Best Smart Locks in the UK

The Ultraloq UL3 comes from the same line that its stablemate topping this list arrived from. Of course, since this lock is more than two times less expensive, it is not quite as impressive. Having said that, at this price point, the model can impress even the more demanding customers.

Sure, its appearance is a little bland. But who cares what locks look like anyway? Alright, you can make an aesthetics argument even with smart locks, but you cannot argue that this is the most important aspect. Available access methods, however, are a pretty important attribute. With this lock, you can switch between the smartphone (via the company's app), fingerprints, key codes, and mechanical keys.

As much as we appreciate key codes and the smartphone approach, the fingerprint method is the best one among them. First, the model enables less than 0.5-second identification, so you're wasting no time reaching for the phone or inputting the key code. Second, the sensors are durable, waterproof, and dustproof, which means you don't have to worry about the elements damaging them. What's more, the lock can heal broken fingerprint lines and lets you add 95 fingerprints, meaning that the model can accommodate residential use, business use, and commercial use.

Nevertheless, the passcode approach has its moments as well, allowing you to create 4-8 digit codes. You can make as many as 95 codes, so, again, the model can fit small- and medium-sized offices as much as home use. The anti-peep password future that no self-respecting smart locks are complete without these days has not gone anywhere either, enabling you to input random numbers before and after the real key code. As long as the actual keycode is there, the lock will let you in.

With the first lock having been presented over than 50 years ago, Yale company has made huge progress and now produces a whole range of safe and smart innovative solutions. For this review, we've selected its Conexis L1 smart lock that's gained trust and become popular with consumers all over the world. The lock looks pretty much simple, if not unpretentious, being fitted with neither LCD screen nor buttons, so you're likely to take it for a conventional deadbolt lock, casting a quick look at it. Yet, it's not as simple as it looks and can provide you with some really high tech functions and top-notch protection level. 

What sets the Conexis L1 smart lock apart is that it doesn't have any keyhole and it only requires electronic control. This way, if a burglar decided to break into your place, he wouldn't be able to do so, even with a picklock in hand. The Yale smart lock is suitable for the majority of uPVC and composite doors, whereas the installation is effortless and requires nothing at all but a screwdriver.

Though it definitely isn't the most impressive aspect of this model from Yale, we simply couldn't gloss over the lock's appearance. Its shiny silver housing looks particularly posh. The OLED display with a black background is nothing new, sure, but the blue characters add a sort of a high-tech touch that really brings it all together, making for a sleek and oddly charming device.

But, again, it really isn't about the looks with these things. Luckily enough, the internal parts of the lock are just as impressive as the external ones. First and foremost, a smart door lock has to be convenient and secure and the model in question is nothing if not reliable and practical.

With smart locks, it all starts with the access methods. Here, you get a choice of 5 different available methods. You can open the door via a phone tag. Alternatively, you can use the key tag (keycode) that comes with the lock. A key card that's also part of the package is just as good of an option. Of course, as it is always the case with smart locks, you can program a PIN code and enter the house using that code. Finally, a smartphone application is just as viable of an alternative, as long as it is connected to a compatible Smart home system.

By the way, speaking of PIN codes, you'll be able to make up and program up to 20 different PIN codes (between 4 and 10 digits). The key tag and the key card that come with the model also aren't the only copies that'll work with the lock as it is capable of recognising up to 20 different cards, key tags, and phone tags.

The Samsung SHS-D500 borrows inspiration from the company's phones. As you can tell from the pictures, the lock looks sleek, modern, and even a little futuristic, not unlike Samsung smartphones. The lines are clean and seamless, the edges are rounded, there's nothing about the model's appearance that we can criticise.

We can, however, criticise the instructions that come with the package. Because this is a drop-bolt lock, you'll be installing multiple different screws. The hardware is shipped with the lock, which is great, but the instructions do not include information about which screws go where, so you'll have to find info online or figure things out yourself. Setting this mishap aside, the model ranks among the best smart locks.

First things first, the lock incorporates blue backlighting, making the digits on its screen visible even in low-light conditions. You can adjust its brightness so that the backlighting is not overbearing or insufficient.

Examining access methods, this digital lock lets you choose between key tags, key cards, password, and stickers. Of course, the package includes two tags, two stickers, and two cards, so you can share those with family members.

The ZKTeco AL20B will cost you some. But when you start going through its features, you also start seeing where the immodest price tag is coming from. In short, this model is a powerhouse, teeming with many more features than what you usually get from smart locks.

To get the ball rolling, this device adopts a Bluetooth module, which is nothing new, but everything starts with it. Using this module, the model can work with iOS- and Android-enabled gadgets alike. Have we seen that before? Countless times, yes. But, again, this is not quite the same deal that we've come to expect. To name one, the same deal seldom includes a lock-out mode. As you would expect from the name, this model lets you lock this lock out (pardon the phrasing), preventing entry even via authorised access methods.

These methods, by the way, include not just the above-mentioned smartphone approach but also fingerprint, password, RFID tag, and mechanical key. And, as the model's integrated memory lets you add 100 users, 100 password, and 100 fingerprints, the lock more than supports commercial/business use as much as home use. As always, you can create temporary passcodes (and, with the app, you can do that from anywhere), monitoring and keeping track of the people that come and leave, including time information. Where your average user is concerned, the feature can be used to grant limited access rights to babysitters or housekeepers.