5 Best Smart Locks (2025), Tested and Reviewed

The best smart locks can help anyone who constantly misplaces keys or who frequently wonders whether they locked the front door. I am in the latter camp. After years in apartments, I recently moved to a large enough house that checking whether the door is locked can feel like a chore, especially once I'm all cozy in bed.

Installing a smart lock doesn't mean throwing away your house keys—you probably still want to bring them with you. These locks are all about convenience, offering multiple ways to enter, like a passcode via a keypad, fingerprint scanning, or through an app. You can easily share codes with friends and family, so no need to fuss with crappy key copies, and you can usually set them to auto-lock when the door closes. But there are a lot of models out there, and not all will work with your door. Don't worry, I've been testing smart locks for nearly a year and have lots of advice in this guide. Most folks will be happy with our top pick, the Yale Approach Lock with Keypad Touch, but we have several options—even a lock that fits a sliding door.

For more smart home recommendations, read our Best Video Doorbells, Best Outdoor Security Cameras, Best Indoor Security Cameras, and Best Robot Vacuums guides.

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Yale's lock might look like it's a full lock replacement, but this is a retrofit design that only changes out the back of your thumb-turn dead bolt. That means your existing keys will still work, and everyone outside of your house will have no idea that it's smart. It's ideal for renters, but also nice for anyone who doesn't want to switch out their front lock and swap keys. All of that also means installation was fast and easy—the hardest part is keeping your existing lock from falling to the ground while you swap out the backing, but it only takes a few minutes to complete.

As its name suggests, the Yale Approach Lock (8/10, WIRED Recommends) can sense when you approach. It uses your phone's location to do this, and within the app, you place a small range to establish what counts as you “arriving” home. I have a patio and a small staircase between my door and my car, so I made a larger range that could sense me once I hit the staircase. That worked better than placing the range on the center of my home, since it wouldn't count me as arriving until I was already at the door.

Yale's parent company, Assa Abloy, acquired smart-lock brand August back in 2017, and if you've ever used an August lock before, then the included Wi-Fi bridge will look familiar. The bridge connects to the smart lock via Bluetooth, so it has to be plugged in close to your door. This is what connects the lock to Wi-Fi for remote unlock functionality (plus other features). The whole setup is pretty similar to how August's locks have worked in the past, though I like the design of the Yale Approach better than the silver cylinder of the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.

You can choose to get a keypad for the Approach, and there are two different styles to choose from. The basic Keypad bundle includes Yale's numerical Keypad, but the biometric Keypad Touch bundle has the numerical keypad and a fingerprint scanner. I recommend upgrading to the fingerprint reader—it's insanely convenient and fast. Just a single touch and your door is unlocked. You can also purchase the lock without a keypad ($130) if you don't have anywhere to place it, but keypads are a great addition to a smart lock, so that you can give out guest and temporary codes, and it also allows you to get inside without your keys or phone.

If you thought the fingerprint reader on the above Yale Approach sounded handy, then let me introduce you to the Lockly Visage (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Not only does the Visage have a fingerprint reader, but it has built-in sensors to recognize your face to unlock the door as you walk up. That's right, this lock can see you coming.

When installing this lock, I recommend moving fast when you get to the battery stage. Don't put in the rechargeable battery until you've downloaded the app, located the activation card inside the box (keep this safe in case you ever reset the lock), and are prepared to finish the in-app setup steps, specifically the Visage ID—Lockly's face-recognition tech. The battery activates a Bluetooth signal that was only live for a few minutes in my testing, and you'll need to input the code and finish the steps in that amount of time. Restarting it over and over is frustrating, but possible. Lockly says it has pushed an update to fix this short-lived Bluetooth window, but I'd still plan to be ready to roll once you put in the battery.

Once set up, I had zero connection issues and was happy with how quickly this lock could recognize my face as I walked up (even with sunglasses on!) or how quickly it could read my fingerprint. The Visage uses infrared (IR) sensors and a camera to see when a person is approaching and who they are. The sensors in the lock have both live-body detection and face recognition, so it isn't spoofed by pictures. The infrared sensors have about a 2.6-foot range, and I did find that to feel accurate in my tests. The company promises no stills are captured, and the live face-tracking data is encrypted and is saved on-device. It's nice to have both the face and fingerprint options, so members of your household can choose whatever they prefer. There's also a keypad and a regular mechanical key, with two keys included.

The Visage Zeno uses the Lockly Home app (iOS, Android), Lockly's newest app. It works specifically with the Zeno line. There's another Lockly app that will work with this lock, but it doesn't look as nice. Within the app, you can easily generate codes for guests, customize notifications, and set up preferences, like having your door automatically lock after a certain amount of time.

A door sensor also sticks to your door below the lock, and a second part sits on the door jamb to sense whether or not the door is closed. You can customize notifications around that as well, and it's a nice add-on, though the whole system isn't the most attractive on the door itself—it's a little cluttered.

