6 Best Smart Locks (2025) for Front Doors, Slider Doors, and More

The champion smart locks tin thief anyone who perpetually misplaces keys aliases who often wonders whether they locked nan beforehand door. I americium successful nan second camp. After years successful apartments, I precocious moved to a ample capable location that checking whether nan doorway is locked tin consciousness for illustration a chore, particularly erstwhile I'm each cozy successful bed.

Installing a smart fastener doesn't mean throwing distant your location keys—you astir apt still want to bring them pinch you. These locks are each astir convenience, offering aggregate ways to enter, for illustration a passcode via a keypad, fingerprint scanning, aliases done an app. You tin easy stock codes pinch friends and family, truthful nary request to fuss pinch crappy cardinal copies, and you tin usually group them to auto-lock erstwhile nan doorway closes. But location are a batch of models retired there, and not each will activity pinch your door.

To thief you find nan champion smart fastener for you, we've been testing smart locks for complete a year, ranging from renter-friendly solutions to options that activity for your sliding doorway and garage. Most folks will beryllium happy pinch our apical pick, nan Yale Approach Lock With Keypad Touch ($230), which only switches retired nan backmost of your deadbolt, allowing you to usage nan aforesaid keys you already have, and includes a abstracted outer keypad truthful you tin still usage codes to get inside. We besides for illustration nan Aqara Smart Lock U50 ($150) if you're looking for thing a small much affordable, and person nan expertise to switch retired nan beforehand and backmost of your lock. Curious astir much options? Read connected for everything we recommend.

For much smart location recommendations, publication our Best Video Doorbells, Best Outdoor Security Cameras, Best Indoor Security Cameras, Best Smart Speakers, and Best Smart Displays guides.

Updated June 2025: The Aqara Smart Lock U50 is now a fund prime successful this guide. The Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch and Yale Assure Touchscreen Lever Lock person besides been added to this guide.

Best Smart Lock Overall

Yale's fastener mightiness look for illustration it's a afloat fastener replacement, but this is simply a retrofit creation that only changes retired nan backmost of your thumb-turn dormant bolt. That intends your existing keys will still work, and everyone extracurricular of your location will person nary thought that it's smart. It's perfect for renters, but besides bully for anyone who doesn't want to move retired their beforehand fastener and switch keys. All of that besides intends installation was accelerated and easy—the hardest portion is keeping your existing fastener from falling to nan crushed while you switch retired nan backing, but it only takes a fewer minutes to complete.

As its sanction suggests, nan Yale Approach Lock (8/10, WIRED Recommends) tin consciousness erstwhile you approach. It uses your phone's location to do this, and wrong nan app, you spot a mini scope to found what counts arsenic you “arriving” home. I person a patio and a mini staircase betwixt my doorway and my car, truthful I made a larger scope that could consciousness maine erstwhile I deed nan staircase. That worked amended than placing nan scope successful nan halfway of my home, since it wouldn't count maine arsenic arriving until I was already astatine nan door.

Yale's genitor company, Assa Abloy, acquired smart-lock marque August backmost successful 2017, and if you've ever utilized an August fastener before, past nan included Wi-Fi span will look familiar. The span connects to nan smart fastener via Bluetooth, truthful it has to beryllium plugged successful adjacent to your door. This is what connects nan fastener to Wi-Fi for distant unlock functionality (plus different features). The full setup is beautiful akin to really August's locks person worked successful nan past, though I for illustration nan creation of nan Yale Approach amended than nan metallic cylinder of nan August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.

You tin take to get a keypad for nan Approach, and location are 2 different styles to take from. The basal Keypad bundle includes Yale's numerical Keypad, but nan biometric Keypad Touch bundle has nan numerical keypad and a fingerprint scanner. I urge upgrading to nan fingerprint reader—it's insanely convenient and fast. Just a azygous touch and your doorway is unlocked. You tin besides acquisition nan lock without a keypad ($127) if you don't person anyplace to spot it, but keypads are a awesome summation to a smart lock, truthful that you tin springiness retired impermanent and impermanent codes, and it besides allows you to get wrong without your keys aliases phone.

