The three things you need to look for when buying a smart lock

When it comes to buying one of the best smart locks, consumers are now spoiled for choice. There are now hundreds of different models on the market, starting at prices ranging from $100.

But before you go off and buy the first model you see, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.

What kind of lock do you want?

The majority of smart locks are designed to replace the deadbolt on your door. In most cases, this means completely removing the deadbolt and swapping it with the smart lock.

However, if you want to continue to use the same keys as before, you should look for a smart lock that only swaps out the interior portion of the lock (August's smart lock is a prime example of this). While this means you won't get such things as a keypad or fingerprint reader — unless they're available as separate accessories — you can keep using the lock as you did before you made it "smart."

How do you want to unlock your door?

This may seem a bit silly at first, but one of the advantages of smart locks is that they offer multiple ways for you to enter your home. It'll be up for you to decide which you method - or methods - you want. Here are a few of the more popular entry methods.

• Keypads: Keypads are the most common way to unlock a smart lock; within a smart lock's app, you can create dozens of keycodes, and even set specific times for when those codes will work. So, if you have a dogwalker, you could give them access to your home, but only during certain hours of the day.
• NFC cards and tags: Some smart locks come with NFC readers, which lets you use NFC tags or cards that you can simply tap against the lock to open your door. Some even work with an Apple Watch or iPhone.
• Fingerprint reader: If you want to get even more personal, some smart locks now have fingerprint readers. After registering your fingerprint with the lock you then just tap your finger to open the door.
• Palm reader: This newer technology lets you hold your palm a few inches from the door, and it scans your palm print to unlock the door.
• Facial recognition: This is even rarer than palm readers, but a few locks can now scan your face to unlock a door.
• Keys: If all else fails, some smart locks still come with traditional physical keys; they're a good backup if you don't remember your pass code.

What do you want it to work with?

Unless your entire smart home will consist of a smart lock, you'll also want to consider how that lock will work with your other smart home devices. For example, when connected via a smart home hub, you can program your smart lights to automatically turn on when you unlock your door, or have your smart thermostat adjust its temperature down when you lock your door to leave your house.

If that's your aim, then you want to make sure your smart lock works with one of the major smart home platforms — Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, or Samsung SmartThings. Otherwise, you may have difficulty in getting all your smart home devices to talk to each other.