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We’ve reconfigured our Security, privacy, and smart locks section, and we’ve added the Lockly Flex Touch to the Competition section.
Your front door lock is an unsung hero, quietly standing guard to keep thieves and rogues at bay. Smart locks are the superheroes of the species, with special powers that make life more convenient (and a little more fun). Most smart locks come in one of two styles: a deadbolt replacement or a deadbolt adapter (which replaces the thumb turn with a motorized one). We strongly prefer deadbolt replacements, and we recommend the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro (with Bridge), a small, attractive model that you can trigger in multiple ways, including via fingerprint reader or keypad. For those who aren’t able to replace their entire lock or aren’t interested in doing so, the Wyze Lock has sturdy, reliable hardware and software, offers a good-looking design, and is as smart as or smarter than many competing locks, all for about half the price.
There are two main lock types: a full deadbolt replacement, and an adapter that connects to your existing deadbolt.
Choose a deadbolt based on how you want to unlock it: with a code, an app, a fingerprint, or geofencing (which uses your phone’s location).
If you can use a screwdriver and a smartphone app, installing a deadbolt takes 15 minutes plus 10 to configure its settings.
Every smart lock has a companion app, but Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit let you control locks and other devices all in one app.
This compact, versatile, and quiet smart lock’s top feature is a fast (though sometimes faulty) fingerprint reader, and its rubber number keys will please most anyone.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro (with Bridge) is a versatile device with precision hardware and a pleasing low-profile design. This model (dubbed V2.0) has been updated with a number of improvements over the original version we tested, including new buttons that work in temperatures down to -13 degrees Fahrenheit, a slightly smaller housing to better accommodate a greater variety of doors, an ANSI Grade 1 rating, and cabling that is easier to tuck away.
You can unlock the U-Bolt Pro six different ways, including with a numerical code, in an app, through a physical keyway, and—the pièce de résistance—via fingerprint. (To get the most out of the U-Bolt Pro, the Ultraloq Bridge, available bundled with the lock or as a $50 add-on, is essential, as it allows for remote programming and control.) We found the feel and function of the lock’s rubber number buttons to be superior to pecking numbers on the glass touchscreen of many keypad models. That said, the fingerprint ID remains our preferred way to unlock it. A newer model, the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, doesn’t require the Bridge, but in early testing we encountered setup and connection issues; we’ll continue to troubleshoot it and test it.
A slimmer update to previous Schlage keypad models, the Encode has built-in Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t need a plug-in adapter like other locks.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $277.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
The Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt is a trimmed and toned update to a couple of similar previous picks, the Schlage Connect and Schlage Sense, but with the clever ability to connect directly to your Wi-Fi, without the need for a plug-in adapter. (Most smart locks, in contrast, use battery-friendly Bluetooth and then connect wirelessly to a plug-in adapter that allows them to connect to your Wi-Fi and accept remote control.)
That capability is appealing, and along with the nicely designed hardware—which also includes a built-in impact alarm—it makes the Encode one of the easiest smart locks to install and one of the simplest models to use of those we’ve tested. We tend to prefer the tactile feel of keypads like the Encode’s over that of a glass touchscreen, and that feature makes this lock less fussy to use, so it’s a good choice for rental properties—especially as it’s an extra-tough ANSI Grade 1 lock. Unfortunately the Encode doesn't support Apple HomeKit. However, the Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt, which will be compatible with HomeKit, should arrive sometime in spring 2022.
For anyone who wants to keep an existing keyway, the Wyze Lock is fast and quiet. It also has a built-in sensor to detect when your door is ajar and includes a tiny plug-in Wi-Fi adapter.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $113.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
If you are a renter and not allowed to change your locks (or if you’re a homeowner and you simply don’t want to), the Wyze Lock is a low-cost yet full-featured option that connects easily to an existing deadbolt. The hardware installs quickly, and in our testing it worked well—and unlike our previous budget pick, the August Smart Lock, it’s whisper quiet. A tiny puck-like plug-in Wi-Fi adapter, which enables remote access and smartphone notifications, is included. The Wyze Lock offers some impressive features, such as a built-in door sensor that alerts you via a chime and a smartphone notification that pops up when you’ve left the door open or ajar.
Unlike our deadbolt-replacement picks, which have a keypad or fingerprint sensor (or both), the Wyze Lock requires that you use an app to unlock it, which for everyday use isn’t much more convenient than using a key. Wyze also offers a $25 wireless keypad that pairs with your lock, and in our limited testing it worked fine, though we’d still prefer to have one device to rely on instead of dealing with two. You can choose to enable auto-unlock mode, which employs your smartphone’s location and proximity to trigger the lock when you arrive home. But we worry about the innate security risk of accidental triggers, and some early owners of the Wyze Lock have reported such problems.
This compact, versatile, and quiet smart lock’s top feature is a fast (though sometimes faulty) fingerprint reader, and its rubber number keys will please most anyone.
A slimmer update to previous Schlage keypad models, the Encode has built-in Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t need a plug-in adapter like other locks.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $277.
For anyone who wants to keep an existing keyway, the Wyze Lock is fast and quiet. It also has a built-in sensor to detect when your door is ajar and includes a tiny plug-in Wi-Fi adapter.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $113.
I’ve been testing smart locks, as well as a wide range of other smart-home devices, since 2015. As a reporter and editor, I’ve been covering technology and trends for two decades at a number of national print and online publications. I currently have three smart locks installed in my home, along with three smart thermostats, five smart bulbs, multiple smart switches and smart outlets, smart smoke detectors, a smart water valve, a smart security system, a smart doorbell, three smart cameras, seven smart speakers, a smart display, and a smattering of sensors. None of them work perfectly all of the time.
Smart locks are both the most useful and, at least theoretically, the most potentially risky smart devices you can install at home. In the plus column, they make entering and leaving your home far more convenient by freeing you from having to carry keys (and in some cases a smartphone, too). Most make it possible to securely grant access to your home—not only to family and friends but also to renters, tradespeople, and even mail carriers or package-delivery workers. We’ve found that a smart lock with a keypad has made life easier and even safer for a household with kids who don’t have smartphones.
Smart locks don’t need to be connected with other smart devices to be useful, but should you want to do that, you can link them up using a single smartphone app so that it’s easier to access and control all your devices. Your options include popular smart platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. Once you’ve configured your lock on your smart platform, you might use it to tell one or more other devices to turn on or off, or perhaps even to trigger a string of automated actions—for instance, having your front lights turn off and the heat or AC kick on whenever you arrive home and unlock the door.
Here are a few ways a smart lock might be a useful addition to your home:
Smart locks, especially keypad models, are perfectly suited for rental-property and vacation-home owners such as Airbnb hosts, who have to deal with frequent key exchanges (in fact, with some locks, Airbnb now offers to automate the code creation for guests). Similarly, smart locks can be a useful tool for small-business owners who want to keep an eye on who might be coming and going through their doors when they aren’t around.
One especially important buying tip: If your door has a mortise lock, with the latch and bolt in an integrated unit, or a door handle and latch that are a single unit, none of the smart locks we recommend will fit (we hope to test some that do soon). In most of these cases, to accommodate a new smart lock, you need to replace that integrated unit with a standalone doorknob or lever and possibly a deadbolt—and all that extra work and hardware may end up being cost-prohibitive.
For homes, there are two main categories of smart locks. The first type is a deadbolt adapter, an add-on device that replaces the interior thumb turn of your door’s existing deadbolt but not the deadbolt mechanism itself. The second type is a full deadbolt replacement, which requires removing your existing deadbolt assembly and installing all-new hardware.
Our goal is to find locks that offer the best balance of convenience, security, and useful smarts while requiring as little technical complexity, ongoing management, or troubleshooting as possible. You can set up and manage almost all smart locks by using a companion smartphone app, and some smart locks can integrate with smart-home platforms and controllers such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, or Samsung SmartThings. Most smart locks can trigger other smart devices as well as automated actions such as turning lights on or off or changing the mode of a thermostat. And while some smart locks work only when you are in close proximity (usually by relying on a Bluetooth signal from your smartphone), others let you control and monitor them remotely through an internet connection, which for most of the locks we tested requires using a device called a gateway, or bridge; this is changing, however, as many new and soon-to-arrive locks can connect directly to your home Wi-Fi and so are directly accessible over the internet.
All of the smart locks we tested can integrate somewhat with other smart devices, though not as much as other smart-home gadgets, due to security concerns. For example, if you have an Alexa-compatible smart thermostat or light switches, you can set them up to adjust whenever you unlock your front door—in contrast, you may not be able to have a smart lock trigger automatically unless you first input a code.
