Level Lock+
Type: Single-cylinder deadbolt | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Smart home integrations: Amazon Alexa (via Amazon Sidewalk device), Apple HomeKit | Entry options: Physical key, touch, NFC keycards, app, keypad (optional) | Power: Lithium CR2 | Finishes: Matte Black, Satin Nickel | Size: 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.1 inches (front), 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.2 inches (rear)
Best for:
- Installing a smart lock that doesn’t look like one
- Those with Apple devices
- Flexible entry options
Skip if:
- You are on a budget
- You use Google Home as your only smart home network
Level Lock+ Features
Sometimes you want technology to look fancy and stand out. Other times, you want technology to blend in with your life. That is where Level Lock+ excels because it looks like an ordinary lock from both the outside and inside. It doesn’t scream high tech, but it does a great job of making it easier to control who gets in and out—which is why I selected this model as the best smart lock overall out of 11 models I rigorously tested.
The Level Lock Smart Lock offers a beautiful design and offers keyless entry using touch.
It does this by packing all the technology and mechanical bits inside the door. Most smart locks have a large back that holds the batteries, the electronics and the motors that move the deadbolt. Level Lock+ fits all of this into a tiny mechanism that fits in the door’s borehole, in the same space where the bolt fits in a manual lock. This way, the complicated stuff is invisible, tucked away inside your door.
From both the front and back, the Level Lock+ has a clean design that looks like a standard lock, with a normal-looking keyway and a standard-sized thumb turn. I tested the Satin Nickel version, also available in a Matte Black finish. You don’t get options for the Satin Chrome or Polished Brass finishes that the slightly cheaper Level Lock comes in, though.
Fitting all that inside your door can be a tight squeeze, though. Older doors with a smaller borehole may present a challenge: The Level Lock+ needs a 2.1-inch borehole. If your door’s borehole isn’t wide enough, you can use a door lock installation kit ($52 at Amazon) to widen it if you don’t mind taking a power tool to your door. Modern doors won’t need this, since most doors come with pre-drilled holes that are big enough for the Level Lock+.
The Dewalk Door Lock Installation Kit ($52 at Amazon)
That’s the most complex part done: The front and back snap easily into place, and two screws go through the mechanism and hold the lock together. Once it is installed, you unscrew the end of the bolt and insert the battery. The lock then initializes and tests how it turns the tail to lock the door.
You can open the lock in one of several ways: with a physical key, by tapping a keycard or by touching your phone to the lock (if you have the app installed). This model also supports Apple home keys, which means you can store a digital key in your Apple Wallet. The Level Lock+ comes with two physical keys and two keycards.
To set up access for Level Lock+, you need the Level’s app on your iPhone or Android phone. The app lets you set up the digital keys as well as configure the supplied keycards or Apple home keys. However you offer access, you can easily revoke access with a couple of clicks in the app. Or you can set access to work only once, or to work at specific times only.
Armed with access, an authorized user can just walk up to the door, touch the lock with their finger and it will open. It figures out who can do this using your location and a digital key stored in the Level app. When you leave home, the app notices and ensures the lock is closed. When you return home, the app uses GPS to recognize your location and enables the touch-to-open feature, so when you walk up to the door and touch the lock, it unlocks the door. It sounds complex, but it worked well in my testing. Ultimately, this feature means you have to trust the app to run in the background and monitor your location so it knows you’re approaching the lock’s location.
A lot of technology is packed into a traditional size deadbolt lock.
If you are using the Apple home keys feature, you walk up to the lock and hold your Apple iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock and touch it. You don’t need the Level app for this; instead, the encrypted key lives in your Apple Wallet. With Apple home keys, I could set the key to either open the lock when the phone is nearby, or to require the lock to open only when the phone is unlocked.
You can send Apple home keys over email, so a guest can get it before they arrive and enter when you aren’t home. And you can delete the key to revoke access.
You can also use the included keycards to unlock the door. The NFC cards get programmed in the app, then held close to the front of the lock to unlock it. That could be useful for younger kids who may not have a phone.
The Level+ does not have built-in Wi-Fi, but it can connect to Amazon Alexa over Bluetooth if you have an Amazon device that supports Amazon Sidewalk (such as the Ring Video Doorbell). Level told me it will also connect to Google Home and Samsung SmartThings once it adds support for Matter, the new home network standard. Until that update, though, if your smart home is built around Google Home, go with Schlage Encode 2.
How Does The Level Lock+ Compare?
Level Lock+ is pricey, but it is also the most flexible, with multiple ways to give people access to your home. It works smoothly, without fuss, and it looks great. The lock lacks a few features found elsewhere, though, such as the fingerprint reader available on cheaper locks like the Lockly Flex Touch and the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro. If you want a way for people to get in that they will never lose or forget, either of those locks might be a better choice. The Schlage Encode Plus also offers Apple home keys and works just as well with iPhones, but it has a much larger, less elegant design.
This lock is expensive: At $329, you could buy three of the Defiant Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt locks and still have some cash left over. But the Level Lock+’s sophisticated and flexible handling of access permissions and methods, coupled with its uniquely compact design, means you get a highly customizable lock that works with your needs. That flexibility is worth a lot, and it is why I chose Level Lock+ as the best smart lock overall.
How I Tested The Best Smart Locks
To test the Level Lock+, I installed it on the front door of my house. I then used it for several days, looking at how easy it was to add different users. I considered how well the Level mobile app worked to control the lock, add entry codes or digital keys and manage the list of people who I allowed to use the door. I also tested how easily it could connect to my smart home system, using the smart home apps from Amazon, Google and Apple to control the locks. I also tested the new home keys feature on an Apple iPhone and an Apple Watch. The Level Lock+ excelled at all these tests.
My Expertise
I have tested thousands of consumer products across the past three decades, reviewing computer gear and home appliances for publications like Wired, Tom’s Guide and PCWorld. At Reviewed, I created new tests for a range of gear and appliances, from dryers and ovens to video projectors.
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