Just bought a u200 on prime day…. I’ve wanted a smart lock for years but I finally took the plunge with the Aqara . I’m on the fence whether it’s going back or not. Things that I don’t like - it’s bigger than expected - it gets in the way when holding the handle and opening the door - it’s louder than expected (I know they are all loud) My main smart home is via Alexa but I don’t have a matter enabled Alexa hub. So yet another hub! 🙄 I do have it connected to a HomePod mini. - my lock is multipoint so it won’t auto lock if we forget to lift the handle (I’m aware this would be a problem with all retro fit smart locks) - why isn’t there and unlock button on the lock unit! It very fast to unlock/lock but all you can do from the inside is turn the thumb turn.
Matter was working fine here so far using both Home Assistant and Google Home. I just wish there were more features like open the latch instead of both unlocking + opening the latch.
Good review thanks for posting. Some points about the U200. It’s Matter over thread so works with all platforms so you are not forced to use Homekit for example. You don’t need the Aqara M3 hub if you have a matter ecosystem already. Voice assistants use a code to unlock. Aqara Nfc (some not all) and any Mifare Nfc is supported You can add users and codes through Homekit, Home Assistant and Smartthings. The U200 is best used with a door sensor for automations so it only locks when the door is shut. Firmware is a work in progress, latest v66 has been delayed until next Friday 9th August. You can buy the U200 for around £200 when discounted.
Hey Stu, my bro, can I use aqara devices without being forced into HomeKit? I only use Alexa I don’t care for HomeKit. Please advise. In past I bought other Aqara devices and I couldn’t do anything without being forced into HomeKit.
Would love to have this lock currently, I'm using my cheap Tuya peephole doorbell camera with cheap Tuya lock in conjunction with Frigate and Double Take and AWS Rekognition for facial recognition and a DIY ESP32 connected to Tuya Smart Key to unlock the door. The only downside is sometimes the door takes a long time to open. It's the issue with the Smart Key, the keypad opens the door almost instantly.
I do have a Black Belt in "What IFism" but this lock does tick all of my boxes. @10:16 Stu is holding on with both hands to the Box, clearly his my Precious moment. I would love it if this lock would only open if the external camera has identified me and I used my fingerprint within 10 seconds. This would be an extra security feature, which I think could be added with a Software update.
Whatifitsu! 🤺 But yeah! They just need to add fingerprint activation as an ‘if’, unfortunately it’s not in there at the moment, you’ve only got lock states and battery states… so @aqara if you’re reading this, you know what to do 👀
I would love to get one of these but I am unclear how/if it is possible to work with mulitlock doors where you need to lift the handle to lock the door.
I’ve only seen one smart lock that works with a multipoint lock & it’s not this one. This one will work if you lift the handle, but I’m guessing you want one that works without you having to do that
Thanks for the info. I assumed this would be the case but no one ever mentions it. I'm more interested in getting in without keys (kids always leave for school before I leave but get back earlier) so this is good to know
@@pauldavidson1866 take a look at the Simpled line of smart locks, those have multipoint lock support which means if the handle isn’t lifted, the deadbolt element locks but the multi points don’t. Unfortunately their locks don’t support as many smart home platforms/protocols
Comparing it to Nuki, it looks very similar in terms of features but seems more refined physically. A big difference is the price. Nuki costs the same for the lock alone, it's an extra £150 for a fingerprint keypad. I think had this been around when I bought mine, I would have likely gone with the aqara
Great review Stu. I have had a smart lock for nearly 3 years(Yale Conexis) never had a problem. By the way. After your last review and you becoming a member of the Tesla cult I said you’d start hearing voices. 😂
5:40 I wouldn’t call gyroscope a neat feature… it would be nice if 100% accurate. Are you going to relay with your security on “it usually works”? I wouldn’t. Anyway, I bought it. I don’t have aqara hub nor matter hub (everything on home assistant so far without matter), but the most important feature to me is… fingerprint :) I don’t need apple key support (why would I if I have my finger with me that can’t be stolen), I just want my kids to be able to open the door without them having keys :) I don’t know if I will be able to bundle it with HA later without matter (using Bluetooth?) but if not, I’ll buy matter dongle for HA
@@bytesizeclu my wife saw it as a waste of time, particularly as we usually still have keys with us. Geofencing and auto unlocking as well as getting a notification if the door is unlocked at night or when we leave has won her over, particularly the auto unlock.
Great review on the Aqara U200 Smart Lock. The U200 is nice but overpriced. I'm a little concerned about Stu hearing nursery rhymes while tickling his pickle during the lock installation. Hmmm!
As it is retrofit the U200 relies on the eurocylinder or deadbolt for security so same as having no smart lock except you would know you were being broken into remotely.