To aid in our selection process, we consulted professional reviews from sites such as PCMag, Reviewed, and Tom’s Guide, as well as owner feedback on Amazon and other retailer sites. It’s noteworthy that while a handful of models consistently made reviewers’ short lists, no lock has been a consensus pick. Based on our research, we gathered our current lineup of picks, plus a handful of brand-new models, and ran intensive real-world tests.
In the many thousands of hours we’ve spent testing and using smart locks in everyday life since 2015, we’ve had only a few incidents where things went pear-shaped: Two locks have had batteries die, though they had warned us in advance; one needed to be restarted but finally responded to a voice command; and our front door was stuck shut when a gust of wind slammed it closed, popping the spring on the door latch. So although mechanical quality and proper installation of a lock are absolutely critical factors, our focus in testing continues to be on the experience of using these devices, most especially their consistency, reliability, and ease of use.
We continue to keep our current picks installed and in everyday use whenever possible, and we replace them with new test models as necessary for at least a week, in most cases for several weeks or even months. During that time we use the locks during everyday activity. But we also methodically trigger the locks up close using our smartphone via Bluetooth, as well as over our home Wi-Fi network, and then again remotely by connecting via cellular signal. Our regimen has included countless entrances and the experiences of a family of users (including two kids). For longer-term testing, we have installed several of the locks, many of which you can find in Other good smart locks, on a rig.
In each companion app, we explore the various settings and preferences available—such as turning audio signals or LED lights on and off, as well as enabling auto-lock and auto-unlock functions when applicable—and we take note of the speed, reliability, and usefulness of the notifications and the ease of adding and managing access codes. Our tests include the use of companion apps on both iOS and Android smartphones where applicable, though we perform all long-term testing using an iPhone 11.
In assessing the physical hardware, we take a close look at the ease of installation and the quality of the materials used for the various components. We also consider the physical robustness of each lock and, where applicable, the keyway (see the section immediately below for more on this topic).
Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and, as much as possible, investigates how the companies whose products we recommend deal with customer data. As part of our vetting process, we research all of the security and data-privacy practices behind our picks. We also reach out to all the companies that produce our top picks and ask them to respond to an extensive questionnaire to confirm issues that we think should be of primary concern for any potential buyer (for the full results, see Security and privacy: How our picks compare).
Some people assume that connecting a front door lock to the internet necessarily adds a new way for thieves to infiltrate the home, and that a smart lock is fundamentally more vulnerable than a standard door lock.
Our view is that while it’s technically possible for a smart lock to be exploited electronically, the likelihood is probably quite small. In fact, over seven years of closely reporting on and testing these devices, we have yet to find a single case of a smart lock being electronically exploited in the real world—only in labs or at hacker conventions. We think the reason is straightforward: There simply aren’t too many home burglars around who are interested in, or capable of, implementing a sophisticated electronic hack, and they would rather rely on the most popular manner of breaking into a door—by force, using something like a trusty crowbar or screwdriver. And in comparison with a “dumb” lock, should a burglar attempt to break in through a door equipped with a smart lock, the homeowner is in fact better off. For instance, all of our picks can send a notification whenever the lock is triggered, and further, the Schlage Encode has a built-in impact alarm. As a result, we’ve concluded that homes are more secure with a smart lock.
The smart locks we recommend are as safe as or safer than their mechanical counterparts (which, for instance, can’t alert you when your front door is unlocked or opened).
Similarly, we had at one point begun attempting to foil our locks using lock-picking tools as an unofficial component of our testing regimen, and we were surprised to find how relatively easy it was to successfully open a number of locks, including a few that we’ve recommended. However, after some reflection and a look at FBI burglary statistics, we’ve determined that—wait for it—as with the logic regarding electronic hacks, lock-picking attempts aren’t a realistic threat to homeowners. Most residential burglars break down doors or simply go in through unlocked ones. Burglars don’t have the time (or skills) to fiddle with lock picks. (For more on this topic, see “It's Ridiculously Easy to Pick Some Smart Deadbolts, But We Aren't Alarmed.”)
As for hardware security, locks are graded on their ability to withstand brute-force entry attempts—namely, smashing—based on criteria devised by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For deadbolts, Grade 1 is the top ranking, reserved for a commercial-use lock that has a 1-inch-thick latch bolt that’s able to sustain 10 strikes of 75 pounds and a million open/close cycles. A Grade 2 lock is considered closer to residential level, with a bolt that is ⅝ inch thick and able to withstand five strikes of 75 pounds and 800,000 cycles. The smart locks we recommend are as safe as or safer than their mechanical counterparts (which, for instance, can’t alert you when your front door is unlocked or opened). Both the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro and the Schlage Encode are ANSI Grade 1; since the Wyze Lock relies on your existing deadbolt, it has no ANSI grade.
