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Best smart locks 2025: Reviews and buying advice

Smart entry locks are the biggest improvement to home security since the lock-and-key system was invented more than a thousand years ago. In many cases, smart locks dispense with physical keys altogether in favor of PINs, fingerprints, NFC tags, smartphone apps–even your smartphone or smart watch. And with some of the latest models, you can even unlock your door with just your face! Smart locks deliver lots of other benefits, too.

They invariably have logging systems, so you can keep track of who’s coming and going–and when. That’s incredibly useful whether you have a teenager who tends to break curfew or merely want to give temporary access to houseguests, service providers, or Airbnb guests. Smart locks are an incredible upgrade over the old way of doing things, and these are our top picks in several categories.

TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart locks since the very first models came to market, and we continuously evaluate the latest models along with their accompanying apps. We’ve tested keyless smart locks, retrofit locks, locks with keypads, Bluetooth-only locks, locks that support geofencing, and more. You can trust us to guide you to the right smart lock for your needs.

Level Lock+ Connect — Best smart lock overall Pros Understated industrial design that doesn’t scream “it’s a smart lock!”.

Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit (including Apple’s “home key” NFC tech.

Thread radio onboard for eventual Matter certification Cons No biometric security.

Pricey Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $349 View Deal Product Price Why we like the Level Lock+ Connect Now bundled with the Level Connect Bluetooth-to-Wi-Fi bridge, the Level Lock+ Connect is fully compatible with all three of the major smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit (including Apple’s “home key” NFC tech), and Google Home. The inclusion of the bridge also erases the biggest cons we had for this minimalist lock that looks as good as it operates. It remains our highest-rated smart lock–there is nothing enhanced on the market today. Now a division of Assa Abbloy, Level is now in the process of activating the the Thread radios on Level Locks to add Matter compatibility. Who should buy the Level Lock+ Connect Activating the Thread radio in the Level Lock+ Connect renders it compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Matter devices, ironing the kinks Alexa and Google Home individuals might have experienced. The lock had already earned Matter certification, even with the dormant Thread radio. Read our full Level Lock+ (Level Connect bridge included) review Kwikset Halo Select — Best mainstream smart lock Pros Solid operation plus high-grade security certification from BHMA.

Wi-Fi built in, along with Matter over Thread.

Excellent geofencing system Cons Buggy initial setup had to be fixed with a factory reset.

Matter connections remove some of the best aspects of the lock.

Expensive Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $279 View Deal Product Price Why we like the Kwikset Halo Select You can integrate this attractive smart lock into your smart home system using either Wi-Fi or Matter over Thread, which will deliver much more effective battery life. While enabling the latter disables some of Kwikset’s own special elements, the the system you’re integrating it into can presumably provide equivalent functionality. We also appreciate that Kwikset made the effort to obtain BHMA certification for this lock, not all manufacturers do. Who should buy the Kwikset Halo Select The Kwikset Halo Select strikes a good balance between the minimalism of our top pick in smart locks, the Level Lock+ Connect, and the ultra-sophisticated–and uber-expensive–Lockly Visage Pro. While it lacks a fingerprint reader and doesn’t support Apple Home Keys, it delivers lots of other elements and it supports all the other smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. Read our full Kwikset Halo Select Touchscreen Wi-Fi and Matter Enabled Smart Lock review Wyze Lock Bolt — Best budget-priced smart lock Pros An amazing smart-home value.

Inclusion of a fingerprint reader is impressive at this price.

Worked perfectly throughout our evaluation.

You can establish temporary PIN codes from afar, even without Wi-Fi Cons Bluetooth only, no Wi-Fi connectivity.

Can’t be incorporated into a broader smart home system.

Can’t detect if the door is open or closed.

