Inexpensive and dependable dwelling safety

The SwitchBot Good Lock is likely one of the extra reasonably priced good locks in the marketplace, providing enhanced door safety at an inexpensive worth. Certainly, at solely $100, it’s a really reasonably priced product, whereas providing loads of options. It goals to cater to a broad vary of doorways with its adaptable design. It’s meant to suit over the thumb-turn of current locks, nice for rental properties the place lock substitute is not possible, or for individuals who don’t need to fiddle with their current lock. If you will get previous the cumbersome design, it is an awesome choice.

Worth and availability

The SwitchBot Lock is offered in black and silver for $100 on Amazon and on the SwitchBot retailer. The optionally available fingerprint keypad sells for $60, and the Wi-Fi Hub provides $40 to the invoice. The three might be bundled collectively for $170, making it a comparatively reasonably priced product. Each SwitchBot and Amazon usually supply reductions on these merchandise, with the complete bundle generally promoting for as little as $120.

Design, {hardware}, what’s within the field

Cumbersome design, with seen mechanical components

The SwitchBot Lock is designed to suit just about any kind of lock and deadbolt, overlaying the thumb-turn. With adaptability in thoughts, the aesthetics have been barely uncared for. The system is available in a comparatively cumbersome design, measuring 4.4 x 2.3 x 2.9 inches. It’s out there both in matte black or silver to raised match along with your door’s design.

The aspect dealing with the person could be very sober, as there’s solely a big turnable knob and a small LED gentle on it. It seems to be good and trendy, and integrates naturally, with out altering the door’s design. Nonetheless, the aspect view of the lock is way more uncommon, because it is available in an L form. The underside half homes two CR-123A batteries hid within the lock’s physique. At its finish, there’s a sliding adapter that adjusts in size, permitting you to suit it correctly to the door. Nonetheless, this half can also be seen and never housed underneath a canopy, making the general design much less eye-pleasing.

As for the highest half, which consists of the mechanism that turns the thumb-turn, it stays absolutely open, making the general product a bit ugly over the door. When bought as a standalone product, the lock comes with loads of adapters to suit it to your door, in addition to a door sensor. As well as, the field consists of batteries and mounting instruments, in addition to an optionally available mounting plate that’s mounted to the door. Nonetheless, with out the hub and keypad, the lock operates solely utilizing Bluetooth.

The Lock is appropriate with each the SwitchBot Hub Mini and Hub 2, with the latter additionally doubling as a thermometer. They are often bundled with the lock or bought individually, but it surely makes most sense to purchase them collectively. With them, the Lock might be managed remotely with the app, but in addition Google Assistant, Alexa, IFTTT, Siri, and SmartThings.

Lastly, the optionally available Keypad Contact gives improved potentialities for dwelling entry. It communicates wirelessly with the lock, permitting it to be positioned outside. Not solely does it allow you to enter utilizing a passcode, it could additionally learn fingerprints and comes with an NFC card, offering a number of methods to enter your own home.

Setup and set up

Straightforward setup, with out changing the present lock

Putting in the SwitchBot Good Lock is comparatively simple and doesn’t take greater than half an hour, at most. The lock doesn’t exchange an current one, however as a substitute sticks to the door and suits on prime of the thumb-turn. To make this simpler, SwitchBot supplies a large number of adapters for max compatibility. This manner, the lock works on a large number of doorways, together with non-deadbolt ones. In fact, it’s all the time finest to examine for compatibility earlier than, to verify it’ll work along with your door.

After choosing the right adapter and becoming it over the thumb-turn, it’s essential to alter the size of the lock’s base. That is finished by eradicating the screws, pulling the slider out and tightening the screws again. To finish the set up, the lock sticks to the door through the use of double-sided tape. That is shocking, as it’s essential to make sure the lock is correctly hooked up to the door. Certainly, because the mechanism isn’t hooked up to the keyhole or thumb-turn, the entire thing falls off if the tape doesn’t stick. As well as, it could harm the paint in your door, making it a questionable technique to place it.

The lock additionally comes with a door sensor, which sticks to the body, permitting the lock to robotically lock the door a couple of seconds after the door is closed. Moreover that, the connection and calibration course of might be finished utilizing the app in a couple of minutes. Including the hub or keypad additionally takes a few minutes, with the configuration being easy and guided.

Options and efficiency

Dependable and intuitive, so long as it’s put in securely

The SwitchBot lock is designed for use with out having to consider it. It gives quite a few customization choices, permitting you to automate its use in accordance with your preferences. As an illustration, it could robotically lock the door when it’s closed, or after a particular time. There are even choices for utilizing two locks concurrently, unlocking each on the identical time. What’s extra, SwitchBot sells NFC tags that lock and unlock the door while you contact your telephone to the tags.

When used independently, the lock largely serves in its place technique to enter your own home, whereas including a little bit of security because of the auto-lock characteristic. Certainly, normally, you’re probably to make use of your common key reasonably than your telephone to get it. That is significantly true if it’s important to pull out your telephone, open the app, and look ahead to the Bluetooth connection to ascertain the hyperlink.

The SwitchBot lock is designed for use with out having to consider it.

It’s, nonetheless, an awesome choice should you lose your keys or get locked out. Apple Watch customers can lock and unlock the door from their wrist, which provides a little bit of comfort — however Put on OS customers haven’t any such choice, until they use the Google Residence app.

