With the arrival of smart assistants, many more users are interested in maximizing home automation. Besides smart plugs and bulbs, there's another type of truly useful product: smart locks . One such option is the Nuki Smart Lock , a model we've thoroughly tested and whose features we'll now share with you.
easy from the start
What surprised us most about this Nuki Smart Lock is how easy it is to install. The key is that you don't need to remove the door cylinder; simply leave the key in the lock and place the Nuki on top. To make this easier, the Smart Lock comes with two metal pieces that help position the device precisely.
Depending on how many millimeters the cylinder protrudes, we must use one or the other, model A if it is a little and model B if it protrudes a few millimeters from the plane of the door. In our case we have had to use B.
Once the metal frame is in place, all we have to do is present the Smart Lock and place it on the inserted key and the metal frame. The lock is now ready to work and we will only have to configure it with the help of the official application.
The lock also has a physical button and a rotating ring that will allow us to turn the key in case of running out of batteries (four AA batteries). This button can work in two ways, depending on whether we click or double-click on it, and the result of each action can be customized from the official application. By default, if we double-click the Lock&Go function is activated, which opens the door and closes it automatically after a defined time. Ideal for leaving home at full speed.
Use your phone as a key
One of the advantages of smart locks is that our phone can act as a key. But for this we will have to configure the lock for the first time. The process is quite simple, and we will only have to carry out a series of steps guided by the official application itself to correctly calibrate the lock.
This will allow us to know at all times if the door is open or closed, and even if it is locked or unlocked. The application is extremely complete, and due to the number of functions that we can configure, it may be a bit confusing for some users. Another type of interface could help improve the experience, although it's nothing that spending time on it can't fix.
With the terminal configured, we can open the door in a thousand ways. These are some examples:
- Open it with the widget shortcut installed on the phone's home screen
- Open the door by asking Alexa
- Open the door automatically when we are a few meters from home
- Open the door from anywhere in the world
- Give someone permission to enter your home
The importance of the Bridge
Nuki offers a wide range of accessories in its store, but one that's particularly important is the Bridge. This bridge is essential for accessing all the lock's features, as it's responsible for connecting the Smart Lock to the internet. To clarify, the lock can only connect to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, so there's no way to access it when you're out and about.
To solve this, the bridge establishes a connection between our router and the lock, so that it will be visible from the outside, and also when you want to control it with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Home. Once again, the configuration of this new element will be extremely simple thanks to the configuration by steps of the application.
More interesting functions of the Nuki Smart Lock
We had previously tried other smart locks on the market, however, this one from Nuki seemed to us to be the most complete and the most "futuristic" thanks to many of the options it includes.
- Possibility to open the door as you get closer to home: This is a function that could scare many, but the truth is that it works really well. The official application is capable of recognizing your location and determines the distance you are from the lock. If you're close enough, the door will open automatically so you don't have to do anything when you're in front of it.
- Keep track of what happens at the door: A detailed log of all events will let you know when you left the house, if someone with access entered on a certain day, or when the lock detected your presence.
- User Management: You can give access to other people so that only with the help of their mobile phone can they access your home. You can even grant limited access to define which days of the week and what hours you can open the door.
- door always closed: With the help of a magnet included in the box, the lock will be able to control the status of the door. In this way, if the door is closed, the lock will automatically lock, thus helping us to always have the lock on at all times. We can also configure a night mode so that the door is locked every night at a certain time.
Is this lock worth it?
Given that smart devices can seem like whims for some users, this is one of those gadgets that make many everyday situations easier. Being able to go out to play sports only with our phone can be quite comfortable, and even giving access to certain people from anywhere in the world is something that could be very useful on certain occasions.
See offer on AmazonFurthermore, the ecosystem that Nuki offers with its line of accessories (there is also an intercom controller and a remote control for the keys) seems perfect for continuing to enjoy the advantages of this type of system, so we can do nothing but recommend this product to those looking for this type of solution.
Discount code
Nuki has sent us a discount code so you can buy their products with a €30 discount (valid until October 14th for purchases over €229). Just go to their official store and use the code SMARTAUTUMN.
Nuki Official Store*Note to the reader: the links posted are part of our affiliate program with Amazon. Despite this, our list of recommendations is always created freely, without receiving or responding to any type of request from the mentioned brands.