The best smart locks you can buy right now

A astute fastener is an casual solution to immoderate communal problems. Locked yourself out? Need to fto a person successful to h2o the plants? Your latchkey kid mislaid their key? Hands are full, and it’s raining cats and dogs? A astute fastener solves each of these problems and more. 

One of the champion astute location upgrades you tin make, a astute fastener gives you distant power implicit entree to your location from anywhere, positive easy, key-free ways to unlock and fastener your door. Smart locks besides retrieve everything that happened, truthful they tin archer you erstwhile and sometimes who unlocked your door.

For astir people, power and convenience are large capable selling points. However, astute locks besides enactment nicely with different astute location devices, including video doorbells and smart lighting. My favourite mode to integrate locks successful my location is with an evening smart home routine, which locks the doors, dims the lights, and sets my thermostat to slumber mode. We person 4 exterior doors, truthful it saves maine from walking astir the location astatine nighttime checking everything is secure.

Having a connected fastener connected your doorway is arsenic secure, if not much so, than a modular lock. Most astute locks person the aforesaid information ratings arsenic their non-smart counterparts (see FAQ for much details), and it's harder to physically prime a fastener without a accepted keyway. Plus, immoderate astute fastener is much unafraid than leaving a spare cardinal nether a flowerpot.

I’ve been investigating astute doorway locks for 5 years and person installed implicit 2 twelve for this guide. Here are my apical picks for your beforehand door; whether you privation the champion of the best, don't privation to regenerate your existing lock, are connected a budget, oregon privation a astute fastener that doesn't look similar a astute lock, I’ve got the champion options for each need.

Best astute fastener overall

Connectivity: Bluetooth (can adhd Wi-Fi, Z-Wave) / Access options: Key, keypad, fingerprint reader, app, dependable / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA alkaline batteries / Battery life: Six months to a twelvemonth / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI Grade 2 / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings

The Yale Assure Lock 2 is an inexpensive, good-looking keypad fastener that works with each astute location level with its swappable modules. The slimline plan (both beforehand and back), wide astute location compatibility, easy-to-use app, and bully enactment of unlocking options marque it my apical prime by a agelong shot. 

There are aggregate versions, starting astatine $160, with oregon without a keyway, with a touchscreen keypad oregon a carnal keypad, oregon with Apple Home Key. I urge whichever fits your circumstantial needs, but the Assure Lock 2 Touch fingerprint mentation is my favorite. It costs $209.99, and the built-in fingerprint scholar is accelerated and efficient. I tested the touchscreen version, but Yale precocious released a keypad version. Unless you truly worth the cleanable look of the touchscreen (which is blank erstwhile off), spell with the keypad — it’s overmuch easier to use.

The fastener supports Bluetooth retired of the container and works with the Yale Access app and Apple Home app (which adds distant unlocking if you person an Apple Home hub). Along with a keycode, fingerprint reader, oregon key, you tin besides take to usage auto-unlocking. Auto-unlock is simply a decent alternate to fingerprint unlock, but I sometimes person to hold astatine the doorway for a 2nd oregon 2 earlier it works. Still, it’s faster than fumbling done a purse for keys erstwhile your hands are full.

Support for different platforms and distant unlocking comes done Yale’s ingenious swappable networking modules, which outgo astir $80 each. There’s a Wi-Fi module to adhd Alexa and Google Home integration and a Z-Wave module for compatibility with (some) SmartThings hubs, Ring Alarm, and different Z-Wave hubs. Yale has promised enactment for Matter via a Matter-over-Thread module. However, there’s nary timeline for its release.

I tested the Wi-Fi module successful the Assure 2 Touch, which worked good with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It allowed maine to adhd the fastener to Alexa Routines, fastener and unlock it with my voice, and power it distant from home. The downside is that power implicit Wi-Fi is considerably slower than implicit Bluetooth and drains the artillery much quickly. Yale estimates up to a twelvemonth connected Bluetooth only, compared to six months implicit Wi-Fi; I got astir 4 months.

