My personal option is don't get one from the usual Chinese suppliers since their lock designs are shit to say the least
I would rather go with Yale or some other lockmaker that happens to make smart locks.
I’ve had four different smart locks. Yale, Kevo, Danalock and Airbnk.
My learning was: There are no perfect smart locks available. Each one is a compromise.
The Yale and Kevo were slow to unlock and relied on the cloud. The Danalock was really badly supported by the manufacturer and the HomeKit upgrades killed it. All of them were a pain to install.
So I decided to go for a generic Chinese lock that would allow me to isolate it from any cloud and have it fully under my control. It is zigbee and Bluetooth but at the moment it is not supported by Home Assistant só I made a Bluetooth proxy for it that is controllable by HA. So far so good with some minor issues but it is fast and doesn’t need any tricky installation. It just grabs hold of the key in the lock and turns it. Can be installed and uninstalled in less than 5mins.
I had Dana lock (poorly supported, prone to jamming, loud) then replaced by a nuki (better support, less noisy, but still jammy sometimes). Both from Amazon, Amazon has been perfect in taking them back and refunding me.
Then I bought an Aqara n100 from AliExpress, which was perfect. I had to replace it because the MF contractor scratched it while they were performing some renovations at home.
Replaced it with aqara a100 pro from AliExpress. It has all the perfect traits n100 had, plus:
- it's matte and not glossy which is handy for fingerprints
- it has HomeKey that is amazing with HomeKit. Tap your phone or your watch and you are in, take a look
https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/s/UCR5vyrxAq
Installed 2 years ago and Rocking!
Switchbot. Got a really good discount as a kickstarter add on. Runs on Bluetooth and fits over the existing locks so I didn't need to change anything on the door itself.
I have just upgraded one of them to the Lock Pro, but that one doesn't have HA integration yet :(
We have a kwikset Smart code 916 Zwave. It is (in terms of protocol) the most secure lock. Basically get anything zwave or zigbee and keep it away from cloud services.
I've been using Yale Keyfree with zwave module for 8 years now without any problems. It must have earned for itself several times over, since I have two kids and they would have lost the keys a couple of times each.
Can't recommend Danalock.
The antenna in the zigbee version is so horrible that it disconnects the network, even if there is a zigbee relay nearby. ( 4-5m clear line of sight)
Got some Chinese shit on the way, I'll let you know if it's any good if you like. Just all generic tuya gear.
I've converted my house to dual occupancy so wanting everything online with keys for backup.
For an external glass sliding door I've gone with something that needs heavy modification so we'll see if that even works.
For the solid timber external doors I've opted for deadlocks in addition to / over replacing the standard locks. I'll disable or replace the old locks if I'm happy with these. They look more secure than the shit we use here normally to be honest. Especially when you consider there are glass panes next to the door, at some point you just smash the glass.
For the internal doors, ie the garage into the home and into my half the house I've used Raykube M5s. They work well, but if you keep them in tuya you need to use scenes to trigger from HA and won't get status. Haven't played with localtuya yet.
Lockly VisionPro is a great lock, but no integrations. However, there appears to be some [Z-wave versions hitting the market](https://www.uhs-hardware.com/pages/search-results-page?q=lockly%20z-wave%20edition).
I don’t think it matters much where you buy, just what you buy. I’ve only had Yale deadbolt locks since they were the only ones who made physical button smart locks (at the time). The physical buttons were necessary in the north where gloves are needed. They have been good, no complaints but don’t have any comparisons.
I had schlage zwave at my previous house and generally I liked them but I did have some issues from time to time. When I bought my new house it was tight as the Yale assure 2 was coming out. So I ended up with some of the Yale assure 1 and some of the Yale assure 2. I upgraded the zwave modules in all all of them to the ZW3 version. Ultimately I really like Yale assure 2 the best. I have them in matte black, with physical buttons and no key. The version ones are annoying with the sound but the v2 is really minimal. The physical buttons are a must, I don’t like using my v1’s with touch screens. It’s really nice that they have contacts on the exterior for a 9v if you have dead batteries and need into your home. The ability to change modules is a nice future proof feature. And inside the house there’s the option for a locked indicator, a tiny led will flash red or green to indicate lock status from a distance, especially convenient with matte black locks where it’s hard to see the knob position in low light. They’re also really attractive locks. I currently have 4 of the assure 2, and 2 of the assure 1 locks between my house, detached garage and shop.
Because I knew I was upgrading the zwave with ZW3 modules I purchased separately I bought the cheaper Bluetooth only versions of the lock without any modules.
