By integrating your front door with your smart home system, the best smart locks increase security and bring peace of mind while resolving a variety of issues. You won’t have to stress about accidentally locking yourself out of your house or missing friends and family visits.
Instead of a physical key, smart locks allow you to gain access with your fingerprint, a personal PIN code, or a few taps on your phone. However, they frequently still include a physical key. Additionally, you can generate special, secure guest codes to distribute to trusted employees, family members, and friends.
How do smart locks function?
Smart locks are keyless gadgets that can be opened by your smartphone and are connected to your home Wi-Fi. Additionally, you can use your voice to open the majority of smart locks when using voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant.
Some smart locks simply fit over your existing lock and require very little DIY, whereas others completely replace your existing lock, so you’ll need to be confident with DIY if you want to install them yourself.
The best smart speakers, displays, and other smart home hubs can be used with the best smart locks to automate your home. For instance, if you’re leaving the house or perhaps going to bed, you can arm your home security cameras and secure your smart lock with a single command. If you already have a smart home setup, make sure a device is compatible before you buy because not all smart locks will work with all voice assistants and smart home hubs.
Before purchasing a smart lock, take into account the following:
As was already mentioned, not every smart lock is the same; various locks employ various protocols, unlocking mechanisms, and other features.
1. Is your door compatible?
Although smart locks are designed to ensure that your deadbolt can lock and unlock automatically, not every door will function properly. Your deadbolt should lock or unlock easily and smoothly when you go to it.
A smart lock may not function properly if you must push or pull on your door in order for it to lock or unlock properly because you won’t be present at the time.
Additionally, make sure the lock can reach all the way into the jamb. Your smart lock will always attempt to open fully, and if it is unable to do so, the lock’s motor may be more susceptible to burnout. Both of these problems can, of course, be resolved, but you’ll want to make sure that they are before attempting to install your smart lock.
2. Do you want to upgrade or replace your deadbolt?
Although not all smart locks function as deadbolts, the majority do. Some locks, such as the August Smart Lock, simply attach to your existing deadbolt and perform the manual locking and unlocking for you.
These are typically a little simpler to install, but before you buy them, make sure that your deadbolt is compatible with them.
3. How do you want your smart lock to communicate with your phone or the internet?
As with any smart home device, there are a few different connection standards that are used with smart locks. Most will connect to your phone and other devices using a variety of standards, but you should check the lock before you buy it.
The first standard—and conceivably the most popular—is Bluetooth. It is widespread because it consumes little power, especially when compared to Wi-Fi. Given that most smart locks will run on batteries, that is an important factor to take into account.
However, Bluetooth has a limited operating range. As a result, you won’t be able to lock or unlock your lock if you’re not close to it. But the benefit of Bluetooth is that you don’t require a separate hub to use it.
How to pick the ideal smart lock for your needs
There are numerous factors to take into account when selecting the best smart lock for you before settling on a particular model.
But let’s say you’re the type of person who has trouble remembering to lock the door. If so, a design that incorporates Wi-Fi or uses a bridge to connect to the internet and relay commands from the cloud will ensure that it can be locked.
There are many different styles of smart locks to choose from, from conventional-appearing devices that hide their intelligence to futuristic designs with keypads and touchscreens. You should also consider the styling of the smart lock and whether it will match your current decor.
You should also see if it works with other smart home accessories you have, like the best home security cameras, video doorbells, and smart lights.
Also think about whether you want to be able to temporarily grant friends and family access to the lock.
High-end smart locker for your house
- August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
The August smart lock couldn’t have been much better, but the business still made changes to the original to make it more compact and user-friendly. Since the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock has Wi-Fi built in, you don’t need to install the August Connect bridge to connect your lock to your home network. It is also 45% smaller than the original August Smart Lock, making it less obtrusive on your door.
The August Pro has everything we liked about it right here: Simple installation, compatibility with a wide range of other smart home systems, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Xfinity, and features like DoorSense (which alerts you if your door has been left ajar). And you can use the keys with the August Wi-Fi.
- Schlage Encode Plus
When you can simply tap your phone to a smart lock to open your door, why enter a code? At least for iPhone owners, that is the Schlage Encode Plus’s main advantage. You can lock or unlock the Encode Plus when it’s connected to HomeKit by simply touching your iPhone or Apple Watch to the device. It is that simple.
We also appreciate that this lock has a nice big number pad, a built-in alarm, and can connect directly to Wi-Fi. In contrast to rival smart locks like the August, it only stores 100 codes. Therefore, if you don’t own an iPhone, this smart lock might not be the best choice for you.
- Yale Real Living Assure SL
The Yale Real Living Assure SL is one of the best smart locks on the market because it supports multiple smart home standards. It is compatible with Google Home, HomeKit, Alexa, and SmartThings. As a result, you can control it using your smartphone, a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo, Google Nest Mini, or Google Nest Hub Max, or one of the best iPhones or Android phones.
The Assure SL lock is attractive, well-made, and simple to install. However, there isn’t a manual key option; it’s either a keycode, an app, or nothing. If the battery runs out, you can temporarily recharge it by connecting two contacts on a 9v battery to the keypad’s bottom.
Conclusion
While the majority of the best smart locks have built-in rechargeable battery packs that can typically be recharged using a USB-C cable, some devices still need to occasionally be powered by AA alkaline batteries or something similar. Get a smart lock and keep your home connected from anywhere.
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