For many, next to smart lighting, a smart lock can act as their first foray into the connected home.  The convenience that smart locks can provide for a busy household can be indispensable doing away with having to cut new keys and then potentially worrying whether someone duplicated the key without your knowledge.  We can simply grant access ourselves remotely, provide the user with a time-restricted code, or give them more flexible access using HomeKit.  A new-comer to the HomeKit realm, Reagle has recently launched their offering which boasts some unique features that just might work for your setup.

A review unit was provided to myHomeKithome for the purpose of this review, but no compensation was received nor was the content reviewed before publishing. All thoughts expressed are purely those of my own.

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Features

• create, manage and restrict code access to the lock via the Reagle app
• ReagleCode allows you to randomly generate access codes
• notifications via the Reagle and Apple Home apps
• automatically engage the lock after a specified period of time

Need to Knows

• door thickness: 1-3/8″ to 2″ (35mm to 51mm)
• backset: 2-3/8″ or 2-3/4″ (60mm or 70mm)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 4 x AA alkaline batteries (included)

Pros

As I’ve ranted about on various occasions, nobody uses a home in the same way and this remains true for a connected home.  The fact that the Reagle Smart Lock gives us the option of using an access code, smartphone, or a physical key covers almost all ways that a person might want to interact with a deadbolt.  As a prime example, my wife prefers to use her access code as finding her phone in her purse can be cumbersome when getting home.  I personally use either the access code when coming home after a bike ride or walking the dog, but my phone if I was just out and about.  This being said, on a daily basis we use a location-based automation to unlock the door and revert to the above options when the delay we set doesn’t suffice for some reason.  

For me personally, the auto-lock feature of the Reagle Smart Lock is the feature I find myself appreciating  most regularly.  While it might not seem like avoiding a simple flick of the wrist to engage a lock after closing the door is a huge time-saver, it is one less thing that I have to do and it improves the security of my home in general.  Let’s face it.  We all have too many things going on in our lives so I welcome any opportunity to remove even the smallest of task.  

It wasn’t until recently that I actually incorporated a smart lock into my HomeKit home, but not for a lack of confidence in the security, but rather a lack of revelation as to how it could improve my life.  In addition to the aforementioned reduction in arduous wrist-turning, I enjoy the fact that in order to engage the lock as I’m leaving, I simply need to press a single button on the lock itself.  This does not mean that I do not trust the auto-lock feature because I absolutely do as it hasn’t given me cause to not, I appreciate that reassuring feeling of knowing that the deadbolt has been engaged as I’m leaving home.

Cons

Installation of the Reagle Smart Lock is stunningly easy and, in most cases, really only requires a screwdriver and maybe a beer.  One of the downsides to this though is that it does replace your entire deadbolt assembly.  This means you’ll need to ensure that you have ample clearance on both the inside and outside of the door so that it plays well with other door hardware you may have.  So, this also brings up the aesthetic issue as well.  The Reagle Smart Lock is by no means an eyesore, but it does have a certain look that could potentially clash with what you’ve got going on.  Finally, though the actual physical buttons for the access code look slightly less hi-tech than say a capacitive touchscreen, the fact that it does have this option could indicate to potential marauders that significant treasures await beyond the threshold.

I quite like Bluetooth for secure devices especially locks.  The connection is made from device to device rather than relying on internet connectivity to send and receive commands.  It may take an extra second or two, but I’m OK with that.  One of the drawbacks of this though is that in order to open the door for the repair guy so he can fix the plumbing while your sipping mojitos on the beach is that you’ll need to have a Home hub relatively close to the lock and this simply may not make sense in some larger homes.  This is definitely not the case in my humble dwelling, but could cause a headache.

Reagle’s offering has a unique feature that I’m still rather unsure about and it’s pretty noticeable at first glance of the packaging.  The Taiwan-based company opted for a 2 X 5 keypad configuration as opposed to the standard 3 X 4 keypad which is prevalent on most all input devices and thus most recognizable and comfortable for the vast majority of folks worldwide.  I like the feeling of actually pressing a button and the keypad layout definitely cuts down on size, but it’s a little awkward for me as I actually have to look at the numbers to make sure I’m inputting the correct code as opposed to relying on muscle memory for an input configuration I’ve been using for more than 30 years.  But, an old dog can learn new tricks, right?.  

The App

The Reagle app is generally a fine app and does provide some added features for its lock that Apple’s Home app or other third-party apps don’t, but although it requests to use our Home data, we are not able to control, modify, or otherwise play with HomeKit accessories other than the Smart Lock with the app.

The standout feature of the app for me is Reagle Code which randomly generates a code which you can then give guests.  This makes temporarily granting access to visitors a breeze and you can even share the code with the visitors using a share sheet as soon as you have synced the code.  This is extremely useful if you are into the sharing economy and rent out a spare bedroom, for example.  The only downside is that I wasn’t able to figure out how to delete the code.  We can block it, but we can’t remove it entirely which h I found a bit strange.

The app also has a lock/unlock log which details how or who locked or unlocked the door and when.  This isn’t particularly useful for me as it’s just my wife and I but again, could be very useful in homes where several people are coming and going, especially if there is suspicious activity.

While with Apple’s Home app we can setup automations that will engage and disengage the lock based on our arriving and departing, in Reagle’s app we can do the same, but as an added bonus, we can adjust the amount of time between the lock disengaging upon arrival and it locking itself automatically.  This delay allows for variations in how someone arrives whether they distracted with a phone call, have their arms full of groceries, or have their hands full with an overly-energetic puppy preventing relocking before you even make it to the door.  Lastly, and I am extremely thankful for this feature, we can adjust the geo-fence radius around the lock’s location!  This has been a big headache with lock automations in Apple’s Home app and this along with the auto-relock delay make this a pretty useful app for this smart deadbolt

Final Thoughts

All of the accessories and apps that we cover here at myHomeKithome have been actually tested in my home so I can’t claim to be any sort of all-encompassing authority on the variety of HomeKit-enabled smart locks out there, but I have tested and used a few different ones and I have to say that Reagle’s is my favorite of the bunch.  It’s design is minimal and not overly techy-looking.  Installation is a breeze given your door is outfitted with the appropriate bore holes and backset. It’s relatively quiet compared to some other smart deadbolts I’ve tested and its beep indicators are welcoming and inviting instead of being harsh and ‘80s robot-like.  I prefer the physical buttons over a capacitive touchscreen though I’m still not the biggest fan of the 2 X 5 keypad layout.  While I can’t say I open the Reagle app on a daily or even regular basis, it does provide significant added value to the lock over other HomeKit apps which I do employ every day.  The Reagle Smart Lock is definitely worth your consideration if you are in the market for a HomeKit compatible deadbolt.

What smart deadbolt do you use and why did you choose?  What are some features that you think companies are missing out on?  Let us know below in the comments.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @myhomekithome where we regularly update with news, promotions, and other HomeKit-related goodness.

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Links & Resources

Reagle Smart Lock on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ODFtCn

Reagle’s Install video: https://youtu.be/Ve2k9F_2f0Q

Learn more about the Reagle Smart Lock at https://www.reagle.io/deadbolt-lock

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