Editorial Guide · HireLocksmiths

The Best Smart Locks of 2026

Updated September 2026 · By the HireLocksmiths Editorial Team

Six smart locks our verified locksmiths actually install — chosen by category, not by what's trending on Amazon. We tested every one in the field, paired them with the doors and ecosystems we'd realistically pair them with, and stripped the picks down to the use-case winners. No marketing copy, no “you can't go wrong with any of these” cop-out conclusions.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are Amazon Associates affiliate links. If you buy through them, HireLocksmiths may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we'd install ourselves.

Quick picks

1 Best for Apple Households Schlage Encode Plus 2 Best Value Deadbolt Kwikset Halo Touchscreen 3 Best Renter-Friendly Pick Yale Approach with Wi-Fi 4 Best for Property Managers Yale Assure Lock 2 (Wi-Fi + Keyed) 5 Best Airbnb Power-User Pick August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) 6 Best Invisible / Inside-Door Pick Level Bolt

The picks

Each card includes the specs that actually matter, the honest pros, the things we wish were better, and a single “Check on Amazon” button. Affiliate disclosure above — we earn a small commission when you buy through these links, which is the only thing that funds the editorial team writing this guide.

Best for Apple Households

Schlage Encode Plus

iPhone-first households who want the door to unlock with a tap of an Apple Wallet pass — no app, no phone unlock, no scanning a code in the rain.

Specs that matter

Apple Home Key + Wallet pass tap-to-unlock Built-in Wi-Fi (no separate hub required) Auto-lock with adjustable delay (5 sec to 4 min) 12-month battery on 4× AA BHMA Grade 2 / ANSI deadbolt Standard 2-3/8" or 2-3/4" backset

Pros

Apple Home Key feels invisible — taps a watch or phone to the keypad and the bolt retracts
Direct Wi-Fi means remote unlock from the Home app even when nobody is on the network
Drop-in replacement for any standard deadbolt prep

Things we wish were better

Apple Home Key requires iOS 16.4+ and a HomePod / Apple TV / iPad as a home hub
Keypad reads slightly slow vs. resistive-touch competitors

Check on Amazon

Best Value Deadbolt

Kwikset Halo Touchscreen

Buyers who want the basics — codes, app control, auto-lock — without paying for HomeKit or matter premium tier features.

Specs that matter

Capacitive touchscreen keypad (resists smudging) Built-in Wi-Fi, no hub Up to 250 user codes SmartKey-rekey (re-pin in 60 seconds with the included tool) 6-month battery on 4× AA iOS / Android app, Alexa + Google compatible

Pros

Lowest entry price for a Wi-Fi-native smart deadbolt with a real keypad
SmartKey lets a locksmith re-pin the cylinder in a minute if you lose a key
Quiet motor — won't wake the house at 2 AM

Things we wish were better

No HomeKit / Home Key support
SmartKey cylinders are easier to bypass than Schlage / Yale equivalents — mitigate by pairing with the smart-lock features

Check on Amazon

Best Renter-Friendly Pick

Yale Approach with Wi-Fi

Renters who want smart-lock control without changing the lock cylinder — the hardware retrofits over your existing deadbolt thumbturn from inside the unit only.

Specs that matter

Retrofit install (keeps your existing exterior cylinder + key) Wi-Fi + Bluetooth, app control Auto-unlock when phone arrives (geofence) ~6 months battery on 4× AA No drilling required — uses the existing thumbturn screw pattern

Pros

Landlord-friendly: outside of the door looks unchanged, you get the smart features
Auto-unlock + auto-lock based on phone presence
Fits 99% of standard residential deadbolts

Things we wish were better

No keypad — phone or remote unlock only
Slightly bulky on the inside of the door

Check on Amazon

Best for Property Managers

Yale Assure Lock 2 (Wi-Fi + Keyed)

Property managers running 5–50 doors who need rotating PIN codes + a real key backup the on-site team can use.

Specs that matter

Built-in Wi-Fi (no Connect Bridge required) Up to 250 codes with scheduling (one-time, recurring, expiring) Real keyway as backup BHMA Grade 2 deadbolt Optional fingerprint upgrade (Touchscreen + Fingerprint variant) 12-month battery on 4× AA

Pros

Code scheduling for cleaners, tenants, contractors — codes auto-expire
Keyed cylinder option means your existing master-key system still works on the back-door
Yale Access dashboard handles multi-property setups well

Things we wish were better

PIN-only / no-keyway variant exists — buy the keyed version unless you're sure
Yale's code-scheduling UI is dated; functional, not pretty

Check on Amazon

Best Airbnb Power-User Pick

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)

Short-term-rental hosts on Airbnb / VRBO who want guest codes that auto-issue at booking and auto-revoke at checkout, with no exterior changes the cleaning crew has to figure out.

Specs that matter

Retrofit (keeps existing exterior + key) Wi-Fi built into the lock body (no separate Connect bridge) API + Zapier integrations with most STR platforms Auto-Unlock geofence Activity log per code (good for guest disputes)

Pros

Best STR-platform integrations — Hospitable, Hostfully, Smoobu all natively support it
Zero exterior change means no guest confusion at the door
Per-code activity log is the killer feature when a guest claims they couldn't get in

Things we wish were better

Battery life trails competitors (4–5 months heavy use)
August's app has had stability hiccups since the Yale acquisition

Check on Amazon

Best Invisible / Inside-Door Pick

Level Bolt

Buyers who want smart-lock features but won't accept a chunky keypad on the front door — the entire mechanism lives inside the door, with the existing handle and key set unchanged.

Specs that matter

Mechanism mounts inside the deadbolt cavity (no exterior keypad) HomeKit + Apple Home Key + Bluetooth Optional Connect bridge for remote unlock Standard cylinder + key still works 12+ month CR123A battery

Pros

Looks like a normal deadbolt from both sides — no \"smart-lock face\" giveaway
Apple Home Key works without an exterior keypad
CR123A lasts roughly twice as long as 4× AA designs in real-world use

Things we wish were better

Most expensive option in the lineup
Install requires fitting the mechanism inside the door bore — not hard, but not 5 minutes either
Replacement CR123A batteries cost more than AAs

Check on Amazon

Buyer’s guide

The five questions that will save you a return shipment. Read these before you click any “Check on Amazon” button above.

Should I get a deadbolt-replacement or a retrofit lock?

Owners: deadbolt replacement. You get a real keypad on the outside, full smart-lock features, and parity hardware grade. Renters / short-term tenants: retrofit. The exterior of the door stays unchanged so the landlord has no objection.

How important is built-in Wi-Fi vs. a separate "Connect" bridge?

For 99% of buyers, built-in Wi-Fi is worth the small price bump. A separate bridge means another device to install, plug in, and replace when it dies. The exception: if you live in a 1980s metal-frame condo where Wi-Fi is sketchy 6 feet from the door, the bridge gives you better signal control.

HomeKit / Apple Home Key — worth chasing?

Yes, if you own an iPhone. Tapping a phone or watch to the keypad to unlock is dramatically faster than typing a code, and Home Key is encrypted end-to-end. Skip it if you're Android-first — you're paying for a feature you can't use.

What about the lock-grade rating?

Look for BHMA Grade 2 minimum on a residential exterior. Grade 1 is commercial-grade and overkill for most homes. Grade 3 is too weak for an exterior door — fine for a garage entry or office interior only.

Always pair with a physical-key backup

Even on smart-lock-first households, choose a model with a real keyway (or keypad backup). Smart locks fail — dead battery, firmware bug, dead Wi-Fi. The backup gets you in without calling a locksmith at 2 AM.

Need help installing one of these?

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