If, at any point in time, you’ve tried to set up a Smart Home, you know the process isn’t without its fair share of challenges and frustrations. Deciding on a standard, installing the devices, getting everything to work reliably and together, and then ensuring it stays that way. Every single step can (and will likely) be a headache.
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra shows it doesn’t have to be this way. The newest and smartest lock of the brand is the perfect example of how smart devices can be a joy to use. But the question remains… should you buy it?
Let’s dive in!
First Impressions & Unboxing Experience
No matter the product, first impressions matter. Whether it’s when you pick it up from the store or when you receive a new package at home, the moment you interact with a new product you start setting expectations and defining your long lasting impression about it.
The product developers over at SwitchBot probably know this because they clearly put some effort into the packaging. And, as you remove the outer sleeve, that only becomes more evident. First, with the embossed black design…
…and then with the unboxing experience itself.
The Quick Guide puts you on the right path by letting you know the first steps, but, as we’ll see later, it’s the SwitchBot app that is carefully designed to ensure you have a flawless experience setting up the product. Bonus points to the packaging designers for adding a cutout to the guide to put the spotlight on the Lock Ultra.
As you dive further in, you find the keypad, the Matter Hub and a neatly illustrated battery pack that, again, shows the attention to details and the team’s eagerness to ensure you have a smooth setup process.
Still, despite the unboxing so far, I didn’t expect the SwitchBot Lock Ultra to pack so many accessories in the final layer of the packaging.
The product page has more information about it, but, in short, if you have a door, you can probably use the SwitchBot Lock Ultra. The packaging includes different adapters and installation methods to cover most cases. Even in cases where your door might need a special adapter, SwitchBot also provides those, either as a kit, or through support, with the 3D Printing service.
Installation & Setup with the SwitchBot App
Products, especially those who require installation, can be a pain. Let’s face it. No one likes installation guides. To make matters worse, doors and locks come in all forms and shapes so it’s even hard to come up with a set of one-size-fits-all instructions. This is where the SwitchBot app comes in.
Instead of trying to make you follow some sort of “Choose Your Own Adventure” Instructions Booklet, the SwitchBot app holds your hand every step of the way. After you connect the app with the Lock Ultra (and install any missing firmware updates), the app shows you, step by step, what you need for your specific lock type, and how to do it. If you’re not sure on what to do with the images alone, they also provide video guides for the less straightforward steps.
To be completely honest, the step that took the longest wasn’t even related to the SwitchBot Lock Ultra, but to my lock. It took me more time to remove my lock’s escutcheon than it took me to install the smart lock. From start to finish, it didn’t take me more than 15 minutes to have the lock ready to use.
(I swear the scratches on the door and wall were caused by my daughter, not the installation process)
Installing the keypad was equally straightforward, with a similar set of instructions to follow. Pair, follow the instructions, and you’re good to go.
SwitchBot Lock Ultra Accessories
In addition to the Lock Ultra Touch Combo, I was lucky enough to test the SwitchBot Keypad Vision and the SwitchBot Hub 3. While they add some functionality, none of them is needed, so you’re completely set with the Lock Ultra Touch Combo if you don’t want to splurge.
The Keypad Vision adds two key features over the Keypad Touch:
On top of that, it has a built-in speaker that gives you information as you unlock the door, and it has a button that doubles as a doorbell. Considering the price difference over the Keypad Touch, I think it’s worth the update if you’re willing to spend a little extra. The main reason is the face unlocking for those situations where you have bags on both hands.
There is a downside to this keypad, though. It requires a clearance of at least 6cm on its right side to be able to remove it from the wall mount (which has a tamper alarm, by the way).
Unfortunately, my door frame doesn’t have that much clearance, so if I ever need to remove the keypad, I will have to unglue it. But since it can be charged with a power bank, I think this is a minor gripe.
The other accessory I received was the SwitchBot Hub 3.
The SwitchBot Hub 3 brings a lot to the table, but whether it makes sense for you ultimately depends on your smart home setup (or whether you have one at all).
The Hub Mini Matter Enabled that comes with the Touch Combo gives you the same basic functionality at a fraction of the price. Matter support - a smart home standard that is becoming a true standard thanks to the backing of tech giants like Google and Apple -, Bluetooth, IR remote functionality, and, in a nutshell, the ability to connect your smart cloud to the cloud for remote control regardless of where you are.
But that’s where the similarities end. The SwitchBot Hub 3 adds temperature and humidity monitoring (and CO2 if you have a separate sensor), a display, and buttons to control your other SwitchBot, and streaming devices. It also acts as a hub for up to 30 Matter devices, and lets you control pre-set scenes.
This is the kind of product that you probably know if you need it, simply by going through the product page. If you’re not sure, you’re probably fine just getting the Hub Mini.
