The best e-reader to buy right now
Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.
I’ve been using ebook readers for nearly a decade, and I’ve gone hands-on with dozens, from the Kindle Paperwhite to lesser-known rivals like the PocketBook Era. Whether you want something your kid can throw against the wall or a waterproof, warm-glow Kindle that won’t ruin your spa ambiance, these are the best ebook readers for everyone.
The best Kindle
Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .3 inches / Weight: 211 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: IPX8 waterproofing, Bluetooth audio support
If you mostly buy ebooks from Amazon, you’ll want a Kindle, and the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite is the best choice for most people. Starting at $159.99, it’s cheaper than the Kobo Libra Colour — my top non-Amazon ebook reader, which I’ll dive into later — while offering many of the same features. Those include a spacious 7-inch 300pi display with rich contrast levels and an adjustable warm white frontlight, which make for a clear and enjoyable reading experience. The latter also conveniently improves sleep by cutting down on blue light that interrupts melatonin production.
That warm white frontlighting is an advantage over the cool white of the $109.99 base-model Kindle, and unlike the base Kindle, the Paperwhite has IPX8 water resistance. The $199.99 Signature Edition Paperwhite also has an auto-adjusting frontlight and no lockscreen ads. It has wireless charging, which is a rare feature to find in an e-reader.
Amazon dominates the US ebook market, so Kindle owners have access to advantages owners of other ebook readers don’t. Much of Amazon’s hardware strategy depends on offering cut-rate discounts to pull you into its content ecosystem. If you have Prime and buy a lot of Kindle ebooks, the Paperwhite is the best choice because its ebooks and audiobooks are often on sale at Amazon, and Prime members get more free content through Prime Reading. Rivals like Kobo offer sales, too, but it’s hard for them to offer discounts as steep as Amazon.
There are downsides, though. The Paperwhite has lockscreen ads unless you pay $20 extra to get rid of them. It’s also too big to hold comfortably with one hand. Perhaps the Kindle Paperwhite’s biggest flaw, though — which it shares with all Kindles aside from Fire tablets — is that it’s not easy to read books purchased outside of Amazon’s store. Kindle ebook formats are proprietary and only work on Kindle. Unlike Kobo and other ebook readers, Kindles don’t support EPUB files, an open file format used by pretty much everyone except Amazon. So, for example, if you often shop from Kobo’s bookstore (or Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, or many other ebook stores), you can’t easily read those books on a Kindle without using a workaround. There are ways to convert and transfer file formats so you can read on the Kindle and vice versa, but it’ll take a couple of extra steps.
However, if you don’t buy your books elsewhere or you don’t mind shopping from Amazon, you’ll be more than happy with the Kindle Paperwhite.
Read our full Kindle Paperwhite review.
The best non-Amazon ebook reader
Kobo Libra Colour (32GB, ad-free)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Dimensions: 5.69 x 6.34 x 0.33 inches / Weight: 199.5 grams / Screen area and resolution: 7-inch screen, 300ppi (black-and-white), 150ppi (color) / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Physical page-turning buttons, waterproofing, Kobo Stylus 2 support, Bluetooth audio support
The Kobo Libra Colour is an excellent alternative to Amazon’s ebook readers, especially for readers outside the US or anyone who doesn’t want to tap into Amazon’s ecosystem. Kobo’s latest slate offers many of the standout features found on the 12th-gen Kindle Paperwhite — including waterproofing, USB-C support, and a 300ppi display — along with a few perks that make it more helpful and enjoyable to use.
The color display is the most obvious. The Libra Colour uses E Ink’s latest Kaledio color screen technology, which provides soothing, pastel-like hues that still pop in direct sunlight. It’s not as sharp as reading in monochrome — the resolution drops to 150ppi when viewing content in color — but it’s a nice touch that makes viewing a wider range of content more pleasant. Book covers and comics, while still muted, have an added layer of depth, even if the colors are nowhere near as vivid as that of a traditional LED tablet or as vibrant as the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition.
However, unlike the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, the Libra Colour works with a digital pen — the Kobo Stylus 2 (sold separately) — which lets you highlight text in various colors or take notes using Kobo’s integrated notebooks. You can also take advantage of some of the more advanced capabilities found in the Kobo Elipsa 2E, allowing you to solve math equations, convert handwriting into typed text, and insert diagrams. This lets the Libra Colour function as a mini notebook of sorts, though I wouldn’t use it as a primary note-taking device since the seven-inch display can feel cramped to write on.
The color display is only part of the appeal, though. The Libra Colour doesn’t have the lockscreen ads on the base Paperwhite — and packs physical page-turning buttons, which feel more intuitive to use than tapping either side of the display as you have to do on Amazon’s modern e-readers. The speedy e-reader also supports more file formats, including EPUB files, and makes it much easier to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Until recently, Kobo offered support for the bookmarking app Pocket, which was another big selling point as it let you read saved articles offline. While the app is no longer available, Kobo recently replaced Pocket with Instapaper, which you can download in a free update.
However, at $229.99, the Libra Colour costs $70 more than the entry-level Paperwhite — and that’s without Kobo’s $69.99 stylus, which is required for performing certain tasks. That gap widens further when the Paperwhite is on sale, which happens more often than the Libra Colour. The Kobo can’t easily tap into Amazon’s vast library of ebooks, which can be frustrating if you’ve amassed a collection of Kindle titles over the years. It can be done, but you have to convert file formats using third-party apps, which is tricky and can take time.
But if those things don’t matter or apply to you, the Kobo Libra Colour will give you the best digital reading experience of all the e-readers on our list. It’s my personal favorite.
Read our full Kobo Libra Colour review.
The best cheap ebook reader
Kindle (2024)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.3 x 0.32 inches / Weight: 158 grams / Screen area and resolution: 6-inch screen, 300ppi resolution / Storage: 16GB / Other features: USB-C support, Bluetooth audio support
The base-model Kindle ($109.99 with ads) is the best cheap ebook reader. Its 300ppi resolution makes text clearer and easier to read than the lower-resolution screens on other ebook readers in its price range. Plus, it has USB-C for relatively fast charging.
Reading on its six-inch screen feels a little more cramped than it does on the larger displays of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour. However, the flip side is that its small size makes it pocketable, light, and easy for small hands to hold. Combined with its relatively affordable price, the Kindle is also the best ebook reader for kids — especially the Amazon Kindle Kids Edition, which costs $20 more. The kid-friendly version shares the same specs but is ad-free with parental controls, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a case. It also includes six months of Amazon Kids Plus, which grants kids access to thousands of children’s books and audiobooks for free. After that, though, you’ll have to pay $79 per year (or $48 with Amazon Prime).
