Smart Home Tech Guide
The Best Smart Locks of 2026: Twelve Tested, Ten Ranked
I've put close to thirty smart locks on my own house over the years, enough swaps that I eventually had to repair the front door. Twelve new locks landed on my porch this year, and the category just took its biggest leap since keypads went wireless: ultra-wideband (UWB). A UWB lock measures the exact distance and direction of your phone, so the door unlocks as you reach it with your hands full and your phone still in your pocket. For the first time, the smart lock is doing something a key never could.
A smart lock is also the device I recommend first to sellers and landlords, because it ends the era of hiding keys and changing locks between occupants: codes are created and deleted from your phone, and every entry is logged. Below are quick picks, what changed this year, how I scored the locks, how to choose, the full ranking with hands-on notes on each, the objections I hear most, a FAQ, and my bottom line.
QUICK PICKS
▶ Best overall: Schlage Sense Pro (about $340) – UWB hands-free unlocking, Matter over Thread, Schlage build quality.
▶ Highest score and best UWB value: Aqara U400 (about $270) – every entry method that exists, 18/20.
▶ Best fingerprint value: UltraLoq U-Bolt Pro (about $170) – the workhorse, often discounted.
▶ Best connectivity: Kwikset Halo Select+ (about $290) – Wi-Fi or Matter over Thread, Apple Home Key, re-keyable.
▶ Best all-in-one: eufy FamiLock S3 Max (about $330) – palm vein, camera, and doorbell in one, no subscription.
▶ Best simple keypad: Kwikset Aura (about $140) – the one for a parent's door.
▶ Still the safe choice: Schlage Encode Plus (about $285 to $320) – the baseline everything was measured against.
What changed in 2026
Ultra-wideband arrived from three directions at once: UltraLoq shipped it first (through its own app), then Aqara and Schlage did it through Apple Home Key, which is the version that actually works with your phone in your pocket and no app running. Matter over Thread became standard on new locks from Schlage, Aqara, Kwikset, and eufy, so one lock now works in Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings. Aliro, the industry standard that will let Samsung and Google phones tap and walk up the way an iPhone does, is built into the newest hardware and waiting on the phones. And the self-powering experiments started: a solar lock from Desloc and a motorless lock from Lockly.
How I scored them
Every lock below was scored out of five in four categories: Connectivity, Battery Life, Modes of Entry, and Innovation (20 points possible). Where the math tied, hands-on time on my door broke it. Twelve locks, ten spots, because three of them are the same lock in different jackets. They're listed from my #1 pick down, followed by the lock I measured everything against.
How to choose a smart lock
▶ Your phone: iPhone households get the most from Apple Home Key locks (Schlage Sense Pro, Aqara U400, Kwikset Halo Select+, UltraLoq Bolt Home Key). Android households should prioritize fingerprint and keypad entry until Aliro ships on the phones.
▶ Your hub, or none: Built-in Wi-Fi locks (Encode Plus, Halo Select+, U-Bolt Pro) need nothing else. Matter over Thread locks need a Thread border router: an Apple TV, HomePod, newer Echo, or Nest Hub.
▶ Modes of entry: Keypad is the minimum. Fingerprint is the fastest for kids and guests. Home Key and UWB are the ones you'll stop noticing. Decide whether you want a physical keyway as a backup; two of the best locks here don't have one.
▶ Your door: Every lock here fits a standard 2-1/8-inch deadbolt bore. Check that the door closes without pressure on the bolt; a misaligned strike plate is the number one cause of "the lock is broken."
▶ Batteries: Standard AAs (Schlage, Kwikset, UltraLoq) are easiest to live with; rechargeable packs (Aqara, eufy) last longer between charges but mean a trip inside to plug in. Every lock here has a USB-C emergency port.
#1 Schlage Sense Pro
$340
MY PICK · UWB HANDS-FREE · SCORE 17/20
The successor to the lock that guarded my own front door for years, and the first one that earned the right to retire it. Schlage calls its UWB system Converge: it calculates your speed, trajectory, and intent, then unlocks precisely as you reach the door using your iPhone or Apple Watch through Apple Home Key. Tap-to-unlock works too, and a hidden keypad appears when you touch the face.
