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.
A retrofit smart lock like the August lock will replace the interior of your current lock but not the exterior keyhole or the deadbolt. CNET
Full deadbolt or retrofit
Most smart locks will replace your existing lock, including the interior thumbturn, the exterior keyhole and the deadbolt in the middle. Locks like those will also come with their keys, replacing the ones you use now.
Others, like the August Smart Lock, and the Lockly fingerprint model, 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 and 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.
Yale's smart lock can work with the Nest video doorbell. Yale
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 lock add fingerprint or palm scanning to let you inside with biometrics. There are also keypad and NFC options, even face scanning in some cases.
Apple has also added a Home Key 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. Many other brands have followed suit with digital passes that guests can download on their phones with the right apps.
So, what's right for you? Going into an app for door access isn't ideal unless you are controlling it remotely. That's why we like Bluetooth and NFC passes that can work with a wave of your phone, as well as fingerprint sensors and similar options that are keyed to individuals and work at a touch at any time. But a keypad has its advantages as well, since it allows for temporary code handouts or limited-time access without someone needing their phone or a specific app to use.
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