The base Kindle doesn’t have extra conveniences like the waterproofing, which you’ll find in the entry-level Kobo Clara BW and aforementioned Kindle Paperwhite. You also don’t get the physical page-turning buttons found on entry-level e-readers like Barnes & Noble’s Nook GlowLight 4e (though the Kindle is a lot snappier than the Nook). And because it’s an Amazon ebook reader, you’re also locked into the Amazon ecosystem and have to pay extra to remove ads. But if you can do without that, the Kindle delivers the essentials for under $110.
The best ebook reader for taking notes
Kobo Elipsa 2E
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Dimensions: 7.6 x 8.94 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 390 grams / Screen area and resolution: 10.3-inches, 227ppi resolution / Storage: 32GB / Other features: Handwriting to text conversion, magnetic stylus, Bluetooth audio support
Of all the large ebook readers I’ve tested, the Kobo Elipsa 2E stood out the most because it’s a good e-reader with solid note-taking abilities. You can write directly on pages just as in a physical book. The Kindle Scribe lets you annotate book pages as well, but it’s complicated, involving resizable text boxes that mess up the page formatting and prevent you from doing basic things like circling words. In contrast, taking notes on the Elipsa 2E feels far more intuitive and natural.
The Elipsa 2E offers other helpful note-taking tools and capabilities. Like the Kobo Libra Colour, it’s capable, for example, of solving math equations for you. You can also insert diagrams and drawings, and it’ll automatically snap them into something that looks cleaner and nicer. You can also sync your notes with Dropbox or view them online and convert handwriting to typed text. The Kindle Scribe offers the latter capability, too, but again, Kobo does it faster and better within the original notebook document rather than on a separate page. The only thing missing from the Elipsa 2E is the Scribe’s note-summarization feature, but that’s a tradeoff I am okay with given how much easier it is to take notes.
Note-taking capabilities aside, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is also a good e-reader with the same strengths and weaknesses as other Kobo devices. There’s support for a wide range of file formats, but you can’t easily read Kindle books without converting them first. Its 227ppi display is also slightly less sharp than the 300ppi screen found on the Kindle Scribe and the Kobo Libra Colour. However, the 10.3-inch screen balances things out a bit and makes text easier to read, so it’s not a noticeable drawback. Plus, the Elipsa 2E comes with an adjustable warm light for nighttime reading. That’s a feature rival e-readers with more advanced note-taking capabilities — including the $409.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3, which lets you insert links to notes — lack.
Other ebook readers we tested
There are some other ebook readers my colleagues and I have tested that I didn’t feature above, but are still worth highlighting. Here are the most notable:
Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is the first Kindle to feature E Ink’s color screen technology, and it stands out from other color e-paper devices with customizations. It offers improved contrast, more vibrant colors, and faster screen refreshes. With a $279.99 price tag, it’s the most expensive Kindle model currently available that doesn’t support a stylus for note-taking, and it includes premium features like wireless charging that are convenient but not really necessary for a device with months of battery life. If you want a color screen and want to stick with Amazon, the Colorsoft Signature is your best option. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter
Kindle Colorsoft
Amazon recently introduced a more affordable alternative to the $279.99 Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition called the Kindle Colorsoft. It’s $30 cheaper and delivers a nearly identical reading experience. As expected, Amazon excluded some features to hit the lower price point. There’s no wireless charging, for instance, and storage is halved to 16GB, though that’s still enough for me as I primarily read ebooks. But if you’re buying a color e-reader, chances are high that you’ll want excess storage space for graphic novels, and 16GB may not cut it.
The biggest drawback for me, as a bedtime bookworm, is the lack of an auto-adjusting front light, which can make nighttime reading much easier (however, its brightness and color temperature can be manually adjusted). At this price, I expect it, especially since Kobo’s $159.99 Clara Color includes one. And, given that the Colorsoft Signature Edition costs just $30 more, complete with a front light that adjusts when the room gets dim, 32GB of storage, and wireless charging, I’d opt for that instead if you’re in Amazon’s ecosystem. Unless the standard Colorsoft goes on sale for less, it’s not a great value at its regular price.
Kobo Clara Colour
If you’re looking for a non-Amazon alternative that’s more affordable than the Kobo Libra Colour, the Kobo Clara Colour — the successor to the Kobo Clara 2E — is worth a look. At $159.99, the ad-free e-reader costs more than the Kobo Clara 2E, but I think it’s worth the extra $10. It continues to offer the same six-inch display and IPX8 waterproof design, but the e-reader now offers color. It’s also noticeably faster — something I was happy to see, considering the occasional lag on the Clara 2E sometimes got on my nerves. You don’t get the Clara Colour’s physical buttons or stylus support, but that’s a fair tradeoff at this price point. The company recently announced a white version with a slightly larger 1,900mAh battery compared to the black model’s 1,500mAh (notably, without a price increase), which Kobo says can last over a month on a single charge.
Nook Glowlight 4 Plus
In 2023, Barnes and Noble released the Nook Glowlight 4 Plus. If you own a lot of digital books from Barnes and Noble, this could be a good Kindle alternative. Otherwise, I’d still recommend the Kobo Libra Colour to everybody else. The $199.99 Nook Glowlight 4 Plus is a good e-reader with a lot to offer, including a lovely 300ppi screen, waterproofing, physical page-turning buttons, and even a headphone jack. However, it’s just not as snappy, which makes setting it up, buying books from the device itself, and navigating the interface a slow ordeal. It didn’t help that the screen sometimes froze, too, which meant I had to restart the device while in the middle of a book.
Boox Palma 2
Despite all the advantages of E Ink display technology, your smartphone is probably still a more convenient device for reading given how pocket-friendly it is. The Boox Palma 2 is a smartphone-sized E Ink device that’s just as easy to slip into a pocket, but with more capabilities than an e-reader. Its 6.3-inch E Ink display is great for reading books, but the $299.99 Palma 2 also runs Android 13 so you can install productivity apps like email and messaging — assuming you’ve got access to Wi-Fi, of course, because the compact e-reader lacks cellular connectivity. If you already have the original Palma, the sequel isn’t worth the upgrade. But if you’re looking for a smaller alternative to Kindles and Kobos, the Palma 2 could be worth the splurge. – Andrew Liszewski, Senior Reporter
Boox Go 10.3
The $409.99 Onyx Boox Go 10.3 is another ad-free ebook reader you can use to take notes. It’s excellent as a note-taking device, and it offers an impressively wide range of writing tools and more prebuilt notebook templates than Kobo’s Elipsa 2E. Jotting down notes using the built-in notebook felt more akin to writing on paper as well, and its slim design makes the device feel more like a traditional notebook. Like all Boox devices, it also provides quick access to the Google Play Store, so you can download multiple reading apps — including both Kindle and Kobo apps. The slate’s crisp 300ppi display is sharper than that of the Kobo Elipsa 2E, too, which is a plus.
