Best Smart Locks 2023 – Forbes Vetted
The best smart locks make your home safer. These locks not only allow keyless entry, but they can also keep track of who comes and goes—and when they do so. After weeks of testing 11 smart locks, I selected the Level Lock+ as the best smart lock overall because it is easy to use, supports Apple home keys and doesn’t look like a sci-fi prop stuck to your front door. And the Defiant Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt is my pick for best value smart lock, for delivering all the basics at a reasonable price.
Smart locks might look difficult to install, and that seems to be one thing holding shoppers back from jumping in with both feet. According to Adam Wright, research manager for Smart Home and Office Devices at IDC, “Many consumers aren’t confident in their ability to change the lock and install a new one. They typically seek out the help of a professional installer, which inhibits adoption.”
As you’ll see below, I had no difficulties when installing the 11 locks I tested for this roundup; I found the process quite easy to do on my own with a couple of simple tools. After many hours of testing out smart locks, their apps and the smart home systems they fit into, I chose the following winners:
The Level Lock+ excels as a smart lock precisely because it doesn’t look like a smart lock. It looks like an ordinary lock from both the outside and inside. While this lock’s appearance doesn’t scream high-tech, it does a great job of using the latest technologies to make it easier to control who gets in and out.
