Best Smart Door Locks

The days of fumbling around for your house keys, or getting locked out of your house are over. Smart door locks let you ditch those old-fashioned metal keys and allow you to just type in an access code instead.

The best smart door locks give both you and your guests flexible access to your property along with smart home features like voice control. Fire up your Alexa; it’s gonna be locking your doors for you from now on.

The August Smart Lock Pro lets you keep your existing deadbolt and still get top-notch smart home features. You can control your locks from your phone or with your voice without having to rip out your door lock and change all your keys.

August kills it on the smart home front. Few smart door locks have as many integrations and features as this little baby does—and you don’t even have to replace your lock to get them.

August works with all the major voice assistants, including HomeKit. It has Z-Wave capabilities and connects to your phone’s Bluetooth for auto-lock and auto-unlock features.

Auto-lock lets you set rules and schedules for when your door should lock automatically, whereas auto-unlock tracks your phone’s location and unlocks the door when you get home.

Most smart locks are harder to install because you have to remove the lock you already have and put in a whole new latch. August works with most single-cylinder deadbolts and goes right on your existing lock, so all you really have to replace is the part where you lock your door from the inside.

August Smart Lock Pro installation usually takes about 10 minutes.

August has Wi-Fi connectivity, but it’s not built in. You’ll need the August Connect, which is a separate device that acts as a Wi-Fi bridge. It comes with the August lock itself, but it’s just one more thing you have to set up. And it’ll need to be plugged into the outlet nearest your front door or your back sliding door.

If you want to skip the bridge, August does make model with the Wi-Fi built in. Check out our August Wi-Fi Smart Lock review.

The outside of your front door will look exactly the same with the August Smart Lock pro as without it. That means you still need your usual key to get in and out of your house unless you want to pull out your phone and launch the August mobile app every time (or depend on auto-unlock).

August does sell a separate keypad you can use to enter with an access code. But you have to find somewhere on your door to put it, which can be tricky if you already have things like a doorbell camera taking up space.

The Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt is one of the sturdiest, smartest deadbolts around. It connects to your Wi-Fi network without making you install a separate bridge, and it works with your favorite voice assistants, as well as Amazon Key.

The Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt has thought of everything. Not only does it provide smart-lock protection with a more traditional look, but it has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity plus integrations with the major voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. It also works with Amazon Key, so you can let delivery drivers leave your Amazon packages in your house and thwart those pesky porch pirates.

The Schlage Encode also comes with larger-than-average, well-lit buttons. It’s easier to use for people with larger fingers or dexterity issues. (There’s nothing more frustrating than hitting the wrong tiny button for the fourth time.)

The lock is also ADA-compliant, so it’s a good choice for people with certain disabilities or for a rental property you want to make more accessible.

The Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt has a top security grade for residential locks (ANSI/BHMA Grade 1). If you’re worried about break-ins, this lock comes with some serious peace of mind.

Plus, this lock comes with a built-in siren. That makes it like a hint of a security system all by itself. If someone tries to bust through the lock, the Schlage will sound an alarm.

Even though the Schlage has pretty good smart home integrations by smart lock standards, it doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit. It also doesn’t work with Samsung SmartThings or Wink, so you might not be able to integrate with your favorite smart home hub.

The Kwikset Halo Touchscreen Smart Lock is, shall we say, industrial chic. This lock definitely looks secure, and it comes with built-in Wi-Fi and voice assistant integration that gives you convenient smart home control.

The Kwikset Halo Smart Lock gives you multiple entry options. You can unlock the door with your phone, enter an access code, or use a regular key like a true old soul. It also gives you up to 250 custom access codes. It’s safe to say you’ll never hit that limit.

Our favorite thing about the Kwikset Halo’s access codes is that it lets you label each one. So you don’t have to try to remember which code you gave the babysitter and which one you gave the dog walker.

With Kwikset smart locks you can also set schedules and rules for each access code. If you only want the dog walker to have access between 3 and 4 p.m., then you can do that. You can also set codes to expire automatically after a certain time, which is great if you just need to give someone one-off access for a couple of hours.

All those different access codes make this lock a great choice if you have a rental property or an Airbnb. For short-term guests, you can give everyone their own codes, clearly labeled in your account, and set up for the duration of their stay.

This way, you don’t have to meet people in person for check-ins, and you can set the codes to automatically expire after their check-out time. Easy peasy.