A major security consideration with smart locks is whether to enable auto-lock and auto-unlock, a feature found on all our picks. These features trigger the lock based on your location (also known as geofencing), via some combination of Bluetooth, cellular signal, GPS, and Wi-Fi. Having your door automatically trigger as you walk up to it is the essence of convenience, but it puts you at risk of an accidental trigger that leaves your front door open to anyone. Some models include a little magnet, which you install near the lock, to determine when the door is closed or open, which ensures that you don’t lock the deadbolt when the door is left ajar (the Wyze Lock has this sensing built in). Another option for some locks is to use geofencing as a trigger, which requires that you confirm the unlock signal on your phone before it can activate, a far more secure but also less convenient approach.
In our testing over the past few years, we’ve had multiple instances of locks auto-unlocking when they shouldn’t have—both when we were home and away (the worst case was late at night, when we were at home and in bed). More recent testing has shown greatly improved accuracy in this regard, but overall we believe carte blanche geofence triggering is essentially risky, most especially for city dwellers, who are more susceptible to an opportunistic thief (who may be in the vicinity when a door is mistakenly unlocked). If you live in a suburban or rural location, the risks are more of a personal judgment call.
Overall, the companies behind our picks have very good security and privacy policies. They all require you to create a login in order to use the smart features, they all encrypt those credentials when they store the data in the cloud, and none of them share your personal data or location info with third parties—that is, unless you opt to do so by integrating your lock with a platform like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. One exception is that, among our picks, only the Wyze Lock offers the ability to use two-factor authentication (2FA), a system we recommend that requires you to enter a special PIN code before changing the lock settings and is a generally good system for keeping your devices secure.
Wirecutter long-term tests all of its picks, a process that includes keeping track of app, firmware, and policy updates as well as hardware and software incidents. Should any privacy or security issues be found with any of our picks, we’ll report that here and, if necessary, update or alter our recommendations.
This compact, versatile, and quiet smart lock’s top feature is a fast (though sometimes faulty) fingerprint reader, and its rubber number keys will please most anyone.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
After living with the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro (with Bridge) installed for a couple of years now, we can report that it has become a go-to recommendation to family, friends, and anyone else we can convince regarding the wonderfulness of the smart home. In the world of smart locks, the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro is the closest we’ve come to finding The One: It has lovely precision-made hardware, it offers multiple ways to get into your home quickly (including via fingerprint), and its motor is whisper-quiet. And it’s just the right size and style to look at home on any door. Although the U-Bolt Pro isn’t as widely compatible with smart-home platforms as our other picks, that’s a modest shortcoming with little functional impact. A newer model, the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, which doesn’t require the separate Bridge for Wi-Fi connectivity, is available, too—but in our early testing, we encountered setup and connection issues and so aren’t able to recommend it (see What to look forward to).
The U-Bolt Pro has rubber number buttons that encircle a fingerprint reader in the center; the front face pulls down to reveal a hidden keyway, a nifty design move. The thumb-turn housing is thinner than that of most of the other models we tested. Setup of the lock is on a par with that of all the other locks we’ve tested and involves fully removing your existing deadbolt to replace it with the U-Bolt Pro. The companion app, which is very similar to the August app (a former pick) in terms of organization, walks you through the necessary steps and lets you manage users and codes in a straightforward way, without fuss or confusion. In our tests, we found that using the app to control the lock and create codes—both while we were standing in front of it and when we were away from home—was quick and easily understandable to anyone who had used a smartphone app.
Technically, the U-Bolt Pro provides six methods of triggering the lock (including shaking your phone when you’re in front of it). However, the most useful methods—and, we think, the most likely to be used—are the fingerprint scanner and the door code. The process for scanning a fingerprint will be familiar to anyone who has done it with a smartphone: You repeatedly place, adjust, and reposition your finger over the scanner (you can store two fingerprints per user). Then, when you arrive home, you push your finger onto the reader, and in half a second or so a ring around the scanner lights up green, and the lock opens with a gentle whir (or it turns red, which means you have to rescan). Ultraloq has improved the fingerprint scanner in the Version 2.0 model, and even though we occasionally had to scan twice, it worked really well for us.
