If you live in a suburban or rural location, we think the risks are more of a personal judgment call. If you pop off to a neighbor’s house or the corner store, it won’t work, and you’ll need to consult your phone to open the door. The Yale Assure Lock SL (YRD256) Connected by August is fast, quiet, and completely keyless, and in contrast to many keypad models, its sleek, slim, glass-and-metal housing is stylish. *At the time of publishing, the price was $250. Another issue is that in order for your lock to be “armed,” you need to lock it and then exit a ⅛-mile radius from your home. This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology.This is a condensed version of The Best Smart Lock; read the full review here.. Smart locks … A unique feature of the Yale is that it can be upgraded to a smart lock with the installation of a small module on the inside portion of the lock (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, HomeKit, Z-Wave, or Z-Wave Plus, depending on your system and needs). Our smart-home staffers aren’t the only ones who love their gadgets. We also wanted a model that had clear and easy-to-reference instructions. The Schlage B60N is our pick as the best deadbolt for most people. We tested three Kwiksets: Obsidian, SmartCode 915, and SmartCode 913. Once you input your code correctly, pressing the checkmark causes the screen to flash, and with a gentle whir the lock activates. We’ve also added several models to The competition, and created a new Other locks we like section. The volume and auto-lock feature both have multiple settings, and the movement of the deadbolt is quieter and quicker than with others. Wyze turns on a few optional features by default that you should be aware of. Schlage’s Leimer explained the appeal of the manual lock: “A lot of people like the idea of knowing that their deadbolt actually locked because they turned the bolt themselves.” During testing we felt the nice satisfaction of manually engaging with the deadbolt. For our testing, we installed multiple locks on a single 2-by-10-foot board and used them daily for more than a month. This model requires a Wi-Fi hub, so we’d recommend getting the August Wi-Fi instead. It also offers wide compatibility with other smart-home devices. The touchscreen buttons are easy to press, even with bulky gloves on. More important, connecting your front door lock to the internet adds at least a theoretical new way for thieves to infiltrate your home. In gaining its smaller internal housing, the Encode unfortunately shed compatibility with Apple HomeKit, though it can still integrate with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The Yale has a sleek interface and easy programming, and is more customizable than the others we looked at. Our pick, the Yale Assure SL Connected by August, is sleek and simple enough for most anyone. Amazingly, the Wi-Fi doesn’t seem to especially tax the batteries, which in our tests lasted several months without fail. The August Smart Lock Pro + Connect is the HomeKit smart lock pick in our guide to the best HomeKit-compatible 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. Sharing access with other people is as simple as telling them a code of your choosing, which you can restrict or delete as necessary using the August app—no need to force guests to download an app or register for anything. In the many thousands of hours of use spread over about two dozen smart locks since 2015, we’ve had just one lock suffer a mechanical malfunction (specifically, the spring in the deadbolt dislodged after a freak gust of wind slammed our door shut). For this guide, we spoke with Greg Leimer, product manager for Schlage Residential Electronic Locks, and Jason Tu, product marketing manager in the hardware and home improvement division at Spectrum Brands, which makes the Kwikset, Baldwin, and Weiser lines. A major security consideration with smart locks is whether to enable auto-lock and auto-unlock. Through the app you can track who locks and unlocks the door and when, based on which codes they use for entry. When you’re accessing the lock from outside, the glass touchscreen is dark by default. So I know we haven’t answered the original question “Are Smart Lock safe?” At least not directly. It has three volume settings (high, low, and mute), three language settings (English, Spanish, and French), and a number of auto-lock settings, which lock the door behind you after a pre-established duration. These switches are so small, we used a toothpick to move them, and even that felt bulky. What is HomeKit? A top name in locks for almost a century, Schlage successfully combines trusted security and the latest smart technology with this top-quality model. In addition, when we tested it, the lack of remote access made it a nonstarter. 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 be triggered. You can unlock it six different ways, including with a numerical code, in an app, through a physical keyway, and—the pièce de résistance—via fingerprint. Like the Yale lock, the programming is all done from the front keypad. By Wirecutter | Earns commissions. The Lockly Secure Plus keypad lock (deadbolt version) is in many ways a great smart lock, but we found it to be oversized, and the quality of the plastic internal components is inferior compared with the metal ones of our top picks. You wake it with the press of three fingers or your palm, and then the keypad numbers appear. A number of useful settings within the August app let you turn the button-press sound on and off, change the volume level, enable one-touch locking, and so on. No; transport to the cloud is encrypted, and access to data is restricted to August-owned devices and requires 2FA, Yes; also, fingerprint images are encrypted and stored only on the device. The Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock (2nd Gen) is our top pick in our guide to the best smart lock. The Wyze Lock currently integrates with Alexa, which enables you to lock the door using voice, and Google Assistant support is planned. If you have a smart-home system that is entirely Nest-based, especially a Nest Hello doorbell, it’s a great option. A smart lock lets you go key-free and control your door from afar. Only if you integrate with third-party platforms, No, and no API is available for third parties, Yes, if you choose to integrate with third-party platforms; customers may opt out of sharing data by emailing dataprivacy@allegion.com. There is no longer a need to give someone a key (that could be copied) or to hide one under the mat. We initially would forget that step and wait for the lock to open, only to have it time out. In each companion app, we tested the various settings and preferences available—such as turning audio signals or LED lights on and off and enabling auto-lock and auto-unlock functions when applicable—and we took note of the speed, reliability, and usefulness of the notifications and the ease of adding and managing codes. 