Best Smart Locks of 2025: Tested and Reviewed

In our search for the best smart lock, these are some of the other products we've tried out.

Nest Yale Lock: Nest and Yale partnered up for a Google-centric smart lock with a touch keypad. This Nest app smart door lock has the good looks of Yale's earlier models, but it isn't quite as capable as other keyless locks when it comes to smart home integration.

Kwikset Halo Touch: The Halo Touch is a simple, straightforward fingerprint lock with built-in Wi-Fi and Alexa/Google compatibility. However, there's no Apple support and the price, currently at $200, is a bit high. Still, it could be a good deadbolt replacement if you catch it onon a sale.

Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt: Kwikset's second-gen Kevo is a good Bluetooth smart lock and a simple answer to smartening your door if you don't need remote control access. If you do, you'll need to buy the Kevo Plus connect module -- we prefer less complicated setups for our list.

Wyze Smart Lock: We like how affordable the Wyze lock is. For around $30 more, the Ultraloq model offers a lot more, so it's currently our top budget pick. Also, Wyze has had a string of security issues that it hasn't been able to resolve at the level of other brands, like August, so we'd like to keep an eye on Wyze for a while.

Aqara U100: We are big fans of this smart lock, but it's been a bit outclassed by the latest wave of smart locks, which are more compact and don't require an extra hub to enable important features.

Lockly Flex Touch: An understated fingerprint lock, the Flex Touch looks like a standard deadbolt on the outside, apart from the small fingerprint sensor that dangles underneath. That fingerprint sensor worked great when we tested it out, but the interior part of the lock is made of faux-stainless-steel plastic which feels a bit cheap to the touch. In addition to that, you'll need to buy an overpriced $80 plug-in Wi-Fi hub if you want to control the lock via your phone from beyond Bluetooth range.

Schlage Sense Bluetooth Deadbolt: (Update: Out of Stock) Schlage's Sense smart lock is affordable, but clunky and not as simple to set up as its Encode sibling. But you'll also need a Schlage lock Wi-Fi adapter to connect with Google Assistant or Alexa, a design choice that has fallen out of favor in recent years.

The CNET team has spent years testing and reviewing smart locks. For our most recent batch of tests, we tried out several new models at our own homes, as well as on mock door displays to help save time.

For starters, we took a critical eye on each lock's design, as well as the simplicity of the installation process. It's usually not a complicated process, and in most cases, you'll only need a Phillips head screwdriver, but it still might feel intimidating for some.

From there, the testing is largely experiential. We pay attention to important physical considerations like the size of the lock and how loud the motor gets when the deadbolt turns, as well as practical considerations like app features, ease of use and the range of compatibility with different smart home platforms and peripheral devices.

Some smart locks, particularly coded smart locks, are better for sharing access with guests. Others, including Bluetooth locks with auto-unlocking smarts whenever you draw near, are better for users who are more convenience-minded. Whatever the lock's approach, the features need to work well if it wants to earn our recommendation.

Smart design matters too. Apart from the fact that these locks are likely going to be sitting on the front face of your home's exterior and making a first impression on visitors, good design can make for better implementation of core features.

This refers to a rating given to door locks by a combined initiative between two organizations, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and BHMA (Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association). It rates locks based on how durable they are and how difficult they are to break through.

The ANSI/BHMA grades come in three levels. Grade 1 is the strongest and suitable for any residential and a number of commercial applications. Grade 2 is suitable for most residential applications, possibly some basic commercial needs (most smart locks fall in this category). Grade 3 is the most basic security, suitable for inside doors but best avoided for your front door and other exterior doors if possible (retrofits often fall in this category, but they aren’t the lock itself).

There is also a more in-depth BHMA grading system of three letters, like AAA, which denotes Security, Durability and Finish, but this is relatively new and isn’t as common yet.

Smart lock retrofits are very easy to install, since your aren't actually removing and exchanging the deadbolt. You can easily handle this project yourself, and smart locks are good at including instructions, both video and diagram, to help out.

Full deadbolt or handle replacements will take a bit more work, but in almost every case you can still handle the installation yourself. You'll need a tape measure, a durable screwdriver and preferably a handheld drill for the project. The key is aligning your new smart lock so that it properly fits in the strike plate and other components of your door: Some door spaces are more lenient here than others. If you don't have a standard-sized residential door, smart locks get much more complicated and you should contact an expert.

