Smart door locks with Thread
Thread is the low-power mesh behind Matter. It needs a border router such as a HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, Nest Hub or a Home Assistant Connect stick.
2 of 7 smart door locks
| Spec | ULTRALOQ Bolt SE | Aqara Smart Lock U400 |
|---|---|---|
| Owner rating Average Amazon rating. Fewer than ~100 ratings is not very reliable. | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Ratings | 10,378 | 459 |
| Launched | — | — |
| Works with |
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| Protocols | Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth | Thread, Bluetooth |
| Specs complete Share of this category’s specs we have a sourced value for. | 71% | 95% |
| Unlock methods Auto-unlock uses your phone's location. Fingerprint and keypad work without a phone, useful for kids and guests. | AppKeypadFingerprintAuto-unlock | AppKeypadFingerprintNFCApple Home KeyAuto-unlock |
| Auto-lock Locks itself after the door closes. Works best with a door sensor. | ? | Yes |
| Door sensor Knows if the door is open or closed, not just locked. | ? | Yes |
| Installation Retrofit locks sit on the inside and keep your existing key. Renters usually want retrofit. | Full lock replacement | Full lock replacement |
| Lock standard Euro profile cylinders are common in DE, NL, FR and the Baltics. Check the emergency function on your cylinder. | US deadbolt | US deadbolt |
| Security certification Independent tests such as SKG (NL), VdS (DE) or ANSI/BHMA (US). | ? | BHMA certified (grade not stated) |
| Battery life Manufacturer estimate at ~8 operations per day. Wi-Fi locks drain faster than Thread or Bluetooth. | 8 months | 6 months |
| Battery Rechargeable packs are convenient but the lock is offline while charging unless you have a spare. | AA | Rechargeable pack |
| Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz has longer range. Dual band helps in crowded apartment buildings. | 2.4 GHz | No |
| Thread Low-power mesh used by Matter. Needs a Thread border router (HomePod mini, Nest Hub, SkyConnect…). | Yes | Yes |
| Zigbee Mature mesh protocol. Works locally with Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA in Home Assistant. | No | No |
| Bluetooth Usually only for setup or short-range control. | Yes | Yes |
| Matter Works with every major platform locally. Check which device types are supported — some features may stay app-only. | Yes | Yes |
| Home Assistant Core integrations ship with Home Assistant. HACS integrations are community-maintained and can break after updates. | Matter | Matter |
| Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Google Home | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Home | Yes | Yes |
| Works offline Keeps working with your internet down — schedules, automations and local apps still run. | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud account required You must create a manufacturer account to set it up. Some devices stop working if the cloud shuts down. | ? | No |
| Subscription for key features Features locked behind a monthly fee, e.g. history, AI detection or remote access. | ? | No |
| Firmware updates via HA Update the firmware from Home Assistant without the vendor app (Zigbee2MQTT OTA, Matter OTA). | ? | ? |
Looking beyond smart door locks?
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