SwitchBot Lock review: a smart lock with seven ways to unlock your door

The $99 SwitchBot Lock is the primary good door lock I’ve examined that doesn’t substitute any a part of your present lock. As a substitute, it attaches to the again of your door excessive of the thumb flip. This removes a significant ache level of good locks: an concerned set up. However the SwitchBot Lock is de facto odd wanting — my husband actually stopped in his tracks and mentioned, “What’s that factor?” I had an identical response after I first noticed it and was wholly unconvinced this massive piece of black plastic would have the ability to unlock my deadbolt.

I used to be shocked to find that the SwitchBot Lock strikes that thumb flip simply in addition to I can, and it stayed firmly put throughout my two weeks of testing, regardless of being connected solely by double-sided sticky tape. (No phrase but on long-term sturdiness, however it seems promising to date).

The downsides are that it’s not very good and it’s lacking a couple of key options (haha). You additionally want round $70 value of equipment so as to add good house management and a keypad. This places it nearer in worth to extra elegant-looking options, such because the $230 August Wi-Fi Good Lock, which wants a bit extra work to put in however doesn’t depart you with a honking nice piece of plastic in your door.

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The SwitchBot Lock is a retrofit Bluetooth-powered good door lock that may lock and unlock your door utilizing the SwitchBot app on a smartphone or Apple Watch. (It’s not Residence Key appropriate). It attaches to your door utilizing 3M VHB tape and makes use of a small plastic grabber to carry on to and switch the lock’s thumb flip.

That grabber can flip something. Movies in Amazon evaluations present it even turning a key, making this a superb resolution for folks with nontraditional door locks and multipoint locks who can’t get another good lock to work (see a listing right here). It’s cleverly engineered with shifting base plates that forestall the lock from twisting itself off whereas turning the lock.

That is SwitchBot’s factor: making common gadgets good. They’ve just a little bot that presses your mild swap for you and a robotic that crawls alongside your curtain rod to open and shut the curtains. This one is a robotic hand on your door lock. It comes with three different-sized adapters, so you’ll find the proper match on your setup. The SwitchBot Lock doesn’t take away any operate — you’ll be able to nonetheless use your key, and you may nonetheless flip the deadbolt manually; it simply provides the flexibility to make use of your cellphone or watch as your key.

There are a complete of seven methods to regulate the door lock: your key, the smartphone / Apple Watch app, NFC tags utilizing your cellphone, a key code utilizing a keypad, a fingerprint reader, an NFC keycard, and good house / voice management. That’s loads of choices — though solely the primary three work out of the field.

For the keycard, keypad, or fingerprint entry, you’ll want one in every of SwitchBot’s two Bluetooth keypads. These connect with double-sided tape (or screws should you desire). I examined the fingerprint model, which prices $60, and it labored rapidly and reliably.

The non-fingerprint model is simply $30, however fingerprint entry is my favourite approach to make use of a sensible door lock. The keypads additionally work with NFC keycards. (One is provided and you should purchase a three-pack for $15.) Though, when you have a keypad, I don’t see a necessity for a keycard, as you’ll be able to dole out everlasting, non permanent, and one-time codes to anybody who wants entry. Annoyingly, six digits is the minimal right here, which is loads of digits.

For those who don’t go for the additional keypads, one other unlock choice is utilizing the 2 NFC tags that include the lock. You possibly can pair these to your cellphone to lock or unlock the door with a faucet of your cellphone. However you must use two tags: one to lock and one to unlock. Sticking two white items of plastic in your door doesn’t enhance the general look right here, and when you have your cellphone out already, utilizing the iOS or Android lock display widget is sort of as quick.

The SwitchBot does work with Amazon Alexa, Google Residence, and Siri Shortcuts (however not HomeKit), so you should utilize voice instructions to lock and unlock the door and add the lock into good house Routines (Alexa and Google solely).