To use a code, you push the button with the Ultraloq logo, enter your unique PIN, and push the logo again. One clever security feature lets you choose to press a string of random numbers before and/or after you enter your actual code so that someone observing you won’t be able to see the code and memorize it (unless the observer can memorize long strings of numbers—in which case, use the fingerprint reader).
To access the U-Bolt Pro remotely, and to receive notifications when it locks and unlocks, you need to purchase (either in a bundle with the lock or separately) and install the plug-in Ultraloq Bridge, which we highly recommend—those features are a large part of why smart locks have value. The Bridge also gives you the ability to use Alexa or Google Assistant with the lock, which in our tests worked well. We could ask Alexa if the door was locked or unlocked, as well as have Alexa unlock it (to do so, you must state aloud a custom PIN).
If you aren’t interested in using a smart lock via HomeKit to trigger or automate other smart devices (or if you’re content with the Alexa or Google Assistant ecosystem), the U-Bolt Pro is the smart lock to get. It’s the model I’ve kept on my front door for long-term testing.
The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro doesn’t integrate with Apple’s HomeKit, a platform that some people may prefer.
A slimmer update to previous Schlage keypad models, the Encode has built-in Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t need a plug-in adapter like other locks.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $277.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
If you’re looking for a low-profile, no-fuss lock with a foolproof keypad and the ability to connect to Wi-Fi without requiring a plug-in adapter, we like the Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt. The capacitive keypad is nearly identical to those on our previous picks from Schlage, the Sense and Connect, and it’s the most intuitive version to use, as the numbers have a textured surface and give ever so slightly as you press them. It also has a built-in alarm, a soul-shattering shriek powerful enough to rouse the deceased—you can arm it to trigger if someone attempts to bust the lock or if the door is rammed. The Encode is smaller than its Schlage forebears (though not as small as the U-Bolt Pro), and it installs quickly. Unlike most smart locks, it has Wi-Fi built-in, so it connects directly to your home network (whereas most locks use Bluetooth to connect to a plug-in adapter that then connects to your Wi-Fi network). Amazingly, the Wi-Fi doesn’t seem to especially tax the batteries, which in our tests lasted several months without fail.
If you prefer not to use the Encode with a third-party smart platform, the Schlage Home app sends notifications when the Encode locks or unlocks, and you can use the app to add or alter existing lock codes. With those basic skills, the Encode is the best pick as a simple but smart gatekeeper for a vacation home or rental property, especially as it’s the one lock we’ve tested that needs no explanation for anyone to figure out: Just enter your code, and it opens. Simply press the padlock button to lock it when you leave.
For anyone who wants to keep an existing keyway, the Wyze Lock is fast and quiet. It also has a built-in sensor to detect when your door is ajar and includes a tiny plug-in Wi-Fi adapter.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $113.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
The Wyze Lock is as good a smart-home bargain as we’ve seen, with its precise hardware, built-in door sensor, and tiny Wi-Fi adapter all included for about half the price of our top picks. The Wyze Lock isn’t a deadbolt replacement; instead it attaches to your existing keyway, and all its smart bits are tucked into the internal housing, a slim metal unit with a thumb turn for engaging the deadbolt. Since it has neither a keypad nor a fingerprint reader, to unlock your door you need to access the companion app on your smartphone or enable the auto-unlock mode to trigger when you arrive home, the latter of which presents a potential security risk if the lock misfires. One shortcoming we’ve noticed in long-term testing is a particularly short battery life of a couple of months or so—you do get plenty of advance warning in the app, but compared with other locks, this model eats batteries. Still, depending on your needs and how you plan to use the Wyze Lock, it may be an ideal option if you occasionally need remote access to a lock or want to go keyless.
Like the popular August line of smart locks, the Wyze Lock is a conversion kit that adds smarts to traditional mechanical deadbolts. Installation is easy enough, though it requires both a regular-size screwdriver and a mini Phillips-head screwdriver (which is annoying to discover mid-installation). Once you’ve secured the lock to your door, you pair it to the Wyze app and then plug in and pair the included Wi-Fi adapter, which acts as the wireless go-between for your smartphone and lock when you aren’t within close proximity. In our tests, setup was delightfully hiccup free, with the mechanical and app components all connecting seamlessly.
What makes the Wyze Lock a standout is its built-in proximity sensing, which indicates whether the door is properly shut or has been left open. That feature allows you to enable smartphone alerts so that you’ll know if someone leaves the door open accidentally. You can also have the lock set off its internal chime if the door stays open for too long, which can be useful (or aggravating if you are the spouse of a writer and product reviewer and you just want to open the door to let in some fresh air, for crying out loud).
