For the previous decade, I’ve been renting an condominium. For even longer, I’ve been a fan and adopter of smart home tech. That means I’ve been counting down the times till I may lastly escape my landlord’s purview and set up a smart lock. But being a renter means I can’t simply substitute the entrance door, and in the end, I’ve moved into my very own place and may lastly swap the lifeless bolt.
The very first thing I did upon transferring in? Install the brand new Level Lock Pro. It was love at first sight, and to this point, that love is barely rising. With the power to faucet my iPhone to lock and unlock the entrance door, in addition to tons of different safety features, I’ve spent the previous month with the brand new accent to see if this good house improve was actually definitely worth the wait.
Level’s latest good lock is its most succesful mannequin but. It options the identical invisible design that made earlier editions so common, plus Apple Home Key help for tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock the entrance door.
Easy and intuitive setup
Unlike different good house upgrades that contain screwing in a lightweight bulb or pushing a wise plug right into a wall outlet, there’s a bit extra work that goes into getting a wise lock configured. Thankfully, Level makes the set up course of as simple as potential.
By the time I learn the included guide, eliminated my outdated lock and secured the Level Lock Pro into my door, lower than half-hour had handed. In reality, most of that point was spent making an attempt to determine the best way to uninstall the unique lock. Once that was out of the way in which, following Level’s guided directions was a breeze, and I had my new entrance door upgraded and able to go in roughly quarter-hour. The course of was fairly easy, with a number of steps feeling extra like piecing collectively a Lego package than putting in a bit of {hardware}.
From there, it was time to fireplace up the companion app and get the Level Lock Pro added into my good house. Just just like the printed instruction guide, the app guided me by way of an intuitive setup course of that took only a handful of minutes to finish. It linked to my community with none points and was added into my Apple Home setup by scanning a QR code within the packaging.
All in all, it was an extremely nice first impression with the good lock.
One of the most important promoting factors of the Level lock series, not simply the Pro mannequin, is that they don’t appear like good locks. On the surface, it’s similar to another outdated lifeless bolt; it doesn’t appear like one thing full of smartphone-unlocking options. The Pro version very a lot embodies these identical ideas with a stunning design made from high-quality steel that is available in 4 finishes. I opted for the Satin Nickel colour, however there’s additionally Matte Black, Satin Chrome and Polished Brass designs accessible when you’re in search of one thing that matches your entrance door’s current {hardware} a bit higher.
The results of this minimalist design is a entrance door that doesn’t look misplaced. There’s neither a keypad on the surface (until you go for considered one of Level’s add-on accessories) nor a cumbersome motor on the within of the door such as you’ll discover with the vast majority of the competitors. Heck, even our prime picks for the best smart lock had an unpleasant design clinging to the again of the door.
Aside from simply being simpler on the eyes, the Level Lock Pro’s unassuming design doesn’t scream “smart lock,” one thing that may assist keep away from drawing any further consideration to it. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that having a conspicuous good lock is a home security threat, however having an adjunct that blends in definitely can’t make issues worse. My favourite smart home additions are ones that cover all of the tech in plain sight, and belief me, there’s loads of hidden tech right here.
The fundamental motive I finally selected the Level Lock Pro for my entrance door is due to a single characteristic known as Apple Home Key. Since initially launching in 2021, the performance has solely rolled out to a handful of lifeless bolts over the previous few years, and with it, you should use your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock your door the identical method you’d go about paying to your morning espresso. Double-clicking the facility button in your iPhone will convey up Apple’s Wallet launcher, and on the prime, there shall be a digital card for unlocking (or locking) your entrance door. More latest Apple merchandise, just like the iPhone 17 Pro and Apple Watch Series 10 that I at the moment use, help you merely faucet to activate the characteristic. I significantly love having the ability to use my wearable; once I come house with each arms full with grocery luggage, I can simply finesse my wrist subsequent to the lock to get inside as an alternative of getting to set every thing down and take my telephone out of a pocket or purse.
Another factor that makes the Level Lock Pro such a delight for me is that you simply don’t even want to make use of your smartphone or smartwatch. Included within the field are a pair of NFC-enabled key fobs that may be added to your key ring. Tapping considered one of these key fobs will lock or unlock the door in the identical method as your good system. So, anybody in your house who isn’t considering utilizing the good house options can nonetheless profit from the simplicity of the tap-to-unlock tech.
