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Nuki smart lock 3.0 review: simple to fit and secure
In a world of technology where we can talk to our TVs, have our lights come on when we enter a room and vacuums that clean by themselves, it amazes me that we still use keys to open doors. Simple pieces of steel, cut with precision to fit into a lock and manually turn the mechanism – it's archaic. Smart locks are the simple solution to this. To get more news about bluetooth front door lock, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
Replacing your ancient technology (modern locks date back to the 18th century) with one of the best smart locks allows you to open your door using a range of options, from a simple keypad to an app or merely showing up to the door. It’s liberating, it’s mostly easier to operate and it’s actually more secure.
Nuki offers a range of smart locks that have two distinct advantages. Firstly, they can fit on almost any door, and install in minutes. And, secondly, thanks to their modular design, they can be very affordable. I tested the Nuki Smart Lock 3.0(opens in new tab) which retails at £149. This mounts on the inside of your door, replacing the turny bit that you’d normally bolt your door with. It’s designed to fit a wide range of door locks, and can even handle multi-point locks and locks that need a key to lock.
For my installation, I chose the Ultion Nuki Smart Lock kit(opens in new tab) which includes a Ultion 3 Star Plus cylinder, the Nuki Keypad and the Nuki Bridge to connect to my home network. The total came to £399, which is still significantly cheaper than some smart locks.
There’s an installation checker on the Nuki website to ensure that the smart lock will work on your lock, but in most cases, the answer is yes. I had what looked like a fairly non-standard bolt lock on my door, but the checker told me all would be fine if I also changed the cylinder for a compatible one.
For the actual installation process, I opted for the hands of a professional and used one of its installation partners but on most doors, you should be able to easily install it yourself – I would certainly be comfortable doing so, having watched this time. My new cylinder slid into place where the old one sat, and then rather than reattaching the back of the lock, the installer screwed the Nuki holder into place (or can also choose to use the strong adhesive but it is more difficult to take off again). The Nuki device then just clips into place, slotting the end of the cylinder into it.
Once the device is mounted on the door, you activate it via the Nuki app. This is a Bluetooth connection between your phone and the device, which connected easily for me. Once linked, the Smart Lock learns the movement of the lock, seeing how many turns it takes to fully extend the bolt, and then gives you a range of options, such as auto locking and a pin to access.
Installing the accessories is just as easy. The app lets you choose the accessory from the list, searches for it and then links it to your account. The keypad allows you to not only set a master code for entry but also set individual codes for users, as well as setting times for entry. This is handy if you want to give a code to a dog walker or cleaner – or family member.
In addition to the keypad, which can be easily stuck or screwed to a surface within Bluetooth range of your front door, I opted for the Bridge unit. While there is a Smart Lock 3.0 Pro which includes Wi-Fi, the standard model is Bluetooth only, so requires a bridge unit to connect to your smart home and unlock the door from more than a few metres away.
Like the keypad, the bridge is easy to set up, and will just then ask for your home network details to connect to the Wi-Fi once it is synced to your smart lock. If you want to do more than just use your phone or keypad to unlock your door, the bridge is very useful. Without it, you can’t open the door remotely, or control any of the other settings without being in range.
For the compatible cylinder, I had a modified version of the Ultion 3 Star Plus installed (this comes with the Smart Lock and Bridge for £379), which is a secure diamond lock and comes with a £2000 security guarantee. The keys for this are 60% thicker than standard keys and can only be duplicated with permission, once registered. Ultion also offers a KeyTag, which is a key that is compatible with Apple’s Find My, allowing it to be tracked and play a sound if lost.
Once the Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 is set up there’s very little to worry about. When you reach the door, you can open the app on your phone and swipe to open the lock. Or you can set the auto-unlock function so that as soon as you’re in range, it will unlock automatically. Personally, I love having the keypad option, and use that for unlocking more than anything else. However, there is no zero key on the keypad, so you might need to rethink any standard passcodes you use.
One of my favourite features of the Smart Lock 3.0 is the auto-lock feature. You can set this for a range of times, after which the device will automatically lock itself. This is useful if you regularly forget to lock your door, which I used to do. And I know it won’t lock me out, as I still have the keypad outside to unlock it if I need it.
There’s a button on the Smart Lock which can be used to lock and unlock through a series of presses. You can also set it to smart mode so that a single press will change to the opposite state (lock when it’s unlocked or unlock when it’s locked).
The one thing I found is that particularly the unlocking process feels a little slow. It’s probably no more than about three seconds to lock or unlock, but when you’re rushing to open the door, that can feel like an age. While you can reduce the amount the lock turns in the optimisation, this will depend on your lock. Also, the motor itself is pretty loud. I’m constantly startled when I hear it auto-locking from the other side of the apartment. You certainly wouldn’t want to use it to sneak in late at night, as you’d probably wake someone up. Of course, it’s silent if you use the key, so there is that.
U-tec Releases New Deadbolt Lock With Fingerprint Sensor
U-tec has unveiled a new Z-Wave smart lock with a built-in fingerprint sensor. The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Z-Wave is retailing for $229, and is being billed as the first deadbolt Z-Wave lock of its kind with fingerprint authentication.To get more news about lock with fingerprint, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
As with other biometric smart locks, the addition of the fingerprint sensor will allow people to unlock their doors with a fingerprint scan rather than a key or a PIN, though the U-Bolt Pro does offer support for both of those more traditional factors. In that regard, fingerprint authentication is only one of the six ways that homeowners can unlock the device, with the U-Bolt Pro supplementing mechanical keys, PINs, and fingerprints with a smartphone app, an Apple Watch utility, and voice support through Alexa and Google Home integrations.
The lock can be integrated with Google Assistant and Alexa thanks to its Z-Wave connectivity. That also makes it compatible with many smart home hubs, including the Ring Alarm, SmartThings, and Hubitat. Those who do not have one of those devices can still unlock the U-Bolt with their phones through a Bluetooth connection, though they might not be able to unlock the device remotely without access to a wireless internet network.
Homeowners can manage the U-Bolt Pro through the U-Tec app, which allows people to issue guest keys to friends and family members and view an auditable log of access events. The device uses 128-bit AES encryption and a dynamic key to protect the personal information of those registered to the system, and offers a full year of battery life on a single charge.
The non-Pro edition of the U-Bolt lock gets rid of the fingerprint sensor, and is slightly more affordable at $179. U-tec previously featured a fingerprint sensor in the Ultraloq Lever, though that lock did not have a deadbolt and was geared more toward offices than residential settings.