Currently the Wyze Lock works with its companion app but can also pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, both of which let you use voice commands to lock the door; you can also use Alexa or Google Assistant to unlock the door if you program a PIN code.
Wyze turns on a few optional features by default that you should be aware of. For instance, the Wyze Lock is set to auto-lock a few seconds after you unlock and then open and shut the door, something we discovered after popping outside for a minute, hearing a whir, and then turning around to realize we were locked out of our house. Wyze also turns on the open-door alarm, which (as alluded to above) my spouse alerted me to when the lock began beeping maddeningly because she had left the back door open.
The Wyze Lock’s auto-unlock feature makes it more useful but also potentially more dangerous, and we’ve seen several early reports of owners having their door unlock at unwanted times—but also seeing it fail to unlock, which means they have to drag out their phone, open the app, and then trigger the lock (or just use a key). This is a problem shared by every smart lock we’ve tested that has an auto-unlock feature, and we think it has a lot to do with the instability of wireless and GPS signals, which these locks rely on to detect when a device owner is in range. Our thinking has been that, depending on your environment, the actual security risk may be negligible, especially if the lock is set to auto-lock after a short period. For some people, especially those who live in urban environments, the risk is just not worth taking, and so opting for another smart lock may be the best route. Wyze now has a Bluetooth keypad, which we haven’t yet tested.
Though we’re confident that the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro is the best pick for most people, several of the other models we’ve tested would certainly satisfy those with specific needs. Note that unlike our approach to our picks, we don’t continuously long-term test these models.
If aesthetics matter most: The $200 Level Bolt and the $330 Level Lock Touch Edition are two models with gorgeously engineered hardware—and a premium price tag of two to three times the price of our deadbolt-adapter pick, the Wyze Lock. The Bolt design is one of a kind: a motorized assembly that replaces your existing lock’s deadbolt but allows you to use your existing keyway and thumb turn, so visually you can’t tell that a smart lock is installed. The Lock Touch Edition is a deadbolt replacement in which all the smart guts are built into the internal deadbolt assembly. The Bolt relies on geofencing to trigger auto-unlock; the Touch is triggered when you touch the metal housing of the keyway. As with any geofenced lock, in our testing of the Bolt we saw occasional missed or just very late auto-unlock triggers; this then meant that we had to whip out our phone to unlock the door, which isn’t more convenient than using a key. As with our deadbolt-adapter pick, the Wyze Lock, or the August lock (below), you can trigger the device only once before you have to leave a ⅛-mile radius around your home, so neither model may be a great fit for city dwellers who may pop out down the block and then come home. These models rank among the few HomeKit-compatible smart locks around. In addition, Level now sells an accessory keypad that you can pair with your lock and attach to a doorframe; we have not tested it yet, but we hope to.
If you prefer Nest devices: The Nest x Yale Lock is largely identical to the Yale Assure Lock SL, except that it is compatible only with other Nest smart devices and has a slightly larger keypad—which we actually prefer. It works reliably, has a smooth mechanism, and is easy to manage.
If you need a HomeKit model: There are a few HomeKit-compatible models we’ve named as picks in the past. One is the Kwikset Premis, a great, reliable device. Its hardware is relatively large compared with that of our current picks, and it is less elegant, but it works well. The Schlage Connect is a low-cost option for anyone who already uses a Z-Wave hub, but the Schlage Sense, another HomeKit-enabled model virtually identical to the Schlage Connect, is another previous pick. Like the Connect, the Sense has a terrific keypad and top-quality ANSI Grade 1 hardware, but over many years of testing, it has suffered from Bluetooth-range issues that have made it unreliable when we’re trying to connect to it remotely—despite being within spitting distance of both our Wi-Fi beacon and an Apple TV acting as a hub. A Wi-Fi adapter, which also enables Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, is available but removes HomeKit compatibility. Still, the Sense is a solid device and a good choice especially for rental properties.
If you want a completely keyless lock: The Yale Assure Lock SL with August Connect was a long-standing top pick and is compatible with all the big smart-home platforms, including HomeKit. We put it here instead of making it a pick due to its now comparably high $300 price. In addition, installing it is fussier than the process for many of the newer models available (notably, we’ve received several complaints of its wireless modules dying, though we never experienced that with our test unit).
