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

The $99 SwitchBot Lock is the primary sensible door lock I’ve examined that doesn’t exchange any a part of your present lock. As an alternative, it attaches to the again of your door excessive of the thumb flip. This removes a significant ache level of sensible locks: an concerned set up. However the SwitchBot Lock is de facto odd trying — my husband actually stopped in his tracks and stated, “What’s that factor?” I had an identical response once 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 hooked up solely by double-sided sticky tape. (No phrase but on long-term sturdiness, nevertheless it appears to be like promising to date).

The downsides are that it’s not very sensible and it’s lacking a number of key options (haha). You additionally want round $70 value of equipment so as to add sensible residence management and a keypad. This places it nearer in value 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 sensible door lock that may lock and unlock your door utilizing the SwitchBot app on a smartphone or Apple Watch. (It’s not House Key suitable). 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 individuals with nontraditional door locks and multipoint locks who can’t get another sensible 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 units sensible. They’ve a bit 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 to your door lock. It comes with three different-sized adapters, so you will discover the fitting match to your setup. The SwitchBot Lock doesn’t take away any perform — you may nonetheless use your key, and you’ll nonetheless flip the deadbolt manually; it simply provides the power to make use of your telephone 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 telephone, a key code utilizing a keypad, a fingerprint reader, an NFC keycard, and sensible residence / voice management. That’s plenty of choices — though solely the primary three work out of the field.

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

The non-fingerprint model is just $30, however fingerprint entry is my favourite approach to make use of a wise door lock. The keypads additionally work with NFC keycards. (One is equipped and you should buy a three-pack for $15.) Though, if in case you have a keypad, I don’t see a necessity for a keycard, as you may dole out everlasting, short-term, and one-time codes to anybody who wants entry. Annoyingly, six digits is the minimal right here, which is plenty 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 telephone to lock or unlock the door with a faucet of your telephone. However it’s a must to 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 if in case you have your telephone out already, utilizing the iOS or Android lock display screen widget is nearly as quick.

The SwitchBot does work with Amazon Alexa, Google House, and Siri Shortcuts (however not HomeKit), so you need to use voice instructions to lock and unlock the door and add the lock into sensible residence 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 if you’re not at residence 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 important entryway to our home. It leads into our mudroom from our storage and will get plenty of foot site visitors. The fingerprint reader and keypad made it straightforward for my kids to make use of the lock — no have to obtain an app. With out these, although, there’s not a straightforward approach for a child and not using a 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 sensible locks and one I personally use to assist preserve monitor of my older youngsters’ comings and goings once 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 telephone app takes over 5 seconds to attach — very irritating in the event you’re standing within the rain. The Apple Watch connects extra rapidly, and in the event you didn’t have a keypad, is the best method to management the lock. All these interactions are over Bluetooth, so you could stand by the lock. To manage it remotely with the app or voice management, you want the hub.

Setup and set up have been fast, beneath 5 minutes in all. This is likely one of the lock’s largest promoting factors, nevertheless it additionally wasn’t totally simple. There’s a little bit of lining as much as do to ensure the lock will flip earlier than you tape it to the door, and it’s worthwhile to use a small screwdriver (equipped) to regulate the spacing of the lock. Cleverly, it attaches in any route, vertically or horizontally, so you may 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 vast open with none alert or notification.

The SwitchBot app is primary. There’s no method 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 as if a software program bug which will get mounted. But it surely did imply I needed to get my telephone out to lock the door (there are iOS and Android lock display screen 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 undoubtedly makes it a greater sensible lock. With the hub, I may hook up with Alexa and add the lock to an Alexa Routine that mechanically locked it each evening at sundown.

The SwitchBot Lock a superb choice for renters who can’t change their door lock in any respect or for many 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 can possible take some paint with it in the event you ever take away it. Related retrofit choices from August, Wyze, and Bosma require eradicating the rear deadbolt, they usually all price over $100.

However its sensible options are restricted to controlling the lock regionally along with your telephone, Apple Watch, or present key. Whenever you add within the Wi-Fi hub, you get away-from-home management and extra helpful sensible residence integrations, however solely with Google House and Alexa; there’s no HomeKit help and restricted IFTTT integration. (The lock is just 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 then you definitely’re knocking on $170, nearer to the worth of much less ugly choices with higher smarts that don’t require all this further gear (however do require eradicating some or your whole 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 alternative).

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 potential to seize just about any kind of locking mechanism, together with a key, means it could be the one sensible resolution that works to your door.

Images by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge