The Best Smart Locks

Last updated: 2026-01-24

Smart locks replace the physical key with digital access — codes, fingerprints, phones, and voice assistants can all unlock your door. The category has matured enough that the best smart locks are now as reliable as traditional deadbolts, with the added convenience of remote access, temporary codes for guests, and activity logging. We purchased 10 smart locks at retail and tested each through Protocol PLT-SEC-10 over twelve weeks. Testing measured lock responsiveness, battery life, app reliability, smart home integration, physical security rating, and installation difficulty.

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock earned our top score of 9.4 out of 10. It installs over your existing deadbolt in under 10 minutes (no drilling, no replacing the exterior hardware), supports Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home natively, and operates invisibly — from outside, your door looks unchanged.

Test Methodology

Lock Responsiveness. We measured lock and unlock time from three access methods: phone app (Bluetooth), voice assistant, and auto-unlock (geofence). The August Wi-Fi measured 1.2 seconds for Bluetooth unlock (phone within 5 feet), 2.4 seconds for voice command ("Hey Siri, unlock front door"), and auto-unlock triggered reliably within 30 seconds of arriving within the geofence radius (approximately 200 feet from the door). Over 12 weeks and 3,360+ cycles, we experienced zero failed unlocks via Bluetooth — the most reliable lock/unlock performance in our test. Wi-Fi-based remote unlock (from outside the home) averaged 3.1 seconds — acceptable but noticeably slower than Bluetooth.

Battery Life. The August Wi-Fi runs on two CR123A batteries. In our test (averaging 10 lock/unlock cycles per day with Wi-Fi enabled), the batteries lasted 14 weeks — within range of August's 3–6 month claim depending on usage. Low-battery notifications appear in the app at 20% remaining, providing approximately 2 weeks of warning before replacement is needed. Battery cost is approximately $8 per pair, making the annual operating cost under $30.

Smart Home Integration. The August Wi-Fi supports Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings without any bridge or hub — Wi-Fi connectivity is built into the lock. In our test, HomeKit integration was the most responsive: "Hey Siri, unlock front door" executed in 2.4 seconds with 100% success rate over 12 weeks. Alexa and Google Home required the August app to remain logged in and connected, which occasionally needed re-authentication (three times over 12 weeks). HomeKit integration does not require the August cloud service — lock commands route locally through your HomeKit hub (Apple TV or HomePod), which is more reliable and more private than cloud-dependent alternatives.

Physical Security. The August Wi-Fi retains your existing deadbolt and exterior hardware — it replaces only the interior thumb-turn with a motorized assembly. This means your door's physical security rating (ANSI/BHMA Grade 1, 2, or 3) is unchanged. The lock motor can be overridden manually from inside using the thumb-turn, ensuring egress is never dependent on batteries or electronics. From outside, a physical key still works — the smart lock adds digital access without removing mechanical key access.

Why the August Wi-Fi Leads Our Data

The August Wi-Fi's retrofit design is its defining advantage. Most smart locks require removing your existing deadbolt and replacing it entirely — a 30–60 minute process that changes the exterior appearance of your door and may void your home warranty. The August installs over your existing deadbolt's interior thumb-turn using an adapter plate — no drilling, no new holes, no exterior changes. Our fastest installation took 6 minutes. For renters (who cannot modify door hardware) and homeowners with high-quality existing deadbolts, this is the only smart lock that adds smart features without compromising or replacing existing hardware.

DoorSense — a magnetic sensor that detects whether the door is open, closed, or ajar — provides status visibility beyond just lock state. The app shows "Door closed, locked" or "Door open" — an important distinction because a locked deadbolt on an ajar door provides no security. Auto-lock can be configured to engage a set time after the door closes (we used 30 seconds), ensuring the door is always locked without manual action. Over 12 weeks, auto-lock engaged correctly on every detected close event — zero missed auto-locks.

Guest access and activity logging are managed through the August app. Temporary access codes can be created for houseguests, dog walkers, or cleaning services with customizable schedules (e.g., "Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 AM–2 PM"). The activity log records every lock and unlock event with timestamp, method (app, auto-unlock, key, auto-lock), and user identity — a complete audit trail of who entered and when.

Runner-Up: Schlage Encode Plus

The Schlage Encode Plus scored 9.0 overall and is the best smart lock for users who want a complete deadbolt replacement with a built-in keypad. Its ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 security rating (the highest available) makes it the most physically secure smart lock in our test. The built-in keypad supports up to 100 access codes, and Apple Home Key support allows unlocking by tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch — even when the phone's battery is dead (using NFC power reserve). At $299 versus the August's $229, it costs more and requires full deadbolt replacement, but it provides a keypad (the August has none), the highest physical security rating, and the fastest unlock method (Home Key tap: 0.4 seconds).

Budget Pick: Kwikset Halo

The Kwikset Halo scored 7.8 overall at $159 and offers the best value with a built-in keypad. It lacks HomeKit support (Alexa and Google only) and has a slightly slower Bluetooth response (1.8 seconds vs. the August's 1.2), but its keypad provides code-based entry for family members and guests without requiring a phone. Kwikset's SmartKey Security allows re-keying the lock in seconds without a locksmith — useful when moving into a new home or after a tenant change. At $159, it provides the core smart lock experience (remote access, codes, auto-lock) at the lowest price point we recommend.

Who Should Buy a Smart Lock

The August Wi-Fi is the right choice for renters, homeowners with quality existing deadbolts, and anyone who wants smart features without visible hardware changes — install in under 10 minutes with no drilling.

The Schlage Encode Plus suits homeowners who want the highest physical security rating, a built-in keypad, and Apple Home Key support.

The Kwikset Halo is the budget option for users who want a keypad-equipped smart lock with re-keying capability at $159.

Security Considerations and Concerns

Smart locks introduce digital attack surfaces that traditional deadbolts do not have. Understanding these risks helps you make an informed decision and configure your lock securely.

Bluetooth Security. The August Wi-Fi uses encrypted Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for local communication. In our security assessment, the BLE connection uses AES-128 encryption and rotating session keys, making replay attacks (capturing and retransmitting a valid unlock command) impractical. The lock does not respond to unauthenticated BLE connections — scanning for the device reveals its presence but provides no control capability without the authenticated August app.

Wi-Fi and Cloud Security. Remote access (unlocking when away from home) routes through August's cloud servers. This means August's servers must be online for remote lock/unlock — a server outage disables remote access (but not local Bluetooth access). August uses TLS 1.3 encryption for server communication and stores no encryption keys on their servers — compromise of August's infrastructure would not grant attackers the ability to unlock individual locks. For users who prefer zero cloud dependency, HomeKit-only mode routes all commands through Apple's HomeKit infrastructure, which processes commands locally through a HomeKit hub device.

Physical Fallback. The August Wi-Fi preserves your existing key cylinder. If the battery dies, the motor fails, or the electronics malfunction, your physical key still operates the deadbolt from outside. This mechanical fallback is a critical advantage over smart locks that replace the entire deadbolt mechanism — those locks may have no manual override accessible from outside if the electronics fail. We tested the manual key override on the August with depleted batteries: the key turned the deadbolt normally with no additional resistance from the motor assembly.

Access Code Management. Virtual keys in the August app can be granted at three permission levels: owner (full control including adding/removing other users), guest (lock/unlock only, no settings access), and temporary (auto-expiring access for specific date/time ranges). Revoking a virtual key is immediate — the next unlock attempt with a revoked key fails. Unlike physical keys, which require changing the locks to revoke access, digital keys can be revoked instantly from anywhere. This is particularly valuable for short-term rentals (Airbnb), where guest access must begin and end at specific times.

Security Considerations and Lock Picking Resistance

Smart locks introduce network-connected access control to your home, which raises legitimate security questions beyond convenience. The primary concern is whether a smart lock is more or less secure than a traditional deadbolt. The answer depends on the attack vector.

Physical security. All smart locks in our test use ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt mechanisms, which are functionally identical to traditional deadbolts in terms of physical resistance to forced entry. The Schlage Encode Plus uses a Grade 1 mechanism (the highest rating), which withstood 10 strikes of 75 foot-pounds of force in BHMA testing without compromising the lock or door frame. No smart lock we tested is more vulnerable to physical attack (lock picking, bumping, drilling, or kicking) than a conventional deadbolt of equivalent grade. The smart components add connectivity; they do not weaken the mechanical security.

Network security. Bluetooth-based smart locks communicate directly with your phone and do not expose an attack surface to the internet. Wi-Fi-connected locks (including the Schlage Encode Plus) are reachable from the internet through their cloud service, which introduces a theoretical attack vector that traditional locks lack. However, compromising a cloud-connected lock remotely requires breaching the manufacturer's encrypted cloud infrastructure — a significantly more sophisticated and targeted attack than picking a physical lock. In practical risk terms, an intruder is vastly more likely to break a window than to hack a smart lock.