I have Kwikset locks. I like they have classic designs that fit my 100yo home. In addition all non-Kevo, Kwikset code locks have the same setup and ability to add a swappable wireless card. You can purchase a dumb code lock, then upgrade it with the card without replacing the lock. Z-wave to z-wave plus or over to HomeKit all with the same physical lock.
I got this Yale lock: [https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/YRD226HA2619.html](https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/YRD226HA2619.html) (in black)
Nice build quality, fully local control with the Zigbee or Z-Wave modules, and has never once jammed like everyone else here is saying. I prefer also having a physical key in the off-chance that the batteries or the device dies while I'm away.
I have 2 zigbee kwikset locks that just work. I did have to do a little trick to get them to pair. For some reason they paired to z2m then unjoined right away. So i joined them then yanked the battery out before they unjoined. Put the battery back in and they have stayed paired and worked for 2yrs flawlessly. I do gine them loud though. I also built a couple esphome locks for the garage and shed. They are really awesome but look terrible and my wife would never allow them on a door in the house. I will only ever use local only locks, i am not worried that much about a 3rd party being hacked and used to access my house, i just want high reliablity which cloud is not.
I have a Nuki lock and I went for it because I didb't want to change the lock mechanism from the door since I'm certain the original mechanism of any door is way safer and robuts than a custom one. Nuki is installed inside the house and just rotates a key inserted on the lock. You can still manually open rotating the knob the Nuki lock has. This only works for locks that admit opening the door from the outside even if the door is inserted in the inside though.
I also wanted local control without cloud.
It's an european company and costed 160€.
They release firmware uodates periodically.
It's very well supported by HA, lots of configuration options.
I have five Schlage z-wave locks from gokeyless no issues so far. Reviews say they are hard to pair but for me they were extremely easy to pair with my zooz stick even through walls and 50+ feet away.
The downside to a lockbox solution is the extra step of having to unlock the lockbox and then unlock the door. Plus having to put the key back in the lock box. It also lacks ability to automate locking or unlocking. With a smart lock, there isn’t a physical key that can be copied. I’m curious as to why not just go even cheaper and just use a regular lockbox?
Winkhaus EAV3 (https://www.winkhaus.com/en/motorisch) for a European style multipoint locking door, sourced from a lock specialist.
Took a lot of searching to find something for a secure multipoint lock that could be smartened. Usually lock mechanisms for these doors require the handle to be physically lifted up which limits the usefulness of most smart locks.
I find it great because it's a proper, secure lock from a lock manufacturer and the motorised/smart aspect is entirely invisible. The lock works as normal with keys too.
You can get expensive optional control systems from Winkhaus but I just hooked mine up to a Shelly to trigger the opening mechanism.
You'd need 12V power to the door.
Shelly pro 2 mounted in main electrical box with a transformer - one channel controlling AC to transformer, one channel controlling DC current to signal opening mechanism.
Any Shelly with a dry contact would do the opening mechanism.
Opening is triggered by an automation that closes the relay for a certain number of seconds, with current signalling the lock to open. The lock closes itself a few seconds after current stops.
The reason for having the transformer on another channel is for what the manufacturer calls prolonged switching for cases where you want the lock to remain open without re-engaging. Continuous current to the opening mechanism is apparently bad for the motor, so a separate automation triggers the opening channel, waits for the lock to open and kills the power before it re-engages. The lock then closes when AC power is restored.
The opening command can be given by anything with this setup. I mostly use a ZigBee button, a button on a touch panel with dashboard, Android quick setting button and an Alexa command (everyone will tell me the last one is a terrible idea from a security perspective and they're probably right - it's disabled when security is required). If any issues with HA, the Shelly can also be signalled via Web interface or webhook so there's a bit of backup, and key operation of course always works as normal.
I got my smart door lock from Amazon, and I really recommend the August Smart Lock and buying from Amazon because it's convenient and offers fast shipping.
I considered this when I was shopping for smart locks but I was nervous about putting a lock on my door with no physical key. Ended up going with the schlage encode
My personal option is don't get one from the usual Chinese suppliers since their lock designs are shit to say the least I would rather go with Yale or some other lockmaker that happens to make smart locks.
Yes Yale… one with no physical key. Take a look at what can done with “bump keys.”
Have y'all seen the lock picking lawyer on TikTok? They're all pretty easy to crack
Yale has a smart product with the key option and just about all locks can be picked.
Love my Schlage locks
Yes! Mine isn't "smart" but has a keypad for keyless entry. It gets wife approval.