No physical key Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $[website] View Deal Product Price Why we like the Wyze Lock Bolt At $70, Wyze Labs’ Lock Bolt Bluetooth smart lock is dirt cheap compared to what the rest of the smart lock industry has to offer. Even enhanced, it even includes a few attributes even advanced smart locks tend to miss. Installation is easy, you can create temporary PIN codes from anywhere, a fingerprint reader is included (a rarity at this price), and best of all, the lock worked flawlessly during our testing process. Who should buy the Wyze Lock Bolt If you can do without Wi-Fi connectivity, the Wyze Lock Bolt is a phenomenal value for a full-fledged smart lock (this isn’t just a retrofit device), especially given that it includes a fingerprint reader. Just be aware that as a Bluetooth-only device, the Wyze Lock Bolt lacks support for geofencing, voice commands, or integrations with broader smart home ecosystems. Still, this lock is a great value for the money. Read our full Wyze Lock Bolt review Level Bolt Connect — Best retrofit smart lock Pros The champion of unobtrusive retrofit smart locks.

Near flawless operation in daily use Cons Geofencing didn’t work.

iPhone individuals will need a HomeKit hub for away-from-home control.

Android phone individuals will need an Amazon Sidewalk bridge in order to control the lock while away from home Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $[website] View Deal Product Price Why we like the Level Bolt Connect Level Home’s Level Bolt Connect is our favorite retrofit smart lock, thanks in large measure to its ability to disappear. The smart components of the Bolt hide inside your door, where they replace the interior mechanical elements of your existing deadbolt. You re-attach your existing interior and exterior components, so that your door’s overall aesthetic doesn’t change in the least. Who should buy the Level Bolt Connect Now that it comes bundled with the Level Connect Bluetooth-to-Wi-Fi bridge, the Level Bolt Connect is compatible with all three of the major smart home ecosystems–Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home–making it a great choice for those looking to retrofit their locks regardless of their smart home platform. Level is also in the process of activating the Level Bolt’s Thread radio, adding Matter support to its long list of aspects. Read our full Level Bolt (now marketed as Level Bolt+ Connect, which includes the Level Connect bridge) review Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt — Most sophisticated smart lock Pros Facial recognition tech is a game-changer.

Supports most every other access method, too.

Long-life battery, with a spare in the box Cons Unattractive industrial design.

App still feels like it’s in beta Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $[website] View Deal Product Price Why we like the Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt This smart lock’s facial recognition technology works delightfully well, and it can be opened via a host of other ways, too: Fingerprint, PIN code, smartphone app, NFC tag, and for those in the Apple Home camp, either an iPhone or an Apple Watch. Our enthusiasm is mildly tempered by this lock gargantuan proportions and less-than-elegant industrial design, but there’s just no competition in terms of its sophistication. Who should buy the Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt Yes, it’s a very expensive smart lock; and no, it doesn’t support Matter, but if you want the ultimate flexibility when it comes to opening your door, there’s nothing quite like Lockly’s high-end offering.

What to look for when shopping for a smart lock.

As you’ve doubtless realized by now, not all smart locks are made alike. Some smart locks are designed to completely replace an old “dumb” lock, while others are meant to retrofit an existing lock. Some smart locks will let you create PINs for guests, while others can unlock automatically once you cross a virtual geofence. Here’s a guide to some of the key design options and functions in the smart lock category.

If you have an existing hub like a Samsung SmartThings, Homey Pro, or an Apple TV, you’ll want to ensure your chosen smart lock is compatible from the start. Many smart locks support Bluetooth, so they work with your phone, but lack the technology needed to connect with your home network.

Some Bluetooth locks, like the Yale Assure system and the August Smart Lock, offer a radio module as an add-on to connect to your home network. If you’re using a smart home hub like the Samsung SmartThings or a Homey Pro, look for a lock that supports Z-Wave or Zigbee, instead.

Then there’s Matter, the new smart home standard that promises to unite the major smart home ecosystems. The good news is that smart locks are included in the Matter specification; the bad news is that for now, only a few Matter-enabled smart locks are available. We look forward to checking out more Matter smart locks in the weeks and months ahead.

From apps and keypads to fingerprint readers and good, old-fashioned keys, there are myriad ways to unlock a smart lock. Make sure to pick a model that supports the entry method (or methods) you prefer.

What do you do if the batteries inside the lock die—and you’re stuck outside? Some locks allow for emergency power to be applied should this happen. Yale’s Real Living locks feature external posts to which you can connect a 9-volt battery, giving you enough juice to get the door open. Other models retain the traditional key cylinder for backup, while still others have a USB-C port for quick-charging an onboard battery.

Bad about manually locking the door when you leave? A geofencing system automatically locks the door when it detects your phone has left the vicinity, and can be set to automatically open up when it finds you’ve come home.

Most smart locks let you set up temporary keys for houseguests, which you can delete when they’ve returned home. Smarter systems even let you set time restrictions around when each access code can be used.

Frequently asked questions about smart locks.

1. What benefits do smart smart locks deliver? You can thank the hospitality industry for finally pushing locks into the digital age. Hotels learned long ago that keys are easily lost, expensive to replace, and simple to bypass, as thieves can pick locks or simply make copies of a key to allow for unfettered future access. On the flipside, hotel guests have readily accepted key cards (and in some cases, smartphone-based solutions) as the primary means of getting into their room. The electronic solution is just so much simpler. Lost hotel key card? Replacing it is no big deal. But the biggest benefit of electronic entry systems is that they are highly configurable. Digital locks can be changed at a moment’s notice (which is why that old hotel key card in your wallet isn’t good for anything), and the property owner can generate a record of when each door was opened. In a more advanced setting, different keys can be generated for the same lock, so a homeowner can tell when each member of the family came in, or when the housekeeper arrived. 2. How do you pick a smart lock? (No pun intended) This is a young and wildly immature space, and many products on the market are still extremely rough around the edges. Even top products can balk when dealing with old or stiff deadbolts, doors that don’t shut well, or environments where non-standard fixtures are in use. The bottom line is that it’s tough to declare that any product is universally perfect for every home. That showcased, here are some key considerations to take into account to help you narrow down your shopping list. 3. Are some smart locks smarter than others? Some “smart locks” don’t work with a smartphone app or any smart home networking hubs at all; they’re really just electronic locks that use a code instead of a key to open up. One step up from that, you’ll find Bluetooth-only locks. These work with a smartphone app, but can’t be monitored remotely or via a smart home system. That’s fine if you’re looking to get rid of the keys in your pocket, but less impressive if you want to make your entrance portals a true part of your home network. Finally, there are full-on smart locks that connect to your smart home system via Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Wi-Fi. 4. Do I need to completely replace my old lock to install a smart lock? You’re forgiven if you don’t want to replace your antique doorknob on your vintage Victorian with a metallic device that looks like it would be more at home keeping people out of a strip mall bank branch. A sizeable number of smart lock products don’t require you to replace all your existing hardware. Instead, they are installed on the inside of the door only, replacing only the interior part of the deadbolt. You can continue to use a standard key from the outside or open the lock via a smartphone app.

Other notable smart locks we’ve reviewed.

We’ve evaluated many other smart locks. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. We’ve also listed some smart locks that you should avoid.

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Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt review

TechHive Editors Choice At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Facial recognition tech is a game-changer.

Supports most every other access method, too.

Long-life battery, with a spare in the box Cons Unattractive industrial design.

App still feels like it’s in beta Our Verdict This smart lock’s facial recognition technology works delightfully well, and it can be opened via a host of other ways, too. But packing all that into one device leaves a bit to be desired in terms of industrial design, and Lockly needs to put some TLC into its mobile app. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today.

Best Prices Today: Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt.

Retailer Price $[website] View Deal Product Price.

The smart lock market has abruptly started heating up: First we had locks that could open based on palm vein recognition, now we’re getting facial recognition technology built right into the device, with the Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Zeno Series.

This is a beast of a smart lock, in both size and scope of operations. Weighing in at nearly five pounds, it connects directly to your [website] Wi-Fi network and can be opened with a PIN, an NFC card or Apple Home Key ([website], using an iPhone or Apple Watch), Lockly’s smartphone app, or a physical key. The kicker, of course, is what we all came to see: facial recognition, courtesy of a camera and sensors built into the lock’s exterior escutcheon.

Facial recognition–including the initial enrollment process–is nearly instantaneous, and it’s easily this lock’s most essential feature.

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of this new smart lock, let’s discuss its most innovative feature: facial recognition. Faces are registered through the app and the lock’s onboard camera (not your phone’s): The administrator must be within Bluetooth range of the lock, and the user must stand in front of the door for a quick scan. The camera on the exterior escutcheon is angled up just a bit, which prevents individuals from having to bend over when they approach the door, although you’ll need to move further away from the lock the taller you are.

The registration process is nearly instantaneous—there’s none of the looking around in all directions that a typical face-scan process requires—and you can either configure the lock to automatically recognize when someone approaches to engage the facial scanner or require them to wake up the screen with a tap. Again, it works so well that I had a higher level of success when using the facial recognition system than any other means of access—including typing in PINs—and I was unable to defeat it with a photograph of my face. (Lockly, however, says customers with twins should use PINs or fingerprints.) Up to 100 facial scans can be stored on the device.

Let’s now take a look at the hardware. Lockly has never been known for designing elegant, attractive hardware, although the luxurious Styla Designer Handlebar Deadbolt the organization showed off at CES in January might change that perception. The Visage Zeno Series certainly won’t. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest it is the least attractive smart lock Lockly has ever made. It consists of a 6 x [website] exterior escutcheon with a jumble of components that feel haphazardly stacked atop each other: Camera at the top, a keypad below that, and then a large circular area that contains both a physical keyhole and the fingerprint reader. It’s particularly garish in the satin nickel color scheme I received, which creates a two-tone design that looks even more random. The matte black option is considerably cleaner.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks.

Inside the house, the interior escutcheon, though a large 7 x 3 inches in size, is a bit more straightforward in appearance thanks to a black plastic cover that slides over the electronics and battery pack, covering most of the chassis. At the bottom is an exposed manual thumb-turn in either the nickel or black color scheme; again, the latter provides a much more cohesive look.

Lockly says the device meets ANSI level 2 certification requirements, although it is not formally certified by ANSI or BHMA. (Our deadbolt certification decoder article thoroughly explains both of those standards, and why you should care about them.).

: Deadbolt Key cylinder present? : Yes, 5-pin cylinder (2 keys provided).

: Yes, 5-pin cylinder (2 keys provided) Connectivity : [website] Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.

: [website] Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Power source : 10000mAh battery, rechargeable via USB-C (2 batteries provided).

: 10000mAh battery, rechargeable via USB-C (2 batteries provided) Battery life : Up to 8 months,.

: Up to 8 months, -up power : USB-C port on front escutcheon.

: USB-C port on front escutcheon PIN code support : 1 admin and up to 48 user codes via Lockly Home app; up to 16 user codes via Apple Home.

: 1 admin and up to 48 user codes via Lockly Home app; up to 16 user codes via Apple Home No. of unique fingerprints recognized : Up to 99.

: Up to 99 No. of unique faces recognized : Up to 100.

: Up to 100 Works with : Lockly Home app, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home.

: Lockly Home app, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home Warranty: 5 years on mechanical and finish, 2 years on electronics, lifetime tech support.

Installation can take some time due to the large number of components in the box, many of which are packaged separately in tiny bags and boxes, and some of which you won’t even need. The printed installation guide is fortunately thorough and thoughtful, and even a novice should be able to complete the job in short order by following the instructions carefully. The only challenging part is the inclusion of a wired door sensor, which sticks out from the side of the interior escutcheon on a small wire. It’s unfortunately not removable if you don’t want to use it.

Lockly says the lock can be installed in less than 25 minutes by a novice. I had it up and running in about 15, at which point I was able to calibrate the lock by simply pushing a button on the interior escutcheon. In part, this allows the lock to figure out whether it is installed on a left- or right-hand door, no switches required.

