At first I was hesitant to buy a smart lock; I didn’t like the idea of using an internet-connected product to control the front door. I have dozens of smart home products at home, and while I don’t mind using them, I’m still wary of security vulnerabilities, which is why I put all IoT devices on their own VLAN.
These fears proved unfounded when the Nuki Smart Lock Ultra appeared. I wasn’t familiar with Nuki, but it’s a rare smart home brand that cares about security. Smart Lock Ultra comes with end-to-end encryption, I didn’t have to set up an account to use it, and Nuki didn’t ask for any data outside of what was needed to set up the device.
Honestly, it’s such a refreshing change of pace from most of the other smart home products I use that I recommend Nuki for its security practices alone. Of course, there’s also the fact that the Smart Lock Ultra is a great piece of kit; I really like the design of the lock and after a full year of use it has proven to be unfailingly reliable, something I can’t say about any other product I’ve tested in this category.
However, all these positive aspects come at a cost. The Smart Lock Ultra is Available for $359 in the US. and costs €349 in Europeand ideally you’ll also need to get the Keypad 2, which bundle goes up to $409/€429. Now, what do you get for what price? Smart Lock Ultra is easily the best modernized smart lock out there, and the design, along with sensible security measures, give it a considerable edge.
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Smart Lock Ultra is an upgrade solution, so you can install it over an existing deadbolt. The lock comes with its own universal cylinder designed to fit most door profiles and is quite simple to install. I set it up while finishing the interiors of the house and the contractor was able to install it in less than 15 minutes. I had a Yale lock on the door and it was no problem to put the Smart Lock Ultra on top of it. Nuki provides all the necessary parts and the lock comes with three sets of keys that can be used to manually unlock the cylinder (you can order more as needed). on the Nuki site).
The Smart Lock Ultra is clad in stainless steel and is much smaller than most of its rivals. The design itself is quite stylish and the base of the unit has an interchangeable plastic ring that is available in white or black. The unit has an LED ring that flashes white when the door is unlocked and red when the built-in battery needs to be charged. It is a well designed product and I have had no problems with installation or use over the last year.
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Nuki opted for a brushless motor and it has proven to be reliable. It gets quite loud when unlocked and while there are three modes, even the quietest Soft mode can get quite loud. The best way to control the lock is with the Nuki app; It has a minimalist interface and many features to get the most out of the lock. You can easily set up auto unlock, night mode (which automatically locks the door), and set up built-in Wi-Fi. Once you connect the product to your home network, you will be able to control it remotely from anywhere in the world and even after a year of use, it is great to be able to do so.
You can control Smart Lock Ultra with almost any smart home platform. Integrates with Google Home, HomeKit, Alexaand Samsung’s SmartThings platforms, and comes with Matter over Thread. I also bought the Keypad 2 and use it to unlock the door with my fingerprint. You can also set up a number lock, and it’s a nifty solution if you want to give someone access to your home.
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The only problem arose two weeks ago when a plastic gear between the motor and the thumb broke. This gear is designed to fail and not damage the engine, and in that sense, it worked as intended. Basically, a guest tried to open the door while the motor was still unlocking and the gear broke as a result. Nuki includes two of these gears with Smart Lock Ultra, but ideally it would provide more; We initially broke one while calibrating the product, so there were none left to use with the lock. Fortunately, there is a 3D printed solution who came to the rescue. I 3D printed the piece and it fit into the lock without any problems (I made 20 of these just in case).
Battery life has been decent overall, with one caveat. Initially I had to charge the Smart Lock Ultra once every two months, but nowadays I have to plug in the charger every four weeks on average. Nuki has a charger with a USB-C port and a pogo pin on the other side, and it is convenient to use a power bank to charge the product while it is connected to the door (it only needs 10W of power). I recently bought a new router system and switched the built-in Wi-Fi to Compatibility mode, which Nuki says consumes more battery. I turned the settings back to Automatic mode and will update this post if I notice a difference in battery life next month.
Overall, Smart Lock Ultra is the best upgrade solution out there. It’s easy to set up and use, looks great, connects to all smart home platforms, and has class-leading security features. Yes, it costs more than its rivals, but you also get a much better overall product and a level of confidence not normally seen in this category. That alone makes it easy to recommend Smart Lock Ultra if you’re looking for an internet-connected product to lock your door.
