Of all the different types of smart home products — lights, thermostats and cameras, to name a few — smart door locks are among the most popular. Going beyond the simple key, these locks can be operated using your smartphone, and can be connected to a larger smart home system to make your life easier. For example, your lights could automatically turn on when you unlock your front door, and your thermostat will be set to Home mode.
We reviewed a half-dozen smart locks from several well-known brands, as well as one from a company new to the space. Our top pick is the Kwikset SmartCode 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt ($249), which was easy to install, has a number of safeguards (including an alarm), and can be connected to a wide range of smart home systems (the Kwikset Premis looks the same as the SmartCode, but works with Apple HomeKit). The Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt ($179) came in a close second, followed by the August Smart Lock ($199), currently the only lock that works with Apple's HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, and to which you can also add a keypad and security camera.
How We Tested
To gauge the effectiveness of all the locks, we timed how long it took to install each on a door, and then evaluated them on their features, including security (alarms, tamper-resistance), the number of codes you can program into each, and smart home compatibility.
What to Look for When Buying a Smart Lock
First off, you have to decide what kind of lock you want to purchase. At their most basic level, smart locks are generally divided into two categories: those with keypads, and those without. (Some, such as the August, have an optional keypad).
A keypad gives you the option of assigning codes to different people, so you don't have to hand them a physical key, or have to remember to bring a key with you when you leave your house. However, keypads take up much more space on your door, and there's the chance, however remote, that a thief can guess your code to get into your home.
Another good feature to look for is a built-in alarm that will sound when someone tries to forcibly open the lock; the better locks will have this feature, plus the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.
Like their traditional counterparts, most smart locks come in a variety of finishes and styles, so you can pick the one that best matches your home's décor.
Smart Home Compatibility
Pretty much every smart lock can also be opened using your smartphone, but many don't have a dedicated smartphone app, so to use this feature, you'll have to purchase a smart home hub, and use its app to control your lock.
When you link a smart lock to a smart home network, you'll be able to access its more advanced features, such as controlling it remotely. If you have, or want to use a smart lock as part of a whole-home network, it's important to know if the lock will work with other devices. Unfortunately, it can be maddeningly difficult to find that information through the lock companies themselves.
A better bet is to check with the smart home networks themselves. Here are some sites: Wink, Nest, SmartThings, and Apple.
MORE: Smart Home Guide: What to Know Before You Buy
Yale announced that its Real Living Assure Locks will also be compatible with HomeKit by the end of March 2017, but will require the purchase of the Yale HomeKit Network Module, which gets inserted into the lock. Sold together, the lock and the module will cost $250; sold separately, the lock will cost $200 and the HomeKit module will cost $75.
Several smart locks, including those from Yale, the Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt, and theKwikset SmartCode 910, 912, 914 and 916 smart locks are now compatible with Amazon Alexa. However, you'll have to link them via a third-party hub, such as the Samsung SmartThings or Wink Hub. The August lock also works with Alexa, but also requires the August Connect Wi-Fi bridge. It's also the only smart lock that works with Google Home.
The SmartCode's smaller size makes it less conspicuous than other locks, and allows you to use your old house keys if you want. Kwikset's SecureScreen feature — which makes you punch in two random digits before entering your code — helps ensure burglars can't guess your password by fingerprint smudges alone. And it has an alarm if someone tries to break in. The 916 lacks a standalone app, but can be connected to several smart home hubs via Z-wave or ZigBee. Overall, a great all-around lock that allows you to ease into the world of smart locks, "unlocking" its best features as you feel comfortable.
Editor's choice
Kwikset SmartCode 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt
Best Smart Lock Overall
If someone tries to jimmy this lock or force their way in, this Schlage will emit a piercing siren, which will warn away any intruders. This lock also has the highest possible security rating. You can program in up to 30 codes, and the touch screen is smudge- and fingerprint-resistant. The Touchscreen Deadbolt doesn'’t have its own app, but you can connect it to a smart home hub to control it remotely.
Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt
Loudest Siren
The August, which looks like a round cylinder, replaces just the inside portion of your deadbolt, so that you can keep using your same key. It has an automatic lock and unlock feature, handy for when your arms are full. While it lacks a built-in alarm, this lock has its own app, and works with both Android and iOS devices. It's compatible with HomeKit, Nest and Xfinity, but doesn't work with other smart home hubs. August also sells an optional keypad ($79), doorbell camera ($199) and Wi-Fi bridge ($79), so that you can control and monitor your door remotely.
August Smart Lock
Expandable Features
This HomeKit-compatible lock lets you use Siri to open your front door; too bad it doesn't work with other smart home hubs, like the Schlage Connect. It can be programmed with up to 30 different codes. It also has the highest possible security rating, and an alarm if someone tries to break in.
Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt
Siri Friendly
Forget your keys? No problem. In fact, the T1L doesn't even have a key slot, making it potentially more secure from burglars who might try to pick the lock. You can program up to 25 codes, and the lock's small and stylish design will blend in nicely with any décor. While it doesn't have a standalone app, the T1L can be connected to, and controlled by, several different smart home systems. If the batteries inside the lock die, you can connect a 9-volt battery to gain temporary access to your house — a nice feature.
Yale Real Living Key Free Touchscreen Deadbolt T1L
No Keys Required
A ring of LEDs is the only thing that indicates that the Kevo isn't your traditional deadbolt. Used in conjunction with a smartphone app, you can unlock your door simply by touching the Kevo — handy if you have an armload of groceries. Although it lacks an alarm, the Kevo is one of the few smart locks that has an app that works with both iPhones and Android devices, and can connect to Nest — though no other smart home systems.
Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt
Although it's pricier than a typical padlock, the Master Lock 4401DLH confers with it several benefits over a traditional lock. It can be opened via Bluetooth using your smartphone, or by entering a code using the up-down-left-right buttons on the front of the lock itself. You can grant guest access to friends and family, and the lock is made to withstand the elements, too.
Master Lock 4401DLH Bluetooth Padlock
Best Smart Padlock
This unobtrusive lock replaces the lever on pretty much any standard deadbolt, so that you can lock and unlock it with nothing but your smartphone. You can share virtual keys with friends and family, and receive notifications whenever someone enters or leaves. It's also compatible with Apple's HomeKit, and is available in six finishes: Steel, bronze, brass, gun metal, nickel satin, and copper.
New & Notable
Friday Lock
Kwikset's Premis touchscreen deadbolt has HomeKit integration, which means that you can lock and unlock your door using an iPhone app or even Siri. You can check on the door's status remotely, give up to 30 codes to friends and family, and get notifications when a code is used. And, you can link it to other HomeKit-compatible devices, such as Philips Hue lights.
New and Notable
Kwikset Premis
Yale's latest smart lock lets you use either a keypad or your phone (Android or iOS) to open your door. Yale's Assure app lets you create digital keys that you can share with family and friends, control when particular people have access, and send alerts when a door is locked or unlocked. Yale's Twist And Go feature makes you twist your phone 90 degrees, to ensure that you don't accidentally unlock your door. You can also add a Zigbee or Z-Wave module, to connect the lock to a smart home system.
New & Notable
Yale Real Living Assure Lock with Bluetooth
About the author
All of these (minus the padlock) are deadbolts, what about non deadbolt locks? I need a regular door handle smart lock. The one linked above seems to be the best I can find but I am disappointed that it can't be remotely accessed (from work, not Bluetooth range).
I know they say they are rolling out a bridge for the device but that's not until October, best case scenario and costs another 50 bucks and needs a power outlet.
I'd really love a smartlock with the following specs:
1. Weatherproof (for outside door)
2. Regular door handle/knob, no deadbolt (for garage/building door)
3. Fingerprint + Pinpad
4. Remote accessible
Can you recommend something better than the above?
We haven't tested them yet, but here are several options from Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale that may fit your criteria:
http://www.schlage.com/en/home/products/FE599NXCAMFFFACC.html
http://www.kwikset.com/products/styles/smartcode-lever-with-home-connect.aspx
http://www.yalehome.com/en/yale/yalehome/residential/yale-real-living/levers/