Make Your Home And Travel Safer With A Door Security Bar

Back when Clay and I first got married, I was always really scared when he had to work later into the night. Sometimes he wouldn’t get home until after midnight. We were 19 when we were married and I had gone straight from my parent’s home to my own. I’d never been alone at night so that was a pretty big transition for me. Plus, we lived way out in the boonies (like way, way out in the sticks) and the sounds of the country night (coyotes and wild animals) could get pretty scary. I learned some tricks along the way that helped me feel safer when I was alone at night. Luckily, I always have folks around me, now. But back then… not so much.

One thing I wish I’d had back then was a security bar like the Master Lock Door Security Bar. I recently received a complimentary one for review and man oh man, I love this thing! I’d always thought they were only for sliding doors but I was wrong! This particular door security bar can be used with both hinged and sliding doors. And it is super easy to use with a hinged door.

Step one: Place the Masterlock Door Security bar beneath your door knob with the padded foot on the floor.

Step two: Adjust height to ensure proper fit.

That’s it. See, I told you it was easy!

If I’d had a door security bar back then, it would have added an extra layer of security to our home, making me feel safer and allowing me to sleep better. I didn’t sleep much in those days.

I don’t have a sliding door so I can’t really comment on the installation and usage of it that way but I can say that by looking at the instructions, it is just as easy to use it with a sliding door as it is with a hinged door.

Now, we have carpet so I was afraid that it would slide. But it doesn’t seem to at all. The padded foot does pivot, though to ensure it is always on the floor.  That lets our door open a crack. Not enough to get a hand or anything in there to knock it out of the way. But enough that the door did move. You can see in the photo below that it is only enough to let some light in but not anything else. It seemed like it really kept the door secure no matter how hard we shoved against the outside of the door. And, if an intruder came, we’d definitely be able to hear them banging against that door.

Another way a door security bar comes in handy? Travel!

I plan on taking the Master Lock Door Security Bar with us each time we go to the Smoky Mountains. Why? Bears! That’s why! We like to rent a cabin way up in the mountains and we nearly always have bear visiting us. You can see in the photo below that they like to come right up on the porch or deck. PLEASE NOTE: We always use caution when near bears. We are in their territory. We know not to feed them. We also know not to engage them. All photos have been taken through a closed window, zoomed in with the lens. We follow all safety rules and regulations when in the National Park and surrounding areas.

If you have your windows to your vehicle open and they smell food, they will get in your car. If you have your windows to your cabin open and they smell food, they will come in. They have also been known to break into businesses in downtown Gatlinburg. Having that door security bar against the door will give me a little more peace of mind knowing that they will have a harder time getting in.

You can also use it if you are staying in a hotel room. It doesn’t install to anything so you won’t have to worry about any damage to doors or walls. Just slide it under the knob and you’re set!

(eww I seriously need to paint that door! Bleach cleaner just isn’t cutting it.)

Here’s some detail about the Masterlock Door Security Bar. It is made of 20 gauge steel construction to help resist forced entry. The bar adjusts from 27-1/2in (70cm) – 42in (1.1m). The top piece removes for sliding door application. The ball joint at the bottom pivots so it is always in contact with the flooring surface. And the foot is padded to keep from scratching surfaces.

See the Masterlock Door Security Bar video below:

Cool, huh? I’m very happy with this door security bar. I feel like it gives us that one extra layer of safety that we need to feel secure at night, especially when we’re traveling!