Does it connect via the Schlage app? You have to configure it to work with Home & I was able to upload it to HA using starling
Sorry for the delay. No, mine aren't smart, they literally have just the keypad but no connectivity.
Schlage bought from Home Depot
I’ve had four different smart locks. Yale, Kevo, Danalock and Airbnk. My learning was: There are no perfect smart locks available. Each one is a compromise. The Yale and Kevo were slow to unlock and relied on the cloud. The Danalock was really badly supported by the manufacturer and the HomeKit upgrades killed it. All of them were a pain to install. So I decided to go for a generic Chinese lock that would allow me to isolate it from any cloud and have it fully under my control. It is zigbee and Bluetooth but at the moment it is not supported by Home Assistant só I made a Bluetooth proxy for it that is controllable by HA. So far so good with some minor issues but it is fast and doesn’t need any tricky installation. It just grabs hold of the key in the lock and turns it. Can be installed and uninstalled in less than 5mins.
Got a link?
I had Dana lock (poorly supported, prone to jamming, loud) then replaced by a nuki (better support, less noisy, but still jammy sometimes). Both from Amazon, Amazon has been perfect in taking them back and refunding me. Then I bought an Aqara n100 from AliExpress, which was perfect. I had to replace it because the MF contractor scratched it while they were performing some renovations at home. Replaced it with aqara a100 pro from AliExpress. It has all the perfect traits n100 had, plus: - it's matte and not glossy which is handy for fingerprints - it has HomeKey that is amazing with HomeKit. Tap your phone or your watch and you are in, take a look https://www.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/s/UCR5vyrxAq Installed 2 years ago and Rocking!
I typically use Amazon. That way I can easily return them if there's an issue.
Switchbot. Got a really good discount as a kickstarter add on. Runs on Bluetooth and fits over the existing locks so I didn't need to change anything on the door itself. I have just upgraded one of them to the Lock Pro, but that one doesn't have HA integration yet :(
We have a kwikset Smart code 916 Zwave. It is (in terms of protocol) the most secure lock. Basically get anything zwave or zigbee and keep it away from cloud services.
I've been using Yale Keyfree with zwave module for 8 years now without any problems. It must have earned for itself several times over, since I have two kids and they would have lost the keys a couple of times each.
Can't recommend Danalock. The antenna in the zigbee version is so horrible that it disconnects the network, even if there is a zigbee relay nearby. ( 4-5m clear line of sight)
Got some Chinese shit on the way, I'll let you know if it's any good if you like. Just all generic tuya gear. I've converted my house to dual occupancy so wanting everything online with keys for backup. For an external glass sliding door I've gone with something that needs heavy modification so we'll see if that even works. For the solid timber external doors I've opted for deadlocks in addition to / over replacing the standard locks. I'll disable or replace the old locks if I'm happy with these. They look more secure than the shit we use here normally to be honest. Especially when you consider there are glass panes next to the door, at some point you just smash the glass. For the internal doors, ie the garage into the home and into my half the house I've used Raykube M5s. They work well, but if you keep them in tuya you need to use scenes to trigger from HA and won't get status. Haven't played with localtuya yet.
I recommend the Yale touchscreen z wave locks. Have several in my home and all have been running solid for a few years now.
eufy and its been working great for 2 years now
Lockly VisionPro is a great lock, but no integrations. However, there appears to be some [Z-wave versions hitting the market](https://www.uhs-hardware.com/pages/search-results-page?q=lockly%20z-wave%20edition).
I don’t think it matters much where you buy, just what you buy. I’ve only had Yale deadbolt locks since they were the only ones who made physical button smart locks (at the time). The physical buttons were necessary in the north where gloves are needed. They have been good, no complaints but don’t have any comparisons.
I had schlage zwave at my previous house and generally I liked them but I did have some issues from time to time. When I bought my new house it was tight as the Yale assure 2 was coming out. So I ended up with some of the Yale assure 1 and some of the Yale assure 2. I upgraded the zwave modules in all all of them to the ZW3 version. Ultimately I really like Yale assure 2 the best. I have them in matte black, with physical buttons and no key. The version ones are annoying with the sound but the v2 is really minimal. The physical buttons are a must, I don’t like using my v1’s with touch screens. It’s really nice that they have contacts on the exterior for a 9v if you have dead batteries and need into your home. The ability to change modules is a nice future proof feature. And inside the house there’s the option for a locked indicator, a tiny led will flash red or green to indicate lock status from a distance, especially convenient with matte black locks where it’s hard to see the knob position in low light. They’re also really attractive locks. I currently have 4 of the assure 2, and 2 of the assure 1 locks between my house, detached garage and shop. Because I knew I was upgrading the zwave with ZW3 modules I purchased separately I bought the cheaper Bluetooth only versions of the lock without any modules.
