Electric Strike vs Mag Lock: Which One for Your Door?
Every access control system ends at the door with a piece of hardware that physically holds it shut. On most doors that is either an electric strike or a magnetic lock. They do the same job in opposite ways, and the choice decides what your door does in a power cut, in a fire alarm and on an ordinary Tuesday.
We install and service both in Saskatoon and Regina. This is how we choose between them.
How an electric strike works
A strike is the metal plate in the frame that the latch clicks into. An electric strike replaces it with one that has a moving keeper. When the reader accepts a card, the keeper releases and the door can be pulled open with the latch still extended.
The lock or exit device on the door stays exactly as it was. From the inside, the lever or panic bar opens the door the way it always did. The strike only controls who gets in.
How a mag lock works
A mag lock is an electromagnet on the frame and a steel plate on the door. With power on, the magnet holds the plate and the door is held shut. Cut the power and the door is free.
A mag lock has no latch and no moving parts. It also does not care about the lever on the door. Turning the handle does nothing, because the handle is not what is holding the door. Something has to cut power to the magnet to let people out: a motion sensor, a push button, the fire alarm, or a combination.
Side by side
| Electric strike | Mag lock | |
|---|---|---|
| Holds the door by | Trapping the latch | Magnetic force |
| When power fails | Stays locked (fail-secure) or unlocks (fail-safe), your choice | Always unlocks |
| Getting out | Lever or panic bar, no power needed | Needs a release device and power cut |
| Needs a latch on the door | Yes | No |
| Moving parts | Yes, they wear | None |
| Sensitive to door alignment | Yes | Less so |
| Typical doors | Hollow metal and wood doors, exit devices | Glass doors, gates, doors with no latch |
What happens when the power goes out
This is the biggest practical difference, and in Saskatchewan it is not hypothetical. Winter storms take the power out for hours.
A fail-secure strike stays locked. People inside can still leave, because the lever works mechanically. The building stays secure with no batteries at all.
A mag lock lets go. Unless it has battery backup, the door is unlocked until the power returns. Backup is standard practice, but batteries age, and a battery that was fine five years ago may give you much less time now. If you have mag locks, have the batteries tested.
Our access control guide for small business explains fail-safe and fail-secure in more detail.
Getting out: the part that matters most
People must always be able to leave. With a strike this is simple, because the door hardware is unchanged and works without power.
With a mag lock, leaving depends on the release devices working. That is why mag locks on exit doors come with requirements: how the door releases, what happens on fire alarm, and what happens if a sensor fails. The building and fire codes set those requirements and the authority having jurisdiction has the final say. We design to them door by door and do not treat any one arrangement as universal.
This is the main reason a strike is our default. It adds access control and leaves the way out alone.
When we choose a strike
- The door has a latching lock or exit device in good condition.
- The door should stay locked when the power is out.
- It is a fire-rated door, which has to latch. Fire-rated strikes are available. They are fail-secure.
- The owner wants the lowest dependence on batteries and sensors.
When we choose a mag lock
- The door has no latch: frameless glass, some aluminum storefront doors, gates.
- The frame cannot be cut for a strike, or there is nothing solid to cut into.
- The door is badly aligned and cannot economically be made to latch reliably. We would still fix the door first where we can.
- The door has to release on a signal from another system.
The third option people forget
Electrified locks and exit devices put the electric part inside the hardware on the door. The lever is locked or unlocked electrically, or the panic bar’s latch is pulled back by a motor. Nothing is cut into the frame, the door latches like a normal door, and it looks cleaner.
They cost more and need power run through the hinge into the door. On a main entrance with an exit device or an automatic operator, they are often the right answer.
Cold weather and alignment
A strike only works if the latch lines up with it. When a door sags or the frame moves with the frost, the latch presses sideways on the keeper and the strike cannot release. The reader beeps, the strike buzzes, and the door stays shut until someone pushes on it. If that describes your door, the fault is usually the door, and it shares causes with a door that will not close or latch.
Mag locks tolerate misalignment better, but not completely. The plate has to meet the magnet flat. Ice, dirt or a twisted door reduces the hold.
Choosing, in short
Start with a strike. Move to a mag lock when the door gives you a reason. Consider electrified hardware on a main entrance. Whatever you choose, decide what the door should do with no power before you decide anything else.
Need access control hardware in Saskatoon or Regina?
Prestige Lock & Door provides fast, professional locksmith and access control service across Saskatchewan.
- Electric strikes and mag locks: supplied, installed and serviced, with power supplies and release devices
- Electrified locks and exit devices: for main entrances and fire doors
- Door repair first: so the hardware is going on a door that closes and latches
- Two branches: Saskatoon (306) 880-0307 and Regina (306) 552-8646
- Sales, service and installation under one roof: see the brands we carry
Contact us or book a service call and we will look at the door before we recommend the hardware.
Related articles
- Access control for small business: credentials, fail-safe and fail-secure, and which doors to do first
- Why won’t my panic bar latch?: seven causes and the fixes
- Winter-proofing commercial doors: what the cold does to closers, seals and latches
Frequently asked questions
Is an electric strike more secure than a mag lock?
In a power failure, usually yes. A fail-secure electric strike stays locked with no power. A mag lock releases when power is lost, so it depends on battery backup to stay locked. With power on, both hold a door well when they are installed properly on a sound door and frame.
Can I put a mag lock on a glass door?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons to choose one. Frameless glass doors and many aluminum storefront doors have no latch for a strike to release. A mag lock mounts at the top of the door with a bracket made for the door type.
Do I need a permit or an inspection for a mag lock?
It depends on the building and the door. Because a mag lock holds an exit shut, the release arrangement has to satisfy the building and fire codes, and the authority having jurisdiction decides what is required. We confirm the requirements for each door before we install.
Can an electric strike be used with a panic bar?
Yes. There are strikes made for rim exit devices, and they are a common way to add access control to an exit door. The bar still opens the door from the inside with one push, with or without power.