Best Entry Sets for Canadian Homes: Front Door Hardware Ranked

Your front door is the first physical interaction anyone has with your home — every visitor, every delivery, every time you come home. The entry set is the hardware that defines that interaction. Here are the best entry sets available in Canada right now, ranked across budget and style, with direct links to every option we carry.

What an entry set includes

A complete entry set typically includes: an exterior handleset (the main handle or lever on the outside), a deadbolt (either integrated or separate), an interior trim piece (lever or thumb turn), and strike plates. Some entry sets are handlesets only — they include the deadbolt throw but not a separate deadbolt. Always confirm what is included before ordering.

Best overall entry set: Emtek Freestone Single Cylinder

The Freestone is the entry set we recommend most often for contemporary and transitional homes. It has a classic handleset silhouette — lever-style exterior handle, integrated deadbolt throw, lever interior — in solid brass construction. Available in Flat Black, Satin Brass, Oil-Rubbed Bronze, and several nickel finishes. It coordinates with the full Emtek lever line so your interior and exterior hardware reads as a unified system. Browse Emtek entry sets.

Best traditional entry set: Emtek Lido Handleset

The Lido handleset has a more formal, traditional presence — a longer, more tapered lever with a substantial escutcheon backplate. For homes with classical architecture, wide trim profiles, and traditional millwork, the Lido reads as correctly proportioned rather than over-designed. Available in Antique Brass, Oil-Rubbed Bronze, and Satin Nickel. Browse Emtek entry sets.

Best contemporary entry set: Emtek Mormont Entry with Rectangular Escutcheon

For modern homes where the front door hardware should be minimal and architectural, the Mormont lever paired with a rectangular escutcheon backplate makes the strongest contemporary statement in the Emtek line. Long, linear, completely unornamented. Available in Flat Black and Satin Brass. Shop entry sets.

Best value entry set: Taymor Entry Sets

Taymor manufactures in Canada and offers entry sets at a price point below Emtek while maintaining reasonable quality for standard residential applications. For investment properties, rental units, or budget-conscious builds where design still needs to be considered, Taymor entry sets are the honest recommendation. Browse Taymor.

Should you buy an integrated entry set or separate handleset + deadbolt?

Integrated entry sets (handleset + deadbolt throw in one assembly) look cleaner because there is only one backplate on the door. The downside: if you want to upgrade just the deadbolt or just the handle in the future, you replace the whole assembly. Separate handleset + separate deadbolt gives you more flexibility but two backplates on the door (which is also a traditional and perfectly acceptable look).

For most residential applications, the integrated entry set is the cleaner solution. For very security-conscious applications or commercial-grade deadbolt requirements, a separate heavy-duty deadbolt alongside the handleset is worth specifying.

Deadbolt: single cylinder vs. double cylinder

Single-cylinder deadbolts are keyed on the exterior and have a thumb turn on the interior — you can always exit without a key. This is the standard residential deadbolt and the correct choice for virtually all front door applications. Double-cylinder deadbolts are keyed on both sides — used on doors with glass panels adjacent where a break-in could allow someone to reach the thumb turn. Fire egress concerns apply; consult your local building code before specifying double cylinder.

Keying your entry set

If you are ordering multiple entry sets for the same property, specify "keyed alike" (one key for all doors) or "keyed different" (each door gets its own key). See our full guide: Keying Alike vs. Keying Different.

Visit our Oakville showroom to see entry sets in person — scale and proportion on a front door is impossible to judge from a catalogue photo alone. Or contact our team for a specification recommendation based on your architecture and budget.