Biggest issue, which you didn't cover, is the quality of the firmware. I agree that Aqara deserves a pat on the back, but they continually release product that isn't really finished yet. Now, they are good at quickly releasing updates that fix problems and add new functionality - the new AGILE methodology - but it does mean that early adopters are, basically, a beta site. e.g., if I manually open the door, rather than using the Aqara app or Homekit (I don't use Alexa for so many reasons) the U200 will lose its calibration.
I think it looks stupid that it is never flush with the door (on the inside), why haven't they recessed the top part of the lock, so it can hide the doorlock part, the box looks big enough?
The insurance implications still worry me to be honest. What if it malfunctions in some way and it’s unlocked when you get burgled. Your insurance company isn’t gonna pay out for that. I love Smart home tech and Smart home locks with Apple home key support are awesome, but this insurance implications still worry me.
Ultimately the fault of the platforms rather than aqara unfortunately - out of their control. If they could allow all the functionality, im 100% sure they would do!
Personally when using HomeKit, I've not found too much of an issue. I do use the Aqara app to do some of the settings on their devices (I have the G4 and FP2's), but after that I do my automation in Apple Home.... because I like one place to do my automations, rather than having to try and remember where I set them up. You do kind of have to get into Apple shortcuts though.
The cloth drawstring bag included in the box is for hanging your powerbank from the door handle whilst you’re charging the battery i believe 9:54
Just bought a u200 on prime day…. I’ve wanted a smart lock for years but I finally took the plunge with the Aqara . I’m on the fence whether it’s going back or not. Things that I don’t like
- it’s bigger than expected
- it gets in the way when holding the handle and opening the door
- it’s louder than expected (I know they are all loud)
My main smart home is via Alexa but I don’t have a matter enabled Alexa hub. So yet another hub! 🙄 I do have it connected to a HomePod mini.
- my lock is multipoint so it won’t auto lock if we forget to lift the handle (I’m aware this would be a problem with all retro fit smart locks)
- why isn’t there and unlock button on the lock unit! It very fast to unlock/lock but all you can do from the inside is turn the thumb turn.
It’s my first smart lock and SO worth it! It connected to HomeKit and Alexa like a charm!
It's not half bad! Absolutely brimming with functionality!
Matter was working fine here so far using both Home Assistant and Google Home.
I just wish there were more features like open the latch instead of both unlocking + opening the latch.
Good review thanks for posting. Some points about the U200.
It’s Matter over thread so works with all platforms so you are not forced to use Homekit for example.
You don’t need the Aqara M3 hub if you have a matter ecosystem already.
Voice assistants use a code to unlock.
Aqara Nfc (some not all) and any Mifare Nfc is supported
You can add users and codes through Homekit, Home Assistant and Smartthings.
The U200 is best used with a door sensor for automations so it only locks when the door is shut.
Firmware is a work in progress, latest v66 has been delayed until next Friday 9th August.
You can buy the U200 for around £200 when discounted.
Can you make it work with HomeKey AND Home Assistant (no Internet) at the sane time?
Hey Stu, my bro, can I use aqara devices without being forced into HomeKit? I only use Alexa I don’t care for HomeKit. Please advise. In past I bought other Aqara devices and I couldn’t do anything without being forced into HomeKit.
SHALL I still get aqara hub for this or apple tv will be enough and add it to homekit
Thanks for the review Stu. Cheers.
No problem 👍
Would love to have this lock currently, I'm using my cheap Tuya peephole doorbell camera with cheap Tuya lock in conjunction with Frigate and Double Take and AWS Rekognition for facial recognition and a DIY ESP32 connected to Tuya Smart Key to unlock the door. The only downside is sometimes the door takes a long time to open. It's the issue with the Smart Key, the keypad opens the door almost instantly.
its a pleassure to watch your videos, the highlight is for me your clean desk😂😂
Its very rarely clean... all smoke and mirrors 😂
I do have a Black Belt in "What IFism" but this lock does tick all of my boxes. @10:16 Stu is holding on with both hands to the Box, clearly his my Precious moment. I would love it if this lock would only open if the external camera has identified me and I used my fingerprint within 10 seconds. This would be an extra security feature, which I think could be added with a Software update.
Whatifitsu! 🤺
But yeah! They just need to add fingerprint activation as an ‘if’, unfortunately it’s not in there at the moment, you’ve only got lock states and battery states… so @aqara if you’re reading this, you know what to do 👀
Hi Stu, thanks for the review. What are the dimensions of the keypad? W/H/D. I can't find them on their website.
I would love to get one of these but I am unclear how/if it is possible to work with mulitlock doors where you need to lift the handle to lock the door.
I’ve only seen one smart lock that works with a multipoint lock & it’s not this one.
This one will work if you lift the handle, but I’m guessing you want one that works without you having to do that
Gareth is right - unlocking is fine, but to make sure it locks properly you need the handle to have been lift up. I do it on autopilot nowadays!