The day I moved into my home, I realized the previous owner had not left me any keys for the sliding glass door that opens into my backyard. I reached out, and she … did not have them anymore. Great! I wanted to smarten up my home anyway, so I searched long and hard for smart locks built for sliding doors—very few options exist. But I came across The Connected Shop, which was exactly what I was looking for (but super expensive). The company sent me the Next Gen Smart Lock to try, which I’ve used for over a year and has functioned almost flawlessly in that time. Seriously, I've only recharged the USB-C battery once in that time.

Fair warning, the instructions are complicated. You may be able to do it yourself, but I could not. The Connected Shop's technician had to cut a part of the strike plate on my existing hardware to get it to latch. He also had to drill new holes into my sliding door frame, and in the process, he accidentally shattered the glass in the door. Welp! A representative says if it happened to a customer, the company would take care of it and replace the glass as it did mine. I highly recommend contacting the company and sending a picture of your lock if you have concerns about door compatibility.

Once installed, you may find yourself, as I did, riffling through the manual to initially set up users, codes, fingerprints, and the app connectivity. (The manual is needlessly complicated.) That process involves inputting a code, then pressing the right numbers to get to the settings you need. There’s no real need to connect it to the third-party Tuya Smart app (Android, iOS), because, annoyingly, you can’t set up codes, fingerprints, or users in the app. It’s mostly for deleting members, creating temporary passwords, and seeing unlock or doorbell notifications. It’s also where you can view battery life. (The company says you can remotely unlock over Wi-Fi in the app, but this only works when someone rings the doorbell, which is a little bizarre.)

There’s a lock and unlock button on the inside of the door, along with a manual knob, and a removable battery with a USB-C port for charging (again, I roughly have nine months on a single charge), though this will depend on how frequently you use your sliding glass door. It's how I get to my backyard, so I do not use it as often as my front door. There is no handle, so I slide my door by pushing the side of the lock, which juts out from the door frame.

On the other end, you tap anywhere in the middle to have the number pad light up. There’s a doorbell function, though it’s hard to hear if you’re not in the lock's vicinity. Just type in the code and press the unlock button, and that’s it. I predominantly use the fingerprint unlock, which works reliably once you get used to placing your finger on the sensor in a particular way. The Connected Shop also throws in two NFC tags—I leave one on my keychain—as a backup unlocking method, and there are two physical keys just in case (I have never used them).

The only thing that has not worked is the company’s so-called Face Unlock. I’ve tried to set it up multiple times, and it always fails when it tries to scan my face. Honestly, I don’t care for this feature. If you don’t either, there’s a slightly cheaper Sliding Door Smart Lock Knob that is similar but lacks the camera, though it takes four AAA batteries instead.

My only main concern is with the company itself. It’s fairly new (founded in 2021), so it’s not well established, and I can’t vouch for its customer service. (The people I interacted with were nice, but I’m also reviewing the company, so of course they were nice.) Its product pages could stand to use more information like encryption standards and water resistance ratings, and I didn’t find the company’s manuals very helpful. I'm not sure why the company doesn't have its own app yet, and it claims support for Alexa and Google Home, but when I tried connecting the Tuya app to the latter, it didn't bring over the lock.

That said, the Next Gen Smart Lock’s build quality is exceptional and far nicer than I was expecting, and it's operating better than I expected. —Julian Chokkattu

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Not every door you want locked has a dead bolt. If you've got a side door or interior door you wish you could easily lock with a code, then a smart lever lock is what you need. These will replace a regular doorknob with one that not only has a key, but also some smarts and a keypad.

I've tried a couple of these, and so far, I prefer the Aqara U300. The lock feels well built and isn't difficult to install, similar to the Aqara U50 (see below). The included measuring tools help you set the door jamb to the right length, and you can follow along with a video on YouTube or within the Aqara app. It came with four AA batteries, plus two physical keys, and you'll use the app to set up both a code for the keypad and load fingerprints for the fingerprint reader on the door handle. For the fingerprint reader, make sure your finger fills the entire round scanner, or else it'll scold you (I have small hands and ended up only loading my thumbs to make filling the reader easier.) You can also open this handle with an NFC card and an Apple Home Key.

This lock is Matter compatible, meaning it will play nicely with all the smart home ecosystems, whether you're using Alexa, HomeKit, or Google Home. The catch is you need some kind of a Thread border router in your home for the Matter network—this can be an existing device like a Google Home Hub (2nd Gen) or an Apple HomePod Mini. I used the Aqara M3 Hub, but the U300 really wanted to bind with my HomeKit setup via Matter rather than its own hub. Aqara confirmed this shouldn't happen, and if you don't have HomeKit set up like I do, you probably won't have the same issue. You can set up the lock via Bluetooth too, with entry options on your phone, and unlock or lock the door.

We use this smart lock for my sister's interior door to her room, which she rents on our first floor. Within the Aqara app, she immediately adjusted the settings to put the lock on Do Not Disturb Mode to keep the built-in voice prompter from talking. (She said it was too loud, and I agree, especially when it's in your bedroom instead of an entryway). She also set it to never auto-lock so that she can come and go without needing to unlock it every time. It was easy to invite her to control my Aqara devices within the app once she made her account.