However, in comparison to the easy-to-use Elipsa 2E, the Go 10.3 lacks a front light and comes with a steeper learning curve. Notes you take on a Kindle or Kobo device won’t transfer over (and vice versa), and you can’t annotate books in either app using the Boox. I also felt like access to Google Play can be a double-edged sword as it grants easy access to distracting apps, including games, streaming services, and TikTok. It’s too slow to use the latter, but it’s fast and comfortable enough that I found myself playing around with the Word Search app far too often. For me personally, I need my e-reader to be devoid of such distractions — it’s one of the biggest things that distinguishes it from a tablet, after all. But if you’ve got more self-control than I do, the Go 10.3 could be worth a look.
Boox Go Color 7 Gen II
In April, Boox introduced the Go Color 7 Gen II, which retails for $279.99. This water-resistant e-reader offers a 300ppi display that drops to 150ppi when displaying color content, much like its Kobo and Kindle rivals. However, similar to the Kobo Libra Colour, this ad-free model offers physical-page turning buttons and supports note-taking. A stylus isn’t included, so you’ll need to spend an extra $45.99 for Boox’s pressure-sensitive InkSense pen if you want to take notes. And, like other Boox devices, it runs on Android, giving you access to a wide range of apps and online bookstores through the Google Play Store.
While I appreciated not having to sideload my Kindle and Kobo library, along with greater flexibility to fine-tune color settings, I ultimately prefer the Kobo Libra Colour. In my testing, the Go Color 7 Gen II felt frustratingly sluggish by comparison to the Libra Colour, which is disappointing given the Boox costs $50 more. Responsiveness is a core part of the reading experience for me, so I’d only recommend Boox’s model to readers who value having Android app flexibility over performance.
Kindle Scribe Colorsoft
The $629.99 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is Amazon’s first color e-reader that’s also designed for note-taking. In her review, Victoria Song praised its thin, lightweight design, long battery life, and minimal ghosting effect. However, she thought the 11-inch display feels too large for reading or note-taking, and that the muted E Ink colors limit the appeal for artists who want to draw things beyond basic doodles. It’s also a shame that many of its best annotation features — including in-line writing and the AI-powered summarization and search tools — don’t extend to other document types, such as PDFs.
What’s coming next
- Amazon recently announced new versions of its Kindle Scribe, which is great for taking notes. The $499.99 monochrome model with a front light is out now, but the cheaper entry-level version without a front light that will sell for $429.99 isn’t available yet. Both offer a thinner design and a larger 11-inch display, along with a new AI-powered search tool that makes it easy to quickly summarize documents. Amazon has also updated the homescreen with a Quick Notes section and redesigned the stylus, making it bigger and rounder, which should lend itself to a more intuitive writing experience. Read our hands-on impressions.
Update, January 14th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added new details regarding the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. Andrew Liszewski also contributed to this post.
X claims it has stopped Grok from undressing people, but of course it hasn’t
Following the proliferation of the nonconsensual sexual deepfakes on X, the platform has detailed changes to the Grok account's ability to edit images of real people. They match the changes reported on Tuesday by The Telegraph, as Grok's responses to prompts like "put her in a bikini" became censored.
But in tests of the feature on Wednesday, we found that it was still relatively easy to get Grok to generate revealing deepfakes, while X and xAI owner Elon Musk blamed the problems on "user requests" and "times when adversarial hacking of Grok prompts does something unexpected." As of Wednesday evening, despite the policy's claims, our repor …
The Stream Deck Plus is back to its lowest price
If you’re looking for a simple way to streamline your workflow, the Elgato Stream Deck Plus is a handy productivity tool for automating everyday tasks. Right now, it’s on sale for $159.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, which is its best price to date.
Like the standard Stream Deck, the Stream Deck Plus comes with eight programmable keys you can use to automate tasks, such as muting yourself on a video call or turning off smart lights. The Plus, however, adds more customizability with four rotary dials that let you make fine adjustments, like changing the volume for a specific app.
Elgato Stream Deck Plus
Where to Buy:
The dials are especially useful for controlling music. With a single dial, you skip forward or backward through a Spotify playlist, then press it to pause or play. On a standard Stream Deck, you’d need multiple buttons to do the same thing. Elgato also includes “Dial Stacks,” which let each dial handle multiple functions you can cycle through. A slim touchscreen above the dials shows what each control is currently assigned to and lets you swipe between different pages within a profile. And while the touchscreen itself can’t trigger plug-ins like the regular buttons, Elgato’s since released software updates that let you assign up to three standard button or plugin actions to each dial, making the Stream Deck Plus far more useful than it was at launch.
Verizon’s wireless network is down for many people nationwide
The first big outage of 2026 is here, as Verizon customers across the US, including several of our phones, complain that service has been spotty or nonexistent starting at around noon ET, with phones switching to SOS Mode and being unable to connect.
This cell service outage follows a "software issue" that cut off service for many people in August for several hours, and while Verizon has acknowledged the issue, there is no word yet on when it will be fixed.
We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We …
Naya Connect is a modular mechanical keyboard system for the indecisive
Naya has already shipped one successful Kickstarter for a weird keyboard. The Naya Create was an ergonomic split deck with four swappable controller addons: a touchpad, a trackball, a rotary encoder, or a 6DoF spatial mouse. The Connect takes that modular concept, applies it to a more traditional flat keyboard form factor, and expands the ecosystem to be even more flexible. And clearly, people are into the idea, because it hit its minuscule funding goal in just six minutes.
The Naya Connect has four main components: a low-profile 75% mechanical keyboard called the Naya Type, a 24-key multipad, a six-key programmable strip, and a dock. The …
Amazon didn’t have to go far to find its live-action Kratos
Amazon has announced the first cast member of its God of War live-action adaptation on Prime Video. Ryan Hurst, known for his work as Opie in Sons of Anarchy and Beta in The Walking Dead, will play the titular God of War, Kratos. Though the casting might come as a bit of a disappointment to the fans hopeful that Christopher Judge, Kratos' award-winning voice actor in the games, might have been tapped for the role in some fashion, Hurst has familiarity with series. He voiced Thor in God of War: Ragnarok and earned a BAFTA nomination for the performance.
Amazon originally announced the God of War series in 2022 in collaboration with PlayStati …
BMW says electric M3 will be a ‘new level’ of performance
BMW teased its forthcoming all-electric M-series performance sedan today, promising that the quad-motor M3 sports car would feature specs that are truly next level when it arrives in 2027.
The M3 will have four electric motors and simulated gear shifting, a feature that is quickly becoming a must-have for electrified sports cars. BMW says the setup unlocks the benefits of both rear and all-wheel drive, with the ability to decouple the front axle.
Four motors, though, is a bit of an outlier in the performance world. Tri-motors, sure, you can find plenty, like Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire. But four motors are bit a rarer: the …
I’ve tested 30 smart locks, and these are the best
A smart lock is an easy solution to some common problems. Locked yourself out? Need to let a friend in to water the plants? Your latchkey kid lost their key? Hands are full, and it’s raining cats and dogs? A smart lock solves all of these problems and more.
