Best WiFi Smart Locks Compared Side by Side

Why WiFi?

The appeal of a WiFi smart lock is simple: remote access without buying a separate hub. Your lock connects to your home WiFi network, and you can control it from anywhere through the app. Check if you locked the door from the office. Let in a delivery driver while you’re out. Get a notification when your kid gets home from school.

The tradeoff is battery life. WiFi radios use more power than Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or Thread. But the convenience is real, and battery life on WiFi locks has improved substantially compared to earlier generations.

I tested 8 WiFi smart locks head to head. Here’s how they compared.

The test setup

Every lock was installed on the same test door and put through the same routine over a 3-week period:

• Connectivity check: How often does the lock lose WiFi connection and need to reconnect?
• Response time: How long from tapping “unlock” in the app to the deadbolt actually retracting?
• Remote access reliability: Tested from outside the local network 5 times per day
• Battery drain: Measured weekly with fresh batteries at the start
• Range: How far from the router can the lock maintain a reliable connection?

My test door is about 25 feet from the WiFi router with one interior wall in between. That’s a pretty typical setup.

Results overview

• Schlage Encode Plus — Avg Response Time: 1.2 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 0 · Projected Battery Life: 7-8 months · Street Price: around $300
• August WiFi Smart Lock (4th Gen) — Avg Response Time: 1.5 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 1 · Projected Battery Life: 5-6 months · Street Price: around $230
• Yale Assure Lock 2 (WiFi) — Avg Response Time: 1.8 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 2 · Projected Battery Life: 4-5 months · Street Price: around $250
• Kwikset Halo — Avg Response Time: 2.1 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 3 · Projected Battery Life: 4-5 months · Street Price: around $200
• Lockly Secure Pro — Avg Response Time: 2.4 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 2 · Projected Battery Life: 3-4 months · Street Price: around $230
• ULTRALOQ Bolt Finger — Avg Response Time: 2.8 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 4 · Projected Battery Life: 3-4 months · Street Price: around $160
• Aqara U200 — Avg Response Time: 1.4 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 1 · Projected Battery Life: 6-7 months · Street Price: around $190
• Wyze Lock — Avg Response Time: 3.1 sec · Connection Drops (3 weeks): 5 · Projected Battery Life: 3-4 months · Street Price: usually under $100

Top 3 in detail

Schlage Encode Plus

No surprise here. The Encode Plus topped the WiFi comparison with zero connection drops and the fastest average response time. Schlage’s WiFi implementation is mature at this point, and it shows. The lock maintains a stable connection and responds quickly to remote commands.

The 7-8 month projected battery life is impressive for a WiFi lock. Schlage clearly put work into power management on this revision. The lock has a low-power standby mode and only wakes the WiFi radio when needed.

I tested it from a coffee shop, from a friend’s house, and while traveling out of state. Every remote lock/unlock command went through on the first try.

Aqara U200

The sleeper hit of this comparison. Aqara isn’t as well known as Schlage or Yale in the smart lock space, but the U200 impressed me. Response time was nearly as fast as the Schlage, and it only dropped connection once in three weeks (which it reconnected automatically within a minute).

Battery life projection of 6-7 months puts it near the top of the pack. It also supports Matter over Thread if you have a Thread border router, giving you a backup connectivity option that uses less power for local commands.

At around $190, it’s significantly cheaper than the Schlage while delivering nearly comparable WiFi performance. The build quality is good, the app is clean and functional, and the fingerprint reader is decent.

August WiFi Smart Lock (4th Gen)

August pioneered the retrofit smart lock concept, and the 4th gen WiFi model is polished. Like the Level Lock, it attaches to your existing deadbolt, but unlike the Level, it has built-in WiFi.

Response time of 1.5 seconds is solid. The single connection drop was brief and didn’t affect usability. The August app is one of the better lock apps out there, with a clean activity feed and easy guest management.

Battery life of 5-6 months is middle of the road for WiFi locks but reasonable. The DoorSense feature (detects if the door is open or closed) adds real utility that most competitors lack.

The ones that struggled

The Wyze Lock had the most connectivity issues, dropping WiFi 5 times over 3 weeks. When it was connected, the 3.1-second average response time was noticeably sluggish. At its low price point it’s still functional, but the WiFi experience doesn’t match what you get from the Wyze Lock Bolt (which is Bluetooth-only, priced lower, and much more reliable in its lane).

The ULTRALOQ Bolt Finger also had frequent drops and slow response times. The fingerprint reader is a nice addition at the price point, but the WiFi reliability needs work.

WiFi lock tips

A few things that can improve your WiFi smart lock experience:

• Router placement matters. If your lock is far from the router, a WiFi extender or mesh node near the door makes a big difference.
• Use the 2.4GHz band. All WiFi locks use 2.4GHz. Make sure this band is enabled and not overloaded on your router.
• Set a static IP or DHCP reservation. This prevents the lock from losing its network address after a router reboot.
• Check for firmware updates regularly. WiFi performance often improves with updates, especially in the first year after launch.

Bottom line

The Schlage Encode Plus is the best WiFi smart lock overall. It’s expensive, but the reliability and battery life justify the price. The Aqara U200 is the best value in this comparison, delivering near-Schlage performance for meaningfully less money. And the August WiFi Smart Lock is the best retrofit option if you want to keep your existing hardware.

If you’re on a tight budget and need WiFi, the Kwikset Halo at around $200 is a decent option that mostly works. Below that price point, I’d honestly suggest going with a Bluetooth lock and a bridge rather than a budget WiFi lock with reliability issues.