Smart Door LocksSmart Door Locks

How We Test

Our testing is built for one outcome: smart locks that remain dependable, private, and usable—especially when the internet goes down. Below is how we evaluate devices and the criteria that drive our scores.

Test Philosophy

We prioritize local‑first operation, open standards, and graceful failure modes over cloud features. Each device is exercised in realistic scenarios across different door types and households, including renter constraints and short‑term rental workflows.

Setup and Local Control

  • Verify local setup and operation without mandatory cloud accounts wherever possible.
  • Validate control paths via open standards and local APIs: Matter over Thread, Zigbee/Z‑Wave, HomeKit, and MQTT/HTTP where applicable.
  • Confirm remote access via local hubs/VPN options without exposing cloud dependencies.

Interoperability and Compatibility

  • Pair devices with multiple controllers (e.g., Home Assistant, HomeKit, Matter controllers) to check feature parity and reliability.
  • Map supported features (locking, codes, schedules, notifications) per protocol and note any vendor‑specific gaps.
  • Document door compatibility: regional standards, backset, thickness, latch type, and multipoint considerations.

Mechanics, Reliability, and Battery

  • Measure actuation speed, noise level, and ability to overcome misalignment and weather‑strip resistance.
  • Stress‑test motor torque and retry behavior; evaluate manual key/turnpiece performance.
  • Run battery‑life projections using repeated cycles and monitor forecasting accuracy; verify emergency power options (9V/USB‑C) and mechanical key backup.

Access Management and Guest Workflows

  • Evaluate per‑user, time‑limited codes; auto‑expiring invites; NFC/key tags; and whether guests need accounts.
  • For STR use, test calendar‑driven code assignment and cleaner/maintenance windows using local automations.
  • Inspect audit trails: local storage, filtering, export, and retention when offline.

Security and Privacy Posture

  • Favor designs with on‑prem processing, documented local APIs, and transparent security docs/changelogs.
  • Check lockout recovery, tamper detection, and how alerts are generated and stored locally.
  • Review public CVEs, firmware update cadence, signing/rollback protections, and data‑collection defaults.

Outage and Failure Scenarios

  • Internet outage: confirm full functionality, logging, and code schedules continue locally.
  • Power/battery events: verify safe behavior, alerts, and recovery steps.
  • Controller/hub loss: document degraded modes and manual fallback.

Documentation and Reproducibility

  • Record firmware versions, app versions, controller versions, and test dates.
  • Note environmental factors (temperature, door fit) that can affect results.
  • Publish decision trees and compatibility matrices so readers can replicate our conclusions on their own doors.

Scoring Weights

  • Local reliability and outage resilience: 30%
  • Security/privacy posture and transparency: 25%
  • Open‑standards interoperability and local APIs: 20%
  • Mechanics and battery performance: 15%
  • Install/ownership experience (including renter‑safe installs): 10%

Limits and Continuous Review

No lab can reproduce every home. We disclose limitations and edge cases, revisit scores after meaningful firmware updates, and incorporate community feedback with credit where due.