The unit is powered by a 10000mAh removeable battery, which in turn recharges via a USB-C connection. (An emergency USB-C power port is also available on the exterior escutcheon.) Lockly takes the unusual but welcome step of including two battery packs in the box, so you don’t have to worry about hours of downtime when you need to recharge the pack. Under regular use, the firm says a battery should last for about 8 months.

A wholly separate second manual is included that covers the electronic portion of the lock setup, and it’s arguably more essential to study carefully because there are so many ways to use the lock. I’ll go through them all in turn.

We’ve already discussed using the Visage Zeno Series’ facial-recognition capabilities, so let’s discuss the other ways to use the lock, starting with its keypad. Lockly’s locks all use the enterprise’s homegrown PIN Genie keypad, which eschews a standard 10-key design and randomly drops the digits 0 through 9 into groups of three among four buttons, shuffling the digits each time the display pops up. The idea is that no one can guess your code by watching over your shoulder because they don’t know when you tap a button that reads, say, “728,” which of those digits is part of your PIN. Fingerprint smudge analysis is also useless because the numbers for the real PIN appear in different groups with every access.

PIN Genie offers superior security, but it does slow you down and—in my testing—makes it easier to make mistakes. Fortunately (or not), the lock does not appear to have any lock-out mechanism, so you won’t be penalized for having to do it again. In Lockly’s app, the lock supports one admin PIN and 48 user PINs. Apple Home people get an additional 16 user codes.

The fingerprint reader below the keyhole works well, despite its being located in an awkward location. The Lockly Visage supports up to 99 stored fingerprints, but you can choose to use two of those slots for a single fingerprint if you want to provide double the number of sample scans of a print, which in theory should lead to fewer false negative scans.

I found the fingerprint scanner to be hit and miss and found it highly dependent upon getting a good angle and alignment on the scanner. That’s particularly hard to do because of the awkward, vertical placement at the bottom of the escutcheon. Expect more trial and error if you rely on the fingerprint reader a lot.

With this release, Lockly has an all-new app called Lockly Home, and it’s a modest refresh of the old one. You’ll still need to jump through some hoops during setup, including scanning a QR code on the lock and typing in an activation code found on a sticker attached to the box. Things get a little easier from there, although the app does not do a good job of hand-holding you through its many aspects. At one point I found the lock’s “remote control” feature was disabled. (That’s Lockly’s name for Wi-Fi.) How to fix it? You’ll need to dig around in the settings until you find the right option you need to turn it back on.

Lockly’s ingenious PIN Genie displays four sets of three numbers on its keypad. These are randomized, so that no observer can discern your PIN (5219, for instance) when you enter it. Lockly.

Other aspects of the app seem even more undercooked. When I tapped “back” during the setup process, the initial configuration crashed and left me with a minimally configured lock. At that point I had to comb through the settings menus one at a time to find everything I needed to get the lock working properly. It’s the little things that can be grating: Searching for “Central” in the time zone menu brings up only the Central African Republic, not [website] Central Time. And there are no fewer than three logging systems in the app, each showing a slightly different cut of the ways that your home has been accessed.

Fortunately, the basics of the app are more straightforward. User management is robust and allows for full-time access, time-restricted access, or single-use codes, and the lock allows for the creation of offline access codes, too (for use when you’re not connected to the internet). On-demand lock/unlock actions are quick and easy to initiate. Alexa and Google Home devices can also be used to unlock or lock the door. I rarely had an issue with the lock failing to respond to commands.

As mentioned above, the lock does support Apple’s HomeKit and Home Key (which is what the “Zeno Series” in the product name refers to). This is easy to configure once the initial setup is complete. You’ll scan a separate QR code on the interior escutcheon, and then walk through setup in the iOS Home app. Once configured, you can unlock the door by tapping the keypad with your phone or Apple Watch, although I found this required a little patience and trial and error in figuring out exactly where to place your device to register the tap.

Should you buy the Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt?

