Smart locks
How many ways of opening a door does a household need?
Both mount over the thumbturn and drill nothing. One is a full metal body with a stated nine-month runtime and almost every unlocking method there is; the other does fingerprint, app and Bluetooth for much less.
| Compared on | Lock Ultra | Smart Lock 128002 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Retrofit | Retrofit, no drilling |
| Unlock methods | Up to 18 stated | Fingerprint, app, Bluetooth |
| Body | Full metal | Not stated |
| Size | 50% slimmer, stated | Not stated |
| Runtime stated | 9 months | 6 cells |
| Auto-lock | Not stated | Magnetic auto-lock |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the Ultra for a household where several people need different ways in — a code for a cleaner, a fingerprint for a teenager, a phone for you — and where the lock is in view every day.
Buy the Signstek where the requirement is simply a door that opens with a fingerprint, at a price that makes trying the idea cheap.
It guarantees the door is locked and it guarantees somebody will be locked out. On a door with a thumbturn inside that is an inconvenience; on a door leading to a garden with no other way back in, it is worth thinking about before switching on.
Yes — every retrofit lock in this catalogue turns one. A door keyed on both sides needs a thumbturn cylinder fitted first, which costs a fraction of the lock and is itself a change to ask a landlord about.
Retrofit · up to 18 unlock methods · full metal body, 50% slimmer · 9 months stated
SwitchBot states a next-generation motor, a full metal housing half as thick as its predecessor, up to eighteen unlocking methods with the Matter hub and touchscreen keypad, and a rechargeable main battery quoted at up to nine months.
Best for: A door where the indoor unit needs to be as unobtrusive as possible, on a household that likes options.
≈ 180 €
Retrofit · fingerprint, app and Bluetooth · magnetic auto-lock · 6 cells · no drilling
A retrofit lock that mounts over an existing cylinder with no drilling and no cylinder change. Signstek states fingerprint, app and Bluetooth access, magnetic auto-locking, and six batteries; the existing key still works from outside.
Best for: A first smart lock, and particularly a rented flat where nothing may be altered.
≈ 130 €