One of the best smart home upgrades you can make, a smart lock gives you remote control access to your house from anywhere, plus easy, key-free ways to unlock and lock your door. Smart locks also remember everything that happened, so they can tell you when your door was unlocked, and sometimes who did it.
For most people, control and convenience are big enough selling points. However, smart locks also work nicely with other smart home devices, including video doorbells and smart lighting. My favorite way to integrate locks in my home is with an evening smart home routine, which locks the doors, dims the lights, and sets my thermostat to sleep mode. We have four exterior doors, so it saves me from walking around the house at night checking everything is secure.
Having a connected lock on your door is as secure as a standard lock, and sometimes more. Most smart locks have the same security ratings as their non-smart counterparts (see FAQ for more details), and it’s harder to physically pick a lock without a keyway. Plus, any smart lock is more secure than leaving a spare key under a flowerpot.
I’ve been testing smart door locks for six years and have installed more than 30 for this guide alone. Here are my top picks for your front door. Whether you want the best of the best, don’t want to replace your existing lock, are on a budget, or want a smart lock that doesn’t look like a smart lock, there are great options for every need.
Best smart lock
Kwikset Halo Select
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Thread / Access options: Key, keycode, app, voice / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Six to 12 months / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI Grade AAA / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Matter (including Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings)
The Kwikset Halo Select is a good-looking, reliable smart lock with top-notch security ratings, broad smart home compatibility, and the best auto-unlock function I’ve tested to date.
I strongly believe a smart lock should look good on your door, and the Halo Select does exactly that, plus it can blend in with both traditional and contemporary door sets. (But I could do without the prominent Kwikset branding.)
Of the four entry methods — a keyway (which is re-keyable), a touchscreen keypad, app/smart home control, and auto-unlock by location — I liked the last one the best. It worked so well that I didn’t mind that it lacks a fingerprint reader or Apple Home Key.
My experience with automatic unlocking on other locks (which uses a combination of Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi to determine your location) has been generally frustrating, but on the Halo Select, it’s been flawless. It unlocks just as I approach my porch, making coming home and opening the door a virtually hands-free experience.
The Select can also auto-lock based on your location, not just after a set amount of time, as most locks offer. I also like the Halo Select’s LED lock indicator on the touchscreen, which tells you at a glance if the door is locked or unlocked.
The Halo Select has built-in Wi-Fi and a Thread radio, but you have to pick one.
If you set it up with Wi-Fi, you can use the Kwikset app and connect to Amazon Alexa and Google via the cloud. With Matter, you can connect to those platforms locally and also to Apple Home and others, but you won’t be able to use the Kwikset app after setup, so you lose the auto-unlock feature, among others.
Kwikset’s auto-unlock feature worked flawlessly in testing
Matter-over-Thread does promise better battery life — and long-term testing bears this out — as well as the ability to easily share the lock with other ecosystems. I set it up in Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings via Matter with no issues and could control it with all three via routines, automations, and voice commands.
It’s a shame to have to choose between using Matter and some of this lock’s best features, but this is a problem across Matter, not specific to Kwikset. Kwikset’s solution allows you to use its advanced features today while still having the future-proofing potential of Matter for tomorrow.
Kwikset recently launched the Halo Select Plus, which we’re currently testing. This adds Apple Home Key support, but at $329, you’re paying a lot more for this one added function. Other recent updates include new finishes for the Halo Select line.
Read my review of the Kwikset Halo Select.
Best budget smart(ish) lock
Wyze Lock Bolt
This inexpensive smart door lock has a lightning-fast fingerprint reader plus an easy-to-use, backlit keypad. It’s Bluetooth-only (unless you also buy its compatible video doorbell to act as a Wi-Fi bridge), so the battery lasts over a year. At under $80, it’s the best budget lock we tested.
Score: 7
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 / Access options: Fingerprint, keypad, app / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: One year / Security Grade: ANSI/BHMA Grade 3 / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: N/A
The Wyze Lock Bolt is a good choice if you want something inexpensive and useful and don’t care about smart home integration — or prefer a lock without it. It’s not sleek or stylish; it’s just a big hunk of black plastic (there’s also a satin nickel version). Out of the box, it doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or integrate with any smart home systems, but it does have an easy-to-use backlit keypad and a lightning-fast fingerprint reader. It’ll auto-lock if you want, and it’s half the price of most smart locks in this list.
In addition to the fingerprint reader and keypad, the Wyze Lock Bolt can be controlled over Bluetooth, and its range is very good. I could lock the door from my bedroom at the other end of the house using the Wyze app. That’s important, as there’s no way to lock the door on a schedule (although you can enable auto-lock).
The Wyze doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi or integrate with any smart home systems
The Bolt doesn’t integrate with smart home platforms, but if you don’t need to control your lock with your voice or plan to add it to any smart home routines, you won’t miss those features. It also delivers up to a year of battery life on four AAs — I tested it for three months and it only lost 15 percent.
But without Wi-Fi, I couldn’t check on it or control it when I was away from home, so turning on the auto-lock option is a must. If I wanted to let someone in while I was gone, I couldn’t unlock the door remotely, but I could generate an offline code in the Wyze app and share that. This uses similar technology to two-factor authentication codes and worked perfectly in my testing.
Since I tested the lock, Wyze has introduced an integration with its Wyze Video Doorbell Pro that lets you unlock the Bolt remotely when paired with the doorbell — but it doesn’t let you lock it remotely, which is odd. Of course, if you enable auto-lock, this is less of an issue.
Best retrofit smart lock
Nuki Smart Lock
Nuki Smart Lock
Score: 9
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Matter-over-Thread / Access options: Key, app, voice, fingerprint and keypad (sold separately) / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Non-removable, rechargeable / Battery life: Up to 12 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings
The Nuki Smart Lock is the most advanced retrofit smart lock we’ve tested, and a worthy replacement for our previous pick, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock. It features a compact design and lightning-fast locking — even quicker than manually turning the lock — and it works over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Matter over Thread, the latter of which enables out-of-home control and notifications through any Matter-compatible smart home platform.
Whereas most smart locks feature a big, bulky design, the Nuki Smart Lock boasts a minimalist style with a premium look and feel. Installation is straightforward — simply remove the thumbturn from your existing deadbolt, replace it with a blackplate, and snap the Nuki into place. Once it’s installed, you can get up and running without signing up for an account, which is a rare feature for a smart lock.
The Nuki app gives you access to multiple settings and customization options. In addition to standard features like key sharing with family members and enabling auto-lock and auto-unlock, it supports schedules, an activity log, and a convenient Night Mode, which can lock the door at a set time, disable auto-unlock, and enable auto-lock.
