While we’ve written about lots of security products for your home before — including security cameras, a doorbell that scares off intruders, and a safe for valuables — here, we’ve rounded up the best smart locks, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.
Related Articles: Security Cameras | Smart Doorbells
Best-rated smart lock
This August Smart Lock pairs with Alexa, allowing reviewers to easily lock their door with voice command. “‘Alexa good night’ now not only turns off the lights, but locks the smart lock,” explains one reviewer. “To unlock the door with a smart home assistant device, you do have to say something like ‘Alexa, tell August to unlock the door with PIN ####.’” Many reviewers specifically wanted a lock that could open with “more than Bluetooth range,” as one reviewer puts it. She writes, “Having the ability to open and close the lock remotely from anywhere where internet was available was very important to me.” But the best part for her is the “Door Sense” feature. “One of the problems I’ve had in the past with my front door is that it sometimes stays open if you’re not careful about closing it. With Door Sense, it will alert you if this happens.” And though several reviewers do say it’s pricey, one reviewer writes, “C’est la vie, YOLO, and FOMO. Having had the lock for the better part of a year, I feel confident enough about it to recommend it to family.”
Best-rated (less expensive) smart lock
With some smart locks, you have to enter your PIN code in order to lock the door, as well as open it. But this one only requires you to press one button. “It makes it quick and convenient to enter and leave. I love not having to get out my key. And leaving is super easy with the one-touch button,” writes one reviewer. Another appreciates that he doesn’t have to use his phone to lock his door — but he also doesn’t need a key. “There is no need to pull out my cell phone when my hands full and try to unlock my phone with my fingerprint, and no need to go through pairing/repairing bonanza after the app update, iOS update, and all kinds of a software update,” he says. And one more reviewer says that if the one-touch button isn’t easy enough for you, the door also has an automatic lock feature, which helps for the more forgetful bunch. “I LOVE that it locks itself in about 30 seconds. Initially I just bought one for the front door. I went back last night and got one for the back door too. And OH, did I mention it locks itself?”
Best automatic smart lock
This lock has a proximity unlock feature that unlocks the door automatically when your Bluetooth-or NFC-enabled phone is within range, along with other auto-lock settings. According to one user, “[I] use auto lock to lock the door after 90 seconds, the door sense alerts let me know if the door is left ajar, and my favorite feature — the auto unlock works perfectly as I pull my car into the garage, gather my groceries or whatever I might have to bring inside, and walk up to the unlocked door without having to fumble for keys or my phone.” Many users comment on how seamless the process is, including this person, who says, “It is very cool as I get close to my door, the app sends a notification welcoming me home and letting me know that my door in being auto-unlocked.”
Best smart lock with an easy installation
“It was a very quick install, and the app they give you to follow with the instructions is excellent,” writes one reviewer. “Only took me about ten minutes to set up. I love how I’m able to control this from anywhere around the world,” says another. One reviewer who claims to have researched smart locks for months says, “My biggest concern was the touchscreen in cold weather. Out of all my testing, the Yale had the most accurate and fastest reaction time with its touch screen.” Another describes the Yale Touchscreen as the “epitome of luxury. It is packed with more features than I even knew a lock could have, but surprisingly the features are on point with their functionality in the everyday world that most of people live in.”
Best (less expensive) smart lock with an easy installation
Many reviewers mention how simple the Kwikset’s installation and programming process can be. One says they had the system up and running after 30 minutes. “Anyone could do it if they know how to use a screwdriver,” says the reviewer. You can set up multiple pass codes and rotate between them every few weeks — or every few days, which one reviewer does because they often get “paranoid.” Another says they love the one-touch unlocking, which takes away all the misery of trying to mess around with your keys while holding an armful of groceries. “Sure, I have to type in the code,” they write, “but that’s a lot easier.”
Best smart lock for Apple HomeKit
This smart lock pairs well with the Apple HomeKit, which many reviewers say makes their life so much easier. “I like how well it works with HomeKit so that when I unlock my entry door it turns the lights on in my kitchen and in the courtyard,” writes one reviewer. She acknowledges that it’s “a little pricey,” but she thinks the “Apple HomeKit automation” makes a difference. Another reviewer agrees that the HomeKit pairing is worth the price. “I can unlock the door with siri via my apple watch or my iPhone and it hasn’t failed me yet. Works reliably. I get notifications of openings via HomeKit.” He’s also very into set schedules and enjoys that he can program the specific time each code will work for guests. “I’ve set up several users and schedules so that my housekeeper can only come in as per her exact schedule and I know when she is in and out.” And one more agrees this smart lock is so easy to use. “Homekit automation asks if I want to unlock the door as soon as I’m within a few blocks of home, no fumbling with a key or phone trying to unlock the door when you arrive.”
Best smart lock with fingerprint scanner
“I don’t need or want Wi-Fi connectivity — all I wanted was a simple yet robust dead-bolt gadget for my home, and this is perfect,” writes one reviewer. “The fingerprint reader is awesome and works every time without fail.” Along with the fingerprint reader, the lock also works with a pin code, an app, and physical keys. According to another reviewer, the lock’s lack of a Wi-Fi connection “is perfect because I don’t have to worry about it being remotely hacked.” Another describes the installation process as smooth and easy. And the fingerprint reader, they say, “takes around one second once I place my finger on it.”
Best smart lock with Wi-Fi integration
The difference between this smart lock with Wi-Fi and one with Bluetooth is that this one cannot sense your phone and open the door. But reviewers prefer that. One reviewer thinks that adds an extra level of security, plus questions why he would “need yet another piece of equipment to connect to Bluetooth,” especially because Bluetooth locks typically require the purchase of a smart hub, like an Amazon Echo or Google Nest. Another reviewer just didn’t need Bluetooth capabilities since she’s using it for her vacation rental unit. “I needed to be able to give each guest a code specific to the last 4 #’s of their phone number. I needed to be able to do this from work or from 500 miles away.” She wasn’t using the codes, she didn’t need the added cost and this one works well. “We are thrilled with this lock! It will also pair with our ring security camera giving us extra peace of mind,” she adds. One more adds that it’s easy to use, possible more so than a Bluetooth-enabled lock, writing, “The lock was installed and operational in less than 15 minutes. The software application has a simplistic user interface that allows you to manage users, lock and unlock your door remotely and set auto lock features so your door locks behind you.”
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