The 12 Best Smart Locks

Replacing your traditional deadbolt with a smart lock is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can make to a connected home.

The right smart lock lets you unlock your front door with a fingerprint, a PIN, a smartphone tap, or even a voice command, all while logging every entry and letting you hand out temporary access codes to guests or service workers without ever cutting a physical key.

As more manufacturers integrate built-in Wi-Fi, Matter over Thread, and broad voice assistant compatibility into even their mid-range models, the category has matured rapidly, and the gap between budget and premium options has narrowed considerably.

Whether you live alone, manage a rental property, or want tighter control over who comes and goes in a busy household, a well-chosen smart lock genuinely changes how you interact with your home every day.

This guide covers twelve smart lock deadbolts spanning a range of price points and feature sets, from wallet-friendly Wi-Fi deadbolts to fingerprint-equipped lever-and-deadbolt sets with full smart-home ecosystem support.

Our picks come from brands including Philips, ULTRALOQ, eufy Security, Lockly, Wyze, and Tapo, and every model was evaluated using REMOVU’s structured research process: published specifications, expert review consensus, and verified buyer feedback aggregated into a REMOVU Score on a 0-to-10 scale.

Read on for our top picks, and then scroll down for the detailed buying guide covering everything you need to know before you commit.

Smart Locks Buying Guide

Choosing a smart lock involves more trade-offs than most people expect. Installation complexity, wireless protocol, battery life, and local-law regulations on rentals all factor in before you even get to fingerprint accuracy or app experience.

The sections below walk through the criteria that matter most, in the order you should think about them.

Compatibility with Your Door and Existing Hardware

Before anything else, measure your door. Standard US single-cylinder deadbolts fit doors between 1-3/8 and 1-3/4 inches thick, and most smart locks on this list are designed for that range.

If you have a door with a lever handle already installed, models like the Philips Wi-Fi Smart Lock with Handle and the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE Keypad Door Lock with Handle replace both the lever and the deadbolt as a coordinated set, which saves you from mismatched hardware and an extra drilling project.

Also check whether your rental agreement or condo by-laws permit replacing the deadbolt at all, and whether your door has a standard ANSI/BHMA prep hole.

Most smart locks ship with a universal mounting adapter that handles common backsets, but a steel-clad door or a non-standard mortise lock will require additional research. This is the step most buyers skip and then regret.

Wireless Protocol and Smart-Home Ecosystem

Smart locks communicate with your phone and home hub over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Zigbee, or the newer Matter over Thread standard.

Built-in Wi-Fi (as found in the eufy Security C220, the Philips deadbolt lineup, and the Tapo DL110) means you get remote access without buying a separate hub or bridge.

That convenience comes at a cost: always-on Wi-Fi radios consume noticeably more battery power than Bluetooth-only or Thread-based radios.

Matter over Thread, supported by both ULTRALOQ Bolt SE models, is worth understanding if you already run an Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home ecosystem.

Matter is a royalty-free interoperability standard designed so that a single device works natively across all major platforms without brand-specific bridges. If long-term ecosystem flexibility matters to you, a Matter-certified lock is a forward-looking choice.

If you just want plug-and-play simplicity with an Android or iOS phone, built-in Wi-Fi with a solid companion app is equally practical. Your smart displays and hubs setup will also influence which protocol makes the most sense.

For renters or households not yet invested in a broader smart home platform, a standalone Wi-Fi lock with a good native app is usually the right call.

Power users with existing Alexa routines, Apple Home automations, or Google Home scenes will benefit from verified voice-assistant compatibility, which every model on this list supports to varying degrees.

Entry Methods and Biometric Accuracy

Modern smart locks support a layered set of entry methods: fingerprint, PIN keypad, smartphone app, physical key backup, and voice control. Having multiple methods isn’t just convenient; it’s a safety net.

If your phone battery dies or your fingerprint reader is wet, a PIN or backup key keeps you from being locked out.

Fingerprint sensors vary significantly in quality. Lockly’s 3D biometric sensor uses optical rather than capacitive technology, which the brand claims performs better with dry, dirty, or worn fingerprints.

Wyze, eufy, Philips, and Tapo all include capacitive fingerprint readers that perform reliably under normal conditions.

Verified buyer feedback consistently points to registration quality as the biggest variable: registering each finger from multiple angles during setup dramatically reduces false-rejection rates regardless of sensor type.

Keypads range from physical buttons to fully illuminated touchscreens. Touchscreen keypads (as on the Tapo DL110 and several Philips models) support anti-peep PIN entry, which shuffles the digit display so an observer cannot reconstruct your code from finger placement.