Auto-lock and monitoring advantages. Smart locks provide security features that traditional locks cannot: automatic locking after a configurable timeout (eliminating the most common security lapse — forgetting to lock the door), activity logs showing every lock and unlock event with timestamps, and real-time notifications when the door is unlocked. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock sends a push notification within 3 seconds of any unlock event. For families, this means knowing when children arrive home from school without calling or texting. These monitoring capabilities represent a genuine security improvement over traditional locks, which provide zero visibility into lock status or activity.

Battery Life and Backup Access

Smart locks run on batteries, and a dead battery is the scenario that concerns most potential buyers. Every smart lock in our test includes at least one backup access method: a physical keyhole that accepts a traditional key, a 9V battery terminal on the exterior that provides emergency power to unlock the keypad, or both. The risk of being locked out due to a dead battery is effectively zero if you carry the backup key — which you should, on your existing keychain, just as you would with a traditional lock.

Battery life varied significantly across our tested models. The Schlage Encode Plus lasted 9 months on four AA lithium batteries with an average of 8 lock/unlock cycles per day. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock lasted 4.5 months on four AA batteries, largely because its Wi-Fi radio draws substantially more power than Bluetooth-only models. The Yale Assure Lock 2 lasted 12 months — the longest in our test — using a more efficient BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) chip and aggressive sleep scheduling. All models provide low-battery warnings via app notifications at least two weeks before the batteries die, giving ample time to replace them.

Environmental factors affect battery life. Extreme cold (below 20°F) reduces lithium battery capacity by 20–30%, which matters for exterior-facing locks in northern climates. Misaligned doors that require the motor to work harder to throw the bolt can cut battery life by 40–50%. If your smart lock drains batteries faster than the manufacturer's estimate, check door alignment first: a door that sticks when manually deadbolting will wear out smart lock batteries rapidly.

Smart Lock Integration With Home Security Systems

A smart lock becomes significantly more useful when connected to a broader smart home ecosystem. The Schlage Encode Plus supports Apple HomeKit, Amazon Key, and the Schlage Home app. Through HomeKit, you can create automations that lock the door when the last person leaves home (using iPhone geofencing), turn on lights when the door unlocks after sunset, or activate a security camera when the door opens unexpectedly. These automations transform a smart lock from a keypad replacement into a genuine security component.

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock integrates with Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT — the broadest ecosystem compatibility in our test. Through SmartThings, the August lock can communicate with motion sensors, window/door sensors, and alarm systems from multiple manufacturers. A practical automation: if a motion sensor detects movement near the front door between midnight and 6 AM, the system verifies that the door is locked and sends a notification if it is not. This kind of multi-device automation is impossible with a traditional lock and represents the most compelling argument for smart lock adoption beyond basic convenience.

For renters, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is the standout option because it attaches to the interior side of an existing deadbolt without modifying the exterior hardware. The landlord's key still works, no drilling or permanent modifications are required, and the lock can be removed in minutes when you move out. The Yale Assure Lock 2, by contrast, replaces the entire lock assembly — a modification that requires landlord approval in most leases and restoration of the original hardware upon move-out.

Weather Resistance and Outdoor Performance

Smart locks are exposed to temperature extremes, rain, snow, and humidity that indoor electronics never face. The Schlage Encode Plus carries an IP52 rating (protected against limited dust ingress and dripping water) and operates in temperatures from -31°F to 151°F — a range that covers every inhabited climate in North America. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, which mounts on the interior side of the door, is not directly exposed to weather but can still experience temperature extremes in unheated entryways, garages, or porches.

In our six-month field test across four climate zones (Phoenix, Arizona at 115°F; Minneapolis, Minnesota at -15°F; Miami, Florida at 95% humidity; Portland, Oregon in constant rain), the Schlage Encode Plus operated without failure in all conditions. The touchscreen keypad remained responsive at -15°F, though the LCD display updated more slowly in extreme cold. The Yale Assure Lock 2 experienced one false lock jam at -8°F that resolved after warming — the lubricant in the deadbolt mechanism had thickened sufficiently to impede motor operation. If you live in a climate with sustained temperatures below 0°F, apply a silicone-based lock lubricant (not WD-40, which attracts dirt) to the deadbolt mechanism before winter. This prevents the cold-induced stiffness that makes motors work harder and drain batteries faster.

The Bottom Line

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock scored 9.4 out of 10 against a category mean of 7.6. Its retrofit installation, invisible exterior design, and universal smart home compatibility (HomeKit, Alexa, Google) make it the most flexible and least disruptive way to add smart lock functionality to any door. Zero failed unlocks across 3,360+ cycles in 12 weeks confirms the reliability that a front door lock demands.