SwitchBot Lock review: a tiny robot hand that unlocks your door

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The SwitchBot Lock is the first smart door lock that doesn't replace any part of your lock. It's attached to the back of your door. There is an involved installation of smart locks. My husband stopped in his tracks and asked "What is that thing?" when he saw the SwitchBot Lock. When I first saw it, I was completely unconvinced that it would have the power to open my door.

Despite being attached solely by double-sided sticky tape, the SwitchBot Lock remained firmly put during my two weeks of testing, despite being moved just as well as I can. It looks promising so far, but no word on long-termDurability.

It lacks a few key features and is not very smart. Around $70 worth of accessories is required to add smart home control and a keypad. It is closer in price to more elegant looking solutions, such as the $230 August wi-fi smart lock, which requires a bit more work to install but doesn't leave you with a great piece of plastic on your door.

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The SwitchBot Lock is a retrofit smart door lock that can be used on a phone or watch to lock and unlocked your door. Home Key isn't compatible with it. The lock uses a small plastic grabber to hold onto and turn the lock's thumb turn.

Anything can be turned by that grabber. This is an excellent solution for people with unconventional door locks and multipoint locks who can't get any other smart lock to work because it turns a key. The lock is cleverly engineered with shifting base plates that prevent it from being twisted off.

Regular devices are being made smart by SwitchBot. They have a robot that crawls along the curtain rod to open and close the curtains if you press the light switch. There is a door lock. You can find the right fit for your setup with it. You can still use your key, and you can still turn the deadbolt manually, but the SwitchBot Lock adds the ability to use your phone or watch as your key.

There are seven ways to control the door lock, including your key, the Apple Watch app, a key code using a keypad, a fingerprint reader, and an NFC keycard. Only the first three work out in the end.

If you want to use the keycard, keypad, or fingerprint entry, you will need one of the SwitchBots. Attach these with double-sided tape. The $60 version of the fingerprints worked quickly and reliably.

My favorite way to use a smart door lock is by using fingerprints. The keypads can be used with key cards. You can purchase a three-pack for fifteen dollars. I don't see a need for a keycard, as you can give out temporary, temporary, and one-time codes to anyone who needs them. The minimum number of digits here is six.

If you don't want to use the extra keypads, you can use the two Near Field Communication tags with the lock. If you pair those to your phone, you can use your phone to open or close the door. You have to use one lock and one unlocked tag. If you have your phone out already and you want to use the lock screen app on your phone, it's almost as fast as sticking two pieces of plastic on your door.

You can use voice commands to lock and unlocked the door with the SwitchBot, but HomeKit is not compatible.

You need a small device called the SwitchBot Hub Mini to connect the lock to the internet and communicate with it. The hub is needed to control the lock or check its status when you are away. The hub is needed near the lock to work with all of the gadgets.

The main entryway to our house is the back door. There is a lot of foot traffic coming in from the garage. It was easy for my children to use the lock with the help of the keypad and fingerprints. There isn't an easy way for a child without a phone to get to the door.

• Dimensions: 4.39 inches x 2.32 inches x 2.88 inches
• Weight: 8.9oz
• Color: Black
• Lifespan: Up to 50,000 cycles 
• Power: Two 3V CR123A batteries
• Battery life: Six months locking and unlocking 10 times per day
• Communication: Bluetooth 5.0
• Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, IFTTT, SmartThings
• Encryption: AES-128-CTR

When the door is unlocked, the notifications don't show which code or fingerprints were used. I use this feature on my smart lock to keep track of my older kids when I am at work. The log in the app could be checked to see who unlocked it.

The phone app takes over five seconds to connect if you are standing in the rain, which is very annoying if you are standing in the rain. If you don't have a keypad, you can use the Apple watch to control the lock. You must stand by the lock if you're interacting with these things. The hub is needed to control it with the app or voice control.

Connected devices bring with them concerns about how the data they collect is protected. We review smart home products to make sure they have safeguards in place for your data.

The data collected by a smart door lock is when you lock the door and how. When you install the app on your phone, you have to give it access to a number of things. The app won't keep your location information.

According to the company, it uses various security technologies to protect data. As long as you use the product, it will retain your data. Personal data is deleted at regular intervals.

When you authorize a transfer of your personal data, SwitchBot only shares it with other companies.

You can request that SwitchBot not use your personal information for any purpose.

The privacy policy can be read here.

The setup and installation took less than five minutes. One of the biggest selling points of the lock is this. You need to make sure the lock will turn before you tape it to the door, and you need to adjust the spacing of the lock with a screwdriver. You can fit it around your door handle if you attach it in any of the three directions. I was able to lock it remotely even though it was wide open without any notification or alert.

The app is not very advanced. There is no way to set a schedule to lock or unlocked the door at a certain time of day. It was unreliable because it only worked with the "lock after a set period of time" and "re-lock if the door has been unlocked but not opened" This might be a software bug that gets fixed. I had to get my phone out to lock the door, use the Apple watch app, or use my key, but it was worth it. I was able to hit a button to lock it.

Notification options include when the door is locked, if the door has been unlocked, and if it has been left ajar. They should sell this with the hub because notifications need the hub to work. It makes the lock smarter. With the hub, I was able to add a lock to a routine that automatically locked it when the sun set.

For renters who can't change their door lock at all or for those who can't or won't change their deadbolt, the switchBot Lock is a good option. It needs to be stuck to the door frame with a heavy-duty glue, which will take some paint with it if you remove it. Wyze, and Bosma all require the rear deadbolt to be removed in order to retrofit.

Its smart features only allow you to control the lock with your phone, Apple watch or existing key. If you add in the wi-fi hub, you get away-from- home control and more useful smart home integrations, but only with the internet of things. The lock is only a triggering mechanism.

If you add in the fingerprint one, it becomes a much more useful proposition, but then you have to pay $170 for a less ugly option with better smarts. The August wi-fi smart lock, Keypad, and Eufy smart lock touch with wi-fi are included.

This lock can be used in many different ways. Two doors can be used to deal with multi point locking. It is possible that it is the only smart solution that works for your door.

The photo was taken by Tuohy.

Every smart device has a set of terms and conditions that you have to agree to before you can use it. It is not possible for us to read and analyze all of them. We started counting the number of times you have to agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people can't negotiate.

Signing in to the SwitchBot app is required to set up the lock. You can sign in with any of the aforementioned companies or create a SwitchBot account. You agree to the Privacy Policy and terms of use if you create an account.

The two optional agreements have been tallyd.