Best fund astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 / Access options: Fingerprint, keypad, app / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: One twelvemonth / Security Grade: ANSI/BHMA Grade 3 / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: N/A

The Wyze Lock Bolt is simply a bully prime if you privation thing inexpensive and utile and don’t attraction astir astute location integration — oregon similar a fastener without it. It’s not sleek oregon stylish; it’s conscionable a large hunk of achromatic integrative (there’s besides a satin nickel version). Out of the box, it doesn’t link to Wi-Fi oregon integrate with immoderate astute location systems, but it does person an easy-to-use backlit keypad and a lightning-fast fingerprint reader. It’ll auto-lock if you want, and it’s fractional the terms of the Yale Assure Lock 2. 

In summation to the fingerprint scholar and keypad, the Wyze Lock Bolt tin beryllium controlled implicit Bluetooth, and its scope is precise good. I could fastener the doorway from my chamber astatine the different extremity of the location utilizing the Wyze app. That’s important, arsenic there’s nary mode to fastener the doorway connected a docket (although you tin alteration auto-lock).

The Bolt doesn’t integrate with astute location platforms, but if you don’t request to power your fastener with your dependable oregon program to adhd it to immoderate astute location routines, you won’t miss those features. It besides delivers up to a twelvemonth of artillery beingness connected 4 AAs — I tested it for 3 months and it lone mislaid 15 percent.

But without Wi-Fi, I couldn’t cheque connected it oregon power it erstwhile I was distant from home, truthful turning connected the auto-lock enactment is simply a must. If I wanted to fto idiosyncratic successful portion I was gone, I couldn’t unlock the doorway remotely, but I could make an offline codification successful the Wyze app and stock that. This uses akin exertion to two-factor authentication codes and worked perfectly successful my testing. 

Since I tested the lock, Wyze has introduced an integration with its Wyze Video Doorbell Pro that lets you unlock the Bolt remotely erstwhile paired with the doorbell — but it doesn’t fto you fastener it remotely, which is odd. Of course, if you alteration auto-lock this is little of an issue.

Best retrofit astute lock

Connectivity: Wi-Fi / Access options: Existing key, app, voice, keypad (sold separately) / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Two CR123 batteries / Battery life: Up to 3 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is an elegant retrofit doorway fastener that replaces conscionable the thumb turn. This is simply a amended enactment than the Yale Assure 2 if you privation to support your existing deadbolt, cardinal cylinder, and fastener exterior.

The August fastener is costly for a retrofit lock, but it feels premium acknowledgment to its all-metal design. Its compact size means it doesn’t instrumentality retired excessively overmuch connected the wrong of your door, and it’s charismatic capable not to beryllium an eyesore. In opposition to galore models I’ve tested, it’s besides precise quiescent erstwhile it operates.

Unlike the Yale, it has Wi-Fi built in, truthful there’s nary request for an other hub, bridge, oregon module. Like the Yale, it has auto-unlock technology, truthful it tin beryllium acceptable to unlock itself erstwhile you locomotion up to your door. Similarly, this wasn’t 100 percent reliable successful my testing, and I had to whip retired my telephone a mates of times to unlock it since there’s nary built-in keypad. (I stopped carrying keys years agone — but you tin unlock it with a key).

August sells a compatible Bluetooth keypad, which is discounted erstwhile you bargain it with the lock. It’s achromatic and benignant of chunky, meaning it volition basal retired connected your doorway framework — negating the full “my entryway inactive looks the same” crushed for buying this lock.

Yale precocious launched a caller keypad that’s compatible with the August and adds a fingerprint scholar option, thing August hasn’t had before. (Yale and August are sister companies, now owned by Fortune Brands) The keypad is expensive, but a bully quality-of-life upgrade erstwhile utilizing this lock. Read my thoughts connected that below.

The biggest disadvantage of the August Wi-Fi is artillery life. Most Wi-Fi locks usage 4 AA batteries that past astir six months. To execute its tiny signifier factor, the August Wi-Fi uses 2 tiny CR123 batteries, which outgo $15 for a six-pack and request to beryllium replaced each 2 to 3 months, based connected my testing.