Smart locks are a highly visible part of your home that you'll use just about every day, so it's important to find a reliable pick that meshes well with your smart home. Here are the factors you should be thinking about as you shop.

Full deadbolt or retrofit

Most smart locks will replace the entirety of your existing lock, including the interior thumbturn, the exterior keyhole, and the deadbolt in the middle. Locks like those will also come with their own keys, which will replace the ones you're using now.

Others, like the August Smart Lock, and the Lockly fingerprint model, are designed instead to work with at least some of your existing lock hardware. With a retrofit lock like that, you probably won't need new keys at all, and you might not even need to swap out the deadbolt. Locks like those can sometimes be a better fit for apartments, where the building owners might not allow you to replace the entire lock.

Modes of access

Different smart locks will take different approaches to letting you in. On a basic level, most smart locks will let you lock and unlock the door wirelessly from your phone, using an app. Others add in keypads for coded entry, which can help you rely on your keys a little less while also making it easier to share access with others. Some of the newest smart locks add in touch sensitivity or fingerprint scanning to let you inside with just a tap. Apple has also added a Home Key feature in iOS15 that lets you store a digital house key in your Apple Wallet, which lets you open compatible smart locks using the NFC radio in your iPhone or Apple Watch.

It may be overkill to pay up for a smart lock that offers all of that, so it's fine to dial in on the mode of access that interests you most. You've got a diverse mix of options these days.

Platform compatibility and Matter

If your household includes multiple types of smart home devices, then your best bet is to control them all from a single smart home platform. That way, you won't need to juggle multiple apps to keep everything automated. The most popular picks are Amazon Alexa, the Google Home app and the Google Assistant voice controls that come with it, and Apple HomeKit, which brings Siri into play. Samsung SmartThings is another option for a hub-centric smart home.

That brings us to Matter: Matter (and its tagalong protocol Thread) is an important smart home protocol designed in coordination with major brands including Google, Amazon, Apple, and many others. It helps guarantee compatibility across different platforms and adds extra security and data transfer benefits, which is definitely something buyers should be watching for.

Currently, smart lock companies are still adopting the Matter standard. Our top pick uses it and is one of the best options we've found. Some Schlage Encode locks use it, but it hasn't made its way to our Schlage Smart Level pick quite yet, and the same goes for Yale Assure. August has also announced it's working to bring Matter to its smart locks, so in some cases, it just be a "matter" of waiting for the right firmware update.

Security and privacy

Smart locks aren't quite as data-sensitive as devices with built-in cameras and microphones, but you'll still want to make sure that you're keeping things secure. Most, if not all of your options will use some form of encryption to keep the wireless transmissions between your lock and your phone or home network secure. You should also look for locks that use two-factor authentication to keep your account safe from malicious logins. As with any connected device in your home, you'll want to be sure to keep your lock updated to the latest firmware and to set a strong password in the app.

As for lockpicking and other physical concerns, you can look for the lock's ANSI grade to get a sense of its durability, and how well it might stand up against a brute-force entry attack. ANSI grade 3 is the most basic rating, but a growing number of smart locks offer ANSI grade 2 or grade 1 ratings, which tell you that they're built with commercial-grade durability. If you're concerned about forced entries, a lock like that might be a good investment.

Design considerations

Your smart lock is going to sit right on the front of your home's exterior, so it's worth aiming for something you won't hate looking at. Some smart locks go out of their way to show off their gadgety features with light-up touchscreens, color-coded LED indicator lights and tech-minded designs. Others take the opposite approach, doing their best to blend in and look just like a standard lock, from the outside at least. Picking a preference between the two approaches will help you narrow your options.

You'll also want to consider how the lock stays powered. Most smart locks will run off four AA batteries, but some take a different approach. The Level Lock, for instance, runs off of a single CR2 battery that sits inside of the deadbolt itself. Meanwhile, Eufy's touchscreen smart lock runs off of a rechargeable battery pack.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi support has now become common for smart locks, but it's important to look at the details. Some locks don't have built-in Wi-Fi, but only support it if you buy an additional hub.