Best Budget Smart Lock

I really for illustration nan Aqara Smart Lock U50 (7/10, WIRED Reviews) since it's speedy to instal and affordable, without looking for illustration location was a fund fastener connected my beforehand door. Unlike nan Yale Approach above, this is simply a afloat deadbolt replacement lock, replacing some nan beforehand and backmost pieces of a deadbolt connected your beforehand door. It's easy to install, and is 1 of nan fastest installations I've done. It was moreover accelerated to remove, and past put backmost onto my doorway aft nan adjacent fastener I group up didn't work. It does person immoderate mini screws you'll want a precision screwdriver for.

The U50's sleek sheet blended successful nicely pinch my door, was consistently responsive, and had a high-end consciousness to it that felt much costly than nan value tag. This fastener antecedently wasn't a prime because you needed Aqara's costly hubs to link it to Wi-Fi, and often retails for much than nan fastener itself. But Aqara precocious announced nan E1 Hub ($23), which is overmuch cheaper, making this a existent affordable option.

I urge placing nan hub adjacent nan beforehand door; erstwhile I had Aqara's M3 hub connected a different level and broadside of my location than nan U50 lock, it often disconnected from nan Wi-Fi. I besides usually needed a Bluetooth relationship to do thing serious, moreover erstwhile nan Wi-Fi was working. Still, moreover if Wi-Fi wasn't moving right, nan pre-made codes ever worked and it ever remembered to fastener itself aft 10 minutes. It besides knows whether nan doorway is closed aliases not acknowledgment to a built-in gyroscope—no abstracted doorway accessory required, which astir different locks request to do nan aforesaid feature.

This fastener has a bully scope of introduction options beyond nan keypad, including smart location power (including Apple Home), NFC cards (if you already person one), and moreover a hidden keyhole, pinch 2 keys included pinch nan lock. In nan months I tested this lock, I ne'er had immoderate artillery issues aliases needed to switch nan batteries, but location is simply a USB-C emergency larboard for charging if you request it.

Best Smart Lock With Biometrics

If you thought nan fingerprint scholar connected nan supra Yale Approach sounded handy, past fto maine present you to nan Lockly Visage (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Not only does nan Visage person a fingerprint reader, but it has built-in sensors to admit your look to unlock nan doorway arsenic you locomotion up. That's right, this fastener tin spot you coming.

When installing this lock, I urge moving accelerated erstwhile you get to nan artillery stage. Don't put successful nan rechargeable artillery until you've downloaded nan app, located nan activation paper wrong nan container (keep this safe successful lawsuit you ever reset nan lock), and are prepared to decorativeness nan in-app setup steps, specifically nan Visage ID—Lockly's face-recognition tech. The artillery activates a Bluetooth awesome that was only unrecorded for a fewer minutes successful my testing, and you'll request to input nan codification and decorativeness nan steps successful that magnitude of time. Restarting it complete and complete is frustrating, but possible. Lockly says it has pushed an update to hole this short-lived Bluetooth window, but I'd still scheme to beryllium fresh to rotation erstwhile you put successful nan battery.

Once group up, I had zero relationship issues and was happy pinch really quickly this fastener could admit my look arsenic I walked up (even pinch sunglasses on!) aliases really quickly it could publication my fingerprint. The Visage uses infrared (IR) sensors and a camera to spot erstwhile a personification is approaching and who they are. The sensors successful nan fastener person some live-body discovery and look recognition, truthful it isn't spoofed by pictures. The infrared sensors person astir a 2.6-foot range, and I did find that to consciousness meticulous successful my tests. The institution promises nary stills are captured, and nan unrecorded face-tracking information is encrypted and is saved on-device. It's bully to person some nan look and fingerprint options, truthful members of your family tin take immoderate they prefer. There's besides a keypad and a regular mechanical key, pinch 2 keys included.

The Visage Zeno uses nan Lockly Home app (iOS, Android), Lockly's newest app. It useful specifically pinch nan Zeno line. There's different Lockly app that will activity pinch this lock, but it doesn't look arsenic nice. Within nan app, you tin easy make codes for guests, customize notifications, and group up preferences, for illustration having your doorway automatically fastener aft a definite magnitude of time.

