Investing in a new lock is possibly the most important new decision you can make for your home, and truthfully, I had no intention of entrusting my home security to an app or keypad until I went to the launch event of the Ultion Nuki, which is a new development in the era of smart home security.
Slick and user-friendly from the inside, it's incredibly discreet to passers-by. I threw just about every excuse to not trust a smart lock at the (very patient) reps from Ultion, so any hesitation you may be feeling about switching to a smart lock - trust me, I felt the same way.
The Ultion Nuki is compatible with the majority of UK doors, and although Ultion sent a professional to install mine, you don't need this. Installation takes about 20 minutes, and while the kit comes with an internal door handle, you don't need to use this if (like me) you've got an outdated front door with a latch instead of a handle. The main downside is that it's one of the most expensive smart locks on the market, but a lock isn't something to cheap out on, so you may not see this as a problem.
If you are someone who has a regular dog walker or cleaner, you can also set time-limited codes as opposed to giving out spare keys. With the ability to control the lock remotely and monitor my door's activity from the NUKI app, I've now got a lot more trust in my home's security.
Ultion Nuki smart lock review
Specifications
- Dimensions: 110 x 60 x 60 mm
- Weight: 580 g
- Power supply: 4 x AA (rechargeable)
- Power lifespan: 4 months or more
- Connection: Bluetooth, as well as smart home compatibility
- App compatibility: iOS, Android, Huawei AppGallery
- Colours: black/stainless steel
- Price: Starts at £259
How I tested
Unboxing and first impressions
As I mentioned, Ultion very kindly sent someone to install the smart lock for me. This also allowed me to interrogate the locksmith about how the lock works, as well as the specifics of the Ultion Nuki Plus. As my door has no handle, I have to unlock the door from the inside by either pressing the button at the centre of the fob or twisting the outer circle to manually unlock. The kit I was sent does come with a handle though, so it's compatible with a lot of different types of doors.
In terms of looks, the lock is high-tech and modern without feeling overly complicated. It comes in black and white, with a stainless steel exterior. I opted for white. It does protrude from the inside of the door quite significantly, which means it bumps against my interior wall when I throw the door open. If you have the handle though, this won't be a problem.
Although it's high-tech from the inside, the exterior of my door is unassuming as ever. This was definitely my preference, because I was worried that an expensive-looking lock might draw attention from passers-by and potential intruders. It also makes the key a suitable addition to listed or rented properties. There's more to like than just the smart features with this lock, though. I was also chuffed to be installing a 3-star PLUS Ultion lock which has the highest AV security rating. As the locksmith rather convincingly said to me, it's better to know that your door is as safe as possible from intrusions than simply opt for a camera doorbell, which gives you a little heads-up when someone does successfully intrude.
Set up and app controls
A big part of the setup is pairing your lock with the Nuki app. The app is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi operated, and you can set it up to automatically unlock when you walk towards your door or simply swipe from the homepage of the app to lock and unlock manually. When you enable location services on your app, you can also receive notifications if you forget to lock your door, although I set mine up to automatically re-lock itself 30 seconds after I've unlocked it.
Another element of the app is that you can access an activity log to see when your door has been locked and unlocked, which is particularly useful if you add temporary users onto your keypad and want to monitor them.
I have an Alexa smart speaker in my kitchen, so when I heard you could set your Amazon speakers up to unlock your door on voice command, I was a bit concerned that this could pose a security risk. I had images of someone shouting "Alexa, unlock my door" through the letterbox. In reality, you set a secure passcode that you use to access this function every time you use Alexa, so unless people overhear you shouting this code at your speaker in the flat next door, it's a secure system. With that being said, I don't use this function that much because it's so easy to use the one-touch button to automatically unlock your door.
Performance
So, alongside my new set of (much sturdier) keys for my front door, I was left with four new ways of entry after installation. The one I use more than any other is my app, because my phone battery runs quite low when I leave location services on. My partner, on the other hand, almost never has to reach for the app. He makes good use of the auto unlock function, which detects when you're approaching your front door and unlocks it in time for you to enter. Ideal for when he's carrying groceries or his phone is buried in a pocket somewhere.
Auto unlock only works when it identifies you've left the vicinity of your front door and approached it once more, so once you're in your house the door will stay locked until you leave again. Once we're both home from work, we're reliably in bed by 10.30 pm, so we enabled Night Mode between 11 pm and 6 am to double lock our door when we're away and set the lock to power-saving mode.
The lock is quite noisy, which I think has pros and cons. My flat is small, so I can hear it from my bed. This means I have the comfort of knowing that if anyone was to somehow force entry, I'd be able to hear it. I can also hear when my partner is approaching the front door and rush to help him if he has groceries to unload. The automatic re-locking is reliable, but it gives some peace of mind that I can hear it happening. If you've got anxious pets who will bark at a mechanical whirring noise at the front door, I would expect that it would be a little annoying. And if you live in a house with a lot of people coming and going, you could well be hearing said whirring repeatedly throughout the day. I personally have no issue with the noise, but it could be a concern for some.
Battery life
One of the main concerns I had when setting up that app was the battery life, but it took over three months for the app to even prompt me to recharge. When the battery was down to 20%, the lock automatically flashed red to remind me to power up the battery pack once more. Doing this took a couple of hours, so I just put it on to recharge while working from home and was ready to re-install the battery pack when the time came to leave the house.
Our area has experienced a frankly bizarre number of power cuts since we moved here, and the lock is thankfully unaffected by this. If you depend on smart home capabilities to make use of your lock, this will be impacted, but the rest of your options depend on Bluetooth. Failing this, you can always go old school and use an actual key.
Verdict
If you were walking through my estate, you'd never have known I invested in a smart lock. From the inside though, my home is smart-enabled and more secure than it was a year ago. I have three complaints with the Ultion Nuki Plus. The first is aesthetic. Its profile on the inside of my door is a little bulky, and when the door is thrown open a little too hard it bangs into my interior wall. I have quite an old-fashioned door though, which means I don't have a handle to prevent this from happening. It likely won't be an issue for most people.
On the opposite side of the scale, the noise created by this lock is higher than many would like. Personally, I find it reassuring that I can hear when my door is opened and closed, but if you have pets or simply would find the noise disturbing, it's something to keep in mind.
Finally, the price is a little steep, starting at £259 for the entry-level Ultion Nuki without Wi-Fi and £379 for the Ultion Nuki Plus. On top of this, adding on the key fob and fingerprint keypad will cost as much as £425 all-in. This won't be necessary for everyone, but if your reason for investing in a smart lock is because you want to grant remote access to a cleaner or caregiver, it would be a shame not to get the extra £200 of functionality your lock is capable of.
Aside from the noise and internal size being two small downsides, and the cost being a limiting factor for some people, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Ultion Nuki Plus after a prolonged period of testing it in my own home. The 3-star plus Ultion cylinder gives it the best bones in the business, and a pairing with the high-tech Nuki system makes it a seamless and secure experience that places user-friendly design at its core. If you're a smart lock sceptic, I have a feeling this lock could convert you.
