The Best Smart Locks for Your Home in 2025

With technology making advancements in every area of our lives, its no surprise that our home security is also becoming ‘smart’. Smart locks are the choice for those who want to add an extra layer of security to their homes but want the ease of interconnectivity with other smart home devices.

They’re not for everyone, if you are not very tech savvy then the thought of electronic lock that you control with an app, might be stressful – but if you use app for everyday life a smart lock might be a natural choice for you.

In this guide we break down all you need to know about smart locks – how they work, what they do, the benefits the bring and most importantly how to choose the right one for your home!

What is a Smart Lock?

A smart lock or smart door lock is a device that fits to your front door to secure it whilst allowing access in and out of your property, just like a regular lock. However, a smart door lock is connected to the internet or Bluetooth which means it can connect to other smart technologies such as your Smartphone through an app and your smart home devices.

A smart  lock therefore is able to perform far greater than your average door lock. Smart locks have the ability to unlock and lock the door from anywhere from a Smartphone.  They will allow you to know who and at what time a person entered your property.  You can even connect your smart lock to your other smart home devices, offering a seamless interconnectivity, which will allow you to save precious time during your busy schedule.

What do Smart Locks Do?

Smart locks are locks that connect to the internet and can be controlled by a smart phone. They offer users ease of access and the ability to lock and unlock there door remotely. Smart locks can also connect to other smart home devices, such as a video doorbell or smart security system. They physically work the same as traditional locks, bolt into a recess to secure the door, but this can be done with an app, rather than physically turning a key.

What to Look for in a Smart Lock

There are currently two types of smart locks. Deadbolts and lever style smart door locks, deadbolts are installed to replace your existing deadbolt lock and lever style smart locks include the lock and opening lever in one.

• Connectivity: Does the smart door lock connect via Bluetooth or the Internet or even both?
• Smart home compatibility: Does the smart door lock connect to your current smart home devices?
• Lock type: Do you want a deadbolt or lever style smart door lock?
• Function: Does the smart door lock come with an app that includes useful extras?
• Design: Most smart door locks come in a few styles to fit in with your décor.
• Price: Most importantly, does the smart door lock fit inside your budget?

How much does a Smart Lock Cost?

Smart door locks vary widely in price. We’ve found them from around £90 on Amazon for a pin code operated smart lock Yale Smart Living to around £300 for an August Home Smart Lock Pro which includes features such as automatic locking, ‘door sense’ and the ability to know who is coming and going with a 24/7 live feed.

How to Install a Smart Lock

Different smart door locks require different installations. We recommend that you follow the advice given from the manufacture of your chosen smart door lock. Often the manufactures will include diagrams or even YouTube videos of how to install a smart lock or offer the service to install it themselves for an additional fee.

Smart Locks vs. Traditional Locks

Having a secure door lock is one of the most effective ways to protect your home and ever since ‘Smart Locks’ came on to the market, there has been an ongoing debate about whether they are A) safe, and B) more secure than traditional locks. We are going to look at some of the pros and cons of Smart and Traditional Locks, to see which comes out on top as the most secure for your door.

Benefits of Smart Locks

Lock and Unlock Your Home from Anywhere

Are you one of the many who leave their home get halfway to your destination and start worrying that you didn’t lock the door when you left? With a smart door lock you won’t have that worry as you can simply lock and unlock your front door with your smartphone. Not only will this upgrade your security and give you peace of mind whilst away from your home you can use this feature to your advantage in many ways, see above for more smart ways to use your smart door lock!

Flexibility with Access

Smart door locks require no key (in most instances) so there is no chance of you, your children, nurse or dog walker losing the keys and risk them falling into the wrong hands. Some smart door locks even include the function to set temporary ‘keys’. This feature works by sending someone a one-time use code to their smartphone allowing them access with your permission.

Real Time Data

Many smart door locks now have a feature which will allow you to track who comes in and out of your home. If you just have a single access code then this might be just a log of when the door was locked and unlocked – if you have a higher end version which allows you to set different codes for different people, it will give you more detailed information!

Drawbacks of Smart Locks

Hacking

As with all things that are connected to the internet, smart door locks run the risk of being intruded by an internet hacker. This is not something your average burglar can do, so is safer in that respect but it is something an advanced burglar anywhere in the world can potentially do.

Smart Locks are Expensive

Compared to traditional locks, smart door locks are expensive to buy. They not only require much more technology to work (such as a strong Wi-Fi connection) but if something goes wrong it’s more likely to cost you more in the long run to fix it.

Network or Power Cuts

If your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or even the power of your home cut out, you will no longer be able to lock and unlock your home.

Power (Will it Need Batteries?)

If your smart door lock requires batteries, you run the risk of the batteries running out without you realising and thus rendering your lock either useless or inaccessible.

Benefits of a Traditional Door Lock

Cost

Traditional door locks are much more budget friendly, traditional door locks usually are priced around £15-£45 depending on size, make and model but smart door locks are priced into the hundreds.

Availability

Traditional door locks are more readily available than its smart counterpart; this includes the lock parts and mechanisms and the Locksmiths available who can fit, adjust and replace your locks the same day!

Drawbacks of a Traditional Door Lock

Lock/ Cylinder snapping

Cylinder snapping is a process used by burglars to break the lock through the keyhole rendering the lock useless, enabling them to force their way into your home. There are ways around this using traditional locks, you can install Anti-Snap or British Standard Locks and Hardware which are designed to withstand different forced entry techniques.

Lost keys

Losing small keys is easy to do and happens often. Losing your key runs the risk of it ending up in the wrong hands, which brings us onto our next point…

Multiple key copies

If you have lost your keys or are moving into a new home, it is advisable to replace the lock. You never know how many key copies out there or how many people are have access to your home. Find a Locksmith with Keytek® today!

Our Top Smart Lock Pick: The Yale Smart Lock

Yale have a range of smart locks, but the most popular is the The Conexis L1 Smart Lock. Much like the August smart lock, the Yale smart lock allows you to receive notifications to your phone when your door is locked and unlocked. What we like about the Yale smart lock is that you have a choice of different ways to open the door. it can be via your smartphone, or you can use a key tag, key card, or phone tag. You can also send virtual keys and there is a tamper alarm, which will sound if someone fiddles with your Yale smart lock.

Features

• Easy installation
• Virtual keys
• Encrypted Bluetooth technology
• BSI Kitemark

Within 72 hours of purchasing your Yale Smart Lock, their installation partner, OrderWork, will contact you to schedule a convenient date and time for installation.

One of the standoutfeatures of the Yale Smart Lock is virtual keys, which allow you to grant temporary access to tradespeople, dog walkers, or cleaners. This eliminates the hassle of distributing multiple spare keys and the risk of losing track of them.

Security is a top priority, and the lock’s encrypted Bluetooth technology helps prevent tech-savvy burglars from hacking into your system and gaining entry.

But what truly sets the Yale Smart Lock apart is that it’s the first smart lock to pass the British Standard tests and receive the prestigious BSI Kitemark. This certification ensures that the lock meets strict security standards, giving you confidence in protecting your home.

You can purchase the Conexis L1 Smart Lock directly from the Yale website for £199.99.

In Conclusion

It may seem that smart door locks benefit from more pros and also misfortune more cons, simply due to the fact that it is more complicated than the tried over time traditional lock. We suggest that if you run a busy life and already have smart home technologies set up than a smart door lock is the one for you.

If you are watching your budget and require additional security then we suggest you upgrade your locks to an anti-snap lock with additional home security.

*With every call out.