Fortunately, the optionally available Hub Mini or Hub 2 brings a whole lot of further options for a small worth premium. Certainly, not solely do they add the power to function the lock remotely utilizing Wi-Fi, letting you open the door to guests and family workers, however additionally they convey compatibility with cloud companies similar to Google Assistant, Alexa, and IFTTT. This lets you lock the door from the consolation of your sofa, examine its standing out of your mattress, and even unlock the door out of your automotive. Equally, you may create in depth automation and join the lock to different good dwelling merchandise simply.

Additionally, the optionally available Keypad Contact makes the SwitchBot lock a really full product, permitting you to make use of completely different entry strategies. These embody fingerprints, NFC playing cards, and passcodes. These can both be everlasting or momentary, which means you may set a particular timeframe throughout which they’re lively. As well as, you may as well create one-time passcodes that robotically expire after the primary use. You may also create emergency codes, helpful should you’re being adopted and need to launch a particular routine after coming into that PIN.

Sadly, there’s no choice to create a code that solely works on particular schedules, which might have been helpful for family workers that want to come back in on particular days of the week. Fortunately, although, all accesses are logged, letting you understand which person used the code and when.

The Keypad Contact can also be a good way to lock the door manually should you’re outdoors, as there’s a devoted button for that. What’s extra, it may be deactivated, both fully, or solely when the door is open. Equally, the app permits you to alter the backlight settings and the beep sound stage for max customization.

Relating to opening the door from the within, the lock gives a guide knob you may flip to unlock it. Alternatively, it’s additionally appropriate with a SwitchBot button, additionally bought individually, permitting you to unlock or lock the door by urgent it.

After utilizing the lock for some time, I’ve been fairly happy with it, no matter how I opened the door. I did discover it generally requires a little bit of drive on the important thing to unlock the door, however the mechanism is constructed with some room to keep away from jamming. I’ve learn some suggestions from customers reporting jamming, however I didn’t expertise any myself.

I did, nonetheless, expertise a difficulty with the lock, as I discovered it on the ground one morning. I’ve to confess, I hadn’t caught it very strongly to the door, because it’s a assessment unit that I needed to take away. Nonetheless, I’m not satisfied {that a} single double-sided tape is dependable sufficient for a lock, and a correct technique to connect it securely to the thumb-turn or key would have been extra reassuring. In case you decide one up, be certain to completely clear your door with rubbing alcohol and let it dry earlier than attaching the lock — even when it already seems to be clear.

Moreover that, I’ve discovered the Keypad Contact to be very sensible, and might’t advocate it sufficient should you’re considering of shopping for this lock. I’ve largely used it utilizing my fingerprints, and located it reliably unlocks the door. There may be, nonetheless, a brief delay of some seconds for it to substantiate the print, ship the command to the lock, and for it to unlock. Moreover that, although, it’s undoubtedly essential.

Likewise, the hub is a must have, contemplating how I’ve been capable of ask Google Assistant whether or not I’d locked my door from my mattress, solely to understand it was unlocked! Fortunately, I may lock it with out leaving my room, making for a safe good dwelling expertise.

Competitors

Many different choices require extra setup

The Yale Guarantee Lock 2, priced at $240, is a good and dependable good lock. It boasts options like computerized unlocking for a number of customers and customizable auto-relocking. Appropriate with main good dwelling platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Z-Wave, and Matter, it gives in depth good dwelling integration, though some options require a further wi-fi module.

Whereas set up might be difficult, its efficiency and anticipated ongoing software program updates make it a best choice. Not like the SwitchBot, the Yale Guarantee Lock 2 requires changing the present deadbolt, making it much less supreme for renters or those that want to not alter current lock setups.

Contemplating all facets, the SwitchBot Lock is a superb choice for these trying so as to add some stage of good performance to their doorways with out in depth set up work.

Priced at $130, the Wyze Lock gives an reasonably priced good lock resolution that may be put in with out the necessity to exchange the present deadbolt, much like the SwitchBot Lock. It helps primary functionalities like distant lock, unlock, and standing checks, and is appropriate with Alexa and Google Assistant. Nonetheless, it requires a hub for Wi-Fi connectivity, which makes use of up an AC outlet.

The Wyze Lock’s simplicity is a energy, but it surely lacks compatibility with many third-party good dwelling units, limiting its integration potential in comparison with extra superior choices. This lock is appropriate for individuals who need an uncomplicated, budget-friendly good lock that does not require altering the present lock {hardware}.

Must you purchase it?

Straightforward and reasonably priced, however not very smooth

Contemplating all facets, the SwitchBot Lock is a superb choice for these trying so as to add some stage of good performance to their doorways with out in depth set up work. Its adaptability to suit most locks and the convenience of set up are its robust fits, however the reliance on double-sided tape for mounting raises some issues about its long-term stability and safety.

The lock’s primary performance is enhanced considerably with the addition of the Hub Mini or Hub 2, which allow Wi-Fi connectivity and distant operation. The Keypad Contact can also be undoubtedly value contemplating, because it gives a number of further entry strategies. For my part, you must undoubtedly purchase the bundle and never simply the lock itself. The absence of a scheduled code characteristic could also be a downside for some, particularly when planning to put in it for condo leases.

In case you’re on the lookout for a no-frills good lock resolution that is simple to put in and gives good options, the SwitchBot Lock is an acceptable selection, particularly for renters or these not wishing to exchange their present lock programs. Whereas it will not be probably the most superior choice in the marketplace, its affordability and ease of use make it a consideration for these venturing into good dwelling expertise.