Smart locks can bring a lot of connected convenience to your front door, and we’ve spent years testing devices out to find the best of the bunch. In most cases, the first smart lock we’d recommend is the August Smart Lock, as it has a good track history in our tests and comes with a well-developed mix of features and compatible accessories, including support for the top three voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri). That said, you’ll find plenty of compelling smart lock options if you’re in the market for a new one, many of which are well worth considering.
Best smart lock overall
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock Our long-running smart lock champ, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock includes a retrofit August lock and a DoorSense open-close sensor to upgrade your existing deadlock or other lock. Wi-Fi comes built in with this version of the lock, so you won’t need to pay extra for August’s plug-in Wi-Fi Connect bridge to enable remote access with a smartphone app, or to sync up with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri (August supports all three, which is bonza).
On top of that, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is 45% smaller than previous August models, and it offers a good mix of features in the well-designed August app. That includes unlimited user access, auto-locking and unlocking, and a log of every action that happens at your front door. If you purchase August’s wireless keypad accessory for $60, you can add coded entry into the mix, too. Overall. the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is a capable, easy-to-install smart lock, a reliable performer in our tests, all of which earned it an Editors’ Choice award here. Available in silver or matte-black for $230, it’s easily one of the best smart lock options on the market.
Best smart lock for rentals and Airbnbs
If you’re renting out your place using a service like Airbnb, then a coded entry smart lock makes a ton of sense to make it easy for guests to get in — just give your guests a code that only works for the duration of their stay, and they’ll be able to get in and out without needing to use a key or download an app. The coded smart lock we like the best is the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro. With physical buttons that work regardless of the weather (or whether or not the user is wearing gloves), it’s about as foolproof as coded locks get. It features one of our favourite smart lock designs, with a built-in fingerprint sensor and a sneaky front face that flips down to reveal the keyhole. Plus, the lock’s built-in Wi-Fi radio was a top performer in our range tests, which might make it an especially good pick for a door that’s a couple of rooms away from your router. You can sync it with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice controls, too, though Apple HomeKit isn’t supported.
The U-Bolt Pro comes in a variety of models — we like the newest version tested and pictured here, with the fingerprint scanner, an open/closed door sensor, and built-in Wi-Fi for remote access on your phone and compatibility with Alexa and Google, but it’s a bit expensive at $280. Fortunately, you can save some money by going with an identical-looking Bluetooth model that ditches the open/closed sensor and uses an external, plug-in Wi-Fi bridge for a total of $179. Don’t care about the fingerprint sensor? You can ditch that too, bringing the price all the way down to $149.
Pros:
- Includes fingerprint reader
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Supports voice commands
Cons:
- No support for Apple HomeKit
Best smart lock for apartments
August’s third-gen Smart Lock and Connect bundle comes with a DoorSense open-close sensor and the August Connect plug-in Wi-Fi bridge. The low-profile, retrofit design means you won’t need to replace your existing deadlock lock and installation is easy, offering convenience for renters who might not be able to switch the existing deadbolt out at all.
With that August Connect Wi-Fi bridge pairing the lock with your home network, this version of the August lock is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control, and you’ll find the same great remote access features in the August mobile app. About the only August feature that you don’t get here is compatibility with Apple HomeKit (sorry, Siri). Available in silver or dark gray for as little as $185, it’s the first smart lock I’d recommend if you live in an apartment and don’t want to remove your existing lock.
Pros:
- Ideal for apartments and rentals
- Small size and easy to install
- Built-in Wi-Fi
Cons:
- Doesn’t support Apple HomeKit
Best keyless smart lock
We’re not sure that we’d want to go totally keyless at the front door, but if you’re ready to ditch that door key for good, then the Yale Assure SL belongs right at the top of your list. The small, sleek design doesn’t have a keyhole at all — instead, you’ll let yourself in using a touchscreen keypad that comes in a variety of finishes that look good on nearly every door. If the batteries ever run out, you can hold a 9V battery against a set of nodes on the bottom of the lock to give it enough juice to let you in.
Shop around, and you’ll find a variety of Yale Assure models with different kinds of connectivity and different price points. The base model costs $179, but it doesn’t feature any smarts at all — you need to purchase and install the Yale Access Upgrade kit which includes an August Connect Wi-Fi bridge for well over $100 in order to control the lock from your phone or to pair it with a voice assistant. That’s a bad value, so instead, go with the Yale Assure lock that already has Wi-Fi built in — that model doesn’t need any extra hub hardware, and it costs $199. Another version features a Z-Wave radio instead of Wi-Fi for $291 — it might be worth considering if your home already has a Z-Wave hub that can communicate with it.