If you don’t have a Matter hub and a Thread border router — like a HomePod — Nuki’s Premium service provides remote access, lock activity notifications, and integration with rental platforms like Airbnb. Nuki Premium was previously offered as a monthly subscription, but as of December 3rd, 2025, the cost is now folded into the purchase of each lock. That means the Nuki Smart Lock is now more expensive up front at $199 (up from $159); however, the good news is that premium features are no longer behind a paywall. Those who already have Nuki Premium will also be able to continue using the premium features for the lifetime of the product without an added fee.
Additionally, Nuki offers an optional keypad, which supports both PIN codes and fingerprints, making it easy for friends, family, and guests to gain access without needing to download an app. Although the fingerprint reader works well, there is no backlight, making nighttime use tricky without a porch light. The current keypad doesn’t support Apple Home Key, though Nuki is planning to release one with ultra-wideband unlocking (UWB) and NFC support.
Nuki’s smart lock has a built-in battery that can last for months, and it only takes a few hours to fully recharge. While a non-removable battery raises concerns about longevity — smart locks generally use AA batteries — Nuki claims it should last 10 years. After that, the company says a replacement plan will be offered.
Read our review of the Nuki Smart Lock.
Best smart lock for renters
Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi
This slimline, easy-to-install, inexpensive retrofit lock is a simple solution with a year of battery life. It requires a plug-in bridge for out-of-home control and doesn’t work with Apple Home. The optional keypad adds to the cost but also to the convenience.
Score: 7
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (with plug-in module) / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad and fingerprint reader sold separately / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA alkaline batteries / Battery life: 12 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
Starting at $130, the Yale Approach is a more affordable retrofit lock with no monthly subscription. It’s super easy to install, looks nice, and has a good list of features — auto-lock, auto-unlock, app and voice control. Add the Bluetooth keypad to get one-touch locking, key code, and fingerprint access.
The Approach replaces your thumb turn, so you can still use your current lock and key — making it a great option if you are renting and don’t want to annoy your landlord. It has a nice, slim profile and blends in better than the rear housing of most smart locks.
The lock comes in black or silver and took me less than five minutes to install. It uses four AA batteries and promises 12 months of battery life. This is because there is no built-in Wi-Fi; instead, it uses an included plug-in bridge.
The bridge adds out-of-home control and connection to smart home platforms, including Alexa and Google Home, but there’s no Apple Home support). This allows for voice control and adding it to smart home routines. Yale told me there’s an onboard Thread radio that will be activated to support Matter, but didn’t say when this would arrive.
The optional Bluetooth keypad lets you control the lock from the outside without using an app or key, and it worked promptly and reliably. There’s the option of a fingerprint version, and that was similarly a good experience — just touch and open. The keypad also allows you to lock the door when you leave by pressing the Yale logo button.
The keys are a bit sensitive; I frequently get double inputs when pressing. But I liked the LED indicator that notifies you with green if your code was accepted or red if there’s an issue. This made it easy to know if the input worked, as the lock is very quiet — it’s hard to hear it locking or unlocking.
My biggest disappointment is the look of the keypad. It’s big, wide, and black, with prominent white numbers that don’t disappear when not in use — it looks a bit like a toy keypad on your door.
Best fingerprint smart lock
Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch
This fingerprint lock is fast and reliable, and the keypad is a good backup option for visitors. It works with Apple Home and can be upgraded to support Wi-Fi — which you’ll need for remote unlocking, Android phones, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home support. Auto-unlock can open the door as you approach, and you can also use a key if you just can’t let go.
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Bluetooth (can add Wi-Fi, Z-Wave) / Access options: Key, keypad, fingerprint reader, app, voice / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Six months to a year / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
The Yale Assure 2 line — previously my top pick — has something for everyone. There’s an option with or without a keyway, with a touchscreen keypad or a physical keypad, or with Apple Home Key, but my favorite model is the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch with a built-in fingerprint reader. It costs $279.99, and the built-in fingerprint reader is fast and efficient. I tested the touchscreen version, but Yale recently released a keypad version. Unless you really value the clean look of the touchscreen (which is blank when off), go with the keypad — it’s much easier to use.
The Yale Assure 2 is a good-looking lock that works with every smart home platform with its swappable modules. Its slimline design (both front and back), wide smart home compatibility, easy-to-use app, and good selection of unlocking options — including fingerprint unlock — make it a great option for your front door.
The lock supports Bluetooth out of the box and works with the Yale Access app and Apple Home app (which adds remote unlocking if you have an Apple Home hub). Along with a keycode, fingerprint reader, or key, you can also choose to use auto-unlocking. Auto-unlock is a decent alternative to fingerprint unlock, but I found I often had to wait at the door for a second or two before it worked. Still, it’s faster than fumbling through a purse for keys when your hands are full.
Support for other platforms and remote unlocking comes through Yale’s ingenious swappable networking modules, which cost around $80 each. There’s a Wi-Fi module to add Alexa and Google Home integration and a Z-Wave module for compatibility with (some) SmartThings hubs, Ring Alarm, and other Z-Wave hubs. Yale promised support for Matter via a Matter-over-Thread module back in 2022, but this still hasn’t materialized. They have announced a different lock that uses Thread, but it doesn’t have a fingerprint reader. I plan to test this soon.
I tested the Wi-Fi module in the Assure 2 Touch, which worked well with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It allowed me to add the lock to Alexa Routines, lock and unlock it with my voice, and control it away from home. The downside is that control over Wi-Fi is considerably slower than over Bluetooth and drains the battery more quickly. Yale estimates up to a year on Bluetooth only, compared to six months over Wi-Fi; I got about four months.
Read my review of the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch.
Best smart lock that works with Apple Home Key
Schlage Encode Plus
The Encode Plus is a high-end, reliable smart lock that works with Apple Home and has Home Key compatibility. It also has a Thread radio on board, which helps with connectivity and battery life.
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Thread / Access options: Key, keypad, app, voice, Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: Up to six months / Security Grade: ANSI Grade 1 / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Apple Home Key, Amazon Alexa, Ring, and Google Home
Apple Home Key lets you use your iPhone or Apple Watch to tap to unlock your door in much the same way as you tap to pay. It uses an NFC chip in the lock, and is fast, efficient, and secure. There are no apps to open, no buttons to press, and no need to unlock your phone (although you can add that step as an extra security layer). However, it does require an Apple device; it won’t work on Android.
Home Key took a while to gain adoption, but there are now several options (and should soon be more as Apple has made it part of Matter). The Schlage Encode Plus is still the best option — if one of the most expensive — as it has a built-in keypad and works over Thread.
The keypad is useful for giving access to people with whom you can’t share a Home Key (sharing is quite limited), and Thread makes for a rock-solid connection. While it won’t be updated to support Matter, the Thread radio adds better battery life and a more stable connection to Apple Home than Bluetooth. I have had numerous connectivity issues in HomeKit with Bluetooth-only locks.