Photograph: Amazon

MyQ Smart Garage Controller

You're probably thinking, the door to get into the garage. You're wrong. I mean the actual garage. My garage is controlled by a MyQ Smart Garage Opener (8/10, WIRED Recommends), and it's been a huge life improvement for the anxiously minded couple like myself and my husband. Worried whether the garage door is open after the scramble to play The Wiggles for our son while navigating the neighborhood? No problem, check the MyQ app. I've even set up the MyQ app to alert me if my garage stays open for more than 10 minutes. It's a peace of mind, especially if your garage is a more frequently used access point to your home than the front door.

I wish I could tell you about the installation, but my house came with the MyQ Garage Door Opener (starting at $200, depending on the model) professionally installed (along with some other smart tech, with mixed results). It's the best feature my house came with. The openers are always professionally installed, and you'll have to contact a local technician to get one. But you can get the much cheaper MyQ Smart Garage Controller to add onto any garage, turning an existing opener into a smart one.

If you wish you had a keypad for your garage, you can add that with the MyQ Video Keypad. It acts as both a keypad to open your garage (a great option if you tend to forget your phone) and a video doorbell feed that goes straight to your phone. The only issues I had with it were that it was heavy—command strips won't work, you'll need to drill it into your home's exterior. The video feed also wasn't always reliable, thanks to the lackluster Wi-Fi in my driveway. Test it with a laptop beforehand if that's a feature you want (or perhaps add a Wi-Fi extender to your garage).

MyQ compatibility with other ecosystems focuses more on vehicles and security devices than it does on classic smart home assistants, which makes sense since you're usually controlling it from outside of the home. It works with Amazon Key and Walmart+ InHome to get deliveries in your garage, with Ring, plus several cars, and IFTTT.

Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint for $170: I have now tested three different Ultraloq smart locks over a year and a half, and while I think the company offers excellent hardware for the money, there are just a few too many software quirks that put these locks a rung below our top picks. I first began with the Bolt Fingerprint, which has been the most reliable of all the Ultraloq smart locks so far. If you have a standard door with a borehole for the dead bolt, it'll be quick to install (Ultraloq has a Thick Door Kit). I initially had several issues getting the lock to connect to my Wi-Fi, but after multiple attempts and a few choice words, it connected. I’ve had no connectivity problems since. The app isn’t the prettiest, but it’s functional. You can add multiple user profiles, remotely unlock, get notifications when the doors are unlocked, share codes, and register fingerprints. There’s even an auto-unlock function for when you walk up to the door, but I found it a little inconsistent and left it turned off. The fingerprint sensor is the highlight after all. You have to get used to placing your finger on the sensor a specific way, and after doing this a few times, I’ve now got it down so that I almost always unlock on the first try. It comes with a door sensor, so when the door closes, it will automatically lock (you can disable this if you want).

The next lock I tested was the Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint with Wi-Fi and HomeKit. This one did a better job connecting to my home's Wi-Fi network through the U-Home app and was even quick to add to my Google Home. Unfortunately, after several months of flawless performance, one day it decided to start rejecting my fingerprint. The problem? When I put my fingerprint on the scanner, it denied it and then blocked all other methods of unlocking except the app (or the physical key that's included). This was so annoying that I just stuck to using a numerical code with the keypad. Finally, I recently switched to the Bolt Fingerprint With Matter, and let's just say I'm still diagnosing issues with the company. The lock decides to stop working after a few hours, forcing me to remove one of the batteries and put it back in to “reactivate” it. I might just have a defective unit, so we'll see. —Julian Chokkattu

Aqara U50 for $110: I really like the Aqara U50 (7/10, WIRED Reviews), especially since it's quick to install and affordable. The downside is you need a hub like the Aqara M3 ($129) to connect it to Wi-Fi, which costs more than the lock itself. It's best if you're going to invest in more Aqara devices around your house, or if you don't want Wi-Fi control and want to generate your own codes and set up minor automations, like auto-locking after a certain amount of time.

Defiant Smart Deadbolt Powered by Hubspace for $100: The shoddy build quality is a huge turn-off on this smart lock from Defiant. The buttons are mushy, it’s very loud, and what is the point of Wi-Fi connectivity if it never connects to Wi-Fi? I finally got it paired with the Hubspace app, but the lock never stayed connected to my Wi-Fi, so I had none of the benefits. —Julian Chokkattu

Eufy FamiLock S3 Max for $400: This lock is cool because it includes a camera, letting the device double as a digital peephole (convenient for smaller family members!) and has a super interesting biometric option that uses the veins in your palm for authentication. Unfortunately, once installed, the lock didn't work on my door, even though it was the correct size and placement.

Schlage Encode Lever for $239: This lock was easy enough to install but wouldn't sync with my phone or with my Wi-Fi. It did retain the codes I was able to quickly type in during my incomplete setup, but after that point, the app didn't acknowledge I had set up the lock, nor would it re-sync even after restarting.