Best fund retrofit astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (with plug-in module) / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad and fingerprint scholar sold separately / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA alkaline batteries / Battery life: 12 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings

Starting astatine $130, the Yale Approach is an affordable alternate to the August that is ace casual to install, looks fine, and has each the aforesaid features (it uses the aforesaid app) — auto-lock, auto-unlock, app, and dependable control. Add the Bluetooth keypad to get one-touch locking, cardinal code, and fingerprint access.

As with the August, the Approach replaces your thumb turn, truthful you tin inactive usage your existent fastener and key. While not arsenic tiny arsenic the August, it has a nice, slim illustration and blends successful amended than the rear lodging of astir astute locks.

It comes successful achromatic oregon metallic and took maine little than 5 minutes to install. It uses 4 AA batteries and promises 12 months of artillery beingness — a batch longer than August. This is due to the fact that determination is nary built-in Wi-Fi; instead, it uses an included plug-in bridge.

The span adds out-of-home power and transportation to astute location platforms, including Alexa and Google Home (unlike August, there’s nary Apple Home support). This allows for dependable power and adding it to astute location routines. Yale told maine determination is simply a Thread vigor connected board that volition beryllium activated to enactment Matter and alteration enactment for each the large platforms, including Apple Home. There’s nary timeline for this update yet.

The keypad is the main selling constituent here, arsenic it lets you power the fastener from the extracurricular without utilizing an app oregon key. You tin get a bundle with the keypad for $180, which is simply a bully price. If you privation fingerprint access, it gets a batch much costly — $230 for the bundle. That’s $60 much than the SwitchBot fastener with a fingerprint keypad. But the Approach looks overmuch nicer than the SwitchBot.

The keypad controls the fastener promptly and reliably. Fingerprint unlock was simple, conscionable interaction and unfastened and you tin besides fastener the doorway erstwhile you permission by pressing the Yale logo button. Key codification power requires tapping the Yale logo to aftermath it up and past inputting the code.

The keys are a spot sensitive; I often get a treble inputs erstwhile pressing. But I liked the LED indicator that notifies you with greenish if your codification worked oregon reddish if there’s an issue. This made it casual to cognize if the input worked, arsenic the fastener is precise quiescent — it’s hard to perceive it locking oregon unlocking.

My biggest disappointment is the look of the keypad. It’s big, wide, and black, with salient achromatic numbers that don’t vanish erstwhile not successful usage — it looks a spot similar a artifact keypad connected your door.

Best astute fastener for renters

Connectivity: Bluetooth / Access options: Key, app, dependable (fingerprint, keypad sold separately) / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Two CR123 batteries / Battery life: Six months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, Matter (with SwitchBot Hub 2)

This funky-looking retrofit astute fastener is for anyone who can’t oregon doesn’t privation to messiness with their existing doorway fastener successful immoderate way, shape, oregon form.

The Switchbot Lock is fundamentally a tiny robot manus that unlocks your doorway for you. It goes implicit a deadbolt’s existing thumb crook and sticks to the doorway with super-strength double-sided tape. You tin past fastener oregon unlock it implicit Bluetooth from a telephone oregon Apple Watch, oregon usage the existing key.

It is not an elegant solution, but it works, and it’s the easiest astute fastener I’ve installed; it took maine nether 5 minutes to get it acceptable up and I didn’t request to usage a screwdriver oregon region thing from the backmost of my door, arsenic I did with the Yale Approach. 

Without a hub, the fastener communicates implicit Bluetooth to your phone. Add a SwitchBot Hub and you tin link with astute location systems similar Amazon Alexa and Google Home, Switchbot’s Matter-enabled hubs volition besides fto you link with Apple Home and SmartThings. A hub besides adds distant power erstwhile you’re distant from home, notifications if the doorway has been near unlocked oregon ajar (the fastener comes with a doorway sensor), and dependable control.

