm sensor into the door and it was exceptionally easy to add a wireless reed switch based sensor inside the frame, using one of the built-in magnets as it's motivator. They should build this ability into the door, but it would require too many different versions for compatibility, as there isn't a single protocol for wireless alarm inter-compatibility. It was remarkably simple to add a Honeywell/Ademco 5800micra sensor. The door has now been running on a cheap set of 4 "D" batteries for 2-3 months and hasn't dropped a bar on the "Iris" battery monitor. I would speculate that the version without the Iris transceiver has even longer battery life. I have a 50lb Dingo, 75lb Siberian Husky, and 4lb Siamese cat. None have a problem operating this door. It is solidly constructed, albeit all plastic, and reliable. If you get the correct version, install it correctly, and aren't a complete and utter moron, I am confident (after my personal experiences) that you will be more than happy with the door. This door is well worth the $75, $100, or $229.00 (version dependent) that is spent on it. It looks clean and works great.