{"id":107717,"date":"2026-04-15T12:10:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T17:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.andersonlock.com\/?p=107717"},"modified":"2026-05-12T09:54:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:54:32","slug":"electric-strikes-vs-maglocks-vs-electric-latches-making-life-safety-hardware-choices-for-chicago-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andersonlock.com\/blog\/electric-strikes-vs-maglocks-vs-electric-latches-making-life-safety-hardware-choices-for-chicago-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Life-Safety Hardware Choices for Chicago Buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Making Life-Safety Hardware Choices for Chicago Buildings<\/span><\/p>\n

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Choosing the right electronic locking system for your building, whether commercial, residential, medical, government, educational \u2014 requires navigating regulations for securing your building against external intruders as well as making sure people can easily get out in an emergency. In Chicagoland, it can also mean dealing with historic structures not designed with modern access controls<\/a> in mind.
\nWhen it comes to choosing between electric strikes versus maglocks, all these considerations are important, but typically, we begin with the most important: life-safety matters. Specifically, that means fire codes and free egress.
\nLet\u2019s look at the pros and cons of electric strikes and maglocks with respect to your life-safety responsibilities and liabilities. We\u2019ll also look at a related option: electric latches.<\/p>\n

Understanding the Terminology of Strikes, Latches, and Locks<\/h3>\n

A couple terms before we get too deep into things.
\nThe latch<\/a> is the metal bolt that retracts to open the door and extends to secure the door in place.
\nThe strike plate or strike is the metal plate in the door frame that the latch \u201cstrikes\u201d as the door closes, causing it to retract until it can extend again into the hole in the frame.
\nOn panic bars<\/a> like you have in hospitals and schools, the latch may look like a little wedge that flips in and out of the bar rather than the slanted bolt that retracts on the door in your home. The strike on a panic bar is often a metal bar mounted on the frame rather than a plate mounted over a hole in the frame.
\nThe hole in the frame is called a mortise, strike hole, latch hole, or even just \u201chole in the door frame\u201d or \u201chole for the latch.\u201d It\u2019s a quirk of the profession that it does not have a more fixed term. For simplicity\u2019s sake, we\u2019ll just call it the latch hole here.
\nAccess control describes any system for managing who can and cannot use a doorway, but usually we mean electronic access control where the user needs to use a fob, card, or PIN to unlock the door.
\nElectric strikes, electric latches, and maglocks are all hardware associated with electronic access controls, meaning, unsurprisingly, that they require power to operate. This will become important later.
\nOne key takeaway to keep in mind is that latches are mounted on doors and strikes are mounted on door frames.<\/p>\n

Fail Modes<\/h3>\n

Electric locks have two primary fail modes, which is to say, how the lock operates if it loses power.
\nFail-Safe: Fail-safe systems require power to lock the door, so if they lose power, the door unlocks. They are safe because they ensure people can easily get out through the door. These are a good choice for many interior and high-traffic doors, or access doors for roofs, stairwells, and parking garages where you don\u2019t want anyone to get stranded.
\nFail-Secure: Fail-secure systems require power to unlock the door. If the power goes out, the door remains locked, or secure. These are pretty much industry standard for exterior doors because they keep your building secure in case of a blackout.
\nWhile a fail-secure lock will be locked from the ingress side during an emergency, both fail-safe and fail-secure locks can be operated manually from the egress side.<\/p>\n

Life-Safety Codes<\/h3>\n

The State of Illinois abides by the 2021 International Building Code (IBC). The City of Chicago does, too, with a few amendments, but those don\u2019t affect our discussion here of free egress.
\nFree egress just means that, in case of emergency, people inside the building have a free, unobstructed path to an exit, or the means of egress. There should always be a path to an exit through doors that can be opened manually.
\nA fire door is one that has to meet certain fire-resistance standards, must be self-closing and latching, and must allow for free egress. Many fire doors are in the means of egress, though some may be installed strategically to mitigate the spread of smoke and flames.
\nElectrically locked doors in the means of egress must unlock when a sprinkler system or smoke detection system goes off. They also must unlock when the power goes out.
\nSome of the language in the codes can be confusing despite attempts at being precise. Note that \u201cunlocked\u201d in this context means that you must be able to operate the latch manually from the egress side of the door, i.e., you need to be able to get out of the building. An exterior door, for instance, can still be locked from the outside.<\/p>\n

Electric Strikes vs. Maglocks vs. Electric Latches: A Comparison<\/h2>\n

The Versatile Electric Strike\"\"<\/h3>\n

Electric strikes are among the most common form of electric lock hardware because they are the most cost effective and the easiest solution for retrofitting older buildings. Most of the time, if someone is \u201cbuzzing you in,\u201d they\u2019re activating an electric strike.
\nWith an electric strike, a user presents a credential like a fob or card or hits an internal button, and a metal bar inside the latch hole, called a keeper, moves out of the way so the door can be opened. Because the action happens on the door frame side, you don\u2019t have to turn a door knob or press a lever to retract the latch.
\nElectric strikes have few parts, work with many existing latches, and only draw power when someone hits the buzzer.
\nElectric strikes can be either fail-safe or fail-secure. Note that electric strikes on fire doors must be fail-safe, i.e., they must unlock so people can get out during a fire.<\/p>\n

