Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 Pro: forget about keys forever

Making our home comfortable and safe is one of the main objectives of any family. A challenge for which technology provides many solutions that make up the smart home or smart homes. Among them, perhaps one of the least known, but most interesting is the smart lock. A device that allows us to forget about the classic keys and takes the experience with our door one step further. And here Nuki SmartLock 3.0 Pro has a lot to say.

A few months ago the Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 smart locks came onto the market as an update from this Austrian supplier, a reference in Europe in this niche. As in previous versions, we have had the opportunity to analyze this new device that allows safer, smarter and easier door management.

Although externally the smart lock does not differ much from previous versions, the change is found in the settings. The new version improves the engine with greater performance and autonomy in addition to the gears. Despite the fact that the firm assures that it also improves the noise level, the truth is that we cannot deny that when opening and closing the lock the noise is remarkable.

Nuki Smart Lock 3.0 has two versions: the standard (€149) and the Pro (€269), which is the one we have been able to test. In addition to the price and that the Pro is available in both black and white, the advanced option has remote control via Wi-Fi and a power pack that offers greater autonomy. Two points that can be attractive, but also dispensable if we want to adjust a little in price.

At the level of use, the most complicated thing, as usually happens in almost all home automation devices, is its installation. It is not that it is complicated per se, but it does mean knowing what type of door we have and if it is compatible with the Nuki system. For this, the manufacturer has a verification guide that quite intuitively gives you the answer quickly. In the case of not having an adapted cylinder with double clutch, for example, it offers you the possibility of changing it for your own or someone else’s. At this point the task can take a little longer.

Once we are clear that bowler and «marry» device, we already have almost all the way walked. We just have to insert the key, anchor the device to the door with the stickers it comes with and fit the bowler. Although the stickers that the pack comes with are resistant, we cannot ignore that the device is quite heavy, so it is necessary to stick it very well to avoid any falls.

Throughout this installation process we can Let the mobile app guide you free of the house. Available for Google Play and App Store makes the path much easier and simpler. Later, it will be essential for device management, but we will stop at that point later. We can also use the in-house tutorials for the configuration that are well taken care of so that any user can understand them and be guided. Here an example:

And the most complicated is done. From here we can begin to outline the lock from the app so that it meets our family needs. A point that will take us a while because, the truth is that the lock has many options which can be interesting.

At this point we highlight some of the functionalities that we have found more practical as they are Self Unlock to open or close the lock if it detects us nearby and not have to take our mobile out of our pocket, or the authorization system to give access to third parties such as family members or an acquaintance who has to water our plants. The system for configuring closures by time slots can also be practical, for example, to close the door automatically every night.

As for autonomy, the truth is that there is no complaint. At the moment, we have not had to charge the batteries with a month of use and, according to the manufacturer itself, it could reach up to six months. Of course, it is important to bear in mind that when our batteries run out, we will have to leave them charging for 10 hours. In the case of the standard version, it does not have rechargeable battery power, so its autonomy will be a little more limited -4 months with an average of 8 openings per day-.

It is important to emphasize, especially for those who are afraid of innovation, that Nuki SmartLock 3.0 it does not prevent the door from being used in a classic way. In fact, the lock can be opened with the key, as before, with the mobile or with the smartwatch. It is also possible to do it with the ecosystem of additional devices that the brand makes available. At this point it is worth emphasizing that all of them are compatible and can feed back like the open door sensor (Nuki Door Sensor), the remote control knob (Nuki Fob) or the keyboard to open the door with a key (Nuki Keyboard).

In the security area, the smart lock is endorsed by the AV-Test and all its communications are end-to-end encrypted and use the challenge-response protocol so that cybercriminals do not find a loophole through which they enter our smart home through the door.