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. © 2021 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, but you may not be able to have a smart lock trigger automatically unless you first input a code, Yale Assure Lock SL (YRD256) Connected by August, Yale Assure Lever (YRL256) Connected by August, Our pick: Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro (with Bridge), Runner-up: Yale Assure Lock SL (YRD256) Connected by August, Also great: Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen Deadbolt (YRD226), owners having their door unlock at unwanted times, Building a Smart Home With Apple’s HomeKit, The Smart Home Devices the Wirecutter Staff Uses, The Best Smart Home Starter Kits to Buy Black Friday 2020. The Yale also offers the most customization. For something that may need to be referred to from time to time, folding and unfolding this gigantic sheet to get to the programming section is tedious. We also like the DoorSense accessory, a small mountable magnet that tells the lock whether the door is open or closed so that the deadbolt doesn’t engage before the door is shut. The Schlage models don’t have this feature at all, and the Kwikets can only be set to 30 seconds. In a low-light situation, the top “Schlage” button activates a backlight to the numbers. While they differ from one another in the keypad/touchscreen style and the backup option (one has the 9-volt terminals, two have the keyway), the guts and functions are all similar. The Schlage lock is not as automated as the rest. 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. Does the manufacturer share data with third parties, affiliates, and partners? By Wirecutter | Earns commissions. The DB1 has a smartphone-sized touchpad that works like those of most other competing models, as well as a particularly oversized internal housing (which is one reason we decided not to make it a top pick). If so, what data, and for what purpose (including location, tracking, marketing, or any other purpose)? You have to go to the FAQ page on the company’s website to get the full programming instructions (PDF). 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). Our experience with the smart locks we tested was largely positive, 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. "The Best Smart Lock" The Wirecutter names Kevo "the best choice for most homeowners." ... Wirecutter is a list of the best … Installing the included Connect Wi-Fi adapter is another way to enable remote access as well as compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. It does not have the 9-volt terminals, like the Yale. The face of the U-Bolt Pro has durable but soft 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. (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.). The FoldyLock Compact is, we believe, the second-best folding lock option. Google Assistant support is in the works, but HomeKit isn’t an option. For example, if you have a HomeKit-compatible smart thermostat or light switches, you can have them adjust whenever you unlock your Yale Assure Lock SL, but you may not be able to have a smart lock trigger automatically unless you first input a 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). 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. This model has most of the same features as our top pick but is a replacement for a doorknob or lever handle instead of a deadbolt. We’ve installed locks, tested them, and even picked them to arrive at the best recommendations. More than anything, not dealing with an app or periodic Bluetooth failures just to get in through the front door is a welcome relief. A Wi-Fi adapter, which also enables Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, is available but removes HomeKit compatibility. The Best Smart Locks. Of all the tested models, the Schlage BE365 is the least streamlined. 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). This feature makes the Yale a nice stepping stone if you like the idea of an electronic lock and feel you may want to upgrade to a smart version at a later date. If you value such an ability, be sure to check a model’s compatibility with your existing (or intended) smart devices before buying. The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells adjust smoothly from 5 to 52½ pounds when you turn dials at either end of each weight. The whole process takes about four seconds. Programming the Yale lock is easy. The Samsung Ezon Keyless Smart Universal Deadbolt Digital Door Lock has multi-leveled security code entry for enhanced safety. That meant avoiding unknown brands with rudimentary websites and no apparent phone number. We’ve selected the best devices in popular categories to help you build your HomeKit smart-home system. A smart lock lets you go key-free and control your lock from afar. The Schlage has the highest security rating, but it’s not as automated as the others. The Lockly Vision is another smart lock that includes a built-in doorbell. Recognition. In our tests, we found 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—to be quick and easily understandable to anyone who has used a smartphone app. © 2021 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Vivint Home Security System Review: Pro Install vs. DIY, The Best HomeKit-Compatible Smart-Home Devices. As part of our vetting process, we research all of the security and data privacy practices behind our picks. We have not tested Igloohome’s Smart Deadbolt 2S Metal Grey, as we found its housing and keypad to be far too large compared with those of competing models. If you have a TV between 32 to 55 inches large and weighing less than 100 pounds, the MD2380 wall mount is one of the best budget mounts for you. The Wyze Lock offers some impressive features, including a built-in presence sensor that alerts you via a chime and a smartphone notification when you’ve left the door open or ajar. (To get the most out of the U-Bolt Pro, we highly recommend buying the $50 add-on Ultraloq Bridge, which allows for remote programming and control.) The best smart thermostat overall, the Ecobee SmartThermostat looks and acts much like the Ecobee4, but with a few big improvements. 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