In my testing, each of these integrations worked good and were accelerated enough, though the auto-lock diagnostic was unreliable, meaning you person to get your telephone retired to fastener it if you don’t transportation a key. Battery beingness is promised astatine six months, which is debased for a Bluetooth lock, but it uses 2 CR123 batteries, which instrumentality up little country but don’t past arsenic agelong arsenic AAs.

Because it’s a retrofit lock, the lone mode to unlock it from the extracurricular is with a phone, Apple Watch, oregon key. This isn’t ideal, truthful you request 1 of SwitchBot’s Bluetooth keypads — the version with a fingerprint reader is the best. Keypads are besides useful for visitors and work radical and let you to property a fastener to fastener the door.

Switchbot has a newer mentation of its lock, the SwitchBot Lock Pro ($199), which looks nicer. I’ve tested this, and portion it’s a decent fastener with higher prime materials than the modular lock, it requires you to regenerate the rear of your fastener (as astir retrofit locks do). The modular SwitchBot Lock’s easiness of installation and the information that it works with practically immoderate setup marque it my prime if you don’t privation to messiness with your existing fastener astatine each oregon if nary different enactment volition enactment for your door.

Best astute fastener for Amazon Alexa & Ring

Connectivity: Wi-Fi / Access options: Key, keypad, app, dependable / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Six months / Security Grade: ANSI Grade 1 / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Ring, and Google Home

The Schlage Encode Wifi fastener is chunkier and noisier than astir of the locks connected this list, and its app is inelegant and slow. But its plan volition lucifer a Schlage doorway set, which is important for immoderate people.

It’s besides the champion enactment for Amazon Alexa and Ring video doorbell households. It integrates with Amazon Key location transportation service, and you tin fastener and unlock the Encode from wrong the Ring app portion viewing a unrecorded provender from your Ring doorbell. It tin beryllium unlocked with Alexa dependable commands and works with Google Home, too.

With Wi-Fi connected board, the Schlage is elemental to instal and an fantabulous prime for idiosyncratic who wants a basal astute fastener that volition acceptable with their existing doorway hardware. All the modular features are here: distant unlocking, keyed access, dependable control, auto-locking, and shareable entree codes. It does person a sizable rear housing, though, and is noisy arsenic each get out.

I reviewed the Schlage successful 2019 erstwhile it archetypal came out, and not overmuch has changed since then. There’s nary door-sensing integration oregon auto-unlock option, but you person 3 reliable ways to get in: a key, a PIN, and the app. It besides lasts astatine slightest six months connected 1 acceptable of 4 AAs. If you person a Ring video doorbell, this is the fastener to get.

Best Apple Home Key astute lock

Connectivity: Wi-Fi oregon Thread / Access options: Key, keypad, app, voice, Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Up to six months / Security Grade: ANSI Grade 1 / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Apple Home (Home Key), Amazon Alexa, Ring, and Google Home

While enactment for Apple Home Key is becoming much widespread, the Schlage Encode Plus is inactive the champion — if astir costly — enactment for this casual mode to unlock your door. This is chiefly due to the fact that of connectivity. The Schlage is presently the lone full-replacement fastener compatible with Home Key that has a Thread radio. While it won’t beryllium updated to enactment Matter, the Thread vigor adds amended artillery beingness and much unchangeable connectivity erstwhile connected to Apple Home versus utilizing it implicit Bluetooth. I person had galore connectivity issues successful HomeKit with each the Bluetooth-only locks.

Otherwise, it has each the aforesaid capabilities and features arsenic the Schlage Encode Wifi, positive Apple Home and Apple Home Key.

Home Key uses NFC successful your instrumentality and successful the doorway fastener to fto you pat to unlock with your Apple Watch oregon iPhone, conscionable similar you pat to pay. There are nary apps to open, nary buttons to press, and nary request to unlock your telephone (although you tin adhd that measurement arsenic an other information layer).

Adding the fastener to the Home app automatically adds the Home Key paper to your Wallet, arsenic good arsenic that of anyone other you person added to your app. That’s overmuch easier than getting household members to download a full caller app for the doorway lock. I should cognize — I effort regularly.

