SwitchBot Wi-Fi Smart Lock Review

SwitchBot is an organization that’s based on the precept of utilizing good know-how that may be retrofitted to customers’ current homes – so everybody can get pleasure from its advantages with out having to spend money on costly and proprietary options. It’s been round since 2016 and its title comes from promoting Wi-Fi units referred to as a SwitchBot Bot that bodily prompts switches for you, so you’ll be able to, for instance, make your mild switches Wi-Fi linked with out having to alter something. It additionally has a plethora of different merchandise from cameras to movement sensors to automated curtain rails.

It has now acquired round to releasing a wise lock and having been a Nuki good lock person for a while I used to be to see how Switchbot’s effort would evaluate. The very first thing to notice is that the SwitchBot Lock is cheaper than the Nuki. On the time of writing, it’s £129 in comparison with £149.99 and when you purchase a keypad and SwitchBot hub with it, it involves £229.99, in comparison with £236 for the Nuki equivalents.

For me, the query was the way to check. I wasn’t eager on eradicating my Nuki from my entrance door simply to check one other lock – however SwitchBot helpfully offered me with an answer – it might ship me a small door to check it with. I instantly thought this was an incredible thought, and positive sufficient, finally, a small door arrived within the put up. Which suggests I now have a small door! What’s to not love? It jogged my memory of the small door within the tree that Mr. Comfortable discovers within the Mr. Man e-book by Roger Hargreaves, which I bear in mind from my childhood. So, no matter occurred I used to be glad. My cat even walked by way of the small door as soon as, however when he came upon he was in the identical place he began in he didn’t trouble repeating the expertise.

Easy design

Taking the lock out of the field you’ll discover that’s black plastic, with a silver dial and a small mild on the entrance. It’s easy and inoffensive, however in contrast to the Nuki there is no such thing as a white possibility accessible, which might be an issue for me, although many will desire it. I instantly famous that the construct high quality isn’t as premium feeling because the Nuki, but it surely’s completely acceptable.

The primary you need to do earlier than shopping for is to verify the SwitchBot web site for compatibility. When you’re unsure ship them an image of the lock and they’ll assist you. You will have to alter your cylinder to make it suitable, which I needed to do for the Nuki, however I used to be glad to do that to reap the advantages. As with the Nuki, assuming compatibility, the SwitchBot is designed so you need to use your current key, if you want, or when you ignore all of the app warnings and your battery goes useless. It additionally signifies that from the surface it’s not apparent you’ve got a wise lock put in – besides after all when you’ve got the non-compulsory keypad, which can give the sport away somewhat. Nonetheless, I’d not let that paranoia put me off – SwitchBot claims the lock makes use of 128-bit AES encryption, which it says is “financial institution grade”.

Software-free set up

What shocked me most in regards to the SwitchBot Lock was how simple it was to arrange. It guarantees a very tool-free set up, and there’s no want to switch something in your current lock, and this proved to be the case. So long as the lock is suitable you don’t have to screw or unscrew something – it makes use of 3M tape to stay to your door. And boy is it sticky – it would be best to make certain it’s lined up accurately earlier than you commit as as soon as it’s on it’s not simply coming off. (That mentioned, when you do have to take away it, say when you’re transferring, you need to use a hairdryer to finally get it to unstick).

The lock goes over your current knob or key, and an adaptor grabs it and turns it by a battery-powered motor. It’s a easy however efficient resolution to turning your door “good”. There are three adaptors to select from relying on the thickness required. Altering the adaptor is straightforward – simply pull and it’ll come off. The lock wants to take a seat flush along with your door so that you might need to make a small adjustment by pulling off the battery cowl (it takes two CR123A batteries, which it says will final for as much as six months) after which extending a bracket. Okay, this does require the usage of a screwdriver, however one is provided at the least – and it doesn’t have to break your door in any means, it simply makes positive the lock is flush.

The lock additionally comes with a sensor, which you connect to the body of the door so the lock can inform if the door is open or closed.

