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Battery claims, WiFi, and what owners really report
Updated
The battery number on a listing is a maker claim under light use. The owner feedback we read tells a different story for many homes. Plan for the short end, keep spare batteries in a drawer, and always keep a key backup.
Claim next to owner reports
| Lock | Maker claim on listing | What the owner summary said |
|---|---|---|
| Schlage Encode | Up to six months, 4 AA | Mixed. Some say very long, some say fast drain |
| eufy C220 | Around eight months, 8 AA | Some report about every six weeks |
| Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2 | Up to eight months, 8 AA | Battery life not raised in the summary we read |
| Yale Assure Lock 2 Wi-Fi | No number seen by us | Some report about four weeks |
| August Wi-Fi Smart Lock | Up to 3 months with WiFi on, 2 CR123, per August's FAQ | Some report every three to four weeks |
| Aqara U100 | Up to 8 months, 4 AA | Battery life not raised in the summary we read |
| ULTRALOQ Bolt SE | Up to 18 months | Battery life not raised in the summary we read |
What happens when they do run out? See what happens when a smart lock battery dies.
Why the gap is so big
- WiFi is always on. A lock with built-in WiFi stays connected so you can reach it from anywhere. That costs power all day. A weak signal at the front door makes it worse, because the lock keeps trying to reconnect.
- A dragging bolt. If the motor has to force the bolt into the frame, each lock and unlock costs more. See the free throw check.
- Busy doors. A family of five with auto-lock on uses the motor many times a day. The maker's "typical use" may be far less.
Built-in WiFi or a hub?
Six of the seven picks have WiFi built in. The Aqara U100 uses Zigbee and a hub instead. That means one box to buy and nothing to plug in near the door. The tradeoff is battery life. Some other locks use Bluetooth only, or need a plug-in bridge or a smart home hub to work when you are away. Those can be easier on batteries, but read the listing closely. If it says "bridge sold separately", remote control will not work out of the box.
Check your WiFi too. Many smart home devices only join a 2.4 GHz network. The Yale Assure Lock 2 Wi-Fi listing says it connects to 2.4 or 5 GHz. For the others, check the listing before you order.
"Works with" claims
- Only trust the names the listing spells out. The Schlage Encode listing names Alexa and Google Home, not Apple Home.
- The eufy C220 listing says in plain words it is not compatible with Apple HomeKit or Matter.
- The August and Yale listings both name Apple HomeKit.
- Of our picks, only the ULTRALOQ Bolt SE listing names Matter over Thread. The Aqara U100 FAQ says Matter needs an Aqara hub plus the platform's hub. More in Apple Home Key and Matter locks.
Plan for a dead battery
- Change batteries at the first low battery warning, not the last one.
- Keep a physical key outside the home with someone you trust. Six of our picks come with a key. The August uses the key you already have.
- The Wyze Auto-Lock Bolt v2 adds a USB-C port, so a power bank can wake a dead lock, per the listing.