Aqara Debuts U300 Lever Smart Lock

[MacRumors]

Aqara today announced the launch of the Aqara Smart Lock U300, which is a smart lock that's designed for doors that have a lever or knob but no deadbolt.

Many homes have non-deadbolt doors for side entries, garage doors, home offices, basements, and storage rooms, and these kind of door setups do not work with traditional smart locks that require a deadbolt. The U300 lever lock is one of the first smart locks created for these types of doors.

The U300 replaces a traditional lever or knob, offering smart functionality and the ability to keep an eye on who is coming or going.

The U300 is built with the latest Thread protocol and it is Matter-enabled, so it can be added to an Apple HomeKit setup. It can be used alongside other smart home products in the Home app, or it can be used with additional features in the Aqara app.

Like Aqara's U100 and U200 smart locks, the U300 is compatible with Apple Home Keys, so a digital key can be stored in the Wallet app on iPhone or Apple Watch for unlocking the door over NFC with a tap.

Along with Apple Home Keys and the Home app, the U300 can be unlocked using a fingerprint reader or a PIN with the included number pad. Aqara also offers NFC cards that can be used to unlock the door, and mechanical keys are provided in case of emergency like a power outage.

Digital keys can be provided for guests, and the U300 has a built-in feature that automatically locks the door behind you after a short period of time. Available in black or silver, the Aqara U300 has an IPX4 water resistance rating and is suitable for use indoors and outdoors.

The battery in the U300 lasts for up to 10 months before it needs to be swapped out, and it takes 4AA batteries. There's also a USB-C Emergency Port. While no hub is required to use the U300, the Aqara M3 Hub is recommended because it enables automations and remote access.

The Aqara Smart Lock U300 can be purchased from Amazon and other Aqara retailers.

Article Link: Aqara Debuts U300 Lever Smart Lock

 

[ghostface147]

This is the lock picking lawyer and what I have for you today…..

It’s eye opening how terrible most locks are at resisting pickers.

 

[lordhamster]

This looks perfect for me, as a replacement for my crappy keypad office door lock. I don't need high security, just something to keep the kids out of my home office reliably. This looks like it will fit the bill perfectly.

 

[boston04and07]

Awesome, hope they’re working on a solution for sliding doors next.

 

[jmor]

I've been looking for a solution for the door into the house from the garage and this looks pretty good, I haven't been able to find any other real options for this kind of door

 

[siddavis]

Looking at the inner panel, I can't figure out if there is a manual lock method. That would be a miss for me. I don't want to HAVE to have my phone on me to lock a door. It does sound like there is auto lock and passage mode didn't fully make sense to me, but that could be the solution. Otherwise, this looks like the most complete lock for my garage side door entry.

 

[siddavis]

Can't find the silver option on Amazon. There is no mention of it other than the pic in this article. Aqara's site doesn't even mention it or have any pics of the silver model. I hope it's just not released yet.

 

[mrspray]

This is the lock picking and what I have for you today…..

It’s eye opening how terrible most locks are at resisting pickers.

Would be interested to get his take on this one, I can't see a keyway anywhere on it (finally found a reference to a hard key). I know he's opened electronic locks with magnets too, so nothing is totally impervious.

 

[alexandr]

But no UWB?..

 

[Tony_YYZ]

This looks perfect for me, as a replacement for my crappy keypad office door lock. I don't need high security, just something to keep the kids out of my home office reliably. This looks like it will fit the bill perfectly.

This is exactly the use-case I had in mind as well.

 

[Trebora]

I am given to understand that a lever handle is a terrible idea for an outside door. A length of steel pipe slipped over the handle gives all the leverage one needs to force the handle. Perhaps there is a method to resist this approach.

 

[MD0600]

I am given to understand that a lever handle is a terrible idea for an outside door. A length of steel pipe slipped over the handle gives all the leverage one needs to force the handle. Perhaps there is a method to resist this approach.

I think it’s made more for an interior door or a door that doesn’t need as much security like a side door behind a gate. This is perfect for an interior door or garage door entry

 

[Dreadnought]

Isn’t Aqara going to stop support for Matter? I thought I read it in the Matter FB group the other day. So what will happen with this and existing products…

 

[RecentlyConverted]

It looks like a perfect solution for me, as I want to keep my keyed (both sides) deadlock. I will just have to check dimensions to see if both will fit OK.

This is great if you accidentally lock yourself out without your key, or just for basic security.

I don't think many EU insurance companies will accept it as your main front door defence, they like a deadlock.

 

[ikramerica]

Other than an interior office door, the best solution is to drill and install a deadbolt, not to rely on a flimsy door catch to secure your property.

 

[Someyoungguy]

Other than an interior office door, the best solution is to drill and install a deadbolt, not to rely on a flimsy door catch to secure your property.

Unfortunately, even the deadbolt slides into a 3/4” pine jamb that is attached with a couple of finish nails. I don’t think a lot of people realize how easy it is to kick a door in.

 

[ipedro]

This sparked my curiosity as I have a house with this kind of lock and I've loved Aqara's hardware but is anyone else uncomfortable with this being a Chinese company beholden to their privacy-busting government scrutiny?

For the record, I do have an Aqara camera and a couple of Presence detectors but I'm uneasy about going all in with the brand. Can anybody help put my mind at ease or do I have reason to be paranoid?

 

[osofast240sx]

This sparked my curiosity as I have a house with this kind of lock and I've loved Aqara's hardware but is anyone else uncomfortable with this being a Chinese company beholden to their privacy-busting government scrutiny?

For the record, I do have an Aqara camera and a couple of Presence detectors but I'm uneasy about going all in with the brand. Can anybody help put my mind at ease or do I have reason to be paranoid?

You can bypass aqara altogether by just using the matter code to pair it to Apple home.

 

[kwikdeth]

When I hear things like "built with the latest Thread protocol" it just makes me realize it's only a matter of time until it becomes "obsolete"

 

[ipedro]

You can bypass aqara altogether by just using the matter code to pair it to Apple home.

This is what I've liked about Matter but unfortunately, device specific features don't work in the Home app. For the camera, the rotation needs to go through the Aqara app first to define pre-defined positions and for the Presence sensor, setting up zones. For the lock, I imagine setting up codes and time slots for those codes will have to be done in the Aqara app, which means you have to set it up there. Aside from basic lock and unlock, the Home app won't have access to key features you'd want in a smart lock.

 

[RoadCyclistID]

Looks like the perfect solution to protect my growing collection of Bourbon in my office!

 

[svish]

Seems like it is a good smart lock.