We've all been ordering a lot more stuff online and while everyone was at home, that was great - but with people getting out of the house more, but still spending, those deliveries keep coming.

That's sees a lot of deliveries sitting on doorsteps, with the potential for things to go walkabouts. While door cameras can do their bit, there's nothing like having somewhere secure to leave a parcel, which is where Yale comes in.

The Yale Smart Delivery Box is a metal box measuring 600 x 450 x 350mm and weighing some 19kg. That's heavy, but that's because it's designed to be solid. It's constructed from CR4 steel, powder coated, and while still being certified, is expected to have an IPX5 waterproof rating.

Yale Smart Delivery Box photo 2
Yale

The Box can be bolted to the floor or wall or both, with bolts supplied, so that potential thieves can't just walk off with the whole box. It looks like a safe, with a big door to the front - which is where things get clever.

This isn't just an outdoor lockbox, it's designed to be smart. There's a Yale lock keeping the door secure, but it's operated by either a PIN that you enter on the pad, or via a fob or card, which can unlock it with a tap.

The idea is that you have the convenience of easy opening thanks to the fob, but you can also grant others temporary access using a PIN code.

You can setup a one-time 24-hour PIN code, or you can great 20 unique codes to hand out to couriers. That would allow you to grant access to deliveries through the day. Of course, you need to ensure that it's not the courier stealing your parcels when they open the door.

Yale Smart Delivery Box photo 3
Yale

Beyond just access, you can expand the functionality of the Smart Delivery Box with the Yale Module.

This is where things start to get a little smarter, with the Yale Module giving you control of the box via the Yale smartphone app, so you can unlock the box with your phone, as well as get notifications when a delivery has been made, while also giving users a history of what's happening with the box.

It will also integrate with the Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm and Yale Access, so users of those platforms can have the Smart Delivery Box as part of those systems.

Yale Smart Delivery Box photo 4
Yale

The question, of course, remains whether couriers will actually use the box. With many just marching up to your door and taking a photo of it wherever your parcel lands, it might take a little more to convince couriers to stop, enter a PIN and shut the door again.

Of course, the other aspect to this secure box is that others could use it for collections - as you can give someone the PIN and let them collect something from your home without you having to be there.

Yale has also said that there's going to be accessories for the Yale Smart Delivery Box in the future.

The Yale Smart Delivery Box will cost £299.99 and it will be available from 18 October 2021.