Noisy and Bulky, but Worth Its Pitfalls

The Aqara Smart Lock U200 exhibits nice promise by way of compatibility, entry choices, and ecosystem assist, however buggy software program, cumbersome design, loud mechanics, and connectivity points could also be troublesome to miss.

Aqara U200 Good Lock

The Aqara U200 Good Lock has its flaws, however there are a lot that make them straightforward to miss. Although noisy and ponderous, the numeric keypad encompasses a fingerprint scanner and NFC sensor for a number of technique of entry whereas Matter and Zigbee assist make it potential to manage remotely and join with good hub ecosystems.

Professionals

• Fast, straightforward set up for nearly all US/EU locks
• Keypad is surprisingly sturdy, with multi-user capabilities
• Fingerprint sensor and NFC compatibility
• Helps Matter protocol and a lot of ecosystems

Cons

• App might be over-complicated and buggy for newcomers
• Connecting to Matter units isn?t very intuitive
• Door lock adapter is overly cumbersome and never aesthetically pleasing
• Mechanics are very noisy

Worth and Availability

The Aqara Good Lock U200, which features a door lock adapter and keypad, is on the market on Amazon for $269.99. It is available in silver and black to match most door {hardware}.

Set up and Exhausting Wiring

SwitchBot’s Smart Lock was my introduction to automated deadbolts, and it proved that nearly anybody might benefit from the notion of a safer residence, no matter whether or not they lease or personal. The issue was that it was a clunky unit that match over an current deadbolt, creating one of the unattractive good residence locking programs. Aqara’s Good Lock U200 gives comparable functionalities, albeit with a extra interesting and seamlessly built-in implementation.

Relatively than match a tool over the deadbolt, the U200 is a full substitute in your present setup, which is way simpler to put in than it sounds. It’s a two-screw set up for the plate that retains the motorized field in place, after which three extra small screws and an adapter full the puzzle.

Should you can align holes, you should not have any points putting in the U200 in your door, because it doesn’t swap out {hardware} and even ask that you just change the present key. The adapter additionally matches a number of configurations, in case you utilize one thing aside from the usual United States single deadbolt lock.

Like SwitchBot’s lock, although, it’s nonetheless a significantly cumbersome unit that takes up a good quantity of actual property in your door. It might be bothersome in case you’re huge into esthetics, significantly if you do not have silver or black {hardware} in your door already. I additionally wasn’t too keen on its dimension, however I assume it’s the simplest pitfall of the U200 to miss. Earlier than getting too deep into shortcomings and strengths, although, there’s a complete different a part of the system: the keypad.

Putting in the keypad might be as simple or as difficult as you need. Working off simply 4 AAA batteries, the keypad might be caught to your wall utilizing the included 3M sticker. Alternatively, in case you don’t wish to take care of batteries, the keypad might be hardwired into your private home (rated for 12-24V .5A AC or DC connections). It’s not essentially the most handy choice, however Aqara was sensible in permitting householders the flexibility to route a everlasting energy supply. In spite of everything, batteries are costly and tedious to handle when a lot of your private home runs on them. Fortunately, the deadbolt attachment comes with a chargeable battery that is straightforward to take away and fees quick through a USB-C cable.

Connectivity and Matter Assist

As pleasantly straightforward because the U200 is to put in, among the pleasure will get sucked out of the expertise when you begin activating the machine. The keypad and deadbolt adapter join quite simply to 1 one other, and the entire system initially hyperlinks to your cell machine through Bluetooth.

Should you’ve by no means used a Bluetooth-enabled good residence machine earlier than, there’s all the time one minuscule (however nonetheless current) challenge — your cellphone and the machine want to determine a connection each time you load the app. Granted, it takes seconds to do, however you’ll really feel every one once you’re simply attempting to rapidly lock or unlock the machine. There’s additionally the difficulty of vary, as it’s worthwhile to be comparatively shut for the 2 to attach. Having any management through your cellphone past your Bluetooth vary is the place the U200 can get a bit of overcomplicated for extra informal customers or newcomers to good residence automation.

The U200 might be linked to Matter protocol utilizing built-in Thread assist, which means it may be used with Apple merchandise like later generations of Apple TV and different Matter-compatible hubs. In principle, you may connect with the good lock nearly wherever by way of the Aqara app (accessible on iPhone and Android) and management the lock. That is very important for enhanced residence safety, for these days you’re dashing round and neglect to lock the door.