However you want a $40 SwitchBot Hub Mini to attach the lock to Wi-Fi and make these integrations; the lock itself communicates over Bluetooth. You additionally want the hub to regulate the lock or examine its standing while you’re not at house utilizing the SwitchBot app. The hub works with all of SwitchBot’s devices however must be put in close to the lock.

I put in the SwitchBot Lock on my again door, which is a primary entryway to our home. It leads into our mudroom from our storage and will get loads of foot site visitors. The fingerprint reader and keypad made it simple for my youngsters to make use of the lock — no must obtain an app. With out these, although, there may be not a simple approach for a child with no smartphone to entry the door.

I used to be additionally disillusioned that the notifications when the door is unlocked didn’t present which code or fingerprint was used. This can be a widespread function on different good locks and one I personally use to assist maintain monitor of my older children’ comings and goings after I’m at work. I may examine the log within the app to see who unlocked it, although.

Locking and unlocking are quick when controlling it with the keypad, however the cellphone app takes over 5 seconds to attach — very irritating should you’re standing within the rain. The Apple Watch connects extra rapidly, and should you didn’t have a keypad, is the simplest option to management the lock. All these interactions are over Bluetooth, so you need to stand by the lock. To manage it remotely with the app or voice management, you want the hub.

Setup and set up had been fast, underneath 5 minutes in all. This is among the lock’s largest promoting factors, however it additionally wasn’t fully simple. There’s a little bit of lining as much as do to verify the lock will flip earlier than you tape it to the door, and you must use a small screwdriver (provided) to regulate the spacing of the lock. Cleverly, it attaches in any course, vertically or horizontally, so you’ll be able to match it round your door deal with. It additionally comes with a magnet to sense when the door is open or closed, though I may nonetheless lock it remotely whereas it was extensive open with none alert or notification.

The SwitchBot app is primary. There’s no option to create schedules to lock or unlock the door at a set time of day, and the auto-lock function was very spotty. It solely labored with each the “Lock after a set time frame” and the “Re-lock if the door has been unlocked however not opened” toggles on, and even then, it was unreliable. This looks like a software program bug which will get fastened. But it surely did imply I needed to get my cellphone out to lock the door (there are iOS and Android lock display widgets to make this faster), use the Apple Watch app, or use my key. Once I added the keypad, although, I may hit a button to lock it.

There are some helpful notification choices, together with when the door is locked, if the door has been left unlocked, and if it’s been left ajar after a sure period of time. Notifications require the hub to work, and actually, they need to simply promote this with the hub. It positively makes it a greater good lock. With the hub, I may connect with Alexa and add the lock to an Alexa Routine that routinely locked it each night time at sundown.

The SwitchBot Lock an excellent choice for renters who can’t change their door lock in any respect or for individuals who can’t or received’t take away any a part of their present deadbolt. It does want to stay to the doorframe utilizing a heavy-duty adhesive, which is able to possible take some paint with it should you ever take away it. Comparable retrofit choices from August, Wyze, and Bosma require eradicating the rear deadbolt, and so they all value over $100.

However its good options are restricted to controlling the lock domestically along with your cellphone, Apple Watch, or present key. Whenever you add within the Wi-Fi hub, you get away-from-home management and extra helpful good house integrations, however solely with Google Residence and Alexa; there’s no HomeKit help and restricted IFTTT integration. (The lock is simply a set off, not an motion.)

For those who additionally add within the keypad — particularly the fingerprint one — this turns into a way more helpful proposition, however you then’re knocking on $170, nearer to the worth of much less ugly choices with higher smarts that don’t require all this additional tools (however do require eradicating some or your entire door lock). These embrace the August Wi-Fi Good Lock plus Keypad and the Eufy Good Lock Contact with Wi-Fi (fingerprint reader and keypad in a single however a full lock substitute).

The largest good thing about this lock is its versatility. You possibly can even use two on one door to cope with multipoint locking. Its skill to seize just about any kind of locking mechanism, together with a key, means it might be the one good resolution that works on your door.

Images by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge