Maglock vs Electric Strike for Access Control

Every card reader or keypad door needs something that actually locks it, and on most commercial jobs the choice comes down to maglock vs electric strike. Both release the door when the access control panel says so, but they behave very differently when the power drops, when someone needs to get out in a hurry and when the inspector walks the job.

Maglock vs electric strike at a glance

The table compares the two devices on a typical access controlled door. Holding force, voltage and current draw vary by model, so the data sheet has the final numbers.

How a maglock works

An electromagnetic lock is a coil mounted on the header of the frame and a flat steel armature plate fixed to the door. With power applied, the magnet clamps the plate and the door cannot be pulled open. Common models are sold in holding force classes such as 600 lb and 1,200 lb, and most run on 12 or 24 VDC.

With no moving parts, maglocks suit glass doors, double doors and doors with a worn latch. The weakness is the same feature: the magnet only holds while it is energized. A maglock is fail safe by design, and the only way to keep it locked through an outage is a battery backed power supply.

How an electric strike works

An electric strike replaces the fixed strike plate in the jamb. Its keeper is held by a solenoid, and when the access control panel signals, the keeper is free to swing and the door’s own latch passes through. The door still locks the ordinary way when it closes, and the mechanical key override in the lockset still works.

Because the lockset stays in charge of the inside, a person leaving simply turns the lever or pushes the panic bar. That is the big practical advantage: free egress usually comes from hardware that is already on the door, not from added electronics. The trade-off is labour. The frame has to be cut or prepped to take the strike body, and the strike must match the latch type, the frame material and the lockset’s backset.

Fail safe vs fail secure: what happens when power drops

The fail safe vs fail secure choice describes the state of the door when the lock loses power. A fail safe device unlocks; a fail secure device stays locked from the outside. Neither term changes the inside of the door: with a fail secure strike, people inside can still leave through the lever or panic bar.

• Exterior and perimeter doors: usually a fail secure strike, so an outage does not leave the building open.
• Interior doors on an exit path: often fail safe, especially where the lock secures both sides.
• Fire rated doors: the door must stay latched in a fire, so hardware must be listed for fire doors and is generally set fail secure.
• Maglocks: fail safe only, wherever they go.

Egress and life safety rules for maglocks

Because a maglock locks both sides of the door, the model codes (the International Building Code and NFPA 101, as adopted locally) treat it as a special locking arrangement. The Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s summary of special locking requirements describes two accepted methods, each needing a special locking permit there.

• Door hardware release: the panic bar or lever on the door breaks power to the lock when operated, with one hand and no grasping or twisting.
• Sensor release: a sensor on the egress side unlocks the door on approach, and loss of power to the sensor or the lock unlocks it. A “Push to exit” button 40 to 48 inches above the floor, within 5 feet of the door, must cut power independently of the control electronics and keep the door unlocked for at least 30 seconds.

The same document says fire alarm or sprinkler activation, where those systems exist, must unlock a sensor release door until reset, and that the locking system must be listed to UL 294. Code editions and local amendments differ, so treat this as a summary, not legal advice: the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) has the final word on every locked egress door.

Installation and wiring notes

1. Power supply: size a dedicated access control supply for the lock’s current draw, plus battery backup where the door must stay locked through a short outage.
2. Fire alarm interface: where required, wire the release so the fire alarm relay drops lock power directly.
3. Suppression: fit the diode or varistor the lock maker supplies across the coil to protect the panel’s relay.
4. Inputs: add a door position switch and a request to exit input so the panel does not report a forced door every time someone leaves.
5. Alignment: a maglock armature must meet the magnet squarely; a strike keeper must line up with the latch with the door closed and the weatherstrip compressed.

Run lock power on cable heavy enough for the length and current, and keep reader, contact and lock conductors labelled. Our guide to 22/2 vs 22/4 alarm wire covers conductor counts, and CMR vs CMP cable ratings covers riser and plenum spaces.

Choosing door access control hardware for the job

Start with the door, not the lock. Ask four questions:

• Does the door already have a working latch and lever or panic bar? If so, a strike usually keeps egress simple.
• Is the frame aluminum storefront, hollow metal or wood, and can it be cut?
• Must the door stay locked when the power fails?
• Is it a fire rated opening or on a required exit path?

Access control rarely stands alone. Door contacts and keypads tie into the alarm side, covered in our comparison of wireless vs hardwired alarm sensors, and residential smart locks often join the panel over the radios explained in Z-Wave vs Zigbee for home automation.

Where to buy access control products

Browse the Bursma access control category and the wider security, surveillance and control division, including security hardware and accessories and intrusion alarm panels. For pricing and locking hardware options, contact your sales representative.

If you install for a living, open a Bursma dealer account, or contact the Wyoming, MI branch near Grand Rapids.

Frequently asked questions