To let idiosyncratic not successful your household to power the lock, you’ll person to springiness them a modular PIN, which you tin bash successful the Apple Home app oregon the Schlage Encode app. Unlike the Yale Assure Lock 2, you tin acceptable this fastener up wholly successful the Home app and ne'er person to usage the manufacturer’s app. 

Best fund Apple Home Key astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Zigbee (through a hub) / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad, cardinal fob, Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Six months / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: complies with BHMA Level 3 modular / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and Matter (with a hub).

The Aqara U50 is simply a precise good, inexpensive, full-replacement astute fastener that works smoothly with Apple’s Home Key for little than fractional the terms of the Schlage. You tin besides unlock it with a key, keypad, NFC cardinal fob, and app, and with an Apple Home hub you get power erstwhile you’re distant from home, Home Key, and Siri dependable control.

If you privation enactment for much platforms and/or much features you’ll request to prime up an Aqara Hub. The G3 camera hub is simply a bully enactment if you privation to support an oculus connected your entryway astatine the aforesaid time, but it's costly astatine $110. The E1 is the cheapest hub enactment astatine $25. Both adhd enactment for Matter, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings to the doorway lock.

The fastener is casual to install, ace quiescent successful operation, and has a promised artillery beingness of 6 months. This is due to the fact that it uses Zigbee and Bluetooth, relying connected a hub for net connectivity.

The main downside is that Aqara’s keypad is simply a spot finicky. The integer pad sometimes doesn’t admit cardinal presses the archetypal clip — particularly erstwhile hitting the fastener button. When unlocking, you request to retrieve to pat a cardinal archetypal to aftermath it up, past enactment successful the code. But if you’re getting this for Home Key support, it’s not truthful overmuch of an issue.

The Aqara fastener is the cheapest Home Key fastener by a wide margin. However, it is bulky and has a precise black, tech-heavy look. It’s made from zinc alloy, but the wide physique feels little coagulated than immoderate of the different options. The Schlage, Level, and Yale Home Key locks consciousness much durable, look nicer, and person amended physique quality.

Aqara’s locks person a ton much features erstwhile you brace them successful the Aqara app and usage an Aqara hub. I similar that I tin brace the fastener with the G3 Camera Hub by the doorway and tin instantly spot what’s happening if I get an alert that the doorway was unlocked. It besides pairs with Aqara’s G4 video doorbell and lets you unlock the doorway portion viewing video from the unrecorded feed. Aqara besides has automations you tin acceptable up to person your astute location respond otherwise based connected who locks oregon unlocks the doorway — which is beauteous neat.

Best fingerprint-only astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth / Access options: Key, app, voice, fingerprint / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Six months / Guest codes: No (Guest entree done app oregon fingerprint) / Security rating: ANSI Grade 2 / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

The Kwikset Halo Touch is simply a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi fingerprint fastener with a accepted keyway. As there’s nary keypad, it looks much similar a modular fastener with the bonus of casual access. This is much limiting erstwhile it comes to sharing entree to your door, but it’s a bully solution for anyone who wants a elemental key-free mode into their location and knows they won’t request to stock tons of integer keys.

Along with fingerprint, key, and app control, Kwikset present has an auto-unlock option for hands-free entry. The app doesn’t fto you stock impermanent entree to the fastener remotely; anyone who wants to usage the fastener volition person to download the app and programme their fingerprint connected the lock. But you tin power their entree by day and clip and revoke it. But it’s astir apt easier conscionable to remotely fastener and unlock the fastener if you bash privation to fto idiosyncratic successful temporarily.

Of course, you tin inactive stock carnal keys, and I similar this fastener a batch arsenic a much discreet option. As with Schlage, Kwikset has tons of matching doorway hardware, truthful this tin blend successful nicely. Plus, it comes successful 3 colors, satin nickel, matte black, and bronze, and 2 styles, modern and traditional.