If you share your home with children or use the same code for extended periods, anti-peep is a meaningful security feature, not just a marketing bullet point.

Security Ratings: BHMA Grade and IP Rating

The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) grades residential deadbolts on a three-tier scale.

Grade 1 is commercial-grade and the most resistant to physical attack; Grade 2 is heavy residential and the sweet spot for most homeowners; Grade 3 is light residential, suitable for interior doors or lower-traffic installations.

Several locks on this list carry a BHMA Grade 2 or Grade 3 rating, which is disclosed in their product listings and should be cross-referenced against your threat model and insurance requirements.

Weather resistance matters if your front door is exposed to rain, humidity, or temperature swings. Look for an IP53 rating (dust-protected, splash-resistant) at minimum for exterior installations. Both the eufy C220 and the Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2 carry IP53 certification.

Locks rated only for indoor use (like the eufy FamiLock C32, which is explicitly designed for interior doors) should not be installed on an exposed front door.

Pairing a robust exterior lock with reliable security cameras gives you a more complete perimeter picture.

Battery Life and Power Management

Running out of battery on a smart lock is a genuine inconvenience and, depending on your setup, a security incident.

Battery claims range from around eight months (eufy C220, Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2) to a remarkable eighteen months for the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE, up to a year for the Tapo DL110 with its rechargeable battery.

Real-world battery life depends heavily on how often the lock cycles, whether Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is the active radio, and ambient temperature (cold weather shortens battery life for all chemical battery types).

Rechargeable batteries (Tapo DL110) eliminate the need to source specific AA or lithium cells but require that you remember to charge the lock before it dies.

AA-powered locks (most models here) are easier to recover from a dead-battery situation: a trip to any convenience store gets you back in the door.

All smart locks on this list include a low-battery alert via the companion app, and many support a 9V emergency power contact on the keypad exterior for when batteries are completely depleted.

Access Management and Remote Features

One of the most compelling reasons to move to a smart lock is granular access control. All Wi-Fi-connected models here let you issue temporary or time-restricted PIN codes via the companion app, ideal for dog walkers, cleaners, or Airbnb guests.

Some apps (Tapo, eufy, ULTRALOQ) support scheduled access, letting you define exactly which hours a code is valid on which days of the week, after which it automatically expires.

Auto-lock is another feature worth confirming before you buy. When enabled, the lock re-engages after a set interval (typically 30 seconds to five minutes) regardless of whether you manually locked it.

This is particularly useful if you frequently leave through the garage and forget to lock the front door. Pairing auto-lock with a video doorbell creates a seamless front-door security layer that covers both visual monitoring and access control.

Activity logs, which record every lock and unlock event with a timestamp and the entry method used, are available on all app-connected models reviewed here and are invaluable when managing multiple users.

Why You Should Trust Us

REMOVU is an independent review publication. We do not manufacture, sell, or have any commercial relationship with the brands whose products appear in our guides.

Every product in this article was evaluated using REMOVU’s structured research methodology: we analyze published specifications, assess expert review consensus from credible industry sources, aggregate verified buyer feedback from confirmed purchasers, and weight each data point against a consistent set of criteria specific to the product category.

Each model receives a REMOVU Score on a 0-to-10 scale that reflects overall value, performance, reliability, and feature completeness relative to its price tier.

We do not conduct our own product trials; our evaluations are grounded in research, published data, expert review consensus, and verified buyer feedback.

This approach allows us to cover a broader range of models and price points than would be possible with a purely hands-on process, while maintaining consistent, repeatable scoring criteria across every article we publish.

REMOVU participates in affiliate programs. If you click a product link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

This affiliate relationship has no influence on REMOVU Score assignments, product rankings, or editorial recommendations. Products are ranked by merit, not by commission rate.

Final Thoughts

The smart lock category has reached a point where every budget tier has at least one genuinely good option.

Whether you need a full-featured flagship with Matter support, a budget deadbolt that handles the basics reliably, or a lever-and-deadbolt set for a door that needs both, the picks in this guide cover those bases.

Here are our standout recommendations by use case, each linked to its Amazon product page for current pricing and availability.

