The SwitchBot smart lock is a simple alternative to the more expensive and complex options, but at what cost?
Two-minute review
The SwitchBot Lock isn’t your average smart lock. In the nicest way possible, it’s about as dumb as a smart lock can be – but that’s no bad thing.
SwitchBot is somewhat of an anomaly in the smart home space. A majority of its creations are designed for retrofitting smart homes and making regular switches, blinds, and locks a bit smarter, filling an important role in an otherwise daunting transition from dumb to smart home. In line with this, the SwitchBot Lock is essentially a bolt-on motorized thumb turn or key rotator, sprinkling in a few neat features to give it that smart edge. It’s pretty affordable, too, at $99.99 / £129.99, and is available directly from SwitchBot’s online store or Amazon.
The best way I can describe how the SwitchBot Lock works is by comparing it to that steampunk-esque futuristic view of smart locks people in the 60s or 70s would have conceived but with added functionality, thanks to its (albeit somewhat limited) app. Essentially, a motorized thumb turn adapter on the lock just turns the lock on demand when the iOS, Android, or Apple Watch app – or compatible third-party software – sends a command when the user presents a SwitchBot Tag or uses a SwitchBot Remote or Keypad.
Instead of removing your existing lock and head-scratching to find out if it’s compatible with the smart lock replacement of your choice, the SwitchBot Lock is almost ambivalent to lock type, so long as you have a single cylinder deadbolt with a thumb turn or a lock that can be operated with a key in situ on either side of the door. You can find out for sure if your lock is compatible with SwitchBot’s handy lock guide.
It’s bulky and a little unsightly at 2.9 inches thick, protruding from the door significantly, especially if your rose is already on the larger side. SwitchBot has tried to make up for this unfortunate reality by keeping the design simple and slick. For the most part, it achieves a decent-looking device, and considering its ease of application versus other smart locks, it’s a concession I find acceptable.
The Switchbot comes in two colorways, black and silver, and is incredibly easy to install – even I as a DIY school dropout found it near-impossible to mess it up. Plus, it’s almost entirely tool-free, barring four screws you’ll need to remove and replace underneath the battery cover to change the adjustable base adapter’s distance from your door. A small screwdriver is included for the task.
Also worth noting is that you can’t share one-time codes for your SwitchBot to give access to people outside of your household. While you can remotely grant access, if you regularly let out the property, or have a cleaner or dogsitter, you’d need to add them to the household within the app.
The batteries are somewhat of a peculiarity; the SwitchBot Lock uses two CR-123A lithium batteries, a common theme among other SwitchBot accessories, including the keypad.