To use Home Key, you need to have an Apple Home Hub, such as an Apple TV or HomePod. Adding the lock to the Home app automatically adds the Home Key card to your Wallet, as well as that of anyone else you have added to your Apple Home. That’s much easier than getting household members to download a whole new app for the door lock. I should know — I try regularly.
To allow someone not in your household to control the lock, you’ll have to give them a standard PIN, which you can do in the Apple Home app or the Schlage Encode app. If you like, you can set this lock up entirely in the Home app and never have to use the manufacturer’s app.
Read our review of the Schlage Encode Plus.
Best smart lock that doesn’t look like a smart lock
Level Lock Pro
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Thread, Wi-Fi with bridge / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad (sold separately), Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: Yes / Battery type: One CR2 battery / Battery life: 12 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Matter, Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings
If you don’t want a smart lock that looks like a smart lock, there’s the Level Lock Pro. It doesn’t feature a chunky battery box or prominent branding, yet it packs a ton of technology inside the footprint of a traditional lock. The newer model features an upgraded processor, Matter-over-Thread support, a passive infrared sensor for presence detection, and a built-in door sensor to tell you if the door is open or closed, not just locked. It also comes in one of two discreet finishes, matte black or nickel, and offers up to a year of battery life with a single CR2.
In terms of execution, the faster dual-core Bluetooth/Thread chip delivers more reliable performance than earlier models — including our former pick, the Level Lock Plus — and the lock offers support for multiple access options. You can unlock the Lock Pro with a regular key, Apple Home Key, the Level app, voice control, auto-unlock, or a touch-to-unlock mode. We found the auto-unlock feature to be finicky at times, though, and the installation can be a headache on older doors. It’s also pricey, starting at $349 (plus an optional $79 Wi-Fi bridge).
That said, if you want a lock that offers premium features and a sleek design, the Lock Pro feels like the brand’s most fully realized vision of what a minimalist smart lock should be.
Read our hands-on impressions of the Level Lock Pro.
Best smart lever lock
Connectivity: Thread / Access options: Key, app, voice, keypad, NFC tag, Apple Home Key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Four AA batteries / Battery life: 10 months / Guest codes: Yes / Works with: Matter, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings
The Aqara U300 is a lever-style smart lock; it replaces a knob or lever lock on a door with a single borehole rather than a door with a deadbolt lock with two holes. This type of lock is traditionally found on interior doors, pedestrian doors into garages, or side doors.
There are options for smart lever locks from Yale, Schlage, and Lockly, but the U300 is the only one with Home Key compatibility and a built-in fingerprint reader. It also works over Thread and supports Matter.
I installed it on my garage door, and it works like a charm. The fingerprint reader is right where you put your thumb to open the door, so I barely notice it unlocking as I walk in. It also has a keypad, and I can use my iPhone or Apple Watch for Home Key. It’s set to auto-lock by default, but you can enable passage mode directly on the lock if you don’t want it to stay locked all the time.
It paired to Matter easily — I set it up in Apple Home and could add a code and Home Key all without even opening the Aqara app. Because it uses Thread, there’s no need for an Aqara hub. Thread also enables up to 10 months of battery life, according to Aqara.
I love the idea of using smart locks on other doors in my home. I could see this working on a basement door, a home office, or any other room you like to keep people out of. However, I would like to see a way to permanently enable passage mode. Currently, you have to do it on the device, and it reverts to auto-lock after an undetermined period. This makes it somewhat useless for interior doors. It’s also very large and only comes in black or silver, so it likely wouldn’t blend in with your interior decor. A slimmer option, in more colorways, designed for inside use would be nice to see.
The U300 is expensive at $230, but it’s similar to other outdoor-rated options (it’s IPX4-rated). The addition of Thread — a protocol that works over a mesh network — makes it easier to extend connectivity further to places like a shed or garage.
Best smart lock that’s also a video doorbell
Eufy FamiLock S3 Max
Score: 7
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Wi-Fi or Eufy HomeBase / Access options: Key, palm unlock, keypad, app, voice / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AAA backup / Battery life: Five months / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI Grade 1 / Works with: Matter (including Apple Home), Amazon Alexa, and Google Home
Eufy’s new FamiLock S3 Max combines a smart lock and video doorbell in one device and features a digital peephole and a wave-to-unlock function. It also has a keyway and keypad and supports Matter-over-Wi-Fi, so it can work with all the major smart home platforms.
My favorite of all these features is the video screen on the inside part of the lock, which shows a live feed of who is on the other side of the door. If you have a peephole or a window in your door, this might not be much use — and you can opt to get the lock without the screen for $50 less. But as a quick way to confirm who is at your door before opening it, it’s super handy.
The lock has another fairly unique feature: palm vein recognition technology. This lets you wave your hand over it to unlock it, and is an alternative form of biometric access to the popular fingerprint reader.
Palm unlocking isn’t any faster or easier than using your fingerprint, though, and I found it harder to get used to. But once I got the hang of it, it worked reliably. Both my kids also picked it up quickly, and my husband, who has trouble with fingerprint locks in general, really liked it.
The main reason to buy this lock is for the video doorbell feature. The FamiLock’s 2K camera provides clear, crisp video during daylight hours and decent night vision, although my protruding door frame reflected the LEDs, causing the footage to blow out a bit.
The 180-degree diagonal field of view meant I could see top to bottom and all of one side (not the other side, though, due to the aforementioned door frame). But packages and people were clearly visible, which is most of what you want to see with a doorbell camera.
There’s no fee for viewing recorded footage of visitors in the Eufy app, and videos are stored locally on the device. Live view and recording pulled up promptly in the app, and the doorbell can alert you when it sees a person. For more advanced smart alerts, including facial recognition, you need to connect it to a Eufy HomeBase.
Bear in mind, Matter integration only controls the lock, as cameras aren’t supported by the standard yet, so the benefits of using Matter are fairly limited. (If you’re looking for a biometric Matter lock, Eufy’s E30 is a good fingerprint lock that uses Matter-over-Thread.)
Adding a video doorbell to a smart lock puts a lot of strain on the battery. While you can adjust several settings to help save power, Eufy says you’ll only get about five months of battery life from the lock’s giant 15,000mAh removable battery. Handily, four AAA backup batteries are tucked into the top to keep it functioning while you’re recharging the battery (which takes a while). I’ve been testing it for over a week, and the battery indicator hasn’t budged yet.
At $400, this is a very expensive lock, but it works well and provides dual functionality of a doorbell and door lock.
Read my review of the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max.