• Best Overall: Philips Wi-Fi Smart Lock with Handle earns the top spot with the highest REMOVU Score in this roundup, combining a complete lever-and-deadbolt set, fingerprint unlock, PIN keypad, and integrated Wi-Fi gateway into a single coherent package that installs cleanly on most standard doors.
• Best Smart Lock for Ecosystem Flexibility: ULTRALOQ Bolt SE Smart Lock is the pick for households invested in Apple Home, Alexa, or Google Home. Its Matter over Thread certification and an impressive claimed battery life of up to eighteen months make it one of the most future-proof deadbolts available at its price point.
• Best Budget Smart Lock: Philips Wi-Fi Door Lock delivers built-in Wi-Fi, fingerprint and passcode entry, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, and auto-lock at a budget-friendly price, making it the most accessible entry point in this roundup without sacrificing the core feature set.
• Best Smart Lock with Lever and Deadbolt Set: ULTRALOQ Bolt SE Keypad Door Lock with Handle pairs a Matter over Thread deadbolt with a matching lever handle, fingerprint reader, and built-in Wi-Fi in a coordinated set that looks intentional rather than retrofitted.
• Best for Biometric Security: Lockly Secure Plus stands out for its 3D optical fingerprint sensor and the distinctive PIN Genie shuffling keypad, which randomizes digit positions on every use to prevent visual code theft, a meaningful security upgrade over standard fixed-layout keypads.

If you are building out a broader connected-home setup, pairing a smart lock with smart thermostats and a robot vacuum on a shared automation platform can create genuinely useful arrival and departure routines.

Whatever direction you go, the locks in this guide represent the best-researched options available in 2026 across a range of budgets and installation scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smart locks work if the Wi-Fi goes down?

Yes. All Wi-Fi smart locks on this list store fingerprints and PIN codes locally on the device itself, so keypad and fingerprint entry continue to work without any internet connection.

What you lose during a Wi-Fi outage is remote access via the app, activity-log syncing, and any automations that rely on cloud commands. The physical key backup slot, present on every model here, also works independently of power or connectivity.

Can I install a smart lock myself, or do I need a locksmith?

Most smart lock deadbolts on this list are designed for DIY installation using a standard screwdriver and typically take between fifteen and thirty minutes for someone comfortable with basic home improvement tasks.

The process involves removing your existing deadbolt, attaching the new mounting plate, connecting the interior assembly, and configuring the app. Combined lever-and-deadbolt sets require slightly more alignment care but are still within DIY reach.

A locksmith is only necessary if your door has non-standard prep holes or a mortise lock configuration.

Are smart locks actually secure, or are they easier to hack than a regular deadbolt?

The physical security of a smart lock depends primarily on its BHMA grade, bolt throw length, and the quality of the strike plate and door frame, exactly the same factors that determine the security of any deadbolt.

The electronic attack surface is a separate consideration: reputable brands use AES-128 or AES-256 encryption for wireless communication, and there is no documented evidence of widespread remote exploitation of consumer smart locks from the manufacturers represented in this guide.

The more realistic risk is a weak PIN that can be guessed or observed, which is why anti-peep keypads and auto-expiring access codes are worth prioritizing.

Combining a solid-grade deadbolt with monitored outdoor security cameras addresses both physical and electronic threat vectors more completely than either solution alone.

What happens when the batteries die on a smart lock?

Every smart lock in this guide sends low-battery push notifications via its companion app well before the batteries are critically low, typically at around 20% remaining.

If you ignore those alerts and the batteries fully deplete, most models expose a 9-volt battery contact on the exterior keypad: touching a fresh 9V battery to those terminals provides just enough power to enter your PIN and unlock the door.

After that, you replace the internal batteries normally. Models with rechargeable batteries (like the Tapo DL110) use a USB charging port instead.

Can I use a smart lock on an apartment door without violating my lease?

This depends entirely on your lease agreement and local tenancy law. Many leases prohibit modifying locks without landlord consent, and some jurisdictions require landlords to retain a master key.

The safest approach is to ask your landlord in writing before installing any smart lock.

Some landlords are receptive if you agree to restore the original hardware on move-out, and the original deadbolt installation typically takes less than fifteen minutes to reinstall.

Never assume permission, and keep the original hardware in a safe place so you can swap it back easily.

Do smart locks work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Home?

Most models reviewed here support at least Alexa and Google Home for voice-commanded locking (note that most platforms deliberately prevent voice-commanded unlocking without a PIN for security reasons).

Apple Home compatibility is less universal: the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE models support it natively via Matter, while others may require a third-party bridge or hub.

If Apple Home is a priority, verify certification explicitly in the product listing before purchasing, as marketing language around “works with Apple devices” does not always mean full HomeKit or Apple Home integration.

For a broader look at how smart locks fit into a connected ecosystem, our smart displays and hubs guide covers compatible hub options worth pairing with your lock.

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