I have spent countless nights getting ready to sleep after a long day, spending no more than a few minutes with my eyes closed after being comfy under the covers, when this intrusive thought inevitably enters my brain: “Did I remember to lock the front door?”
Inevitably, not trusting my own memory, I get out of bed and walk all the way to the front door to check the lock. Probably nine times out of ten, the deadbolt was in fact locked, and I returned to my bedroom annoyed, but with peace of mind.
Not a week before I came across the SwitchBot Lock, I was brainstorming how I could attach a motor to the deadbolt on my front door so that the lock could be controlled from my bedside to solve my nightly conundrum. I nearly leapt with excitement when I realized I had the opportunity to review a product that did exactly that, and more.
Overview
The SwitchBot Lock is an adapter that fits on the deadbolt of any standard door lock. With the SwitchBot Lock installed, the user can control the state of their locks from the SwitchBot app on their phone.
The lock adapter is about the size of a deck of cards. It has a battery compartment with a Bluetooth receiver that controls a motor that spins the user’s deadbolt in the desired direction to either lock or unlock the door.
The manual included with the SwitchBot Lock made installation a breeze, and I was able to get my smart lock up and running within fifteen minutes. The SwitchBot lock comes with three different-sized adapters to be able to mount to many deadbolt shapes.
The lock itself attaches to the door around the deadbolt. There is also a very small sensor that attaches to the doorframe so that the smart lock can tell when the door is opened or closed. Both components adhere to the door and frame with a sticky foam pad that reminded me of Command Strips.
Once the components are in place, the SwitchBot lock connects to a smart device via the SwitchBot app. Then after a simple calibration, the lock is ready to use. While the overall setup process was relatively easy to follow along in the manual, I would not recommend trying to setup the smart lock without consulting the manual, as the positions of the components are very important.
Another cool feature about the Switchbot Lock that I would like to mention is that it also comes with programmable SwitchBot Tags. These tags can be set to either lock or unlock the SwitchBot Lock.
I made sure to put a tag on my nightstand so I could lock my door simply by tapping my phone against the tag.
Aesthetics
Once the SwitchBot Lock is attached to the door, it is a little bulky, and sticks out a couple extra inches from the door. The texture and look of the smart lock are clean, but in some cases, it could look a little clunky.
Also, the extra few inches that it adds beyond the thickness of the door means that the user needs to be wary that opening the door all the way could now slam the lock into the wall, which is something to keep in mind.
Accessories
One of the best things that I like about SwitchBot, is how all their products work together so cohesively. With my SwitchBot Lock, I also got a SwitchBot Keypad, and a SwitchBot Mini Hub. The keypad sits on the outside of the door and adds many new abilities for locking and unlocking the door. The mini hub attaches to the wall near an outlet and connects the device to WiFi rather than Bluetooth so that the lock can be controlled from anywhere.
The SwitchBot Keypad connects easily to the smart lock through the SwitchBot App and adds the ability to operate the lock with a code or a fingerprint. I found this functionality to be very useful. Now I can not only leave my apartment without my keys, but I’m even safe if I forget my phone as well.
The SwitchBot Mini Hub also adds another layer of convenience to using the SwitchBot Lock. Having the hub allows a push notification to be sent to your phone if your door has been unlocked for too long so that you never leave it open. It was also nice to have the SwitchBot Mini Hub because if I left for work in the morning and forgot to lock the door, I could lock it from my phone from wherever I was.
Smart App
The SwitchBot App is very clean and easy to use. Of the smart device apps that I have seen, this app was one of the most user-friendly. It made connecting all the SwitchBot devices to each other very easy.
Inside the app, locking and unlocking my apartment door happens with the click of a button. The app also made it especially easy to add new valid codes and fingerprints to the SwitchBot Keypad, as well as temporary codes and fingerprints for visitors.
Conclusion
The SwitchBot lock, though simple in design, saves me many trips to the front door to check the lock. All my worrying now goes away by just opening the SwitchBot App or tapping my phone against a SwitchBot Tag.
With the help of the included manual, installing this product for use went without a hitch. The sleek, inconspicuous colors of the smart lock’s design make of for its bulkiness.
Adding more SwitchBot devices to my home setup was a seamless process that added even more useful features to the smart lock itself. And as for me, I can stop lying awake at night, running through my evening, trying to remember if I locked the door.
You can purchase the SwitchBot Lock for about $100 at the manufacturer’s website.