But let’s say that you simply need to give out spare keys to a relative, or perhaps you’ve gotten somebody in your house who simply isn’t considering messing with any of the Level Lock Pro’s tech. Everyone has a unique diploma of consolation with these things, and Level will get that. So, the corporate nonetheless builds its flagship good lock so it may be opened with a bodily key, and Level features a pair of keys within the field as effectively.
This isn’t a characteristic that needs to be taken as a right both. Both of our top picks for the best smart lock lack traditional-key choices, and most different trendy choices within the class forgo the old-school route in favor of packing in as a lot tech as potential. But from my testing, Level strikes the proper stability right here. It has a few of the most cutting-edge expertise in a wise house improve, all with out giving up one of the primary options of a lock.
Another spotlight from my time with the Level Lock Pro to this point is that I can entry it remotely. Many good locks (just like the best-tested Wyze Lock Bolt) lack this characteristic or simply require you to pair the accent to some type of proprietary hub or gateway with a purpose to supply entry away from your private home community. But for the occasions once I run out of the home right away and overlook to lock the door, or when a fast journey out to get espresso turns into half a day of errands, it may be such a lifesaver.
In both situation, once I inevitably understand I forgot to lock the door whereas out and about, there’s no want to fret; I can simply merely boot up my Apple Home app and lock it. Relying on the Matter smart home standard implies that it may well join proper into my current infrastructure to get pleasure from distant connectivity, in addition to different perks like voice management and automation help. It’s not simply with Apple gear both, as Matter additionally presents the identical options with the likes of Google and Amazon Alexa setups.
The distant connectivity doesn’t simply turn out to be useful once I’m out and about. Being capable of set customized scenes with the remainder of my good house equipment imply that once I flip off all of the lights as a part of my bedtime routine, I can make sure the entrance door robotically locks proper from my mattress.
Matter and Apple Home help ties all of it collectively
Speaking of customized scenes in my good house, I really like that I can simply tie the Level Lock Pro in with the remainder of my setup. Over the years, I’ve gravitated towards Apple’s HomeEquipment platform due to simply how dependable it’s in comparison with others, all whereas nonetheless providing help for all the massive gamers within the area. Level is one other adopter of the usual, because of utilizing Matter, and permits me to unlock the accent from the app I take advantage of to regulate my lights.
Alongside controlling the Level Lock Pro in the identical interface as the remainder of my gear, I can set automations primarily based on its standing. Unlocking the entrance door can now set off my household room lights to come back on robotically as I arrive house, whereas locking the entrance door might be set to show my lights off as I depart. Being in a position to make use of the Lock Pro’s distinctive door-status detection with a purpose to automate the remainder of my gear has been such a seamless expertise to this point, and it solely provides to the record of options that make this such a flexible accent.
Upon organising the Level Lock Pro, the ultimate instruction is to fit within the CR2 battery to convey it to life. It’s a simple step in an equally easy set up, however nonetheless, it depends on a non-rechargeable battery. That implies that in a 12 months or so, I’m going to have to switch that battery. It gained’t be a problem to screw off the cap on the latch bolt and truly swap in a contemporary battery, however having to depend on a consumable factor versus having a chargeable possibility that’s constructed proper into the good lock isn’t excellent. I suppose I’m glad that it’s replaceable and never one thing that might degrade over time, however nonetheless, I’d have liked for Level to go the additional distance.
As it stands now, it doesn’t appear to be something greater than a minor nuisance. But you’ll must verify again in with me in about 12 months to see if swapping out a new $6 CR2 battery finally ends up being something extra than simply an inconvenience.
As a lot as I really like the streamlined and invisible design that Level is understood for, there’s one shortcoming of that design for the Lock Pro: There’s no approach to recharge it when the door is locked. The situation I concern is coming house solely to be greeted by a lifeless battery with out realizing that the battery has died. No keys in my pockets, nobody house to let me in, and I’m simply out of luck.
Other good locks, particularly more moderen ones, have built-in novel methods to refuel the battery in a pinch. Some have a USB-C port, others allow you to jury-rig a 9-volt battery to the housing to get into your private home and truly substitute the battery. Sadly, Level presents neither.