Best facial recognition smart lock
Lockly Visage
Score: 8
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Where to Buy:
Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4gHz) / Access options: Fingerprint, facial recognition, app, voice, keypad, Home Key, key / Auto-unlock: No / Battery type: 10,000mAh rechargeable / Battery life: Eight months / Guest codes: Yes / Security rating: ANSI Grade 1 / Works with: Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home
I was very impressed with the Lockly Visage. The first facial recognition residential smart lock on the market, it also features a fingerprint reader, a keypad, a keyway, and Apple Home Key — that’s a lot of high-tech ways to unlock your door. And while it’s probably too much lock for most people, if you are a super smart home user or a major gadget nerd, you’ll love this lock.
I was skeptical about the facial unlocking at first, but it worked really well, opening a second or two before I put my hand on the handle. The only caveat is that I had to be approaching face-on, which in most cases I was, but the couple of times I approached from a slightly odd angle, it failed to unlock. In those cases, though, I had the option of using my fingerprint or Home Key.
There’s also a touchscreen keypad, which is mainly useful for handing out codes to guests and visitors whose faces and fingers you don’t want to scan into your lock. The keypad is probably my least favorite part of the lock; it’s very small, which is good for the overall look, but fiddly to access. It’s also hard to see in bright light. But with all the other ways to unlock, this isn’t a deal-breaker.
Note that the Visage doesn’t take video or still images; its infrared camera is only used for facial recognition, data for which is stored on the device. Lockly does have a video doorbell version for $429, though that doesn’t have facial recognition.
Surprisingly, despite all the tech packed into it, the lock is compact and stylish-looking and works with the redesigned Lockly Home app, which is now more straightforward and easier to use. The lock works over Wi-Fi and supports Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa, but there’s no support for Matter.
Lockly claims eight months of battery life with its included rechargeable 10,000mAh battery. Uniquely, it comes with two batteries, so you can swap one and keep the lock online while charging the other.
At $350, the Lockly Visage is very expensive, but considering the tech packed into this lock, plus the two batteries, it’s not outrageous. Its solid build, broad smart home compatibility, and multiple very cool ways to control it make this a great lock.
Other smart locks to consider
- Eufy’s $169.99 E30 smart lock works with both Matter-over-Thread and Wi-Fi. It has a fingerprint reader, key, and keypad, and you can use the fingerprint access through the Eufy app while connecting it to platforms like Apple Home through Matter. Unlike the Kwikset Halo Select, you can use Wi-Fi and Thread simultaneously, which is unusual. I’ve not tested it long enough to determine if you still benefit from Thread’s better battery life. It’s cheaper than the Halo, has a fingerprint reader instead of auto-unlock, and promises 8 months of battery life. It can also integrate with a Eufy doorbell to control it from a live view. It has a nice compact design, but the rear housing is huge to fit 8 AA batteries. The lock is loud in operation, and the fingerprint reader was finicky; it also has the lowest ANSI/BHMA rating.
- U-tec’s $199.99 Bolt Fingerprint Matter works over Thread and can be set up directly in your smart home platform of choice — no need to use U-tec’s U Home. But if you want to use its built-in fingerprint reader, you’ll need to download the app. And if you don’t use it, then it’s kind of a waste of space, so the whole “you only need one app” feature falls flat. I also don’t love the design of the Ultraloqs, while smaller on the exterior than most smart locks, they are squat and chunky looking, resembling a combination lock rather than door hardware. It also uses eight batteries, which is an absurd amount, and is very noisy.
- If you’re an Amazon Alexa Ring household, the $206.75 Schlage Encode Wifi lock is a good option; it integrates with the Ring app, so you can lock and unlock it while viewing a live feed from your Ring doorbell. Its design will also match a Schlage door set, which is important for some people. There’s no door-sensing or auto-unlock option, but you have three reliable ways to get in: a key, a PIN, and the app. It also lasts at least six months on one set of four AAs.
- If you want Home Key but the Schlage is too expensive or not your style, the $124.99 Aqara U50 is a good, inexpensive alternative that’s less than half the price of the Schlage. It doesn’t have as good a build quality, and the keypad is a bit finicky, but it works with Apple Home and Home Key out of the box. (You‘ll need an Aqara hub for any other smart home integrations, including Matter.) It also pairs with Aqara’s G4 video doorbell to unlock the door while viewing video from the live feed. (Aqara has a doorbell that’s also a hub).
- The $189.99 Aqara Smart Lock U100 is a Matter-compatible smart lock that also works with Apple HomeKit and Home Key. A full replacement deadlock that can be unlocked by key, keypad, NFC key fob, fingerprint, voice control, through an app, or with Apple Home Key. It’s a good lock, but its smart home integrations are complicated, and there are now better options.
- The $189.99 Yale Assure SL with Matter Module is a Matter-over-Thread deadbolt smart lock. It’s simple, with a clean design and a touchscreen keypad for entry. There’s no keyway, fingerprint reader, or Apple Home Key, but in terms of simplicity, reliability, and future-proofing, it’s a good option. It’s one of the few locks you can connect directly to your smart home platform of choice without needing to download the manufacturer’s app — the Assure SL doesn’t even work with Yale’s app.
- The $119.99 SwitchBot Lock Pro is an all-around upgrade to one of my previous favorite locks, the SwitchBot lock (which is now discontinued). It’s a great solution if you have an unusual lock, as it can work on almost any door; it has higher-quality materials than the original, but now requires you to replace the rear of your lock (as most retrofit locks do). It does support Matter through a bridge, but for $200, I would still opt for Nuki.
- The Kwikset Halo Touch is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi fingerprint lock with a traditional keyway. As there’s no keypad, it looks more like a standard lock with the bonus of easy access. This is more limiting when it comes to sharing access to your door, but it’s a good solution for anyone who wants a simple key-free way into their home and knows they won’t need to share lots of digital keys.
- The Tapo DL100 is a $70 smart lock with built-in Wi-Fi, a keypad, and a physical key, plus access via the Tapo mobile app and smart home integrations. It’s cheaper than my budget pick, the Wyze Bolt, and includes Wi-Fi for remote access, but you don’t get a fingerprint reader. It works with Tapo’s excellent video doorbells.
What’s coming next and what I’m currently testing
- Aqara introduced the Matter-compatible Aqara Smart Lock U400 at CES 2026, and it was one of the best smart home gadgets we saw at the show. It’s the first smart lock to support Apple’s hands-free Home Key using ultra-wideband, letting your door unlock automatically as you approach with a compatible Apple Watch or an iPhone on you. The smart lock also works with the Aliro smart lock standard, which brings a similar experience — along with NFC tap-to-unlock — to Android phones and watches. It costs $269.99 and is available now. Read our hands-on impressions.
- The new SwitchBot Lock Vision is another deadbolt smart lock introduced at CES 2026 that uses 3D facial recognition to automatically unlock when it detects your face. Unlike other Switchbot locks, you have to install it directly onto your door rather than retrofitting over an existing lock. SwitchBot will offer two versions of the lock, both of which support Matter over Wi-Fi and include an emergency backup battery. However, the Lock Vision Pro adds fingerprint scanning and contactless palm vein recognition. Pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet.
