Lock It In

It’s pretty weird, when you think about it. No, not this smart lock, but the fact that, when you hear the phrase ‘smart lock,’ you instantly know what you’re dealing with. That’s how much tech there is in our lives. Even if you’ve never used a smart lock, you know what one is: a lock that can be controlled via your smart phone, or perhaps with a digital assistant.

But that’s a simplification, really.

What, in our research, sets the U-Tec Ultraloq apart from its competitors is the plethora of ways to unlock it. John R. Delaney summarizes it well for PCmag.

As with most models, it uses a mobile app that lets you lock and unlock your door from anywhere with your phone, and it has a keypad that lets you use permanent and time-based temporary pin codes. It also has a fingerprint scanner, as well as a keyed cylinder hidden behind the keypad. As if that weren’t enough, the U-Bolt Pro can be locked using voice commands, and it’s one of the first smart locks we’ve tested that can also be unlocked using voice commands. Throw in support for third-party smart devices and you’ve got our new Editors’ Choice for smart locks.

Christopher Null at TechHive agrees:

…you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lock that offers more means of potential ingress[.]

But, with all of these access points, the Ultraloq still looks sleek and understated. The buttons of the keypad are arranged in a circle around the fingerprint scanner, which itself is pretty much camouflaged. As for the hidden keyway, it’s, well, completely hidden. Delaney was particularly impressed by this:

One of the coolest features is the hidden keyway, which is accessed by pulling the keypad out and folding it down on its hinge. On the bottom edge of the escutcheon, behind a rubber cover, is a micro USB port that can be used to power up the lock with an external power source in the event of a dead battery.

One thing the two reviews disagree on is ease of installation. PCmag says it’s a breeze. TechHive had a hard time, though it seems like the design may have been modified since the review to allow for less… sawing?

Anyway, real talk: I’m usually a little bit of a tech curmudgeon. I see a lock that I can access via an app or with my thumbprint and my immediate reaction is to roll my eyes and say, ‘What’s wrong with a good old fashioned key?’ Before remembering that I’m someone who loses my keys once a year for a stretch of anywhere from two weeks to four months.

So, that’s what’s wrong with the old fashioned way.

In conclusion, maybe buy this smart lock!