Lockly has been in the business of smart locks for a while. I’ve been using the Secure Pro for the last year and love it. But with the popularity of video doorbells growing, Lockly saw an opportunity to combine two powerful technologies into one device. The $399.99 Lockly Vision takes the versatile lock tech from the Secure Pro and combines it with the functionality of a video doorbell. Head below to watch the video and see it in action.
Out of the Box
Lockly has included everything to get up and going with some easy to follow instructions. The packaging gives you a clear path to getting all of the parts unboxed and setup. If you need a template to drill a hole for the deadbolt, that’s included as well as the required eight AA batteries.
Setup
Since I’ve been using the Lockly Secure Pro for about a year, everything in the setup process felt very familiar. Of course, if you don’t already have a hole for a deadbolt, there will be a little more work to get up and going. But if you’re just replacing a deadbolt, it’s pretty straight forward.
By using the BILT app, Lockly has made a really easy to understand installation guide. Just install the app, and then search for the Lockly Vision deadbolt installation instructions. The animation with step by step instructions was a handy visual for getting everything going.
There is also a wi-fi hub that must be plugged into power and connected to your wi-fi router with the included ethernet cable. Plugging it in and scanning the QR code on the bottom are the only required steps for this, though.
Lockly Vision: Video
Features
Just like the Secure Pro, the Lockly Vision has many different ways of unlocking the door. My favorite is by far the fingerprint reader. I never have to worry about getting a key out or punching in a code. Every now and then it does need to be cleaned, but with the Secure Pro, I’ve only had to do that maybe three times in the year I’ve been using it.
You can also add profiles and make codes, set one-time use codes, and create offline codes for guests. If all else fails, you can also log in from your mobile device and unlock it that way or use the physical keys.
How’s the Vision?
The main feature here is, of course, the addition of the built-in video doorbell. I remember when we saw this at CES 2020 I was a little skeptical just because it is a step removed from how most people are used to using a doorbell. Will guests and visitors know to press a button on the lock rather than a physical doorbell button?
But, Lockly does supply a couple of adhesive metal plates that state, “Please use the doorbell on the lock” that you can place where a doorbell button would normally sit.
When the button is pressed, everything does work really well though. The image is clear and tilted up to capture visitors who are at your door. Audio comes through well and you can easily enable a two-way talk mode that makes it easy to communicate with whoever is at your door.
The chime is a part of the doorbell itself. It’s decently loud and we could hear it from two rooms away while a TV was on.
Unfortunately, the Lockly Vision doesn’t have a night vision mode. Looking at the feed at night reveals an image with tons of grain and static from the camera trying to see in the dark. That is something that dedicated video doorbells have had that I’ve tried in the past like the eufy Video Doorbell and Ring Video Doorbell 2. If you want some easy to set up smart lighting, check out our review of the kit from Ring.
Notifications
There also aren’t any motion alerts like you would find on video doorbells from other companies like Ring or eufy. While that may be desirable for some people, it is something to take into consideration if you want to be alerted when someone or something is moving through your property.
I got used to motion alerts with the eufy Video Doorbell that we had installed previously. Of course, if your guests are ringing the doorbell it doesn’t matter, but I frequently get packages delivered where the delivery person doesn’t ring the doorbell. So having a notification that there is something at the back door was pretty handy and is missed with the Lockly Vision.
Voice Control
Another handy feature is the ability to control the Lockly Vision via voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. These are super easy to set up and then you can lock your door or ask what the status of your lock is. To enable unlocking, you also have to set up a voice confirmation code for security reasons.
Wrapping Up
At $400, the Lockly Vision is a bit pricey, but it’s combining a lot of technology into one sleek, easy to use, and easy to install package. Having a wide variety of ways to lock and unlock mixed with a video doorbell in one device makes it quite handy and you don’t have to worry about multiple apps.
Buy Lockly Vision
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