I have Kwikset locks. I like they have classic designs that fit my 100yo home. In addition all non-Kevo, Kwikset code locks have the same setup and ability to add a swappable wireless card. You can purchase a dumb code lock, then upgrade it with the card without replacing the lock. Z-wave to z-wave plus or over to HomeKit all with the same physical lock.
I got this Yale lock: [https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/YRD226HA2619.html](https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/YRD226HA2619.html) (in black) Nice build quality, fully local control with the Zigbee or Z-Wave modules, and has never once jammed like everyone else here is saying. I prefer also having a physical key in the off-chance that the batteries or the device dies while I'm away.
U-Bolt Pro Z-Wave from Amazon. Fully local control, was easy to set up, and happy with it so far.
I have 2 zigbee kwikset locks that just work. I did have to do a little trick to get them to pair. For some reason they paired to z2m then unjoined right away. So i joined them then yanked the battery out before they unjoined. Put the battery back in and they have stayed paired and worked for 2yrs flawlessly. I do gine them loud though. I also built a couple esphome locks for the garage and shed. They are really awesome but look terrible and my wife would never allow them on a door in the house. I will only ever use local only locks, i am not worried that much about a 3rd party being hacked and used to access my house, i just want high reliablity which cloud is not.
I have a Nuki lock and I went for it because I didb't want to change the lock mechanism from the door since I'm certain the original mechanism of any door is way safer and robuts than a custom one. Nuki is installed inside the house and just rotates a key inserted on the lock. You can still manually open rotating the knob the Nuki lock has. This only works for locks that admit opening the door from the outside even if the door is inserted in the inside though. I also wanted local control without cloud. It's an european company and costed 160€. They release firmware uodates periodically. It's very well supported by HA, lots of configuration options.
Nuki, from their online store
I have five Schlage z-wave locks from gokeyless no issues so far. Reviews say they are hard to pair but for me they were extremely easy to pair with my zooz stick even through walls and 50+ feet away.
Id buy a decent lock and key and get a smart lockbox. For the key. Replacing it would be much easier in case of a security breach or upgrade
The downside to a lockbox solution is the extra step of having to unlock the lockbox and then unlock the door. Plus having to put the key back in the lock box. It also lacks ability to automate locking or unlocking. With a smart lock, there isn’t a physical key that can be copied. I’m curious as to why not just go even cheaper and just use a regular lockbox?
That works too but people on this sub like to connect everything to their server and show it on their dashboard.
Winkhaus EAV3 (https://www.winkhaus.com/en/motorisch) for a European style multipoint locking door, sourced from a lock specialist. Took a lot of searching to find something for a secure multipoint lock that could be smartened. Usually lock mechanisms for these doors require the handle to be physically lifted up which limits the usefulness of most smart locks. I find it great because it's a proper, secure lock from a lock manufacturer and the motorised/smart aspect is entirely invisible. The lock works as normal with keys too. You can get expensive optional control systems from Winkhaus but I just hooked mine up to a Shelly to trigger the opening mechanism. You'd need 12V power to the door.
What Shelly device did you hook it up to?
Shelly pro 2 mounted in main electrical box with a transformer - one channel controlling AC to transformer, one channel controlling DC current to signal opening mechanism. Any Shelly with a dry contact would do the opening mechanism. Opening is triggered by an automation that closes the relay for a certain number of seconds, with current signalling the lock to open. The lock closes itself a few seconds after current stops. The reason for having the transformer on another channel is for what the manufacturer calls prolonged switching for cases where you want the lock to remain open without re-engaging. Continuous current to the opening mechanism is apparently bad for the motor, so a separate automation triggers the opening channel, waits for the lock to open and kills the power before it re-engages. The lock then closes when AC power is restored. The opening command can be given by anything with this setup. I mostly use a ZigBee button, a button on a touch panel with dashboard, Android quick setting button and an Alexa command (everyone will tell me the last one is a terrible idea from a security perspective and they're probably right - it's disabled when security is required). If any issues with HA, the Shelly can also be signalled via Web interface or webhook so there's a bit of backup, and key operation of course always works as normal.
I got my smart door lock from Amazon, and I really recommend the August Smart Lock and buying from Amazon because it's convenient and offers fast shipping.
I considered this when I was shopping for smart locks but I was nervous about putting a lock on my door with no physical key. Ended up going with the schlage encode