Sometimes there are downsides to using a digital lock. The touchscreen on the Kwikset Halo looks fancy, but it’s also temperamental. You have to wake up the touchscreen before you can enter your access code, and it can be a little finicky. It’s easiest to touch it with the palm of your hand to wake, but even then, sometimes it takes a few tries.

If the touchscreen thing really drives you nuts, Kwikset smart locks offer a version of the Halo Smart Lock with a traditional rubber keypad.

If you’re truly ready to ditch keys forever, then the Yale Assure Lock SL is a good pick. It doesn’t even bother with a keyhole—all you need is an access code. And the Yale Assure Lock SL works with the August app.

The Yale Assure Lock SL looks good and works reliably. It gives you easy access with either a code or your smartphone, and it has some smart home integrations depending on which module you add (if you add one at all).

Like a lot of smart locks, the Yale Assure Lock SL requires a Wi-Fi bridge to connect to your network. Because this lock works with August, you can use the August Connect Wi-Fi bridge to get everything set up. (The bridge is included in the starter pack with the lock.)

The Yale also offers a handful of smart home integrations with a caveat: you have to buy a separate module. You can choose from an August, Z-Wave, or HomeKit module, depending on if you want the lock to work with August, Z-Wave, or Apple HomeKit. (You can't have all of them.)

The whole module thing gives you a choice of what smart home integrations you want (Z-Wave versus HomeKit), but it’s also an extra thing to think about. And you have to choose whether you want HomeKit or Z-Wave support.

If you don’t care about HomeKit very much, then we recommend the Z-Wave module. That way, the lock works with Samsung SmartThings and Wink, two of the most popular smart home hubs.

Heads up that, module or no module, the Yale Assure Lock SL doesn’t work with Google Assistant. But you do get Amazon Alexa control if you opt for the Z-Wave module.

The Wyze Lock gives you a lot of the same perks as the August Smart Lock Pro but at a much lower price. At a little more than $100, the Wyze Lock is the cheapest smart lock on our list. By, like, a lot.

Just like the August Smart Lock Pro, the Wyze Lock retrofits your existing deadbolt. You don’t have to take out your entire existing lock and install a new latch, which makes the installation process super easy. Plan on spending 10–15 minutes getting this thing set up.

The Wyze Lock doesn’t have as many smart home integrations as the August Smart Lock Pro, but it still gives you voice control through both Amazon Alexa. It also connects to Wi-Fi, although you’ll need an additional bridge for that (the Wyze Lock Gateway).

The Wyze Lock doesn't work with Google Assistant just yet, which is a pain if all your smart home speakers answer to "Okay, Google." Wyze says the integration is on its way, so hopefully this won't be an issue soon.

Other than that, the biggest inconvenience with Wyze is the lack of keypad. You can buy a keypad separately, but if not, you’ll have to use a key or your phone to get inside. Like the August, Wyze does have an auto-unlock feature, so you could also go with that if you like. But sometimes an access code is just easier.

Without a keypad, the Wyze Lock makes it harder to give guests access to your house. That person coming over to fix your furnace is going to have to download the Wyze app before you can grant them access and, let’s be real, that’s way too big a hassle.

When you’re ready to up your door game and embrace home automation, then smart locks are the key to your future house. Choose the lock that will work best for your needs, whether that’s extra high security or extra smart features.

August Smart Lock Pro: Most versatile—The August Smart Lock Pro uses your existing deadbolt but gives you all the smart home features of a full-on smart door lock—and then some. The August gives you mobile control, voice command, and more.

Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt: Best Wi-Fi smart lock—If you want a super-secure lock with accessible code entry and built-in Wi-Fi, then it doesn’t get much better than the Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt.

Kwikset Halo Smart Lock: Best for rental properties—The Kwikset Halo has a stubborn touchscreen. But its customizable access codes are great if you run an Airbnb or rental property and want to control guest access.

Yale Assure Lock SL: Best keyless entry—If you’re ready to ditch your keys forever then the Yale Assure Lock SL removes the key option entirely. Just know you have to buy an extra module to get certain smart home features.

Wyze Lock: Best budget buy—The Wyze Lock retrofits your existing lock, a lot like the August Smart Lock Pro—but for a much lower price.

Do you use a smart door lock? Do you still carry keys every day? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

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