In review: Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi

While you’re no doubt familiar with the Anker brand (for their solid electronics, audio, and accessories), you may not be as familiar with their sub-brand eufy. The products there are focused more on things that are for the home – think stuff like robotic vacuums and security-focused items. I’ve had one of their video doorbells installed for awhile now, and recently tried out two of their smart lock products.

As with the other prior Eufy security products, the Eufy Smart Lock relies on keeping the data local – with storage on the device itself, as well as a connection into their central hub. What this means is that, unlike some of the other home security stuff out there, no one has access to your data (say, recordings off of cameras) other than you. Sure, it’s not tied into a remote monitoring service, but from my own experience, the alerts you get on your phone are more than enough for you to keep an eye on things.

For this review, we first got in one of the Eufy Smart Lock Touch devices. This uses a touch-sensitive surface to enter in a code (as you’ve seen on other locks) but also brings a fingerprint sensor into the mix. Just like on your phone, you can easily lock and unlock things using your fingerprint (again, just stored locally). So, right off the bat, you’ve got two ways to interact with the lock, and there are two more. You can use your phone and connect to the lock via Bluetooth to lock/unlock. And last, but not least, you’ve also got a physical key you can use on the lock as well (under the metal circle on the lower part of the lock); handy for if the batteries in the lock run out. Should that happen, and you’re key-less, there is a power port that you can hook an external battery in to get juice in there to unlock the door.

Installation of the Eufy Smart Lock Touch (and the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi) was pretty simple. Provided the sizing of the hole in your door (1.5″ or 2″) is correct, you don’t even need much more than a screwdriver. In my install, I did need to do some work on the door to get the fitment correct, but it was pretty simple to get adjusted and chisel some things out to get the spacing correct. I found the install instructions to be very clear, and you’ve got all of the steps clearly labelled on the boxes as well, so you know you’re doing things in the correct order (you can see a photo of that just above). You’ve also got the option of installing some additional plates (again, if you’ve got the space) with longer screws to get some additional security in the install, to go along with things like drill-proof steel on the lock, and the ability to lock itself if it detects a strong magnet.

Once I had the Eufy Smart Lock Touch installed, it was a simple matter of getting it added into the Eufy Security app on my phone, and then you go through a calibration process. With this, the lock goes through a cycle of ensuring the deadbolt can move smoothly, and how far it goes into the doorjamb. Of note here – if your door isn’t closing tightly, or the strike plate isn’t aligned, the lock may complain at you. At first, my alignment was slightly off. With your standard manual deadbolt, you can usually just power through that and get stuff locked. Here, since you’ve basically got a small machine doing the turning, it wants smooth running so you’re not damaging the gears or burning out a motor. Some minor adjustments in my hardware, and things were copacetic.

After the initial excitement around something new, the Eufy Smart Lock Touch just became part of life and faded into the background. I liked the fact I could go out for my morning jog and not worry about needing to have a key on me (with the potential to lose it on the trail), and the kids liked being able to get the door opened once we got home. Also, it became handy when you’re in the car and realize you forgot something in the house. Sure, you could shut the car off and go, but with the Eufy Smart Lock Touch you don’t have to. Just pop out, get into the house and get what you need, and then lock up when you’re done.

Now, the one thing you can’t do with the Eufy Smart Lock Touch is check the status of the lock when you’re not at home, as it’s relying on Bluetooth to talk to your phone. If you want that remote access, you’d want the version that includes a WiFi bridge, or the second lock that we reviewed, the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi. In terms of appearance, it looks just like the non-WiFi version, aside from the battery compartment. The WiFi version uses a rechargeable battery pack, while the non-WiFi one uses regular AA batteries. Installation was dead simple, and just like the first lock I put onto the door.

Of course, the big thing that the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi brings to the party here is the WiFi. What this means is you can easily check the status of the lock when you’re not at home, and even get alerts when the door is unlocked or locked. With that, if you’ve setup different codes for people (rather than just a single code for the family) you can tell who it is that is coming and going. You also have the capability to lock/unlock the device remotely if you wanted to. For me, I don’t see the remote unlock being that much of a use case, but being able to check things remotely is great. Say, you drive to the end of the street and aren’t 100% certain if you locked the door. Just check it on your phone, and be on your way once you’ve confirmed it (or locked it if you hadn’t).

Now, if you’re being truly paranoid with security, the presence of bluetooth and WiFi radios in the lock aren’t going to have you sleeping comfortably. And while I suppose that is an attack vector, I’m going to trust that Eufy has hardened things as much as they can (and can issue firmware updates as needed). For myself, that tradeoff for the ease of use (say, unlocking the door before anyone is out of the car so they can run right in while it’s raining) is well worth it. So, yes, I am definitely a fan of the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi.

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While we looked at both the Eufy Smart Lock Touch as well as the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & WiFi, there are a total of four different options that you could choose from in the lineup:

• Smart Lock Front Door (button keypad, not touch; no fingerprint sensor, bluetooth connection): $129.99
• Smart Lock Touch (fingerprint sensor; bluetooth connection): $169.99
• Smart Lock Touch with WiFi Bridge (same as Smart Lock Touch, but bridges the bluetooth to your Wifi: $219.99
• Smart Lock Touch & WiFi (Wifi built in; uses a rechargable battery rather than the 4x AA batteries): $249.99

And as we’ve looked at the two different locks, that means we’ve got the non-WiFi one kicking around. We’ve spoken with the brand about that, and we’ve arranged to get that going as a giveaway for you, dear reader – so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, you can check out all of the lock options over at eufylife.com

Details from Eufy

• Your Finger is the Key: Smart Lock recognizes your fingerprint in just 0.3 seconds and unlocks your door in 1 second—it’s faster than fumbling for your keys.
• Control From Anywhere: With its all-new Wi-Fi connectivity, you can control Smart Lock from absolutely anywhere via the eufy Security app.
• Always Has Your Back: Even when you’re in a hurry, Smart Lock is ready to protect your home. A built-in sensor detects when your door is closed and locks it automatically behind you, every single time.
• Multiple Ways to Unlock: Open using your fingerprint, with your phone via the eufy Security app, or by using the keypad or key.
• Built to Last: With a sturdy zinc alloy and stainless steel frame, Smart Lock is tested to handle the comings and goings of a busy household for over 60 years. The IP65 rating ensures that come rain or shine, your front door is protected.

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