U-tec’s Ultraloq U-Lock Pro is billed as “the ultimate 6-in-1 smart deadbolt,” and certain sufficient you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a lock that provides extra technique of potential ingress: The lock could be operated by way of U-Lock’s app, a numeric keypad, your fingerprint, or with a bodily key. The different two strategies embrace computerized unlock by way of geofencing and “Magic Shake,” although each of these are simply options throughout the cell app.But earlier than we get to all that, let’s look first on the U-Lock {hardware} and the set up course of. The all-black U-Lock Pro is a compact machine, which is a pleasing change of tempo in an business dominated by huge lock programs. It’s not probably the most good-looking of locks, although, notably on the outside, the place a hoop of numeric buttons offers the lock the looks of a wall secure in some evil-doer’s lair, though to be truthful, few sensible locks make an amazing visible impression (some would possibly say the Array by Hampton sensible lock, which hides its keypad behind a photo voltaic panel, is an exception).While set up seemingly follows the same old process of sandwiching the 2 escutcheons collectively together with your door within the center, snaking an influence cable via a gap to attach the 2, a cautious studying of the dense guide will reveal that just a few further steps have to be adopted alongside the best way. Mess any of those up and the lock received’t work—as I painfully found after greater than an hour of placing the lock on and taking it off my check door, over and over. Christopher Null / IDG
The lengthy tailpiece on the U-Bolt Pro can accommodate an extra-thick door, however you’ll must trim it for a extra typical one.
The largest problem entails a bit of the lock known as the tailpiece, a flat metallic bar that passes via the deadbolt mechanism, permitting it to rotate. Unless your door is further thick, U-Lock’s tailpiece have to be trimmed down, or else it is going to put an excessive amount of pressure on the motor (as was defined to me by a U-tec technician). The guide exhibits this tailpiece being merely snapped off with a few units of pliers, however I couldn’t get the additional materials to budge with pliers alone, as a result of power of the metallic.Mentioned on this article
Ultimately, I needed to go on the factor with a hacksaw, spending 10 strong minutes reducing my method via the metallic bar earlier than lastly weakening it sufficient to permit the additional bit to snap off. In years of testing and putting in sensible locks, this was a wholly new situation for me. Even in case your storage is well-stocked with instruments, I can solely think about the frustration that the standard house owner will expertise throughout this cumbersome course of.With the tailpiece lastly trimmed, I used to be capable of piece the 2 escutcheons collectively. Note that the outside escutcheon has two sharp enamel on either side, designed to assist hold it in place and to forestall the lock from itemizing to the facet, a typical drawback. It’s a neat thought (and it beats drilling a 3rd gap), nevertheless, do word that in the event you take away the locks, it is going to go away a pair of indented “bite marks” in your door. Another set up professional tip: Note that the tailpiece have to be oriented horizontally throughout set up and the deadbolt knob have to be fastidiously oriented vertically, or else, once more, the system received’t work. Christopher Null / IDG
This is the primary time we’ve ever wanted a hacksaw to put in a sensible deadbolt.
Finally, the U-Lock could be very temperamental about screw tightness. Overtighten any of the 4 inside screws that maintain the lock collectively and the deadbolt received’t be capable to flip, leading to a jam. I discovered all of this via quite a few rounds of trial and error earlier than lastly reaching an equilibrium the place the lock would keep hooked up to the door whereas permitting the deadbolt sufficient freedom to spin.Finally, word {that a} small Wi-Fi bridge, included as a part of a bundle or priced at $50 if bought individually, is required with the intention to join the lock to your property community, bridging its inside Bluetooth radio together with your Wi-Fi. This bridge wants a everlasting dwelling in an influence socket inside 10 toes of the door.With the lock lastly put in correctly, I used to be prepared to start working with the app. I tempered my expectations—solely to search out that U-tec’s cell app is surprisingly full-formed. I encountered a slight hiccup when first pairing the lock to my cellphone, however after a few tries all the things was up and operating. Inside the app, all the things is pretty intuitive and for probably the most half proper the place it needs to be. Tap the large button on the primary display screen to lock or unlock the deadbolt. Red means it’s locked, inexperienced means it’s open. U-Tec
You’ll want this Wi-Fi bridge to regulate the lock over your community. Alarm.com is among the sensible dwelling distributors providing assist for the U-Bolt Pro.
A easy submenu of customers enables you to add new residents and short-term guests, and you may simply assign them a 4- to 8-digit PIN, share the app with them, and (assuming they’re in entrance of the lock) register one or two fingerprints on the scanner. Temporary customers could be restricted by date, by sure occasions of day or days of the week, or by the entire variety of cases through which they’ll unlock the door. Finally, all this exercise is logged in a surprisingly sturdy and easy-to-read historical past menu. Christopher Null / IDG
U-tec’s app helps a number of locks, every accessed from this display screen.
While the app is usually a bit sluggish to attach when launched, and the Magic Shake characteristic (which helps you to twist your cellphone to unlock the mechanism as an alternative of pushing the large crimson button) appears superfluous, on the entire I had surprisingly little bother working the lock. The bodily buttons on the entrance escutcheon have been a lot simpler to push with authority than the standard touchscreen-based lock, and regardless of taking solely a handful of pattern scans, the fingerprint reader labored completely each time I attempted it—a lot better than the reader on my iPhone.There are loads of extra options within the combine, too. You can add random digits each earlier than and after your PIN with the intention to throw off any snoops; so long as the right PIN is in there someplace, the lock will open. No battery? The faceplate of the lock pivots right down to reveal a bodily keyhole; two spare keys are included within the field. Lost your keys and the battery’s lifeless? A micro-USB port (vs. the extra typical 9-volt battery adapter) enables you to use any exterior energy supply to provide the lock sufficient cost to open so you may get inside.Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT are all supported (although as is typical with sensible locks, voice capabilities are fairly restricted). The solely further characteristic that failed me was the geofencing system, with the automated unlocking characteristic by no means activating once I returned to my dwelling after being away.In the ultimate evaluation, the U-Lock Pro is hampered by its setup issues and another lingering bugs, however its bevy of sensible options, superior fingerprint scanner, and well-built app go a good distance towards overcoming them. If the set up headache doesn’t flip you off—and also you’d be completely justified if it does—this sensible lock is value critically contemplating.
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