A doorway sensor besides sticks to your doorway beneath nan lock, and a 2nd portion sits connected nan doorway jamb to consciousness whether aliases not nan doorway is closed. You tin customize notifications astir that arsenic well, and it's a bully add-on, though nan full strategy isn't nan astir charismatic connected nan doorway itself—it's a small cluttered.

Best for Sliding Doors

The time I moved into my home, I realized nan erstwhile proprietor had not near maine immoderate keys for nan sliding solid doorway that opens into my backyard. I reached out, and she … did not person them anymore. Great! I wanted to smarten up my location anyway, truthful I searched agelong and difficult for smart locks built for sliding doors—very fewer options exist. But I came crossed The Connected Shop, which was precisely what I was looking for (but ace expensive). The institution sent maine nan Next Gen Smart Lock to try, which I’ve utilized for complete a twelvemonth and has functioned almost flawlessly successful that time. Seriously, I've only recharged nan USB-C artillery erstwhile successful that time.

Fair warning, nan instructions are complicated. You may beryllium capable to do it yourself, but I could not. The Connected Shop's technician had to trim a portion of nan onslaught sheet connected my existing hardware to get it to latch. He besides had to drill caller holes into my sliding doorway frame, and successful nan process, he accidentally shattered nan solid successful nan door. Welp! A typical says if it happened to a customer, nan institution would return attraction of it and switch nan solid arsenic it did mine. I highly urge contacting nan institution and sending a image of your fastener if you person concerns astir doorway compatibility.

Once installed, you whitethorn find yourself, arsenic I did, riffling done nan manual to initially group up users, codes, fingerprints, and nan app connectivity. (The manual is needlessly complicated.) That process involves inputting a code, past pressing nan correct numbers to get to nan settings you need. There’s nary existent request to link it to nan third-party Tuya Smart app (Android, iOS), because, annoyingly, you can’t group up codes, fingerprints, aliases users successful nan app. It’s mostly for deleting members, creating impermanent passwords, and seeing unlock aliases doorbell notifications. It’s besides wherever you tin position artillery life. (The institution says you tin remotely unlock complete Wi-Fi successful nan app, but this only useful erstwhile personification rings nan doorbell, which is simply a small bizarre.)

There’s a fastener and unlock fastener connected nan wrong of nan door, on pinch a manual knob, and a removable artillery pinch a USB-C larboard for charging (again, I astir person 9 months connected a azygous charge), though this will dangle connected really often you usage your sliding solid door. It's really I get to my backyard, truthful I do not usage it arsenic often arsenic my beforehand door. There is nary handle, truthful I descent my doorway by pushing nan broadside of nan lock, which juts retired from nan doorway frame.

On nan different end, you pat anyplace successful nan mediate to person nan number pad ray up. There’s a doorbell function, though it’s difficult to perceive if you’re not successful nan lock's vicinity. Just type successful nan codification and property nan unlock button, and that’s it. I predominantly usage nan fingerprint unlock, which useful reliably erstwhile you get utilized to placing your digit connected nan sensor successful a peculiar way. The Connected Shop besides throws successful 2 NFC tags—I time off 1 connected my keychain—as a backup unlocking method, and location are 2 beingness keys conscionable successful lawsuit (I person ne'er utilized them).

The only point that has not worked is nan company’s alleged Face Unlock. I’ve tried to group it up aggregate times, and it ever fails erstwhile it tries to scan my face. Honestly, I don’t attraction for this feature. If you don’t either, there’s a somewhat cheaper Sliding Door Smart Lock Knob that is akin but lacks nan camera, though it takes 4 AAA batteries instead.

My only main interest is pinch nan institution itself. It’s reasonably caller (founded successful 2021), truthful it’s not good established, and I can’t vouch for its customer service. (The group I interacted pinch were nice, but I’m besides reviewing nan company, truthful of people they were nice.) Its merchandise pages could guidelines to usage much accusation for illustration encryption standards and h2o guidance ratings, and I didn’t find nan company’s manuals very helpful. I'm not judge why nan institution doesn't person its ain app yet, and it claims support for Alexa and Google Home, but erstwhile I tried connecting nan Tuya app to nan latter, it didn't bring complete nan lock.

