Safer Entry
You’ve probably heard that Amazon wants to drop off your Whole Foods delivery inside your front door, and some smart lock systems now work with deliveries to have an “In-Home” option. While it’s up to you whether you let deliveries get dropped off outside your door or in your foyer, we’ve rounded up some of the top smart locks on the market.
Besides letting the delivery guy in (or not), connected locks are a great way to control who has access to your home and when, rather than handing out keys or hoping no one looks under the potted plant. They can give you peace of mind, too, if you worry about whether you’ve remembered to lock the door on your way to work or after departing for a long trip.
Advertisement
August
If you saw the Smart Cottage at our 2017 Celebration Weekend, you’ll know that we’ve been fans of August for a while. The smart lock swaps out the back of your deadbolt so that it looks like a normal lock on the surface, but is secretly smart on the inside. That means you get all the benefits of a smart lock, while your regular key would also still work.
Their latest lock, the August Lock Pro ($229), has an additional door sense piece that can now tell you if the door is completely shut, instead of just whether or not the deadbolt is activated. If you’re looking to enter the smart lock game at a low price point, August’s Smart Lock ($149) is designed to be more affordable.
If you’re worried about how it could pair with the rest of your smart home, don’t worry: August plays well with others, and works with all the major smart speakers and systems, including Apple.
Advertisement
Nest x Yale
Nest has gone beyond smart thermostats and cameras to fully enter the smart home security market, front doors included. They’ve partnered with Yale to create a lock for the Nest system ($279), a shrewd move--Yale has been in the lock game for nearly 180 years (and owns other locks, including August.) With the Nest X Yale product, you can lock and unlock the door remotely when someone’s forgotten their keys, and give passcodes to family members to enter.
The lock swaps out for your deadbolt and is designed for DIY, and removes the need for a key. Make sure to swap out the AA batteries when it notifies you, though.
The lock bundles with Nest Connect ($69) and the Nest’s new security system, Nest Secure (from $499). Nest Secure brings the various pieces of the Nest smart home ecosystem, and adds window/door sensors, key fobs, and a little hub where you can arm and disarm your entire system in an instant. Nest Secure is optional, but you’ll need the Nest Connect device to connect the Nest X Yale Lock to the Internet when your phone isn’t nearby (otherwise, it connects via Bluetooth).
Advertisement
Kwikset
Kwikset has a variety of smart lock options. Their newest smart locks include Premis Smart Lock ($229), a touchscreen deadbolt that allows you to touch the keypad to unlock the door or use your key in the lock below, and Kevo Convert ($149), which swaps out the back of the deadbolt for a device that lets you control it remotely via an app or smart speaker. The Premis pairs with Apple’s Homepod, while the Kevo Convert works with Amazon Echo, along with some of their older smart lock models.
Advertisement
Schlage
Schlage has been known for locks for years, and now makes a few varieties of connected locks, all with a traditional style design that includes keypads and a keyhole. There’s the Schlage Sense ($194), a smart lock that uses Bluetooth, meaning it can only be controlled by your smartphone when you’re nearby (for example, while walking up the stairs with groceries or double checking the door is locked while in your car). You can also add their WiFi adapter to allow you to control the lock from anywhere, which will also allow it to pair with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
There’s also the Schlage Connect ($170) smart lock, which can connect with Amazon Alexa to work with your larger smart home. It can also sense movement and notify you when someone leaves or enters the house, or if the door is being tampered with.
Advertisement