The Powerful Maglock<\/h3>\n

Electromagnetic locks, usually just called maglocks, use magnetic force to hold the door in place. This involves an electromagnet mounted on the door frame and an armature plate attached to the door. Running power to the electromagnet creates a powerful bond.
\nMaglocks only require about the same amount of power as a security camera, so they easily integrate into your current electric system. Because the magnet uses power, maglocks are always fail-safe. Once the power goes out, the magn<\/p>\n

\"\"etic forcedissipates and the door will be open.
\nMaglocks are surprisingly powerful and are attractive options for many business interior doors, especially glass doors, because they do not require a lot of hardware around the door handle. They are also very durable because there are no moving parts and no parts that strike each other over and over.
\nAs cool as maglocks are, they have some disadvantages. They must be installed and aligned carefully to work properly. If installed improperly, or if the materials degrade over time, the lock can become \u201csticky,\u201d meaning there is residual power in the magnet that makes you have to pull harder to open the door. Some property managers also don\u2019t like the idea that the lock requires constant power.<\/p>\n

Maglocks and Life-Safety\/Free Egress<\/h3>\n

All maglock doors must unlock in an emergency, meaning they are only fail-safe. This makes maglocks less useful on exterior doors.You also need one or two other devices for maglock doors to meet life-safety codes. First, you must have a button on the wall labeled \u201cPush to Exit\u201d that allows someone to manually unlock the doors. (Any electric lock needs this button if there is no other hardware on the door to manually open it.)For doors requiring free egress, you need to get an additional device called a REX, which means request to exit. A REX is an infrared sensor connected to the maglock on the inside of the door that disables the magnet whenever someone approaches the door.<\/p>\n

The Maximalist Electric Latch<\/h3>\n

The electric latch gives you the most security with the most options. These systems are mounted in the door and work by retracting the latch.
\nBecause they operate the locking mechanism itself, they provide more reliable and flexible security. There are many varieties of electric latch, including mortise locks, deadbolts, and even maglocks.
\nElectric latches can be either fail-safe or fail-secure, offering an additional level of choice.<\/p>\n

Quick Comparison of Electric Strikes vs Maglocks vs Electric Latches<\/h3>\n

We can sum up the differences among electric strikes, electric latches, and maglocks like so:<\/p>\n

Advantages
\nDisadvantages
\nElectric strike
\nCost-effective
\nEasy to retrofit\/works with existing latches
\nFewest parts
\nFail-safe or fail-secure
\nOnly draw power when triggered
\nLess secure than electric locks
\nLess ideal for high-security areas (vaults, server rooms)
\nMaglock
\nPowerful
\nAttractive\/minimalist
\nDurable
\nLow-maintenance
\nEasy to retrofit and install
\nRequire constant power
\nRequire additional device
\nExpensive hardware
\nOnly fail-safe
\nElectric latch
\nMost secure
\nMost hardware choices
\nFail-safe or fail-secure
\nMore complex installation
\nCan be pricey
\nRequire some constant power<\/p>\n

Trust a Family Business for Life-Safety Choices<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re facing the choice of electric strikes vs. maglocks vs. electric latches \u2014 and the safety of your tenants is at stake \u2014 it never hurts to ask an expert. Anderson Lock has been a family-owned business since our founding over 60 years ago, and we take life-safety very seriously.
\nIf you\u2019re planning a big upgrade for your Chicago-area building or buildings, contact us<\/a> today for expert advice in making the best choice for your property.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
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What is the difference between panic hardware and fire-rated exit hardware?<\/h3>\n

While both allow for quick egress, fire-rated exit hardware is specifically designed to withstand intense heat and ensure the door remains latched to contain fire, whereas standard panic hardware may include ‘dogging’ features that are prohibited on fire doors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How do I choose between a fail-safe and fail-secure electric strike?<\/h3>\n

At Anderson Lock, we recommend fail-secure strikes for exterior doors to maintain security during power outages. Fail-safe strikes are better suited for interior doors, such as stairwells, where occupants must not be trapped during an emergency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Are maglocks legal for use on Chicago commercial exit doors?<\/h3>\n

Yes, but they must comply with IBC life-safety codes. This requires the maglock to be integrated with the fire alarm system and usually necessitates a ‘Push to Exit’ button and a Request-to-Exit (REX) sensor to ensure free egress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why is my panic bar sticking or failing to latch?<\/h3>\n

Common causes include misalignment, worn internal components, or ‘sticky’ residual magnetism in electrified systems. Anderson Lock provides expert troubleshooting to identify if you need a simple adjustment or a full hardware replacement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n