That said, nan Next Gen Smart Lock’s build value is exceptional and acold nicer than I was expecting, and it's operating amended than I expected. —Julian Chokkattu

Best for Indoor and Side Doors

Not each doorway you want locked has a dormant bolt. If you've sewage a broadside doorway aliases interior doorway you wish you could easy fastener pinch a code, past a smart lever fastener is what you need. These will switch a regular doorknob pinch 1 that not only has a key, but besides immoderate smarts and a keypad.

I've tried a mates of these, and truthful far, I for illustration nan Aqara U300. The fastener feels good built and isn't difficult to install, akin to nan Aqara U50 (see below). The included measuring devices thief you group nan doorway jamb to nan correct length, and you tin travel on pinch a video connected YouTube aliases wrong nan Aqara app. It came pinch 4 AA batteries, positive 2 beingness keys, and you'll usage nan app to group up some a codification for nan keypad and load fingerprints for nan fingerprint scholar connected nan doorway handle. For nan fingerprint reader, make judge your digit fills nan full information scanner, aliases other it'll scold you (I person mini hands and ended up only loading my thumbs to make filling nan scholar easier.) You tin besides unfastened this grip pinch an NFC paper and an Apple Home Key.

This fastener is Matter compatible, meaning it will play nicely pinch each nan smart location ecosystems, whether you're utilizing Alexa, HomeKit, aliases Google Home. The drawback is you request immoderate benignant of a Thread separator router successful your location for nan Matter network—this tin beryllium an existing instrumentality for illustration a Google Home Hub (2nd Gen) aliases an Apple HomePod Mini. I utilized nan Aqara M3 Hub, but nan U300 really wanted to hindrance pinch my HomeKit setup via Matter alternatively than its ain hub. Aqara confirmed this shouldn't happen, and if you don't person HomeKit group up for illustration I do, you astir apt won't person nan aforesaid issue. You tin group up nan fastener via Bluetooth too, pinch introduction options connected your phone, and unlock aliases fastener nan door.

We usage this smart fastener for my sister's interior doorway to her room, which she rents connected our first floor. Within nan Aqara app, she instantly adjusted nan settings to put nan fastener connected Do Not Disturb Mode to support nan built-in sound prompter from talking. (She said it was excessively loud, and I agree, particularly erstwhile it's successful your chamber alternatively of an entryway.) She besides group it to ne'er auto-lock truthful that she tin travel and spell without needing to unlock it each time. It was easy to induce her to power my Aqara devices wrong nan app erstwhile she made her account.

Best for Garage Doors

You're astir apt thinking, the doorway to get into nan garage. You're wrong. I mean nan existent garage. My car shed is controlled by a MyQ Smart Garage Opener (8/10, WIRED Recommends), and it's been a immense life betterment for nan anxiously minded mates for illustration myself and my husband. Worried whether nan car shed doorway is unfastened aft nan scramble to play The Wiggles for our boy while navigating nan neighborhood? No problem, cheque nan MyQ app. I've moreover group up nan MyQ app to alert maine if my car shed stays unfastened for much than 10 minutes. It's a bid of mind, particularly if your car shed is simply a much often utilized entree constituent to your location than nan beforehand door.

I wish I could show you astir nan installation, but my location came pinch nan MyQ Garage Door Opener (starting astatine $200, depending connected nan model) professionally installed (along pinch some different smart tech, pinch mixed results). It's nan champion characteristic my location came with. My opener was professionally installed, and you tin either DIY nan installation aliases interaction a section technician to get one. But you tin besides DIY nan overmuch cheaper MyQ Smart Garage Controller to adhd onto immoderate garage, turning an existing opener into a smart one.

If you wish you had a keypad for your garage, you tin adhd that pinch nan MyQ Video Keypad. It acts arsenic some a keypad to unfastened your car shed (a awesome action if you thin to hide your phone) and a video doorbell provender that goes consecutive to your phone. The only issues I had pinch it were that it was heavy—command strips won't work, you'll request to drill it into your home's exterior. The video provender besides wasn't ever reliable, acknowledgment to nan lackluster Wi-Fi successful my driveway. Test it pinch a laptop beforehand if that's a characteristic you want (or possibly adhd a Wi-Fi extender to your garage).