- The Chamberlain myQ Secure View 3-in-1 Smart Lock also functions as a 2K HDR video doorbell, and debuted at CES 2026. It can lock your door when it detects a stranger and unlock it when it recognizes people you program via the app for it to recognize, though this feature requires a myQ subscription that’s $7.99 per month. The lock is available now for $279.99.
- Xthings debuted the Ultraloq Bolt Sense at CES 2026, a deadbolt that offers facial recognition and contactless palm scanning. Matter support is planned, though it isn’t expected to ship until Q2, after the device is available. The company also introduced the Latch 7 Pro, which doesn’t offer palm vein recognition but will support Matter-over-Thread and Aliro. It’s slated for release in the first quarter.
- Lockly’s new Affirm Series smart locks include native Matter support and built-in Wi-Fi, so you won’t need a separate hub. Both deadbolt and latch versions are expected in the second quarter for $179.99.
- The SwitchBot Lock Ultra Vision is a retrofit smart lock that features a keypad with built-in facial recognition. The keypad also has a fingerprint reader and auto-unlock. The lock can work with almost any style of door lock, connects over Bluetooth, and works with Apple Home (through Matter), Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, with a SwitchBot hub.
- The Yale Smart Lock with Matter (pictured) is a $170 smart lock that uses Thread and is a full-deadbolt replacement featuring a keypad and keyway for access. It’s designed to pair with Google’s Nest video doorbells.
- The Ultraloq Bolt NFC ($249) is U-tec’s first Apple Home Key smart lock, and it now supports tap-to-unlock on Android phones. There’s no fingerprint reader, but there is a keypad and a physical key. Built-in Wi-Fi adds support for Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.
- The Schlage Sense Pro is the company’s first lock to support Matter and one of the first to use ultra-wideband technology (UWB) for hands-free unlocking. It has a keypad but no keyway and will work with the Aliro standard when it launches. This means it should support a version of Apple Home Key.
- U-tec’s Ultraloq Bolt Mission is a $400 lock that will work with UWB for hands-free unlocking; it also has a keypad and a keyway, and the company says it will support Matter when it launches.
- Kwikset recently launched the Aura Reach, a Matter-over-Thread version of its midrange Aura line that costs $189.
- Wyze’s Palm Lock is a $130 palm-scanning door lock that allows users to unlock their door with the wave of a hand. It uses palm vein recognition to identify registered users, and it can also be unlocked using a physical key, a code, or Wyze’s mobile app. Battery life is rated at up to six months, while a backup battery can power the lock for up to two weeks. It also features Wi-Fi support, so it can be locked and unlocked from anywhere your phone has internet access.
- The TCL D2 Pro is another palm-scanning door lock that promises near-instant recognition and 99.99 percent accuracy. It supports real-time notifications, a 10,000mAh battery, auto-lock, and multiple access options, including a physical key, a keypad, via Google Home or Amazon Alexa, app control, and a key FOB. Additionally, TCL says your data is stored locally for enhanced privacy and security.
Smart lock FAQs
Photography by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Update, January 14th: Mentioned several new smart locks recently introduced at CES 2026 and updated to reflect current pricing / availability. Sheena Vasani and Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.
Bose’s first-gen QC Ultra headphones have returned to their best price to date
This year’s CES introduced a bevy of unique headphones, including Fender’s first set and a pair that roll up to become a Bluetooth speaker when you want to share your music with friends. However, despite the interesting advancements, we doubt any of them will dethrone our favorite pair for travel: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. Thankfully, the first-gen noise-canceling cans are currently on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Bose in several colors for $279 ($150 off), matching their lowest price to date.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Where to Buy:
Although Bose introduced a second-gen pair of the QC Ultra in September, the original flagships offer many of the same hallmarks for $120 less, at least at the moment. They feature a comfortable build and a foldable design that makes them ideal for long flights and road trips, along with a commendable 24 hours of battery life. More importantly, they offer best-in-class noise cancellation and a pleasing, balanced sound signature that preserves highs and lows even when you dial back the volume. That’s on top of a natural-sounding transparency mode designed to pipe outside noise in and an Immersive Audio feature, which, while still hit or miss, can offer new depth to select tracks.
If you do decide to go with the first-gen model over Bose’s latest pair of headphones, you’ll only be giving up a handful of somewhat iterate update. The QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — which also happen to be on sale for $50 off at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo — let you eke out slightly more battery life (30 hours vs. 24 hours), support lossless audio over USB-C, and feature an improved transparency mode. They also support Bluetooth 5.4 and a new Cinema Mode designed to bring dialogue to the forefront, though, for most people, we’d argue none of the features are worth shelling out an additional $120 for.
Read our full QC Ultra Headphones review.
More deals and discounts of note
- If cracking the case and solving (non-racist) Lovecraftian mysteries is your jam, Steam’s weeklong Detective Fest runs through 1PM ET on January 19th. It’s a lot more curated than Steam’s typical sales events; however, you can still find excellent discounts on The Case of the Golden Idol ($8.99), Disco Elysium ($9.99), and plant-based puzzler Strange Horticulture ($6.39). I, for one, will be picking up last year’s most surprising GOTY contender, Blue Prince ($19.79), along with a fresh set of pen and paper to go with it.
- The UE Wonderboom 4 has been my go-to Bluetooth smart speaker since it arrived in mid-2024, but Tribit’s StormBox Mini Plus remains an excellent budget alternative you can pick up at Amazon starting at $29.99 ($10 off), an all-time low. The portable speaker features a fabric-covered cylindrical design that’s eerily familiar to rival models from UE and JBL, not to mention IPX7 waterproofing, a 3.5mm aux input, a speakerphone, and balanced, 360-degree sound that belies its pint-sized stature.
- Sharge’s Pixel 140 charger is currently available from Amazon (for Prime members) and Sharge for around $79.99 ($20 off), which is just a dollar or two shy of its lowest price to date. The newer, fifth-gen GaN charger swaps the LCD and OLED screens that have become pervasive in the charging world for a retro-inspired dot matrix display, which lets you see the real-time power draw at a glance. The slick charger also outputs up to 140W and sports three USB-C ports, allowing you to charge all your favorite gadgets.
Netflix’s first original podcasts star Pete Davidson and Michael Irvin
Netflix is launching its first pair of original video podcasts, hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson and NFL commentator and former star Michael Irvin. While The Pete Davidson Show makes its debut on January 30th, you can find Irvin's The White House on the streaming service on January 19th.
The two shows will join Netflix's growing slate of video podcasts that it has licensed from Spotify, iHeartMedia, and Barstool Sports, including My Favorite Murder, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and Pardon My Take. As part of these deals, the shows licensed by Netflix can't appear in their entirety on YouTube, which has grown to become the bigge …