In concept, that is solely ever the worst-case situation. While I haven’t needed to encounter it but, Level claims to do a radical job reminding you effectively prematurely that the battery is operating out of juice, and I at all times convey a bodily key with me similar to earlier than I switched to a wise lock. Still, the concept sometime it may occur nonetheless looms over me as I write this review. It is probably not anytime quickly. Heck, it may not be for an additional few years. But it’s a chance, and it’s price understanding earlier than you spend money on the Level Lock Pro. This, in fact, isn’t distinctive to Level, however with this being my first good lock, I needed to no less than point out that the tech reviewer who has lived in a wise house for over a decade can also be a tad bit nervous about such a situation.
My remaining critique of the Level Lock Pro isn’t even one thing that impacts me, however it’s one thing that could be a deal breaker for a possible purchaser. As I discussed earlier than, I’ve been invested within the Apple facet of the good house ecosystem for years now, one thing that makes Level’s locks a no brainer. But when you’re not already invested, or don’t plan to go down the HomeEquipment rabbit gap, this is probably not the answer for you; many of the options I really like are designed for iPhones, Apple Watches and different gadgets in Apple’s lineup.
One of the massive ways in which the Level Lock Pro isn’t for everybody is that it really works utilizing Bluetooth or Matter-over-Thread. Neither of these wi-fi connections use Wi-Fi, which for me, is a power, however if you wish to get pleasure from distant entry, you’ll want a hub that helps the Matter-over-Thread protocol. I’ve an Apple TV linked to my tv and fairly a couple of HomePods in my condominium, gadgets that match the invoice for this. However, when you aren’t rocking both of these, or one of many more moderen Echo audio system/good shows, then I wouldn’t rush to purchase the Lock Pro.
Ultimately, I feel that the options this presents are ok so that you can make the swap or dive in for the primary time. But when you’re opposed for some motive, then the reliance on Apple HomeEquipment shall be a dealbreaker.
I’ve waited a very long time to lastly set up a wise lock. After years of craving to improve my good house with some added comfort and safety, I used to be lastly capable of check out one of the feature-packed options in the marketplace, and the wait was definitely price it! Despite a couple of downsides, I’m nonetheless overwhelmingly impressed by my expertise to this point.
Everything from unboxing and putting in the Level Lock Pro to its precise efficiency in my house has been price praising. It hasn’t jammed a single time since putting in round a month in the past, and it continues to have zero points staying linked. I’ve had no drawback unlocking the entrance door from proper exterior my condominium, nor have I had bother locking it miles away whereas commuting to work in Manhattan. I’m additionally so extremely impressed by how simple it was to undertake into my setup. Normally, there are some hoops to leap by way of when putting in a brand new piece of good house tech, however Level made all the course of pleasurable. From setting it up in HomeEquipment to utilizing the lock’s standing for automations, it nonetheless delights me how easy it has been to configure and use.
I get that $349 goes to be a contact too costly for some would-be good owners, however there’s nothing in the marketplace that compares. Sure, different good locks have the Apple Home Key help and a wealth of different methods to unlock them, just like the Schlage Encode Plus and Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus, however none sport the invisible design that makes Level such a success. Instead, their huge designs give away their good house prowess. So, when you’ve been on the fence a couple of good lock and are in search of an easy-to-use possibility that’s as versatile to unlock as it’s trendy, look no additional than the Level Lock Pro.
Level notes that the Lock Pro’s battery will final for 12 months with common utilization.
The commonplace Level Lock lacks lots of the higher-end options that the Level Lock Pro contains, like Apple HomeKey help, NFC-enabled unlocking and door-status detection.
No, the Level Lock Pro works by itself over Bluetooth or Matter-over-Thread. If you don’t have any Thread-enabled gadgets, like a HomePod or Amazon Echo, a Wi-Fi bridge can be utilized as a substitute for distant connectivity.
NCS Underscored has a workforce of expert writers and editors who’ve a few years of expertise testing, researching and recommending merchandise, and we guarantee every article is fastidiously edited and merchandise are correctly vetted. The author of this story, Rikka Altland, could also be NCS Underscored’s senior offers editor, however she has been reviewing tech for over a decade. In the case of good house gear just like the Level Lock Pro, she has been filling her house with linked lights and different equipment since earlier than Alexa started to talk. Like the remainder of our workforce of writers and editors, she has used her years of expertise to place this product to check to determine if it’s price your money.