Legacy lock maker Kwikset has been producing innovative smart locks since 2013, when it released the first touch-to-open lock, the Kwikset Kevo. The company followed that up with the launch of one of the first key-free locks in 2016, one of the earliest Apple HomeKit locks, and one of the first fingerprint-only locks. Kwikset has not shied away from new tech.
Its latest model, the Halo Select ($279.99), is one of the first full-replacement Matter-over-Thread smart locks. I’ve tested almost every smart lock that Kwikset has made over the years, and this is its best yet. It’s super-responsive with solid features and broad smart home compatibility. It’s just too bad that using Matter means giving up its best feature.
The Halo Select is a sleek-looking lock that should fit in with both traditional and contemporary door sets, although it has a modern slant. As Kwikset is one of two major residential lock companies (the other being Schlage), you may already have Kwikset locks and handle sets on your outer doors, meaning the Select might fit in with what you already have — something few other smart locks do.
The Halo blends in nicely with a contemporary Kwikset door handle set. But it’s a shame about the prominent branding.
It offers four entry methods: a keyway (which is rekeyable), a touchscreen keypad, app / smart home control, and auto-unlock based on location. The latter worked so well that I didn’t mind the lack of a fingerprint reader or Apple Home Key — normally my two favorite access methods. (Kwikset has teased a Halo Select Plus model with an NFC chip, but it hasn’t said whether that will work with Home Key or the forthcoming Aliro standard.)
One of Halo Select’s standout features is the option to connect to your smart home via Matter-over-Thread. This brings broad smart home compatibility over a local protocol, working with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and Samsung SmartThings, among others.
Kwikset’s auto-unlock feature worked flawlessly in testing
To set it up with Matter, you need a Matter controller and a Thread border router. An Apple TV is both, or you can use a combination, such as an Echo speaker (Matter controller) and an Eero Wi-Fi router (Thread border router). Alternatively, you can connect the lock using its built-in Wi-Fi. This allows it to work with the Kwikset app, as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, via the cloud. You’ll lose the broader compatibility and battery life of Matter-over-Thread, but in exchange, you get one of the Halo Select’s best features: auto unlock.
Auto unlock is a relatively new feature on Kwikset locks. It uses a combination of radios, including GPS and Wi-Fi, to determine where your phone is in relation to your home so it can unlock the door as you approach.
This tech has been used in smart locks for a while — it was first seen on the original August smart lock in 2013 — but each company implements it slightly differently. In most locks I’ve tested with the feature, it’s been unreliable, working only about half the time. However, on the Halo Select, the experience has been flawless, with the door unlocking just as I approach my porch, every time.
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