The best smart locks can help anyone who often misplaces keys or often wonders if they lock the front door. I’m in the latter camp. After years of apartments, I recently moved to a large enough house and checking that the door is locked can feel like a trivia, especially once I’m comfortable in bed.
Installing a smart lock doesn’t mean throwing away your home keys – you may still want to carry them with you. These locks are all about convenience, providing multiple input methods such as via keyboard, fingerprint scanning, or passwords provided through the application. You can easily share code with friends and family, so there is no need to make a fussy critical copy, and they can usually be set to auto-lock when the door is closed. But there are a lot of models out there and not everyone can use it with your door. Don’t worry, I’ve tested smart locks for nearly a year and have a lot of suggestions in this guide. Most people will have a go-to choice for our Yale Approach Lock, which is touched with a keyboard, but we have several options – even locks that fit sliding doors.
For more clever family advice, read our guide to the best video doorbells, the best outdoor security cameras, the best indoor security cameras and the best robot vacuum.
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Before purchasing a smart lock
Here are a few things to check before buying a smart lock.
How thick is your door? Yes, you need to measure the thickness of the front door. If it is close or larger than 2 inches thick, you may need some kind of expansion kit, such as the Ultraloq thick door kit for the company’s smart lock, which is designed for doors from 1.75 to 2.5 inches. My door is on the thicker side, and although I can install most locks like Lockly Viseage and Aqara U50 is fine, Kwikset’s locks require an extension kit. Once you know the door size, you can check it based on your own selection lock to see if it fits and if any expansion tools are needed. You don’t want to just find out that you need to order extras.
Do you need a bridge or a hub? Some locks, such as those at Yale University, have a separate Wi-Fi bridge that needs to be plugged into nearby. Companies like Aqara and Abode both need to set up hubs for more features. But some models don’t require wheel hubs or bridges at all. Double check if something extra is needed and it must be inserted into the doorway. Do you have sockets that are easy to use?
Can you switch the entire lock? If you are a homeowner, you can (probably) buy any of these locks without worrying about it. However, tenants or people with strict homeowners association rules may find they are not free to change the lock. Depending on your freedom, both have full locking alternatives that can replace the entire front door lock and remodel lock, replacing the backrest only. If you don’t want a new key or don’t want a landlord tip, a remodel is a great option, then you’ll change the lining.
Tools you need to install
The specific lock you choose may require more requirements, but for each lock I install, I find myself using:
- Size tape
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Precision screwdriver kit
- Gallon zippered bag (put my old lock block in)
Most locks do not recommend using a risk of damage to the lock using a power drill. If you already have a screwdriver, the Precision tool kit may sound silly, but the small screws used by many of these locks are easier to control using a precision tool kit.
Dual checks include the battery so you are ready to pop up after installation.
The best smart lock overall
The Yale lock may look like a complete locking alternative, but it’s a modification design that only changes the back of the dead bolt that turns the thumb. This means that your existing keys will still work and everyone outside the house doesn’t know it’s smart. This is ideal for renters, but it’s also great for those who don’t want to have the front lock and exchange keys. All of this also means that the installation is quick and easy – the hardest part is keeping the existing locks from dropping when swapping the backing, but it takes only a few minutes to complete.
As the name implies, the Yale method lock (8/10, wired suggestion) can be felt when approaching. It uses the location of the phone to do this, and in the app you can place a small range to determine the importance of “arriving” your home. There is a patio and a small staircase between my door and the car, so once I hit the staircase, I could feel the greater range. It’s better than putting the scope in the middle of my house because it didn’t count as arriving until I was already at the door.
Photo: Nena Farrell
Assa Abloy, the parent company of Yale, acquired the smart lock brand August in 2017, and if you have used the August lock before, the included Wi-Fi bridge will look familiar. The bridge is connected to the smart lock via Bluetooth, so it must be plugged into the door. This is why the remote unlock feature (plus other features) is connected to the lock. The entire setup works very similarly to the way locks in the past, although I like the design of the Yale approach rather than the silver cylinder of the August Wi-Fi smart lock.
You can choose a keyboard that uses this method and there are two different styles to choose from. The basic keyboard bundle includes Yale’s numeric keyboard, but the biometric keyboard touch bundle has a numeric keyboard and fingerprint scanner. I recommend upgrading to a fingerprint reader – it is very convenient and fast. With only one touch, your door is unlocked. If you don’t have anywhere to place the lock, you can also buy the lock without a keyboard ($130), but the keyboard is a great addition to the smart lock so you can give away visitors and temporary codes, and it also gets inside without a key or phone.
Best smart locks and biometrics technology
If you think the fingerprint reader on the above Yale method sounds handy, let me introduce you to Lockly Viseage (8/10, wired advice). The Face not only has a fingerprint reader, but also has built-in sensors that recognize that your face unlocks the door as you walk. Yes, this lock can see you coming.
When installing this lock, it is recommended that you move quickly when entering the battery level. Do not put it in a rechargeable battery before downloading the app, position the activation card inside the box (ensure the security card if you reset the lock), and be ready to complete the steps in the app setting, especially the VIESAGE ID, especially the VICE ID, the locked facial recognition technology. The battery activates a Bluetooth signal that only lived for a few minutes in my tests, and you need to enter the code and complete the steps within this time. Restarting it is frustrating, but it is possible. Lockley said it has rolled out an update to fix this short-lived Bluetooth window, but once the battery is put in, I’m still planning to roll.
Photo: Nena Farrell
After setting up, I have zero connection issues and am satisfied with the speed at which my face can be recognized when this lock is locked (even with sunglasses!), or it can read my fingerprint at the speed. The VISAGE uses infrared (IR) sensors and cameras to see when a person is approaching and who they are. The sensors in the lock have both field detection and facial recognition, so they will not be fooled by pictures. The infrared sensor has a range of about 2.6 feet, and I did find that I felt this in my tests. The company promises not to capture still images and that the live intuitive tracking data is encrypted and saved on the device. It’s nice to have facial and fingerprint options so your family members can choose whatever they like. There is also a keyboard and a regular mechanical key, which includes two keys.
Zeno uses Lockly Home App (iOS, Android), the latest app for Lockly. It is specially used with Zeno cables. There is another Lockly app that works with this lock, but it doesn’t look very good. In the app, you can easily generate code for visitors, customize notifications and set preferences, such as automatically locking the door after a certain amount of time.
The door sensor is also glued to the door under the lock, and the second part sits on the door to feel whether the door is closed. You can also customize the notifications surrounding it, which is a nice add-on, although the entire system itself isn’t the most attractive, which is a bit confusing.
