This Door Feature Was Once A Must-Have For Home Security — Is It Still Around Today?

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Despite all the modern advancements in home security systems, it's hard to find a digital tool capable of offering the same old-fashioned ingenuity as the Door Club. The deceptively simple anti-burglar device was invented by the same entrepreneurial Army veteran who launched the famous Club steering wheel lock bar after his Cadillac was stolen. Coated in a shiny brass color straight out of the 1990s (when it was invented), the Door Club is still recommended by plenty of happy customers today.

The device, which you can purchase for around $30 at Home Depot, comes in a kit with five major parts. A kick plate and door caddy screw into the lower edge of your door, while a floor insert is held in place with a little adhesive inside a subfloor plate that screws directly into plywood, tile, or marble flooring. The lock itself is designed to hook onto the door caddy when not in use, while its pin fits securely into the floor insert to prevent anyone from opening the door. While high-definition digital cameras and app-enabled smart locks may help you keep an eye on things while you're at work, the Door Club provides a very analog solution for anyone who wants to avoid having their door kicked in by intruders.

The concept is simple, but installation is a little more involved. According to multiple customer reviews and the manufacturer's instructions, you'll need a powerful drill with a ¾-inch bit. This allows you to create a hole for the floor insert pin on which the entire system relies. Essentially, the lock's pin sticks into the floor more than 2 inches while the rest of it abuts the door kick plate. This moves any force applied to the door from your deadbolt or door lock into the floor itself. According to some of the 1990s infomercials for the product, the Door Club can withstand up to 2 tons of force.

Customers rave about how easy the device makes burglar-proofing your doors. "The security it provides gives us the ability to sleep soundly at night. Our main entrance door has windows on both sides so reinforcing the lock is not an option. The door club does the trick," wrote one Amazon reviewer, echoing the sentiment of several others. A few users cautioned that since you have to manually place the lock inside the insert, it only works while you're at home. While that's enough to provide a lot of reviewers peace of mind, it's a good idea to pair a Door Club with burglar alarms and other anti-theft devices for maximum security.