With a hub just like the Aqara Hub M3, you’ll be able to even route management through Amazon Alexa, Google Residence, and Samsung SmartThings. That is how one can set routines and join completely different good units in order that they set off each other. The Matter connection gave me quite a lot of points the primary day I put in the lock, and it wouldn’t connect with the U200 in any respect. Once I returned the subsequent day and ran the identical course of, it labored instantly, permitting me so as to add it to the bloated Alexa community of units I’ve curated over time. I think a firmware replace wasn’t displaying correctly, however I can not verify what the repair I did not bodily carry out was.

Aqara Residence App

The foundation of all my points wound up being the Aqara Residence App. It could usually freeze when connecting to different units and interesting the U200. I needed to restart it a number of occasions over a month, although that fortunately didn’t clear any of my settings or disconnect any units.

I’d additionally name the app a bit of overcomplicated, particularly in the case of connecting and organising new units. It simply appears like there’s an extra variety of menus, and also you’re doing quite a lot of clicking by way of to get to the setting or characteristic you need. Your finest wager is to tinker with solely the settings you perceive to keep away from inflicting connection or safety points sooner or later.

Whilst you can set scenes with exterior apps through Matter, Aqara Residence has the identical characteristic. You may set a selected time for the lock to have interaction or create an “If/Then” state of affairs that locks or unlocks the deadbolt below particular circumstances. It might be a bit a lot for a sensible lock, however it’s good to know learn how to broaden your automation utilizing further Aqara units.

Noisy however Purposeful

Upon getting the U200 Good Lock put in and linked to your good residence app, you will rapidly decide up on its greatest flaw: it’s extremely noisy. I don’t actually get why it must be so loud, particularly when I’ve a Yale good lock on a door two ft away that’s whisper-quiet. It’s not even the clank of the particular lock participating or disengaging that’s making a lot noise. It’s the whir of the motor, which is a disgrace as a result of, as long as your deadbolt is put in correctly and isn’t stiff or jammed, it really works very nicely.

My workplace is correct subsequent to the door the place the U200 is put in, and it really startles me when another person makes use of it and not using a warning. There’s a “Quiet Unlock Mode” per the advertising, however the one quantity adjustment I might discover pertains to the varied beeps and tones, which, to my delight, might be fully muted.

As a client, the noise stage might have been sufficient to sway me in one other route. Nevertheless, the keypad does convey me proper again to seeing the worth of the U200.

A number of Technique of Entry

Barring the keypad battery dying, Aqara makes it very troublesome to lock your self out of your private home. Not solely do you set a numeric password and might activate the machine through the Aqara Residence app, however there’s additionally a really responsive fingerprint scanner with multi-print storage and an NFC sensor.

For bigger households with youngsters or any state of affairs the place further customers are essential, the keypad permits a number of admin, normal, and momentary customers, every with their passcode, NFC tag, and fingerprint profiles. If your private home doubles as an Airbnb or Vrbo property, you’ll be able to even set a one-time password.

For added safety, the app retains a whole log of all occasions and sends real-time alerts to inform you when the door is being accessed. It’s a reasonably sturdy system of options that salvages what would in any other case be an “okay” good lock.

Ought to You Purchase the Aqara U200 Good Lock?

If the Aqara U200 Smart Lock solely got here with the deadbolt adapter, there’d be extra hesitancy to advocate it. The keypad is a savior, with its bounty of options, locking strategies, profiles, and a lot extra. With a responsive fingerprint sensor, buttons that require sufficient strain to reduce unintended inputs, and the choice for one-time codes, the keypad takes the U200 from a fundamental app-enabled machine to a top quality unit householders ought to really feel comfy having of their properties.

Although the Aqara Hub M3 isn’t required to make use of the U200, it’s extremely really helpful so you’ll be able to connect with the machine past Bluetooth vary. Matter compatibility through Threads gives a secure connection that, with the hub, integrates simply with most residence assistant ecosystems. The U200 will really feel much less like an outsider together with your different good units and might be linked to set routines and If/Then automation, so the lock engages or disengages in response to different units or a set schedule.

Regardless of a loud motor and a few points with the general esthetics and look of the deadbolt adapter, the U200 remains to be a worthwhile addition to any good residence ecosystem.

Aqara U200 Good Lock

The Aqara U200 Good Lock has its flaws, however there are a lot that make them straightforward to miss. Although noisy and ponderous, the numeric keypad encompasses a fingerprint scanner and NFC sensor for a number of technique of entry whereas Matter and Zigbee assist make it potential to manage remotely and join with good hub ecosystems.