You may already have a smart home hub if you have a few smart speakers like an Amazon Echo (4th Gen) ($100) or smart displays like the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) ($150). If you’re an Apple HomeKit user, you may have a HomePod or Apple TV to act as the hub of your home, but HomeKit compatibility is much more complicated than more common options like Zigbee and Z-Wave, or Amazon’s choice and Google.
Want multiple codes?
Entry or access codes are, in my opinion, one of the best parts of smart locks. Not all smart locks come with one, but most have an additional keypad that you can add and place wherever you want on the outside of your home. While a digital lock allows you to enter a single code, a smart lock app will allow you to create multiple codes and assign them to specific people and set restrictions on code usage so you can give a code to your favorite dog walker or neighbor and know when use it to enter your home. It makes it easy to revoke codes without having to have your whole family adjust to a code change.
Some locks, such as the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro ($109) and the Schlage Encode Plus ($319), come with a keypad built into the front of the lock, but others require the purchase of an additional keypad. If codes are a key feature for you, prioritize a lock with an attached keyboard so you don’t have to spend extra money or worry about installing two things instead of one.
Do you want biometric or keyless entry?
The real future is not keys or codes at all! There are some locks that allow you to unlock the front door by pressing your fingerprint. Some, like the aforementioned Ultraloq, include the fingerprint reader built into the lock itself, while some have external keypads, like the Abode Lock, with a biometric reader in it. I like to use it as a one-touch unlock if I don’t have my keys handy and it’s certainly faster than typing in a code.
Most smart locks have a keyhole and I’d recommend sticking to the ones that do. Smart keys run on batteries (more on that below), so it’s good to have the backup of a battery-less physical key if you run out of battery power. (Bllvats will warn you in advance of low battery life, but I’m a procrastinator, so I know how this story will go.) Some locks use your phone’s geofencing to alert it to unlock your door , so if your phone dies, you may also lose the convenience you’re looking for and need a special access option.
Do you have other entry points?
If you’re interested in getting a smart lock on a boltless door, or even a sliding door, good news! There are opportunities for you too. Schlage, for example, makes the Encode Level ($310) designed for doors without an existing bolt. Instead, it adds a keyhole to the door handle along with a keypad. You can also add smart home control for your garage with MyQ’s Smart Garage Door Openers (8/10, WIRED Recommends), and you can add a keypad to it.
What about battery life? Hidden fees?
All these clever tricks need a power source: batteries. Most smart locks promise a battery life of at least a few months, if not the better part of a year, but performance depends on how hard the lock works – more frequent requests and automations will naturally drain the battery a little faster over time. times. Either way, be prepared to charge or replace the batteries in your smartwatch. Some have ways to remove the lock if it’s completely dead – the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro, for example, has a hidden MicroUSB port on the bottom if it needs juice.
Some locks also have features hidden behind subscription fees. Abode comes to mind for this – it provides notifications that your lock has been activated, but doesn’t clarify whether it was unlocked or locked. You have to sign up for one of Abode’s subscription plans for that benefit, and it’s also the only way to use it with other smart home devices. This isn’t very common with smart locks—Abode is also a smart home security company, so its subscription fee works with several other products beyond locks—but it’s worth keeping an eye on.