Best Smart Locks of 2024

In our search for the best smart lock, these are some of the other products we've tried out:

Nest Yale Lock: Nest and Yale partnered up for a Google-centric smart lock with a touch keypad. This Nest app smart door lock has the good looks of Yale's earlier models, but it isn't quite as capable as other keyless locks when it comes to smart home integration. 

Array by Hampton Connected Door Lock: This lock has solar-powered battery backup and built-in Wi-Fi, but it's expensive and doesn't have the option to work with HomeKit or Google Assistant yet.

Kwikset Halo Touch: The Halo Touch is a simple, straightforward fingerprint lock that costs $234. With built-in Wi-Fi, there's no need for any additional hub hardware -- just install it, pair it with your home network, and you'll be all set. It was a strong performer in our tests, with a snappy, responsive fingerprint scanner and a relatively quiet design, and it supports voice controls via Alexa or Google Assistant (no HomeKit support, though). If it were me buying, I'd try to catch it on sale for less than $200, but this is definitely a smart lock worth considering if you want fingerprint access at your front door.

Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt: Kwikset's second-gen Kevo is a good Bluetooth smart lock and a simple answer to smartening your door if you don't need remote control access. If you do, you'll need to buy the Kevo Plus connect module. You can use the mobile app or the key fob for keyless door entry.

Lockly Flex Touch: An understated fingerprint lock, the Flex Touch looks like a standard deadbolt on the outside, apart from the small fingerprint sensor that dangles underneath. That fingerprint sensor worked great when we tested it out, but the interior part of the lock is made of faux-stainless-steel plastic that feels a bit cheap to the touch. In addition to that, you'll need to buy an overpriced $80 plug-in Wi-Fi hub if you want to control the lock via your phone from beyond Bluetooth range.

Schlage Encode Wi-Fi Deadbolt: We liked the Encode's simplicity when we tested it out -- with built-in Wi-Fi, there's no need for any extra hub hardware, meaning you can pair it with your home network and with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice controls as soon as you install it. It's also compatible with Amazon Key, in case you're interested in in-home delivery drop-offs. On top of that, it's a really nice-looking smart lock, with a classy touchpad for coded entry and a variety of elegant finishes. It doesn't support Apple HomeKit, though, and it's difficult to find it on sale for less than $250, which makes it hard to recommend.

Schlage Sense Bluetooth Deadbolt: Schlage's Sense smart lock is affordable, but clunky and not as simple to set up as its Encode sibling. You'll also need a Schlage lock Wi-Fi adapter to connect with Google Assistant or Alexa.

Eufy Smart Lock Touch with Wi-Fi: At a retail price of $260, Eufy's sleek-looking, finger-scanning smart lock is too expensive for us to recommend outright, but it performed well when we tested it out, apart from a few minor hiccups during setup. With both a fingerprint scanner and a touchpad for coded entry, it's about as versatile as smart locks get, but it's probably more than most people need.

The CNET team has spent years testing and reviewing smart locks. For our most recent batch of tests, we tried out several new models at our own homes.

Installation process

For starters, we took a critical eye to each lock's design, as well as the simplicity of the installation process. It's usually not a complicated process, and in most cases you'll only need a Phillips head screwdriver, but it still might feel intimidating for some. 

Most smart locks do a good job of including detailed instructions in the box and in the app, but others, like the Kwikset Halo Touch, go a step further by clearly labeling and separating the different parts and screws you'll need to use. That can be a big help if you've never swapped out a door lock before.

Rather than installing the locks in our front doors, we installed them in a mock door display cut to standard specifications. That allowed us to move each lock after installing it, which helped to test their wireless range when controlling them over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. 

Some locks did great -- most notably the U-Bolt Pro with Wi-Fi, which worked flawlessly even in a backyard, on the fringes of a home Wi-Fi network. The Level Lock was another standout thanks to a neat range-boosting feature that allowed us to control the lock over Bluetooth from nearly twice the distance as other Bluetooth smart locks (albeit at an expense of battery life).

Additional features and app integration

From there, the testing is largely experiential. We pay attention to important physical considerations like the size of the lock and how loud the motor gets when the deadbolt turns, as well as practical considerations like app features, ease of use and the range of compatibility with different smart home platforms and peripheral devices. 

Some smart locks, particularly coded smart locks, are better for sharing access with guests. Others, including Bluetooth locks with auto-unlocking smarts whenever you draw near, are better for users who are more convenience-minded. Whatever the lock's approach, the features need to work well if it wants to earn our recommendation.