At $349, the Lockly Visage isn’t cheap. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive locks on the market. But that makes sense given the bevy of aspects it has in store. In fact I can cautiously say it’s good value given everything it can do. Support for all the most common smart home ecosystems–including Apple Home–leaves Matter and Thread as the the only smart home protocols Lockly hasn’t embraced here.

But in the end, it’s the lock’s facial-recognition elements that make it worth tolerating its inelegant industrial design.

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Leica could launch a controversial M-series camera this year with a new kind of viewfinder – it sounds like function over soul

Leica's next M-series camera could look a lot like the Q3 premium compact, which has a 61MP full-frame sensor, fixed 28mm lens and EVF, only you will be able to swap lenses.

Leica's next M-series camera could be the first of its kind with an EVF.

It could be the smallest, lightest and most versatile Leica M-series camera yet.

Rumors suggest it'll launch later this year.

Now here's a Leica rumor with plenty of potential avenues to navigate – Leica is apparently working on a new M-series camera that will ditch the rangefinder experience that the series is famed for, in favor of an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

The details lately shared by Leica Rumors are few and far between, leaving me with plenty of questions – so let's explore where Leica could be going with this potential new model.

Leica's M-series, both analog and digital models, utilize an optical rangefinder to compose and manually focus shots, using a hard-to-master split-image guide to nail sharp focus on your subject. It's not for everyone, but Leica's rangefinder is the soul of the series, a shooting experience you can't find elsewhere (besides the Pixii rangefinder).

Practically speaking, an EVF will be much more useful than a rangefinder – you would get exposure preview and the supremely helpful 'focus peaking' manual focus assist tool. Such a design change should make this mystery model Leica's smallest and lightest digital M-series camera to date too, and also the cheapest.

Rumors suggest this is not a next-gen Leica M12, but a new series within Leica's M-mount ecosystem. An M-series camera with EVF sounds to me a lot like a Leica Q3 / Q3 43 premium compact (see above), but with interchangeable lens mount. I loved testing the Leica Q3, but it is an altogether different and modern camera experience versus the M-series.

Swapping out the rangefinder for an electronic viewfinder might sound like a small change, but it would mark the single biggest design overhaul that Leica's M-series has ever seen. It would also take away Leica's unique selling point – the rangefinder experience.

Some feel that rangefinders are stuck in the past – a split-image manual-focus only shooting experience that is hard to master, while other mirrorless camera systems by the likes of Sony and Canon enjoy autofocus that's so effective that you, the photographer, barely need focusing skills anymore. For others, the rangefinder experience is the exactly the challenge they enjoy, a charm they can't get elsewhere (notwithstanding the Pixii, which is the only other digital rangefinder in the market).

Let's consider the possibilities of an M-series camera with an EVF. If it is indeed an M-series camera, it will use Leica's M-mount, for which there are many manual-focus lenses available, both pricey Leica options and cheaper third-party alternatives. The lenses are tiny, and would suit what could potentially be Leica's smallest ever M-series camera.

When I picture the mystery M-series camera as a Q3 with Leica M-mount, my mind turns to one feature the Q3 has that the M-series lacks: autofocus. Could a new Leica M camera ever get autofocus? The lens mount would need a fresh redesign, and new autofocus lenses would need to be made, but it seems plausible, even if it would mark a new direction for Leica.

Then there's the Leica SL-series to consider, the latest generation being the Leica SL3. It's a DSLR-style full-frame camera with L-mount, complete with autofocus skills. There's an enticing case for a compact, M-series style camera with an EVF and the autofocus-equipped L-mount.

However, the rumors point to an M-series model with an EVF, a particularly large touchscreen and no rear buttons, and I don't expect any of the seismic changes dreamed up above. This will likely also be a manual focus-only camera, making the most of the assist tools an EVF delivers, and presumably Leica's latest 61MP sensor. In-body image stabilization would be helpful addition, but again, doubtful.

What is the most exciting direction that you think Leica could take its M-series with its next launch? Let us know in the comments below.

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