If you want the best smart lock for advanced features, which supports more smart home platforms than the competition, August Smart Lock Pro is the best option on the market. It's the easiest smart lock to use and is one of the most secure smart locks we tested. However, it falls short in terms of the warranty, battery life, and how much you'll pay.
August Smart Lock Pro is more secure than any other smart lock from the company. As we stated in our review for August's other smart lock, the addition of DoorSense open door detection is one of the best innovations to come to a smart lock. We hope a similar feature appears in competing smart locks in the future. This lock also has audible tones that alert you when something goes wrong such as the deadbolt jamming as it locks.
John has tested many smart home locks, home security devices and smart home products for Top Ten Reviews, making him an expert in the field, and a voice on which devices to buy.
As well as covering smart home and home security and safety, he also covers other home technology products such as HVAC, garage door openers and more.
August Smart Lock Pro installation
August Smart Lock Pro is easier to use than any other smart lock we tested. The mobile app walks you through the installation process, which takes about 10 minutes. It helps you set up guest access, auto-lock and auto-unlock. For more insights on the app, see our August Smart Lock review, since both locks use the same app.
This smart door lock isn't as secure as Schlage Sense or Kwikset Obsidian because it's a retrofit-type lock that connects to existing deadbolts. Since almost all physical security comes from the deadbolt, we recommend attaching August Pro to an ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 or Grade 2 lock for the best chance to improve your security. Even so, this lock doesn't detect tampering or forced entry.
August Smart Lock Pro smart home features
The thing that differentiates the August Smart Lock Pro from the base model is its added smart home compatibility through Z-Wave and HomeKit. August Smart Lock Pro can also communicate with and function alongside other smart home products such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, Nest, IFTTT and Wink. No other lock has so complete a roster of partners with such flexibility for customers.
We also like how well this lock works with the August Doorbell Cam Pro, they are the only two products where you can control both the lock and doorbell within the video call instead of switching screens or apps. This is the best combination of a smart lock and video doorbell we've seen.
August Smart Lock Pro design
August Smart Lock Pro is the best premium smart lock we tested, and it outperforms Nest x Yale and Kwikset Obsidian in terms of usability and smart home functions. However, these other premium locks have the advantage of built-in keypads, which make them better for app-free guest access.
While you can add a wireless keypad to the August Pro, that's going to cost $79 more. We tested the keypad and like how well it works, but it doesn't bring much to the lock for that price. However, it is the slimmest keypad we've seen for a smart lock, it also fits neatly next to August's doorbell camera.
We were also surprised that the battery life for the August Smart Lock Pro is around three months, a fraction of the 12-month standard across most other smart locks. The warranty only lasts one year, which is shorter than Nest x Yale's and Schlage's two- and three-year warranties respectively, but average for smart locks. The August Smart Lock Pro kept the classic round shape of previous August models and has two finish options: silver and dark grey.
The cost of the August Smart Lock Pro is the biggest barrier to it topping our rankings. The version we tested, August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, is far more expensive than the industry average. Only the Nest x Yale is as expensive. However, you can buy the lock on its own and save some money if you already have an August Connect, August Doorbell Cam Pro or Z-Wave smart home hub to add remote access.
