SwitchBot Lock Pro review

SwitchBot Lock Pro: Introduction

The original SwitchBot Lock was a good enough lock, but it was a little ungainly and a touch fiddly to fit.

With the SwitchBot Lock Pro, the company is back with a neater, more versatile product that’s particularly useful for anyone with a lock with a thumb-turn.

A wide variety of accessories, multiple entry methods and Matter compatibility make this a neat way to add smarts to an old dumb door lock.

Design and components

• Lots of adaptors for various thumb turns
• Can work with keys
• Screw or stick the lock into place

Rather than replacing your door’s current lock, the SwitchBot Lock Pro is an upgrade product that can turn an existing dumb lock smart. There are two installation options: for locks that have a key on the inside, or for locks that have a thumb turn.

If you have the former, you have to insert a key into the lock, and then have the SwitchBot Lock Pro turn it to lock and unlock your door. The major issue with this is that the majority of locks don’t let you use a key on the outside when there’s a key inserted on the inside. That means no manual override should anything go wrong with a smart lock.

Having been caught out by a broken Yale Conexis L2 smart lock in the past, I wouldn’t use any smart lock without a manual override.

If you do have a key on both sides of your door, it would make more sense to upgrade the cylinder, which would make the Ultion Nuki Plus a better choice.

For those that have a thumb turn on the inside of the door, the SwitchBot Lock Pro is a useful upgrade. With a thumb turn, the SwitchBot Lock Pro can operate the thumb turn, leaving the manual key entry on the other side of the door – handy in an emergency.

To fit the SwitchBot Lock Pro to a door like this, the old thumb turn has to be removed, leaving the spindle exposed. You then need to fit the corresponding adaptor over the spindle, and then reattach the grub screw.

SwitchBot provides a wide range of adaptors that will fit most (but not all) doors.

If you have a euro cylinder lock, you should be in luck; if you have something different, it can be harder.

My door lock is one of the harder ones. I found the adaptor that best fitted the spindle, but found that the hole for the grub screw was too small for the grub screw I had.

I could have bought a different grub screw, but I opted to enlarge the hole.

With the adaptor in place, the SwitchBot Lock Pro needs to be fitted over the top, clipping into one of the two mounting plates: one for key locks, and one for thumb turns.

I found that the mounting plate for the thumb turn left a gap between the door, so I couldn’t use the sticky pad and had to screw it into place. A mounting plate with a larger hole, so that it could fit over a lock and sit flush with the door would have been nice.

With the mounting plate in place, the lock can be clipped into place, ready for installation via the SwitchBot app.

Features

• Bluetooth control
• Matter with a compatible Hub
• Optional keypads

Connection to the app is via Bluetooth, and takes just a few minutes. There’s a short configuration process, where I had to manually turn the Lock Pro’s thumb turn to teach it how far it has to move to lock and unlock the door.

I was also prompted to install the door magnet, which the lock uses to work out when the door is opened or shut.

It’s pretty sensitive; using it on a door with an automatic closer, I found that the system worked perfectly when it was colder. When the heat went up and the door swelled slightly, the door closer didn’t perfectly shut the door, leaving a tiny gap, which prompted the door to ping my notifications that the door was ‘open’.

With this basic installation, the SwitchBot Lock Pro can be operated by a smartphone when within Bluetooth range, with a simple lock/unlock button.

This is fine, although I find it a little fiddly to get my phone out, unlock it, open the app, and then unlock the door; likewise, it’s just as fiddly to lock the door on the way out. It’s arguably easier to continue using a key.

There are options to improve the flexibility of the lock. The first option is to buy a keypad, with a choice of two models: one with a fingerprint reader (as I have on review) and keypad, and one with a keypad only.

With the fingerprint model, multiple fingerprints can be registered, so you can have your entire family set up and ready to go. A tap of a finger to the keypad has the door unlocking in a few seconds.

Multiple PINs can be added, too, for standard access (with the advantage that you don’t need a person in front of you, ready to provide their fingerprint).

In both cases, there’s a choice of modes: Permanent, Temporary (these only operate between set dates/times and then expire), One-Time and Emergency (when used an email alert is sent to the lock’s owner).

It’s a shame that the Temporary option can be used to restrict access to certain days and times. For example, only working on a Friday on the hours that a cleaner is normally expected.

Keypads also have an RFID reader in them, so you can operate the lock with a registered SwitchBot smart card.

As a keypad is a fixed device outside of your home, it gives you an entry option even if you lose your keys and your phone. Beyond entry flexibility, the keypads also have an external lock button, which is handy.

An alternative option is to set the door to lock a set amount of time after the lock detects that the door is shut. This is useful for security, but it does raise the possibility that you can lock yourself out. Again, it’s a good argument to have a keypad, as you have a permanent way to let yourself in.

Should the worst happen and the lock break, there are options. First, the SwitchBot app has an Emergency Unlock, where the lock will turn as far is can to try and unjam the lock. Secondly, a locksmith can drill out the lock to give you access. You’ll need to replace the physical lock, but the SwitchBot Lock Pro won’t be damaged, so can be reused.

Internally, the lock can be operated manually, using the physical thumb turn, which will work even if the batteries are dead. For those that don’t have the manual dexterity, there’s also a push-button: tap once to lock, and again to unlock.

It’s nice to see that the lock is compatible with the SwitchBot Remote. A remote can be placed where it’s most convenient, so you can lock and unlock your door easily. That’s particularly useful for those with less mobility, who could unlock their door without having to stand up.

For remote control, you need to pair the SwitchBot Lock Pro with a hub. I recommend getting a Matter-compatible one, such as the SwitchBot Hub 2, as you can pair the lock with any Matter smart home system, including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home.

I paired my lock with Apple Home, and then set up an automation so that turning off my Abode alarm also unlocked the door and operated a SwitchBot Bot to press the release button for the building’s outer security door.

Routine abilities do vary by system. Apple is the most flexible; with Alexa, the SwitchBot Lock Pro can’t be unlocked with a routine and requires a PIN to unlock with your voice.

Overall, I’ve found the SwitchBot Lock Pro to be very reliable. I’ve never had it fail when using it through Apple Home, and it’s quick to respond to the Keypad (both for locking and unlocking).

The lock is powered by four AA batteries, which is far more convenient than the CR123A batteries that the previous lock used. Batteries should last between four and six months, depending on how often its used.

Final thoughts

Hugely flexible, with multiple ways to lock and unlock the door, including a manual key override, the SwitchBot Lock Pro is a big improvement over the original. For those with a thumb turn, this is a neat way to upgrade your security without altering the door, and leaving the original key behind.

For those who have a key on both sides, upgrading the lock cylinder to maintain external key access makes more sense. In that case, a complete package, such as the Ultion Nuki Plus, makes more sense.

How we test

When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.

Smart home products usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. And they are designed to offer a range of different cleaning options. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a device for a week and deliver a verdict.

Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular smart machine compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.

Read our guide on how we test to learn more.

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