MyQ compatibility pinch different ecosystems focuses much connected vehicles and information devices than it does connected classical smart location assistants, which makes consciousness since you're usually controlling it from extracurricular of nan home. It useful pinch Amazon Key and Walmart+ InHome to get deliveries successful your garage, pinch Ring, positive respective cars, and IFTTT.

Other Smart Locks to Consider

Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint for $160: I person now tested 3 different Ultraloq smart locks complete a twelvemonth and a half, and while I deliberation nan institution offers fantabulous hardware for nan money, location are conscionable a fewer excessively galore package quirks that put these locks a rung beneath our apical picks. I first began pinch nan Bolt Fingerprint, which has been nan astir reliable of each nan Ultraloq smart locks truthful far. If you person a modular doorway pinch a borehole for nan dormant bolt, it'll beryllium speedy to instal (Ultraloq has a Thick Door Kit). I initially had respective issues getting nan fastener to link to my Wi-Fi, but aft aggregate attempts and a fewer prime words, it connected. I’ve had nary connectivity problems since. The app isn’t nan prettiest, but it’s functional. You tin adhd aggregate personification profiles, remotely unlock, get notifications erstwhile nan doors are unlocked, stock codes, and registry fingerprints. There’s moreover an auto-unlock usability for erstwhile you locomotion up to nan door, but I recovered it a small inconsistent and near it turned off. The fingerprint sensor is nan item aft all. You person to get utilized to placing your digit connected nan sensor a circumstantial way, and aft doing this a fewer times, I’ve now sewage it down truthful that I almost ever unlock connected nan first try. It comes pinch a doorway sensor, truthful erstwhile nan doorway closes, it will automatically fastener (you tin disable this if you want). The adjacent fastener I tested was nan Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint pinch Wi-Fi and HomeKit. This 1 did a amended occupation connecting to my home's Wi-Fi web done nan U-Home app and was moreover speedy to adhd to my Google Home. Unfortunately, aft respective months of flawless performance, 1 time it decided to commencement rejecting my fingerprint. The problem? When I put my fingerprint connected nan scanner, it denied it and past blocked each different methods of unlocking isolated from nan app (or nan beingness cardinal that's included). This was truthful annoying that I conscionable stuck to utilizing a numerical codification pinch nan keypad. Finally, I precocious switched to nan Bolt Fingerprint With Matter, and let's conscionable opportunity I'm still diagnosing issues pinch nan company. The fastener decides to extremity moving aft a fewer hours, forcing maine to region 1 of nan batteries and put it backmost successful to “reactivate” it. I mightiness conscionable person a defective unit, truthful we'll see. —Julian Chokkattu

Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch for $280: I've been testing this fastener for a fewer weeks successful tandem pinch ADT's information strategy and Google Home. Unlike nan different locks successful this guide, I didn't instal it—an ADT tech did, and installation tin beryllium included successful an ADT information package for illustration nan 1 I've been testing. For nan fastener itself, it's worked well. It's a afloat deadbolt replacement, and came pinch a azygous key, and has some a keypad and fingerprint scholar for introduction options. The fingerprint scholar is speedy and efficient, and my hubby says nan keypad has been easy to usage (you activate nan keypad by rubbing nan Yale button, but if your digit is registered to nan app, that's besides nan fingerprint scholar button). Instead of utilizing nan Yale app, I chiefly power this app pinch nan ADT+ app, but location are versions of this fastener that don't usage aliases require ADT's service. I do wish I could group it to fastener aft each 10 minutes, alternatively than three, but that's nan longest action nan ADT+ app gives maine to group it. I tin besides partially power it successful nan Google Home app, but only to fastener and unlock it, not to dive into elaborate settings for illustration passcodes and auto-lock times.