KEY BENEFITS
▶ Matter over Thread: Schlage's first lock on the new standard, so it works with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google, and it's Aliro-ready for Samsung and Google Wallet as that rolls out.
▶ Build quality: Smoother, quieter motor than anything else I tested this year, with the heft you expect from a company that has made locks for a century.
▶ Standard AA batteries: Plus a USB-C port underneath for emergency power.
KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY
▶ There's no physical key cylinder. Fine for most homes with a second way in; think twice for a condo where this door is the only entrance.
▶ The hidden keypad stays invisible until you wake it. Some people prefer numbers they can see; the smaller, cleaner face is why I like it.
WHO IT IS FOR
iPhone and Apple Watch households that want the door to simply open as they reach it, and anyone who wants a lock that looks like a lock. This is the one I'd put on the front door of a new build: the finish options match Schlage hardware throughout the house, the motor is the quietest I tested, and Matter means it works in whichever ecosystem the next owner uses. If you carry keys out of habit and want a keyway, look at the Aqara or the Encode Plus instead.
#2 Aqara U400
$270
HIGHEST SCORE OF THE YEAR · 18/20
Hands full, phone in my pocket, and the door opens as I reach it. Same ultra-wideband idea as the Schlage, done through Apple Home Key rather than a third-party app running in the background, and it covers every other base too: NFC tap, fingerprint reader, touchscreen keypad, and a physical re-keyable key. Matter over Thread for Apple Home, Google, Alexa, and SmartThings, on a rechargeable battery with an exterior USB-C port as the bailout.
WHY IT SCORED HIGHER THAN MY #1
▶ Every entry method that exists today, at the best price for ultra-wideband.
▶ The one debate is the look. It clearly reads as a gadget on your door, and after living with both, the Schlage's design, motor, and build are what kept it on mine.
WHO IT IS FOR
Anyone who wants every way in, at the best price for UWB, and doesn't mind a lock that looks like technology. It's the right call for a family with a mix of iPhones and Android phones, since the fingerprint reader and keypad cover everyone while the Apple users get Home Key and hands-free. It's also the lock I'd choose for a rental where guests need a code and the owner wants Matter integration with the rest of the house.
#3 The UltraLoq Trio: U-Bolt Pro, Bolt Home Key, Bolt Mission
$150 to $180
THREE LOCKS, ONE SLOT · 15 to 16/20
UltraLoq sent me their whole lineup, and it's essentially the same body, the same eight AA batteries, and the same app with three different answers to how you get in the door.
▶ U-Bolt Pro: The workhorse and value play. Fingerprint reader that opens in three-tenths of a second, anti-peep keypad, app, auto-unlock, shake-to-open, and a key cylinder hidden behind the faceplate. Built-in Wi-Fi, ANSI Grade 1, IP65, about a year on batteries. The one you'll find discounted most often.
▶ Bolt Home Key: Trades the fingerprint reader for Apple Home Key. Add it to Apple Wallet and tap your iPhone or Apple Watch; with Express Mode the phone never wakes. In an Apple household the watch tap becomes a habit fast.
▶ Bolt Mission: UltraLoq got to ultra-wideband first, with centimeter-level awareness of where your phone is. Two asterisks: the UWB unlock only works through UltraLoq's own app running in the background, and connecting through Matter costs you that headline feature. Getting there first counts for something; I'd rather have both.
BUY IT IF
▶ You want fingerprint entry at the best price (U-Bolt Pro), tap-to-enter in an Apple home (Bolt Home Key), or hands-free unlocking and you're willing to run their app (Bolt Mission).
WHO IT IS FOR
Value shoppers, and specifically the U-Bolt Pro for most of them. It's the fingerprint lock I recommend most often because it's reliable, it goes on sale constantly, and a Grade 1 deadbolt for under $200 is hard to argue with. Landlords like the app's scheduled codes and the built-in Wi-Fi. Choose the Bolt Home Key only if you're all-in on Apple, and the Bolt Mission only if hands-free is worth running UltraLoq's app.
