expired Posted by tDames | Staff • Jan 20, 2025
Jan 20, 2025 4:20 PM
Item 1 of 4
Item 1 of 4
expired Posted by tDames | Staff • Jan 20, 2025
Jan 20, 2025 4:20 PM
Aqara U100 Smart Door Lock w/ Fingerprint Keyless Entry & Keypad (Gray) $130 + Free Shipping
$130
$230
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Upsides:
- You can use these without the Aqara hub if you're ok with no internet access. HomeKey still works, unsure about HomeKit though since I don't have a HomePod or iPad to test it with.
- HomeKey with Apple Watch or iPhone work well and is incredibly convenient. Some NFC keys work too (search MIFARE 1K on AliExpress for lots of cheap ones). Sorry won't work with your phone's NFC.
Downsides:
- Fingerprint scanner fails about 30% of scans. Extremely frustrating, especially since after a few fails in a row, it starts blaring an alarm at you.
- Touchpad is flaky and slow to respond.
- Sometimes locks up and needs you to wait for a few seconds before the device responds. Scary few seconds thinking you might be locked out. It has never actually locked me out. This is most often encountered during medium to low battery charge, meaning you'll need to replace batteries more often than the app tells you to.
- No HA Zigbee integration or integration with any other hub. Must be Aqara or HomeKit.
- Physical key is NON-STANDARD and while if you get lucky, your key can be copied at Home Depot, 80% of keys can't be copied properly. The copy will go through, but the resulting key won't work. You may need to file down some of the metal of the copied key's shoulder to get it to work, and even then you will feel like you're hurting the lock. The closest key blank is the Schlage 68N.
- Physical key slot opening slides down. The emergency USB-C charge port opening also faces down. This means that MANY door setups will have the doorknob blocking access to the emergency features of this lock. You can tell Aqara is still fairly inexperienced at this lock thing, as there are a ton of little design flaws here and there.
- Re-keying is impossible (or at least, incredibly difficult). This means that you can't have the same physical key for all the locks in your home. Nope, gotta carry a separate key for each lock.
Long list of downsides for you to consider, but after 2 years of use these are still my favorite.
Upsides:
- You can use these without the Aqara hub if you're ok with no internet access. HomeKey still works, unsure about HomeKit though since I don't have a HomePod or iPad to test it with.
- HomeKey with Apple Watch or iPhone work well and is incredibly convenient. Some NFC keys work too (search MIFARE 1K on AliExpress for lots of cheap ones). Sorry won't work with your phone's NFC.
Downsides:
- Fingerprint scanner fails about 30% of scans. Extremely frustrating, especially since after a few fails in a row, it starts blaring an alarm at you.
- Touchpad is flaky and slow to respond.
- Sometimes locks up and needs you to wait for a few seconds before the device responds. Scary few seconds thinking you might be locked out. It has never actually locked me out. This is most often encountered during medium to low battery charge, meaning you'll need to replace batteries more often than the app tells you to.
- No HA Zigbee integration or integration with any other hub. Must be Aqara or HomeKit.
- Physical key is NON-STANDARD and while if you get lucky, your key can be copied at Home Depot, 80% of keys can't be copied properly. The copy will go through, but the resulting key won't work. You may need to file down some of the metal of the copied key's shoulder to get it to work, and even then you will feel like you're hurting the lock. The closest key blank is the Schlage 68N.
- Physical key slot opening slides down. The emergency USB-C charge port opening also faces down. This means that MANY door setups will have the doorknob blocking access to the emergency features of this lock. You can tell Aqara is still fairly inexperienced at this lock thing, as there are a ton of little design flaws here and there.
- Re-keying is impossible (or at least, incredibly difficult). This means that you can't have the same physical key for all the locks in your home. Nope, gotta carry a separate key for each lock.
Long list of downsides for you to consider, but after 2 years of use these are still my favorite.
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- Fingerprint scanner fails about 30% of scans. Extremely frustrating, especially since after a few fails in a row, it starts blaring an alarm at you.
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