The best smart locks for 2023

Keeping thieves out of your home is one part of their job description, but smart locks are also preventive guards that can track who’s going inside your home — as well as leaving. Locks with fingerprint sensors can inform you if the kids came home within a designated time, while others can self-lock if you happen to forget to do it yourself. There are even some that can automatically unlock themselves as you approach the front door.

Smart locks use your Wi-Fi, mobile apps, and popular voice assistants. Leading smart lock designs are also sleek and attractive, allowing the hardware to blend in with the natural features of your home. On the other end of the spectrum, smart locks are now more affordable than ever before — so owning one is only marginally more expensive than a standard lock. Best of all, you don’t need to be a professional to install them.

We’ve tested dozens of smart locks, so we have a recommendation that will work for every owner and every home right here in our list of the best smart locks for 2023.

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

The best smart lock

The fourth-generation August Smart Lock breaks free from the bonds of its predecessors’ need for a bridge to operate remotely. Thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi connection, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock connects to your home’s wireless network without the need for a bridge or other additional hardware.

Beyond that, it’s one of the simplest smart locks to install and set up. Plus, it’s able to retain your existing lock — so you don’t need new keys. What’s impressive is that the company adds in the Wi-Fi connection, while shrinking the overall size of the lock. It is 45% smaller in volume and 20% slimmer, making it a sleek little lock, and comes in either silver or matte black plastic.

In addition to using the app to remotely operate the lock, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock supports Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri. Meaning that it integrates nicely with just about any smart home platform. There are also some advanced features that make it a premier offering, like virtual keys that work on a set schedule, and automatic lock/unlock as you approach or leave your home. Read our in-depth August Wi-Fi Smart Lock review.

Google Nest x Yale Lock

The best smart lock for Google Home

This attractive smart lock is a product of Nest and Yale. An elegant touchscreen keypad replaces the regular old lock and key mechanism, and the exterior surround comes in satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, or polished brass. The oval-shaped outside keypad is 4.59 inches tall by 2.59 inches wide, while the interior lock is 7.03 inches tall by 2.78 inches wide. Four AA batteries power the lock, and the batteries should last about one year before you have to replace them.

You choose a passcode (between four and eight digits) to unlock the door, and you can also use the app. Additionally, the Nest X Yale has an automatic locking feature that activates after a duration of time that you select, and it has a home/away feature that locks the door automatically. Google Home users can voice control the Nest X Yale. You can check the status of your lock from the road, lock your door when you’re not home, and add your lock commands to Google Routines.

The Nest X Yale is not the most feature-rich lock on the market. However, the features it has work well, and it incorporates very well into a smart home run by Google Assistant. Read our in-depth Nest X Yale review.

Level Touch

The best smart lock for Apple Homekit

There are very few smart locks that support Apple’s HomeKit. However, the best one for Apple’s smart home platform is none other than the Level Lock Touch.

First, it sports an unconventional design for a smart lock. There are no bulky keypads, nor is there an equally bulky component that goes over the deadbolt on the inside of the door. Instead, the Level Lock Touch looks like an ordinary lock — one that retains the appearance and styling of a traditional lock. What’s also neat about the smart lock is that you can interact with the Level Lock Touch by either tapping on the keyhole housing or using the included NFC-equipped keycards for opening and locking the lock.

Once it’s connected to HomeKit, you can ask Siri on your iOS device or HomePod speaker to unlock the door. It will also unlock itself automatically because it leverages GPS on your iPhone to set up a geofence around your home. All of these features make the Level Lock Touch the best lock for HomeKit. Read our in-depth Level Lock Touch review.

Schlage Encode Plus

The best smart lock for Alexa

Schlage has been around for quite some time — long before there was such a thing as a smart lock. But Schlage has now evolved into one of the best smart lock makers in the biz. The Schlage Encode Plus isn’t just a beautiful piece of hardware, it’s also a device that works well with Alexa, as well as a wide range of other third-party applications, including Amazon’s Cloud Cam, Key by Amazon, and Ring security products. You can also use it with the Schlage Home app.

Lockly Vision Elite

The best smart lock for Airbnb

Lockly already had a phenomenal offering with the Vision, but its follow-up model takes it one step further. The Lockly Vision Elite has everything that Airbnb hosts crave — from its ability to unlock via fingerprint, pin code, or even through a phone, there are plenty of options.

Guests that do plan on staying at your home or Airbnb residence can be given temporary key codes that they can punch into the touchscreen keypad when they arrive, which can also be made time-sensitive for additional security. Once their stay is complete, you can have another set of codes for the next guest.

Everything is tracked by the app, which can tell you the method that was used to unlock the lock — including if it’s the old fashion way with a key! What makes the Lockly Vision Elite even more appealing is its integrated video camera, which allows it to act a lot like a video doorbell camera. An integrated solar panel helps keep the lithium-ion batteries charged for the long haul, too.

Wyze Lock

The best smart lock for DIY install

There’s nothing better than quick and painless. Wyze’s entire suite of smart home products — from lightbulbs to cameras — is designed for the DIY weekend warrior … and the Wyze Lock is no exception. Setup is just a matter of retrofitting your existing deadbolt. The Wyze hardware pops right onto the inside thumb latch, and installation necessitates nothing more than a screwdriver and working Wi-Fi.

With the Wyze app, you can lock and unlock the door from pretty much anywhere. For those not looking to whip their phone out every time they return home, there’s Auto Lock/Unlock. Once configured, the Wyze Lock detects your phone when you’re approaching the door, unlocking it so you can step in and then locking it behind you once you’re inside. We also love the Simple Sharing function, which lets you grant guests access to your home and log their entries and exits.

The Wyze Lock is now compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, which means you can lock and unlock your door from the comfort of your couch. Assistant control is also great for those of us who would rather do our on-the-go unlocking with the Alexa or Google Home app. Read our in-depth Wyze Lock review.

Level Lock

The best designed smart lock

Level is on a roll. After releasing its previous two smart locks, the Level Lock Bolt Edition and Touch Edition, its latest model sits right in the middle of the lineup. The Level Lock follows a similar minimalist design to its siblings while offering the same core features you’d expect in any smart lock. Unlike most smart locks, the Level Lock doesn’t have any clunky keypads for all to see — nor does it have a chunky deadbolt attached on the inside. Instead, the Level Lock looks like an ordinary door lock.

This design philosophy is at the heart of every lock from Level, so it manages to maintain the décor and appearance of your door. Beyond the contemporary design, the Level Lock features geofencing for auto-unlock, temporary passes to let guests access the lock, and even an auto-lock feature if you happen to forget to lock the door behind you.

Best of all, its price is much more accessible than the Level Lock Touch Edition. If you want an invisible smart lock, the Level Lock is no doubt the only one on the market to achieve this. Read our in-depth Level Lock review.

Kwikset Halo Touch

The best smart lock for fingerprint access

Simplicity is a core fundamental quality for any gadget, but for a smart lock, nothing’s more aggravating than wasting time on unlocking it. That’s why the Kwikset Halo Touch is here to save you from that particular hassle. All you really need to unlock it is just a slight touch of your finger against its fingerprint sensor — much like what you get in today’s smartphones.

What’s impressive is that it’s spot on every time, ensuring that users have proper authorization. Some smart locks offer features like auto-unlock that will unlock the deadbolt as you approach, but they can fail. Kwikset’s Halo Touch works every time.

The Kwikset Halo Touch is still very much advanced, offering useful features such as auto-unlock, storage for up to 100 fingerprints, and a durable design. Read our in-depth Kwikset Halo Touch review.

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