#4 Kwikset Halo Select+
$290
CONNECTIVITY CHAMPION · 16/20
Built-in Wi-Fi with no hub, or flip it to Matter over Thread for Apple Home, Google, and Alexa, plus Apple Home Key so your iPhone or Apple Watch taps to unlock. Geofencing auto-unlocks as you arrive, the touchscreen holds 250 scheduled codes, an included magnet gives you door-open detection with no separate sensor, and there's a SmartKey keyway underneath that I can re-key myself in about a minute.
KEY BENEFITS
▶ Battery life: Four AAs deliver around six months on Wi-Fi, or past a year running Matter.
▶ Classic Kwikset install: Four bolts and a few minutes.
▶ Skip it if: Biometrics are a must; there's no fingerprint reader here.
WHO IT IS FOR
Homes that want one lock to work everywhere without picking a side. Being able to run it on Wi-Fi with no hub today and switch to Matter over Thread later is a real advantage for a house that's still deciding on an ecosystem, and SmartKey re-keying means it can match the keys you already carry. The included door sensor is the feature nobody advertises and everyone uses: the app knows whether the door is actually closed, not just locked.
#5 Eufy FamiLock S3 Max
$330
PALM VEIN + CAMERA + DOORBELL · 14/20
Infrared cameras map the vein pattern under your skin, which is nearly impossible to spoof, works in any lighting, and supports up to fifty family members. This is a full 3-in-1: a 2K HDR camera with a 150-degree view, a video doorbell, and a 4-inch screen on the interior side so anyone in the house can check the door without a phone.
KEY BENEFITS
▶ Local storage, no subscription: Footage stays on the lock; Matter support covers Apple Home, Google, Alexa, and SmartThings (camera streams stay in the Eufy app).
▶ Best fit: A door with no spot for a separate video doorbell and no window beside it.
▶ Heads up: The install gave me a fight, and several features overlap with gear you may already own.
WHO IT IS FOR
A front door with nowhere to mount a separate doorbell, a household with a lot of people (palm vein handles fifty), and anyone who wants video at the door with no subscription. The interior screen is the surprise feature: a kid can see who's outside without a phone. If you already have a video doorbell you like, you're paying for overlap; if you don't, this replaces three devices.
#6 Desloc V150 Plus (Solar)
$300
SELF-CHARGING · 14/20
That glossy panel on the front is a perovskite solar cell that harvests power from low light. Charging from empty took three to four weeks facing south in direct sun, so plan for patience out of the box. Then I moved it to my shaded, north-facing front porch. Ninety days later the lock still reported one hundred percent.
KEY BENEFITS
▶ Backup power: A 10,000 mAh battery good for six-plus months with zero solar input, a USB-C emergency port, and two mechanical keys.
▶ Entry: 3D infrared facial recognition with liveness detection and a curved fingerprint sensor; the keypad is an add-on.
▶ Catches: No Matter support (Alexa and Google only), and it's an early-generation product.
WHO IT IS FOR
Early adopters and anyone who has been burned by a dead lock battery in January. The solar panel genuinely works once it's charged, even on a shaded north-facing door, and facial recognition with liveness detection is convenient for a family. The lack of Matter and the newness of the brand are the reasons it isn't higher; if those don't bother you, it's a glimpse of where locks are headed.
#7 Lyro Lasta by Lockly
$150 to $170
LOWEST PRICE IN THE RANKING · 13/20
The first lock from Lyro, a new budget brand from Lockly. The headline is ManoTurn, a mechanical thumbturn: you physically turn the knob to throw the bolt, with no motor whirring, and Lockly claims up to three years on a battery. Follow the logic, though. A lock with no motor is cheaper to build, and it also can't lock itself remotely; nothing happens when you tap lock in the app from the driveway. Every other lock here can do that.
WHAT YOU GET
▶ Six ways in: A 3D fingerprint sensor (99 prints), keypad with 200 PIN codes, the Lockly app, NFC cards or tags, offline codes, and a physical key.