The biggest downside is that Kwikset astute locks are precise noisy erstwhile locking and unlocking. They besides person overmuch larger rear housings compared to Yale’s oregon Schlage’s newer models. However, you tin re-key this lock, which is simply a bully diagnostic and makes it casual to retrofit to your home.

The $250 Lockly Access Touch Pro is the main rival present but is much costly and uglier than the Halo. I’ve not tested the Access yet, but I person tested the erstwhile version—the Lockly Flex Touch. It’s cheaper and works fine, but it requires a plug-in Wi-Fi dongle for out-of-home power and is simply a little elegant solution overall.

Best astute fastener that doesn’t look similar a astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi with span / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad (sold separately), Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: One CR2 battery / Battery life: One twelvemonth / Guest codes: Yes / Security Grade: ANSI/BHMA: Grade 1 / Works with: Apple Home, Ring (with further hardware)

Want a astute fastener that doesn’t look similar a astute lock? Level packs each the exertion wrong the deadbolt — including the azygous CR2 artillery that gets up to a twelvemonth of artillery life.

There are 4 options: the Level Bolt, the Level Lock, the Level Lock Touch (with touch-to-open), and the Level Lock Plus. My favourite is the Plus, arsenic it works with the Home Key, which is easier than utilizing the touch-to-unlock feature, which I find precise finicky.

If you don’t usage an iPhone, oregon person household members who don’t, you’ll privation to get the Bluetooth keypad (from $59) to springiness you different enactment for access. The fastener besides comes with two NFC cards you tin manus out.

The Level Lock Plus replaces the full lock, deadbolt and all, but inactive looks similar a accepted doorway fastener — some successful beforehand and down the door. There is nary branding astatine each — this is the lone astute fastener I’ve tested that isn’t a tiny advertisement connected my beforehand door.

It works implicit Bluetooth retired of the container and tin link to an Apple Home hub for out-of-home control. If you don’t person a HomePod oregon Apple TV, get the Level Lock Plus with Wi-Fi, which comes with a Connect Wi-Fi bridge.

The Level fastener besides has auto-unlocking and touch-to-unlock, though with immoderate quirks: it’s 1 oregon the other, not both. And neither works unless you permission the geofence country and travel back. So if you permission the house, fastener the door, get successful your car, retrieve you forgot something, and spell backmost to your door, it won’t unlock automatically. This is wherefore I similar Home Key oregon a keypad for unlocking.

Based connected my investigating of the fastener connected 3 antithetic doors, it is worthy noting that the afloat replacement Level locks don’t enactment good with older doors. I would lone see installing this if your doorway lines up perfectly with the onslaught plate.

Level locks are precise expensive; the Plus costs $329 ($349 for the Wi-Fi version). But it's the mode to spell for an invisible astute fastener that works well. 

Best astute lever lock

Connectivity: Thread / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad, NFC tag, Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: 10 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Matter, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings

The Aqara U300 is simply a lever-style astute lock; it replaces a knob oregon lever fastener connected a doorway with a azygous borehole alternatively than a doorway with a deadbolt fastener with 2 holes. This benignant of fastener is traditionally recovered connected interior doors, pedestrian doors into garages, oregon broadside doors.

There are a fewer options for astute lever locks from Yale, Schlage, and Lockly, but the U300 is the lone 1 with Home Key compatibility and a built-in fingerprint reader. Plus, it works implicit Thread and supports Matter.

I installed it connected my store door, and it works similar a charm. The fingerprint scholar is close wherever you enactment your thumb to unfastened the door, truthful I hardly announcement it unlocking arsenic I locomotion in. It besides has a keypad, and I tin usage my iPhone oregon Apple Watch for Home Key. It’s acceptable to auto-lock by default, but you tin alteration transition mode straight connected the fastener if you don’t privation it to enactment locked each the time.

It paired to Matter easy — I acceptable it up successful Apple Home and could adhd a codification and Home Key each without adjacent opening the Aqara app. Because it uses Thread, there’s nary request for an Aqara hub. Thread besides enables up to 10 months of artillery life, according to Aqara.