Thanks for the info. I assumed this would be the case but no one ever mentions it. I'm more interested in getting in without keys (kids always leave for school before I leave but get back earlier) so this is good to know
@@pauldavidson1866 take a look at the Simpled line of smart locks, those have multipoint lock support which means if the handle isn’t lifted, the deadbolt element locks but the multi points don’t. Unfortunately their locks don’t support as many smart home platforms/protocols
You could attach an Aqara window blind puller to the handle and have it yank the handle up before locking. 😂
What if someone steals the keypad. Will I still be able to open the door with my phone?
Yes, work without a keyboard.
Does anyone know if Aqara do a Time Machine (Matter enabled or not) so I can go back to Prime day(s) and buy one of these at a more palatable price?
I’ve heard that’s coming Q4 2617 👀
@@StusReviewsUKexcellent! I’ll wait until then and then use it to come back to now so I don’t have wait! I think 🤔
It’s still available at the reduced price on the Aqara UK website
@@ravibhatt missed it again! £259 now
Comparing it to Nuki, it looks very similar in terms of features but seems more refined physically.
A big difference is the price. Nuki costs the same for the lock alone, it's an extra £150 for a fingerprint keypad.
I think had this been around when I bought mine, I would have likely gone with the aqara
Oof thats even steeper! I haven't tried Nuki yet, but if thats the case then it makes the U200 pretty good value! I'll add it to the 'to review' list!
@@StusReviewsUK the Nuki is overpriced tbh and also much much slower with both reaction (fingerprint, numpad etc.) and unlocking/locking.
Great review Stu. I have had a smart lock for nearly 3 years(Yale Conexis) never had a problem. By the way. After your last review and you becoming a member of the Tesla cult I said you’d start hearing voices. 😂
The voices were funnily enough saying ‘one of us’ but to the tune of baa baa black sheep which made it very strange indeed. 👁👄👁
@@StusReviewsUK Yes but……have you any wool🐑
5:40 I wouldn’t call gyroscope a neat feature… it would be nice if 100% accurate. Are you going to relay with your security on “it usually works”? I wouldn’t. Anyway, I bought it. I don’t have aqara hub nor matter hub (everything on home assistant so far without matter), but the most important feature to me is… fingerprint :)
I don’t need apple key support (why would I if I have my finger with me that can’t be stolen), I just want my kids to be able to open the door without them having keys :) I don’t know if I will be able to bundle it with HA later without matter (using Bluetooth?) but if not, I’ll buy matter dongle for HA
Does this all MATTER though…. I will show myself out 😂 still trying to convince my wife to go with a smart lock but it’s a challenge
😂 Whats her concerns? 👀
@@StusReviewsUK honestly she thinks it’s unnecessary and thinks it can be easily hacked no matter how many times I explain it lil
@@bytesizeclu my wife saw it as a waste of time, particularly as we usually still have keys with us. Geofencing and auto unlocking as well as getting a notification if the door is unlocked at night or when we leave has won her over, particularly the auto unlock.
@@RichyNeal this is very true! Things that are super useful and a lot of the time overlooked
Tell your wife from me: She is a very sensible lady!
Great review on the Aqara U200 Smart Lock. The U200 is nice but overpriced.
I'm a little concerned about Stu hearing nursery rhymes while tickling his pickle during the lock installation. Hmmm!
I have my own concerns about that too 😂
Give it to The Lockpicking Lawyer and see what he has to say about it 😃
As it is retrofit the U200 relies on the eurocylinder or deadbolt for security so same as having no smart lock except you would know you were being broken into remotely.
Biggest issue, which you didn't cover, is the quality of the firmware. I agree that Aqara deserves a pat on the back, but they continually release product that isn't really finished yet. Now, they are good at quickly releasing updates that fix problems and add new functionality - the new AGILE methodology - but it does mean that early adopters are, basically, a beta site. e.g., if I manually open the door, rather than using the Aqara app or Homekit (I don't use Alexa for so many reasons) the U200 will lose its calibration.
I think it looks stupid that it is never flush with the door (on the inside), why haven't they recessed the top part of the lock, so it can hide the doorlock part, the box looks big enough?
The insurance implications still worry me to be honest. What if it malfunctions in some way and it’s unlocked when you get burgled. Your insurance company isn’t gonna pay out for that. I love Smart home tech and Smart home locks with Apple home key support are awesome, but this insurance implications still worry me.
Afternoon all
Good afternoon! Thought i'd try uploading at a different time of day than usual! Nice to see people are still around 👍
So still a catch….. you need the Aqara hub to use all it’s functionality.
Ultimately the fault of the platforms rather than aqara unfortunately - out of their control. If they could allow all the functionality, im 100% sure they would do!
Personally when using HomeKit, I've not found too much of an issue. I do use the Aqara app to do some of the settings on their devices (I have the G4 and FP2's), but after that I do my automation in Apple Home.... because I like one place to do my automations, rather than having to try and remember where I set them up. You do kind of have to get into Apple shortcuts though.