Upon getting the lock in your door you go to the smartphone app to set it up and calibrate it. The app walks you thru this, and also you’ll have to manually open the lock, and shut it a few instances. Attaching the lock and setting it up took only a few minutes and was very simple to do. You’ll be able to then open and shut the lock with a press of a button within the app. You’ll be able to set it to mechanically lock after an unlock after a set time. Nonetheless, it doesn’t supply the “Auto Unlock” characteristic that Nuki does, presumably as a result of because it doesn’t use Wi-Fi there is no such thing as a geo-location characteristic potential. That’s one among my favourite options of the Nuki, however others don’t like the concept of your door mechanically opening as you strategy it, so you could not care.

Open with a contact

What the SwitchBot does supply is an non-compulsory keypad with a fingerprint reader on it, the Keypad Contact (£99), so you’ll be able to simply stroll as much as your door and open it with a press of the finger. It’s solidly constructed and waterproof, although it isn’t as premium-looking because the Nuki keypad. As soon as I managed to prise the again off with the provided device to insert the batteries, it took seconds so as to add it to the app as soon as I had – and labored flawlessly – one contact to open the lock – and a press on the lock key to shut it. When you do need to arrange codes for guests to the home, I used to be happy to see the presence of a 0 digit, which the Nuki doesn’t supply for some purpose. The keypad might be hooked up with provided screws or once more simply use the 3M sticky tape, which I’d suggest. If somebody does violently take away it from the wall, the keypad will detect this and emit an alarm – and when you’ve got the accompanying SwitchBot hub, you can be despatched an alert.

A intelligent characteristic is you can set a secondary “emergency fingerprint” in order that if somebody forces you to allow them to in you are able to do so utilizing this uncommon fingerprint and it’ll mechanically ship a notification and an electronic mail to a desired contact or handle, so you’ll be able to verify if all the things is correctly.

The ultimate keypad characteristic of be aware is a provided NFC card which can be utilized to open the lock simply by touching it towards the lock – it simply must be arrange within the app, which is a breeze to do.

Attending to the hub of it

The ultimate piece of the puzzle was the addition of the SwitchBot hub. That is simple to put in – simply plug it in and the app detects it – and also you press a button on the hub to substantiate. Nonetheless, for it to work it has to inside Bluetooth vary of the door, so plan accordingly. It has plenty of options within the SwitchBot eco-system, however the principle profit for Lock customers is that it offers you entry to notifications, and allows you to use good speaker management and the Apple Watch. On that foundation, I’d say it’s a necessary addition. It’ll additionally allow you to combine with IFTTT and in addition the SmartThings platform.

If the considered utilizing your voice to unlock the door worries you, the Alexa talent makes you arrange a four-digit code that you simply’ll have to substantiate earlier than it’s going to work – so a burglar can’t simply inform the door to open. As I’d beforehand named my Nuki “Loki” (sure, a wonderful pun) I naturally arrange the SwitchBot lock as “Thor”. This meant that when my Amazon Echo system confirmed the door was open it mentioned “The Thor is unlocked”, which made it sound as if it had a lisp. Technically this has nothing to do with the lock, however I discovered it amusing. With additional testing, I requested Alexa to lock “door” and it mentioned “sorry, I couldn’t discover a group or system named door” – after which promptly locked the door anyway, proving that Alexa is mad.

An efficient good lock

Total, I discovered the SwitchBot lock to be extremely efficient. It’s simple to arrange and use and, assuming it’s suitable, when you don’t need to change your current lock and need to retain the usage of your current key, it’s an excellent possibility. It’s additionally a less expensive possibility than Nuki, (particularly with Black Friday provides). Nuki is definitely a extra premium possibility, with higher construct high quality, a better look, availability in black and white, and in addition an Auto Unlock operate that I wouldn’t need to be with out. However if you would like a inexpensive possibility, the SwitchBot is a stable possibility.