▶ Built-in Wi-Fi: Notifications, access management, a door sensor, and an IP65 weather rating.
▶ Buy it if: You want quiet fingerprint entry at the lowest price here and you lock up by hand anyway.
WHO IT IS FOR
Anyone who wants fingerprint entry at the lowest price on this page and locks the door by hand anyway. The mechanical thumbturn is quiet and the battery life is exceptional; the trade is that you cannot lock it remotely, which rules it out for a rental or for anyone who has ever wondered from the office whether they locked up. As a back door or garage entry lock, it makes a lot of sense.
#8 Kwikset Aura
$140
THE ONE I'D PUT ON MY PARENTS' DOOR · 11/20
A Bluetooth deadbolt with a real, physical, numbered keypad. The numbers stay visible even when the lock is idle, so there's no tapping a blank screen to wake it. Up to 250 scheduled user codes, one-touch locking, and SmartKey re-keying to match keys you already carry. Bluetooth-only connectivity caps the score, and that's the honest trade: less radio, longer battery, fewer things to break.
BUY IT IF
▶ You want dependable keypad entry with zero complexity. Skip it if you need remote access from anywhere, because Bluetooth keeps control local.
WHO IT IS FOR
Parents, grandparents, and anyone who wants a keypad that works like a keypad. Physical numbered buttons mean no wake taps and no learning curve, Bluetooth keeps setup simple and battery life long, and SmartKey re-keying matches it to existing keys. It's also the lock I'd put on a lake cabin or a garage entry where remote access from across the country isn't needed.
#9 Desloc D120L Plus
Check desloc.com
BEST FOR AN INTERIOR DOOR · 12/20
The only handle-style lock in this lineup. The fingerprint reader opens it in a fraction of a second, and you've got six ways in: fingerprint, backlit keypad, app, voice through Alexa or Google, key fobs, and a physical key. Built-in Wi-Fi means no hub, and it runs several months on a charge.
WHERE IT EARNS ITS SPOT
▶ A home office where client files need to stay locked, or any room that needs its own access control. As a front-door lock it's a harder sell for me.
WHO IT IS FOR
Interior doors that need access control: a home office with client files, a medicine cabinet room, a workshop, a short-term-rental owner's closet. It's the only handle-style lock in the ranking, the fingerprint reader is fast, and the built-in Wi-Fi means no hub. For the front door, one of the deadbolts above is a better fit.
#10 myQ Secure View 3-in-1
$200
LOCK + DOORBELL + CAMERA · 12/20
On paper it replaces three devices: a smart deadbolt, a video doorbell, and a 2K HDR camera with color night vision. Five ways in, including face access that unlocks with a glance, a fingerprint reader, PIN codes, the app, and a physical key. My experience ran bumpier than the spec sheet: it fought me on the initial connection, and the smarter alerts (person, face, and package detection) sit behind a paid monitoring plan.
BUY IT IF
▶ You want the lock, doorbell, and camera in one device and you're fine with a subscription for smart alerts. Skip it if you run Apple Home or want every feature included on day one.
WHO IT IS FOR
Households already using myQ for the garage door who want the front door in the same app, and anyone who wants lock, doorbell, and camera in one device and is comfortable with a monitoring plan for the smart alerts. The hardware is capable; the subscription and the setup friction are the reasons it ranks tenth. Apple Home users should skip it.
The Baseline: Schlage Encode Plus
$285 to $320
STILL MY RECOMMENDATION FOR MOST PEOPLE
Every lock above had something to prove against this one. The Encode Plus guarded my own front door for years without a single failure through Minnesota winters, and it passed the household aesthetic test, which around here counts as a certification of its own. Built-in Wi-Fi with no hub, Apple Home Key, a keypad, a traditional keyway, and strong battery life.
WHO IT'S FOR
▶ Anyone who wants a proven, easy-to-install Wi-Fi lock and doesn't need hands-free UWB unlocking yet. Available online and at most home improvement stores.