If you’re a renter: The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is nearly half the size of the company’s Smart Lock Pro. It functions almost identically but also has built-in Wi-Fi, which enables you to connect to it remotely without having to rely on a plug-in hub. As with all other August devices, its usefulness is wholly dependent on its auto-unlock feature, which requires that you leave the vicinity of your home for several hundred feet before it can trigger. If you pop off to a neighbor’s house or the corner store, for example, it won’t work, and you’ll need to consult your phone to open the door. If you live in an area where you lock the doors only at night, it may be a fine option.
If you prize convenience over guest access: The Kwikset Halo Touch is a deadbolt-replacement model with a modern-style keyway and a fingerprint reader. It’s pretty, and the fingerprint reader works well, but you can’t readily share access to your home as you can with keypad models (you’d need to register a fingerprint for every visitor). The door mechanism also sounds suspiciously like the relatively aged Kwikset Kevo, which is to say it’s loud and a bit pokey. Still, for everyday use it works well, and the fingerprint reader was flawless in our tests.
We have been testing the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, an updated version of our top pick with built-in Wi-Fi. Although we eventually got it functioning and working smoothly, we encountered an especially buggy setup process with connection issues, and we are working with the company to troubleshoot. We’ll update this guide when the issues are resolved.
The $300 Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt is a HomeKit-compatible lock that will be available in late spring 2022. It will support Apple Home Keys, a new feature that will let you unlock your door just by holding out or tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch. The deadbolt will also support Thread, and it will allow Alexa and Google Assistant users to control the lock using their voice.
Our experience with the smart locks we’ve tested has been positive for the most part, though we should note that every smart lock we’ve ever used has had instances where it didn’t function correctly or required troubleshooting of some variety—an inevitability to be aware of when you’re choosing to install one of these devices in your home. We have yet to meet a set-it-and-forget-it smart-home device.
We tested the Alfred DB1 and were largely impressed, especially with its touch-to-unlock mechanism, which worked well if not perfectly—several times we arrived home and touched the keypad, but the lock failed to unlock. It doesn’t integrate with as many smart-home platforms, its included Wi-Fi adapter is a bizarre, clunky mess, and its app is far too confusing to use for setting up PIN codes.
The August Smart Lock Pro is widely compatible, and August has consistently updated and improved its devices over time. This model requires a Wi-Fi hub, so we recommend getting the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock instead.
The Eufy Smart Lock Touch and Eufy Smart Lock Touch & W-Fi are keypad locks with a built-in fingerprint reader. The former model doesn’t offer remote access, whereas the latter does so you can control it when you aren’t home. Both suffer from an internal housing that is the largest we’ve ever seen, as well as a similarly large external one. Although both locks work well, we prefer many of the significantly smaller options available.
Lockly has a line of smart locks, all of which have clever and thoughtful features. However, in our testing we found that none of them matched or bettered our picks, and overall they suffered from lesser design and sometimes lower-quality materials. The Lockly Secure Plus keypad lock (deadbolt version) is in many ways a great smart lock, but it seemed oversized to us, and the interior housing felt plasticky and inferior in comparison with the metal housings of our top picks. It also doesn’t provide remote access. The newer Lockly Secure Pro is available for purchase with a wireless bridge, but at $300 it’s not a good value compared with our picks. The Lockly Vision includes a built-in doorbell; although we appreciate the cleverness involved in its engineering, a small smart lock and a separate battery-powered doorbell cam are a better and more practical option—in the package, Lockly includes a sign to instruct visitors to press the button on the lock, which to us is an acknowledgement of how the design is likely to confuse visitors. The Lockly Flex Touch has a keyway and a fingerprint reader, which makes it useful only for homes where you don’t intend to share access (unless you invite those folks over to scan their fingerprints first). In our tests it was quick and quiet, but its internal housing felt plasticky and insubstantial, and remote access to the lock requires an $80 adapter. In contrast, the Kwikset Halo Touch is a bit more expensive but has Wi-Fi built in.
The Kwikset Kevo is a previous pick that we don’t recommend these days for a number of reasons but most simply because it’s outdated and unreliable. Curiously it isn’t compatible with a large variety of popular Android devices—so you can render it incompatible if you buy a new phone. (We haven’t encountered this issue with any other lock we’ve tested.)