I emotion the thought of utilizing astute locks connected different doors successful my home. I could spot this moving connected a basement door, a location office, oregon immoderate different country you similar to support radical retired of. However, it is precise ample and lone comes successful achromatic oregon silver, truthful it apt won’t blend successful with your interior decor. I’d similar to spot a slimmer enactment for interior doors successful a mates much colors.

It’s costly astatine $230, but it's akin to different outdoor-rated options (it’s IPX4-rated). The summation of Thread — a protocol that works implicit a mesh web — makes it easier to widen connectivity further to places similar a shed oregon garage.

Best astute fastener that’s besides a video doorbell

Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (with included bridge) / Access options: Key, fingerprint, keypad, app, dependable / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion artillery (two included), star power / Battery life: Six months / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI Grade 2 / Works with: Amazon Alexa and Google Home

The Lockly Vision Elite is simply a astute fastener with a video doorbell. It’s a precise bully astute lock, but its video doorbell capabilities are compromised by being crammed wrong a lock. Motion detection is spotty, and the camera lacks radical oregon bundle detection, but it does a amended occupation of seeing who is astatine your doorway than immoderate different fastener connected this list. If you don’t person the space, setup, oregon patience to instal 2 abstracted devices, this is the fastener to buy.

As a lock, it is excellent, with a keypad, fingerprint reader, keyhole, and app and dependable power options for locking and unlocking. It’s the lone fastener successful this usher that uses rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Plus, it comes with a replacement artillery battalion and an incorporated star sheet for trickle charging. And portion it requires a span to link it to Wi-Fi (and to store video from the doorbell camera), that’s included — making the $500 terms tag a tad much palatable. 

It’s a large fastener function-wise, but it’s excessively large and techie-looking for my idiosyncratic sensation (a occupation the Eufy Video Smart Lock shares). It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but there’s nary Apple Home support. Lockly had said it would beryllium updating its locks to enactment Matter, but the institution told maine this has been enactment connected hold.

Best Matter astute lock

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Zigbee (through a hub) / Access options: Key, app, voice, fingerprint, keypad, cardinal fob, Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Eight months / Guest codes: Yes Security rating: complies with BHMA Level 3 modular / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Matter (with a hub).

The inexpensive Aqara Smart Lock U100 is the champion enactment for a Matter-compatible astute lock. It’s cheaper than the $229 Yale Assure SL and adds a fingerprint scholar that isn’t connected the Aqara U50. It works with Apple Home and Home Key arsenic good arsenic Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings — erstwhile paired with an Aqara hub.

However, the Matter fastener scenery is inactive spotty, and unless you are successful contiguous request of a Matter-compatible astute lock, possibly hold for much options to arrive. The Aqara ticks a batch of boxes and has each conceivable mode to unlock your doorway (other than auto-unlock), positive the committedness of agelong artillery life. Aqara says up to 8 months, and I hardly made a dent successful the artillery with six weeks of use.

But it works amended extracurricular of Matter close now, and its plasticky-looking build, too-modern design, and integer keypad are letdowns. It besides requires a hub to unlock galore of its features and Aqara’s messy app makes it analyzable to acceptable up and control.

The U100 is simply a afloat replacement deadlock that tin beryllium unlocked by key, keypad, NFC cardinal fob, fingerprint, dependable control, done an app, oregon with Apple Home Key. Fingerprint unlocking is the easiest enactment and worked instantly. Home Key is the second-best introduction method and if you person an Apple Watch is truly simple. As noted, Aqara’s keypad is finicky, though, arsenic it’s wholly integer and sometimes doesn’t admit presses the archetypal time.

The U100 works implicit Bluetooth and Zigbee. Out of the box, it’s compatible with Aqara’s app via a section Bluetooth transportation to your phone. The keypad, keyfobs, fingerprint reader, and app power volition each enactment if you are by the door, but if you privation to power it remotely, you’ll request to brace it to an Aqara Hub oregon Apple Home Hub (like a HomePod oregon Apple TV). The second adds Home Key.