WHY IT IS STILL THE BASELINE
Because it does everything most people need with nothing to learn: Wi-Fi with no hub, Apple Home Key, a visible keypad, a real keyway, and batteries that last. It survived years of Minnesota winters on my door, it's sold at every home improvement store, and it's the lock I'd tell a client to buy if they want to make one decision and be done. The locks above it are better; this one is still right for most people.
Two objections worth answering
▶ No keyway: A keyhole is itself a vulnerability; locks get picked and bumped, and if you never carry keys anyway that cylinder is attack surface earning nothing. Where I'd pump the brakes is a condo or any home where that door is the only way in and out.
▶ Could someone force you to walk up to your own door?: Fair concern, and here's my read: someone who wants inside is going to break a window or put you in that same position with any lock you own, including a face or fingerprint reader. What UWB does is make the case for a duress mode that requires a second credential, and that's at the top of my wish list for 2027.
What I want from smart locks in 2027
▶ A duress mode that can require a code plus a face when something seems off.
▶ Aliro everywhere, so the door opens for Samsung and Google phones the same way it does for an iPhone, with no app running in the background.
▶ An Encode Plus with ultra-wideband inside that body, at that price.
▶ UWB under $200. Aqara proved it ships under $300.
▶ Self-powering locks going mainstream. Desloc's solar panel and Lockly's mechanical thumbturn are two different attacks on the same problem.
Frequently asked questions
What is ultra-wideband and do I need it?
UWB lets the lock measure exactly where your phone is, so it unlocks as you approach with the phone in your pocket. It's the first genuinely hands-free experience, and it's an iPhone and Apple Watch feature today (through Apple Home Key). It's a luxury, not a necessity; a fingerprint reader gets you 80% of the convenience for half the price.
Are smart locks secure?
The good ones are ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 or 2 deadbolts, the same physical rating as a quality conventional lock, with encrypted wireless. Most break-ins go through a window or a kicked door, not the lock. Use a long reinforced strike plate and 3-inch screws into the framing; that does more for security than any lock.
What happens when the battery dies?
Every lock here warns you for weeks first. If you ignore it, all of them have a USB-C port on the outside for emergency power from a phone charger, and most have a physical key. Replace batteries on a schedule (twice a year is plenty) and you'll never find out.
Which smart locks work with Apple Home, Google, and Alexa?
Schlage Sense Pro, Aqara U400, Kwikset Halo Select+, and eufy FamiLock S3 Max all support Matter, which covers all three plus SmartThings. Schlage Encode Plus works with Apple Home, Alexa, and Google directly; UltraLoq's U-Bolt Pro covers Alexa and Google, and the Bolt Home Key adds Apple Home. Desloc and Lyro are Alexa and Google only.
Does the smart lock stay with the house when I sell?
Yes; it's a fixture. Before closing, delete every user code and remove the lock from your account so the buyer can set it up fresh. If you're keeping it, put the original deadbolt back before showings. For sellers, a smart lock also makes showings easier: agents get a code, and you get a log of every entry.
The bottom line
If you want the best lock you can buy today, it's the Schlage Sense Pro, and the Aqara U400 is right behind it with more ways in for less money. If you want the most lock for the least, buy the UltraLoq U-Bolt Pro on sale. If you want one decision and no research, the Schlage Encode Plus is still the answer, and the Kwikset Aura is the one for a parent's door.
Whatever you pick, reinforce the strike plate, set up codes for the people who need them, and delete the ones who don't. Then pair it with a video doorbell so you can see who's using it. Every one of my smart home packages starts with a lock, and if you're selling a home in the Twin Cities, the Doyle Real Estate Team uses them to make showings simpler and safer.
Resources
▶ Secure the Home With the Top Smart Locks of 2025 – my REALTOR® Magazine column; the 2026 hands-free edition is on the way
▶ CES 2026 Smart-Home Trends – where I first saw the UWB and Aliro wave coming
▶ DIY Smart Home Guy: 16 smart locks ranked – my podcast co-host Pete's lock wall
▶ Technical Difficulties Podcast – where we argue about all of this every week
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