We were generally pleased with the performance and looks of the Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen Deadbolt (YRD226), a former alternative to our top pick (the YRD256). But you have plenty of better-performing and more affordable models to choose from.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: Yes. Schlage Encode: Yes, if you want to use smart features. Wyze Lock: Yes.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: No. Schlage Encode: No. Wyze Lock: Yes; it is optional.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: Yes, and fingerprint images are encrypted and stored only on the device. Schlage Encode: Yes. Wyze Lock: Yes.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: Optionally, for certain features like auto-unlock. Schlage Encode: No. Wyze Lock: Optionally, for certain features like auto-unlock.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: No. API is not available for third parties. Schlage Encode: Yes, if you choose to integrate with third-party platforms. You can opt out by emailing dataprivacy@allegion.com. Wyze Lock: No.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro: No. Schlage Encode: No. Wyze Lock: No.
This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.
Smart locks typically provide a few ways for a homeowner to trigger them, which may include any combination of a smartphone app, a code with a keypad, touch, wireless dongles, a fingerprint scanner, or using the wireless signals of your smartphone to determine your location, otherwise known as geofencing. The idea behind geofencing is that your smart lock is connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network, and so when you leave home, your lock becomes aware based on the fading signals of your smartphone—you have moved beyond the invisible “fence” around your home. When you return, your smartphone’s various wireless connections—cellular, GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi—serve as beacons that variously let your smart lock anticipate your return. With many smart locks, you can use that signal to automatically trigger your lock when you leave or arrive home.
Auto-unlocking your door based on geofencing is the hallmark feature of deadbolt-adapter-style smart locks, such as those made by Wyze and August; these devices replace the thumb turn of your existing deadbolt with a motorized mechanism inside a housing. Unlike models that have a built-in keypad or a fingerprint scanner, these locks rely on geofencing in order to be more convenient than simply carrying a key—otherwise you have to whip out a phone, open an app, wait for it to load, and then trigger the lock. With geofencing, when things work perfectly, the lock triggers as you approach it, no muss no fuss.
In our testing experience, which has included evaluating a few dozen locks over thousands of hours and several years, we have never found a geofencing system that works flawlessly—to the contrary, we’ve often had a buggy experience. Sometimes a lock has triggered way too early, when we were hundreds of feet from home, or not at all, or after a long pause, with the end result being that we’ve ended up having to pull out a phone to trigger the lock anyway—which can be less convenient than using a key. An explanation of why this happens involves a lot of moving parts: a poor wireless connection of any type, flukes with smartphone software, firmware changes, hardware issues, other ghosts in the machine. As such, I’ve never relied on geofencing for personal use, and I have always been reluctant to recommend it to others as a primary method of interacting with a smart lock. There are just too many other, better options.
But—and it’s a big but—many people claim to use geofencing and enjoy it, and so if the potential downsides (chiefly, early triggers before you’re actually home, or a failure to trigger at all) aren’t a major concern for you, it may be a handy tool that allows you to make the most of a smart lock. If I lived in a rural or even suburban locale, for instance, I’d be much more inclined to consider it.
The short answer is yes, though there are very few compatible models available in the US, and we don’t currently have a pick for one—but we hope to remedy that soon. Locks that are a combination of a knob or lever with a bolt in a single unit are referred to as a handleset or leverset. And unlike deadbolt locks, which typically insert through a round hole between the outer and inner sides of the door, handlesets are mortise locks that slide into the side of a door.
No, you can trigger a smart lock without having to connect it to the internet—however, if you want the sorts of features that make a lock “smart,” such as the ability to control it when you aren’t home, to receive notifications when it’s triggered, or to have it connect with other smart devices, then yes, you’ll need to connect it to Wi-Fi. Until recently most smart locks would need to be paired with a small plug-in device (variously referred to as a bridge, hub, or gateway) that acted as the go-between, connecting the lock (via Bluetooth) with the home’s Wi-Fi network. Now you can find many models that have Wi-Fi built-in and so can connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network, without needing a helping hand from another device.
John R. Delaney, The Best Smart Locks for 2022, PCMag, February 17, 2022
Mike Prospero, The best smart locks in 2022, Tom’s Guide, February 7, 2022
Sarah Kovac, Rachel Murphy, Whitson Gordon, The Best Smart Locks of 2022, Reviewed, January 25, 2022
Jon Chase is an editor leading smart-home coverage at Wirecutter. He has been covering technology as a writer and editor since the days before mobile phones got smart. His work has been featured in various print and online publications, and on television. He currently has over 35 smart devices installed in his home. None of them work perfectly.
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