Design

Smart design matters, too. Apart from the fact that these locks are likely going to be sitting on the front face of your home's exterior and making a first impression on visitors, good design can make for better implementation of core features. 

For instance, the U-Bolt Pro stood out for its clever build, with the fingerprint-scanning front face of the lock folding down entirely to reveal a standard keyhole backup. Hiding the keyhole makes a lot of sense -- most of the time, you aren't going to use it to get in, and putting it out of sight gives the lock a smaller footprint on your front door than other fingerprint-scanning locks. We also liked the physical buttons on that lock for coded entry, as buttons like those are easier to use in inclement weather than touchscreen controls. Another nice design touch: You can punch in dummy digits before or after your code, and the lock will still let you in. That's a good feature if you're worried about people snooping over your shoulder as you unlock the door.

Smart locks are a highly visible part of your home that you'll use just about every day, so it's important to find a reliable pick that meshes well with your smart home. Here are the factors you should be thinking about as you shop:

Full deadbolt or retrofit

Most smart locks will replace the entirety of your existing lock, including the interior thumbturn, the exterior keyhole, and the deadbolt in the middle. Locks like those will also come with their own keys, which will replace the ones you're using now.

Others, like the August Smart Lock, the Wyze Lock, and the Level Bolt, are designed instead to work with at least some of your existing lock hardware. With a retrofit lock like that, you probably won't need new keys at all, and you might not even need to swap out the deadbolt. Locks like those can sometimes be a better fit for apartments, where the building owners might not allow you to replace the entire lock.

Modes of access

Different smart locks will take different approaches to letting you in. On a basic level, most smart locks will let you lock and unlock the door wirelessly from your phone, using an app. Others add in keypads for coded entry, which can help you rely on your keys a little less while also making it easier to share access with others. Some of the newest smart locks add in touch sensitivity or fingerprint scanning to let you inside with just a tap. Apple recently added a Home Key" target="_blank feature in iOS15 that lets you store a digital house key in your Apple Wallet, which lets you open compatible smart locks using the NFC radio in your iPhone or Apple Watch.

It's probably overkill to pay up for a smart lock that offers all of that, so it's fine to dial in on the mode of access that interests you most. You've got a diverse mix of options these days.

Platform compatibility

If your household includes multiple types of smart home devices, then your best bet is to control them all from a single smart home platform -- that way, you won't need to juggle multiple apps to keep everything automated. The most popular picks are Amazon Alexa, the Google Home app and the Google Assistant voice controls that come with it, and Apple HomeKit, which brings Siri into play. Samsung SmartThings is another option for a hub-centric smart home.

Whichever you end up using, make sure that your smart lock is compatible. You'll find plenty of locks that work with Google and Alexa, and slightly fewer that work with Apple HomeKit, but you shouldn't have any trouble finding multiple options for any of them. Just make sure that you have what you need to connect -- a Bluetooth smart lock might require a Wi-Fi bridge of some sort before it can connect with a larger platform, and some locks require a specific hub device in order to connect, like an Amazon Echo Plus or an Apple HomePod Mini.

Security and privacy

Smart locks aren't quite as data sensitive as devices with built-in cameras and microphones, but you'll still want to make sure that you're keeping things secure. Most, if not all of your options will use some form of encryption to keep the wireless transmissions between your lock and your phone or home network secure -- you should also look for locks that use two-factor authentication to keep your account safe from malicious logins. And, as with any connected device in your home, you'll want to be sure to keep your lock updated to the latest firmware, and to set a strong password in the app.

As for lockpicking and other physical concerns, you can look for the lock's ANSI grade to get a sense of its durability, and how well it might stand up against a brute force entry attack. ANSI grade 3 is the most basic rating, but a growing number of smart locks offer ANSI grade 2 or grade 1 ratings, which tell you that they're built with commercial-grade durability. If you're concerned about forced entries, a lock like that might be a good investment.

Design considerations

Your smart lock is going to sit right on the front of your home's exterior, so it's worth aiming for something you won't hate looking at. Some smart locks go out of their way to show off their gadgety features with light-up touchscreens, color-coded LED indicator lights and tech-minded designs. Others take the opposite approach, doing their best to blend in and look just like a standard lock, from the outside at least. Picking a preference between the two approaches will help you narrow your options.

You'll also want to consider how the lock stays powered. Most smart locks will run off four AA batteries, but some take a different approach. The Level Lock, for instance, runs off of a single CR2 battery that sits inside of the deadbolt itself. Meanwhile, Eufy's touchscreen smart lock runs off of a rechargeable battery pack.

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about smart locks.