Locks successful Matter inactive person immoderate bugs to enactment retired and request broader enactment — for example, Amazon Alexa and Google Home don’t enactment mounting up PIN codes for Matter locks. But dissimilar the Yale Assure SL (see below), the Aqara fastener tin beryllium controlled extracurricular of Matter, making it a bully enactment portion you hold for the modular to drawback up to its promises.

I tested the fastener successful Apple Home and Google Home done Matter. It worked good successful Apple Home, and I could fastener it successful Google Home, but I could not unlock it due to the fact that it said I needed a PIN code, which I could not find a mode to acceptable up.

The different occupation came erstwhile I tried to usage Apple’s Home Key. While Home Key is present supported connected Matter locks with iOS 17, that’s lone connected locks that link straight to Matter — similar the Aqara U200 and U300. If a fastener uses a bridge, similar the U100 and U50, it can’t usage Home Key done Matter, truthful it needs to person abstracted enactment for Apple Home. The U100 does, truthful I past had to acceptable the fastener up again successful Apple Home to entree the Home Key function. And yes, it shows up successful the Home app arsenic 2 abstracted locks.

Best Matter-over-Thread astute lock

Connectivity: Thread / Access options: keypad, app, dependable / Auto-unlock: Yes (through Apple Home) / Battery type: Four AA alkaline batteries / Battery life: Six months to a twelvemonth / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 Works with: Matter (Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings)

The Yale Assure SL with Matter Module is the lone Matter-over-Thread deadbolt astute fastener you tin bargain today. It’s a elemental astute fastener with a cleanable plan and a touchscreen keypad for entry. There’s nary keyway, fingerprint reader, oregon Apple Home Key, but successful presumption of simplicity, reliability, and future-proofing — it’s a bully option.

While the Aqara U100 mentioned supra has much features than the Yale, this besides means it’s much analyzable to acceptable up. If you don’t request those features and conscionable privation an easy-to-use keypad doorway fastener that works with Matter and Thread, this is the 1 to spell for. Aqara’s U200 fastener besides works implicit Thread, but it’s a retrofit lock, not a afloat deadbolt replacement. And successful my testing, I could not get it to link via Matter contempt aggregate tries.

The Yale Assure SL is natively compatible with Matter, truthful doesn’t request a proprietary hub — conscionable a Matter hub from the level you privation to acceptable it up successful and a Thread borderline router (which tin beryllium the aforesaid device). It besides works implicit Thread, not Zigbee (as the U100 does). The payment present is that you tin link it straight to your astute location level of prime without needing to download the manufacturer’s app — the Assure SL doesn’t adjacent enactment with the Yale app.

I scanned the Yale’s Matter codification straight into Apple Home app, added the fastener similar immoderate different device, and past Apple Home prompted maine to adhd an entree codification (this is caller with iOS 18). In the device’s settings page, I could make further entree codes, crook connected automatic locking aft a acceptable period, and presumption logs of who accessed the doorway and when. I could besides usage Apple Home automations to auto-unlock the doorway erstwhile I get location (although I request to pat a notification connected my ticker oregon telephone first) and adhd the fastener to scenes and routines.

In my testing, it worked flawlessly, responding instantly to app and dependable commands, some astatine location and distant from home. I tested it with Apple Home and with Samsung SmartThings; sharing the fastener from Apple Home to SmartThings utilizing Matter multi-admin. Once shared I was capable to adhd a codification done SmartThings arsenic well. I could besides adhd the fastener to Alexa and Google Home, but those platforms conscionable fto maine fastener and unlock.

What I similar present is the simplicity. Setup was easy, sharing was easy, and erstwhile the fastener is successful aggregate platforms it updates everyplace instantly. If I fastener the doorway successful SmartThings, Apple Home instantly sends maine a notification that the doorway locked. This is however Matter is expected to work, and it’s promising.

What’s coming next

Other astute locks I tested

Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Update, October 8th: Added caller astute fastener picks, updated details for existing picks, added a caller conception astir upcoming astute locks, and much accusation to the FAQ.