Level Lock Touch Edition (Satin Nickel)

Now that I'm a homeowner, I've always been interested in how I can use technology to my advantage around the house. I searched far and wide for a smart lock that would fit our needs without taking over the door, or come with a steep learning curve... any learning curve beyond turning a knob or using a physical key can be a bit much. I was stopped in my tracks when I found the Level Lock Touch. It solved all the specific needs I had and looked great as well. Natively supporting Apple HomeKit was a HUGE plus for me! Many smart locks just don't support HomeKit. It's the size of a standard deadbolt that you'd find on any normal entry door. A lot of smart door locks are noticeable because of the massive presence they can have on the front and back of your door. This one doesn't take up any additional space. The smarts are all built within the standard space of a deadbolt and the battery is even cleverly hidden within the bolt itself. I was skeptical at first that this deadbolt would be as strong as others, but it turns out just about ever deadbolt is hollow inside the actual bolt itself. At least this one contains a battery too! More solid than others, based on that alone. Installation was easy... I do wish it would work with certain trim plates. That's the ONLY reason I gave "Easy To Install" 4 out of 5 stars. It looks fine without a trim plate, though I would like the option. The lock has been flawless with integration into Apple HomeKit, one of the most secure smart home platforms. Asking Siri to lock/unlock works well and when we need it. It's also great to be able to walk out and merely touch the lock to lock it - without having to grab my keys. Inside, it's just a simple twist of the knob, or again, just ask Siri. You can even send guest invites to family/friends that may need access to your house. It's really quite flexible and I always know if my door is locked or not. Level Lock's technical support is fast and responsive. They're always looking into ways to improve their product, and it's nice to see Apple throwing their support behind this product as well, highlighting it on their HomeKit product page. If you get this lock, and you appreciate svelt smart technology that doesn't detract from the style and function of your existing home features, you won't be disappointed.

Short Review: The MAIN feature of this lock is the Touch to Unlock feature. It ONLY works 20% of the time. Customer support was no help either. At first they'll say this is a known issue and is being worked but no time frame is given on that update. Next, when you show them pictures of where the lock is installed, they will start to blame the location of the lock. I have mine installed in the door that connects to my garage. Simply put: Do NOT buy this lock.Detailed Version: The main reason you're looking at this lock is due to the convenience of just touching the lock to lock/unlock the door. On paper that does sound super convenient! But how about if the lock never unlocks for you? You are just standing in front of your door touching the lock over and over and over but nothing happens. Beyond frustrating and you start to question "Why did I buy this?".I reached out to Level support and at first they actually acknowledged the issue as a known problem. Great! When will the main feature of this lock be fixed? Nicole over at customer support has no idea so she let me know she would follow up later with the engineering team that's working on the firmware update. Ok that's fair! She initially blamed Apple's iOS and how it handles background operations request from apps so thus the randomness of the unlocking. Understandable. How Apple or even Google updates their Operating System is out of Level's control.Both Nicole and the engineering team follow up with me and this is where it all goes downhill. They suggest that the lock needs time for it to get ready for the Touch to Unlock feature to kick in. This MIGHT be true as sometimes I am standing at my door 15-20 seconds before it actually unlocks. 20 seconds might seem short just saying it but actually standing in front of your door for that long is ridiculous. Sometimes the feature just doesn't even work and you have to pull out your phone/key/card to unlock! Isn't everyone buying this lock expecting to just walk up to the lock and be able to unlock it without a waiting period? I sure thought so. And this whole thing about having to wait with a buffer is all nonsense because of the 20% of the time that it DOES work. I am simply walking up to it and touching/unlocking the lock and it works. Where was the buffer in those times?They then request pictures of where the lock is installed. They immediately say I have the lock installed in a wrong room and that the lock is only meant for entry way doors. I have mine installed in the doorway after getting in through the garage door. I believe they mean they only expect this lock to be installed on the outer perimeters of your home. Like the main entry door way for example. If that's the case, shouldn't this be way more clear in their marketing or product descriptions? Also, why did support pivot from the whole "this is a known issue and is being worked on" to "you installed it in the wrong room"?They sure do make it sound the lock would work PERFECTLY if I just fixed all the issues they mentioned. Not ONCE in the follow up did the engineering team even mention a firmware update. Basically all the blame is put on me and the room I chose to install the lock and what operating system is on my phone.Stay far away from any product that Level releases.

I don’t write reviews often, but after installing and using this lock I am thoroughly impressed and feel this warrants a review. For starters I was looking at locks from Kwikset and August, but they were extremely bulky with no style. It was also apparent with those that it was a smart lock which can be a security concern as an easy lock to pick. Coming across Level, it was the sleekest design out there and looked exactly like a traditional/non-smart lock.Here’s a few pros and consPros:- Sleek and discrete, it looks good- Super easy installation- Super easy app setup as well- Integrates with Apple home (as long as you have an iPad or Apple TV, you can use that as your home hub)- Touch feature to lock is awesome- Distinct noise for opening/closing- Can be used with Apple shortcuts as long as it’s set up with Apple home- App is very intuitive and simple, I actually rarely use it since everything is done though Apple homeCons:- The Touch Unlock that uses location services is useless since it needs to access your location 24/7 and I couldn’t really get it to work- To work with Alexa you need a sidewalk deviceOverall I’m extremely impressed with this lock, it came with 2 physical keys but after a few weeks I don’t even use it. When leaving I simply hold my finger on the lock and I know it’s locked after the chime (as well as a phone notification), when getting home I simply take out my phone walking up to my door and use my Apple shortcut to unlock it. The cons are not really cons, as the touch to unlock feature is cool in theory but probably easier to just unlock using your phone anyway.Long story short if you want a sleek/low profile smart lock that is easy to use and install, I’d highly recommend this.