Yale Assure Touchscreen Lever Lock for $230: I’ve been testing this no-deadbolt lever doorway grip pinch its sleek-looking keypad for a period connected nan doorway to my location from wrong my garage. Unlike Yale's Approach (8/10, WIRED Recommends), it won’t consciousness you coming, but it awakens pinch moreover a ray touch to nan keypad. It’s easy to fastener and unlock and position nan activity log connected nan Yale Access app, aliases you tin usage a pin codification to unlock. You tin besides create different codes for different group to cognize precisely who’s been coming and going and when. It useful pinch Google Home, Apple Home, and Alexa, and has besides sewage 2 beingness keys for backup successful lawsuit of artillery failure. Setup wasn’t precisely a breeze, requiring nan Bilt app to instal and past nan Yale app to configure, and online reviews are rather voluminous successful their complaints of some artillery life and nan grip becoming loose complete time. Neither of these issues arose during our first trial period; however, we will update this reappraisal pinch further observations arsenic clip goes on. —Kat Merck

Avoid These Smart Locks

We haven't loved each smart fastener we've tried. These are nan ones to skip.

Defiant Smart Deadbolt Powered by Hubspace for $100: The shoddy build value is simply a immense turn-off connected this smart fastener from Defiant. The buttons are mushy, it’s very loud, and what is nan constituent of Wi-Fi connectivity if it ne'er connects to Wi-Fi? I yet sewage it paired pinch nan Hubspace app, but nan fastener ne'er stayed connected to my Wi-Fi, truthful I had nary of nan benefits. —Julian Chokkattu

Eufy FamiLock S3 Max for $400: This fastener is cool because it includes a camera, letting nan instrumentality double arsenic a integer peephole (convenient for smaller family members!) and has a ace absorbing biometric action that uses nan veins successful your thenar for authentication. Unfortunately, erstwhile installed, nan fastener didn't activity connected my door, moreover though it was nan correct size and placement.

Schlage Encode Lever for $239: This fastener was easy capable to instal but wouldn't sync pinch my telephone aliases pinch my Wi-Fi. It did clasp nan codes I was capable to quickly type successful during my incomplete setup, but aft that point, nan app didn't admit I had group up nan lock, nor would it re-sync moreover aft restarting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should You Check Before Buying?

Here are a fewer things to cheque earlier you acquisition a smart lock.

How heavy is your door? Yes, you request to measurement nan thickness of your beforehand door. If it's adjacent to aliases much than 2 inches, you mightiness request immoderate benignant of description kit, for illustration nan Ultraloq Thick Door Kit for nan company's smart locks, designed for doors betwixt 1.75 and 2.5 inches. My doorway is connected nan thicker side, and while I could instal astir locks for illustration nan Lockly Visage and Aqara U50 nary problem, a fastener from Kwikset needed an description kit. Once you cognize your doorway size, you tin cheque it against your fastener of prime to spot if it'll fresh and if you request immoderate description tools. You don't want to get started only to find retired you request to bid thing extra.

Will you request a span aliases a hub? Some locks, for illustration those from Yale, person a abstracted Wi-Fi span that needs to beryllium plugged successful nearby. Companies for illustration Aqara and Abode person hubs you'll request to group up to get much features. But immoderate models don't require a hub aliases span astatine all. Double-check if there's thing other you request and if it has to beryllium plugged successful adjacent to your door. Do you person an outlet readily available?

Can you move retired your full lock? If you're a homeowner, past you tin (probably) bargain immoderate of these locks without having to worry. But renters aliases folks pinch a strict group of homeowners relation rules mightiness find that they can't alteration their fastener arsenic freely. Depending connected your freedom, location are some afloat fastener replacements, which will switch your full beforehand doorway lock, and retrofit locks, which only switch nan backing. Retrofit is simply a awesome action if you don't want caller keys aliases don’t want to extremity disconnected your landlord that you changed retired nan backing.

What Tools Do You Need to Install a Smart Lock?

Your circumstantial fastener of prime mightiness person much requirements, but for each fastener I installed, I recovered myself using:

• A measuring tape
• A Phillips-head screwdriver
• A precision screwdriver kit
• A gallon ziplock container (to spot my aged fastener pieces into)

Most fastener brands do not urge utilizing a powerfulness drill owed to consequence of damaging nan lock. The precision instrumentality kit mightiness sound silly if you've already sewage a screwdriver, but galore of these locks usage mini screws that are overmuch easier to power pinch a precision instrumentality kit.

Double-check if batteries are included truthful that you're fresh to popular them successful aft nan installation.

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