If you’re buying a HomeKit door lock in 2025 and it doesn’t support home key, keep moving. The tap to unlock experience with iPhone or Apple Watch is the feature that makes smart locks feel like a major upgrade over a physical key or even unlocking via the Home app. It’s fast, reliable, and once you get used to it, there’s no going back. The ThorBolt X1 checks all the boxes for a great HomeKit lock and brings a few nice surprises for under $150k.
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HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
What is home key?
Home key is an incredible user experience. Once you add a supported lock to the Wallet app on your iPhone, you can tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock your door. There is no need to open an app, tap a code, or pull out a physical key. Thanks to Power Reserve, it even works if your iPhone is out of battery. As nice as using the Home app is for unlocking, home key is a pretty magical experience.
What’s included with the ThorBolt X1
The ThorBolt X1 is ready to go out of the box. The lock is fully assembled and fits most standard US and Canadian doors, so you should have everything you need. It includes a physical key backup if you want it, but the real magic is the built-in home key support with a dedicated NFC zone for tapping to unlock with your iPhone or Apple Watch.
There’s also a touchscreen keypad and a fingerprint reader that continue improving the device as you use it. In addition to using HomeKit and the home key, it works with the Sleekpoint iPhone app for managing users, passcodes, and settings. You can add up to 100 fingerprints and 100 PIN codes (that’s a lot of people) and customize settings like auto lock and sounds. You might want to use the app because the ThorBolt X1’s firmware updates come through it.
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It runs on eight AA batteries and should last around a year. If the batteries die, there’s a USB-C port for emergency power. The lock has an IP65 rating for outdoor usage, and the motor is quick and quiet when locking and unlocking. I’ve not owned it long enough to verify the battery rating, so take that for what it’s worth
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