A sidenote here. I currently have no other Matter devices to further test this Hub, so I wasn’t able to truly see what the Hub 3 is capable of. Still, I will write a separate review once I get it connected to Home Assistant through Matter.
Smart Home Integration & Matter Support
Once I had the Lock Ultra, the Hub 3 and the Keypad Vision configured and installed, it was time to give the full setup a go. This is arguably the most important bit of a review, but I’ll have a hard time saying anything else other than “it’s flawless.” But let’s break things down a bit.
When I set myself to build a Smart Home, I defined 3 pillars for the project,
Family friendly - Things should be easy to use for any family member or a visit.
Dumb-first - When something breaks, the house should still be usable as a normal home.
Cloudless - Products should ideally not rely on third-party servers or have that ability.
As you’ll see below, the SwitchBot Lock Ultra excels at all three
Ease of use (Family friendly)
The first question in my mind when I’m considering a Smart Home product is “Does it make my life easier?” If not, what’s the point? In this field, the Lock Ultra has full marks. Once you have everything set up, you simply forget that this is a smart product. It just works, without a hassle.
When you’re coming inside, you can open the door a number of ways - code, fingerprint, face, NFC, app or even Auto-Unlock, currently in Beta. You can also use your key, but I don’t see why you would.
From the inside, things are as easy. You can simply turn the Lock Ultra’s knob to lock and unlock the door. That knob also doubles as a Quick Key that does that for you. It’s so easy and intuitive that I regrettably had to disable the feature because my 2-year-old would keep locking and unlocking the door.
Another option is using the SwitchBot Hub 3 to unlock the door, the app, or even Home Assistant, as I’ll show you later in the review.
In short, the Lock Ultra adds to the Smart Home experience without getting in the way.
Peace of Mind (Dumb-first)
Smart Home products, despite their many benefits, come with a disadvantage - most of them are powered. So, it’s only fair that when you buy a smart lock you wonder what happens if it goes out of juice.
Out of the three pillars I shared above, there’s a golden rule for my Smart Home. A great Smart Home product needs to know how to be dumb first. What I mean by that is, if the power goes down, if the internet is out, your house should still work as a traditional home. You shouldn’t be locked out because the power is out, or unable to turn the lights off because you have no internet.
SwitchBot, again, gets 10/10.
Let’s assume you let your Smart Lock and your Keypad completely run out of power. You can still open the door from the outside, with your key, and from the inside with the rotary knob. But even that is a near impossible scenario.
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra has not one, not two, but three different power sources. So, if you ignore all warnings of low power and you don’t recharge the Type-C power pack (rated for 9 months of use), you still have a battery rated for 500 unlocks. And even if by any chance you still fail to charge the battery in that period, there’s a third option - a supercapacitor that can open the door 5 more times.
That unlock I shared above? I did it without the battery inside. Once it finished unlocking the door, the light ring turned red, and the lock beeped to ensure I knew it was out of juice.
Absolute. Piece. Of. Mind.
Cloud or Local, your choice (Cloudless)
It’s not just power-safe. You also don’t need to rely on the internet or SwithBot’s servers. While their app is great, some people prefer not relying on external services. In an age where brands seem hellbent on keeping you locked into their ecosystem and preferably paying a subscription to maintain access, SwitchBot’s approach to the Smart Home is refreshing to say the least.
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra’s Matter support means it can play well with multiple ecosystems, namely Apple Home (HomeKit), Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. But what really surprised me in a good way is how SwitchBot is committed to integrate well with Home Assistant - possibly the best (and most complicated) Smart Home platform out there, and the one I decided to use for my home.
Home Assistant is incredibly powerful. It allows you to integrate thousands of devices if you put in the time and effort. SwitchBot got officially certified as “Works With Home Assistant,” so the first thing I did after having everything set up was to try the integration.
The brand definitely did its homework because not only can you import the Lock through a cloud integration, but SwitchBot also allows you to completely bypass their app and servers and allows you to implement the Lock fully locally through Bluetooth.
The result? A fast, secure, and fully local way of controlling your smart lock. No apps, no cloud servers.
Everyday Experience: Is SwitchBot Lock Ultra Worth It?
The short answer to that question is ‘yes.’ The long answer?
Hell, yeah.
There are very few products I’ve tried that impressed me so much, so quickly as the SwitchBot Lock Ultra. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise if you read the review, but I think the brand nailed every aspect of the product, from the unboxing to the actual user experience, to even allowing you to use it fully local. In an era where hardware is locked behind subscription fees this is surprisingly refreshing.
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra isn’t just better for the price when compared to the competition. It’s a product that stands on its own and that reserves my recommendation without any reserves.
