Eufy Security Bright Lock Touch evaluation: Eufy’s first neat lock is a minute little bit of too rough spherical the edges

Eufy Security—Anker’s sub-impress spanning appropriate about every little thing from video doorbells and security cameras to child monitors—has now moved into the sector of neat locks, hitting the market with a svelte part of hardware that’s loaded with parts. And most of them work nicely.

The Bluetooth-handiest lock affords a moderately appealing manufacture, decked out fully in dusky. Adopting the now-abnormal apt rectangle manufacture, Eufy retains the chassis skinny each and each internal and start air your door, where the escutcheons jut out from the surface handiest about 1.5 inches and 1 lumber respectively.

This evaluation is segment of TechHive’s protection of the absolute top neat locks, where you will derive critiques of competing products, plus a purchaser’s info to the weather you ought to put in mind when shopping.

Installation hiccups

Installation is outlined in a detailed, printed handbook, and the numbered containers all around the equipment again novices put be aware of what’s what. The total affair goes together merely and historically: You traipse the initiating air escutcheon to an internal mounting plate, after which join that to the inner escutcheon. Four AA batteries energy the unit, and Eufy says they ought to final a fleshy year.

Christopher Null / IDG

You’ll want the Eufy Security app—no longer the EufyLife or EufyHome apps, which will most definitely be reserved for diversified Eufy neat home instruments—to configure the lock. Sadly, the app wasn’t working after I first attempted to set up the lock; it wouldn’t even let me location up a username and password. After some troubleshooting, the firm talked about it used to be a transient server speak on its cease.

The following day, the app choked again within the direction of setup, a minute bit extra alongside. But again, the firm blamed a server error. Since I used to be discovering out the lock just a few days ahead of its legitimate start, it’s tempting to chalk this up to beta misfortune, nevertheless for the rationale that app (and Eufy’s servers) enjoy been spherical since as a minimal 2018, the a few-day hiccup feels alarming.

After the server points had been resolved, I had no diversified loyal complications with setup with the exception of for a buggy calibration direction of that wouldn’t turn the deadbolt the least bit. Fastidiously loosening one of the most bolts—a fundamental fix—bought things titillating, even if Eufy’s motor sounds esteem it struggles extra than most when working the lock.

Ecosystem barriers

But again, the lock is Bluetooth handiest, so it doesn’t in point of fact integrate with diversified neat home instruments (start air of the rest it’s doubtless you’ll presumably maybe also already be the exercise of within the Eufy Security app), in conjunction with notify assistants. Apple HomeKit make stronger is furthermore no longer within the cards. As well to to the exercise of the app to goal the lock, you furthermore secure three extra methods of gaining secure admission to: numeric keypad, physical key, and fingerprint reader.

Christopher Null / IDG

Eufy’s app is rather uncomplicated, making it uncomplicated to goal the lock on question, location up secure admission to for extra customers, and scrutinize a history of who’s attain and long previous. The settings menu affords a critical depth of extra alternate solutions, in conjunction with a lock-out system that limits the lock’s usability when immoral PINs or unregistered fingerprints are scanned and a scrambling system that enables customers to input dummy digits ahead of or after their PIN as a further security measure (cutting again the probability of a prison deducing the loyal PIN by scrutinizing which numbers enjoy fingerprints on them).

Auto-locking can robotically lock the door after up to a short time and would possibly maybe presumably maybe even be location to goal handiest within the direction of explicit hours. No doubt one of many lock’s killer parts is an built-in gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor that will presumably well resolve whether the door is ajar—without requiring a conventional, external magnetic sensor—permitting it to lock the door robotically when it’s closed.

A flaky fingerprint reader

All these parts labored nicely in my discovering out, with one exception: The fingerprint reader is decidedly erratic. While it’s uncomplicated to register prints, it felt almost random as as to whether the lock would in point of fact read my print after I attempted to scan it and free up the door. Very careful placement of my thumb or finger improved my success fee, nevertheless one of the most time the lock would appropriate refuse to call my print no matter what I did.

I by no attain figured out great of a pattern in any of this. One moment the print wouldn’t scan, the subsequent it would possibly maybe presumably well maybe work shiny, even if it no doubt labored absolute top with thumbs vs. smaller fingers. At the same time as you utilize the computerized lock-out goal, this can also secure a loyal speak. And curiously, whereas the system supports up to 100 customers, it will retailer handiest 50 fingerprints.

But another at hand goal is the inclusion of a microUSB port on the bottom of the initiating air escutcheon. This is able to presumably well even be outmoded to temporarily energy the lock from any diversified USB-connected tool, in lieu of the extra conventional 9-volt terminal, if its inner AA batteries die. Arguably, it’s more uncomplicated on the present time to fear up a microUSB cable than it’s a 9-volt battery; on the different hand, it’s doubtless you’ll presumably maybe also always put a physical key as your emergency secure admission to system, too. Eufy’s key mechanism is a high-security model that is a lot extra entertaining to lift or reproduction.

Base line

At $249, The Eufy Bright Lock Touch is aggressive in designate with diversified fingerprint-reading locks, nevertheless the key sauce of any lock is its ability to work completely each time—or as a minimal conclude to it. Because it stands, Eufy’s lock is suitable sufficient to pass muster, nevertheless it indisputably wants to work a minute bit better ahead of incomes a solid suggestion.

• Eufy Security Bright Lock Touch

  Eufy’s fingerprint-reading neat lock wants refinement to change into even handed one of our high picks.

  Pros

  • Svelte, pleasing manufacture
  • Plenty of configurability alternate solutions
  • Excessive-security physical keys incorporated

  Cons

  • Fingerprint reader is erratic at absolute top
  • Eufy’s servers peformed poorly within the direction of setup
  • No hooks into diversified home security services and products or gadgets

Christopher Null is a inclined technology and industrial journalist. He contributes on a fashioned foundation to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the web sites Drinkhacker and Movie Racket.