Hello, I’m Cardboard Ed, and in this video I’m going to show you why I replaced my Aqara U200 lock with the SwitchBot Lock Ultra. What an upgrade!
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Ed
Introduction
SwitchBot sent me this Lock Ultra to test. As some of you may know, I’ve been using the Aqara U200 until now, and I was pretty happy with it. Although there were a few things I wasn’t thrilled about, like the fact that the lock wouldn’t always lock itself automatically. I solved that by adding Home Assistant automations to check and handle it for me, but honestly, that shouldn’t be necessary.
I was especially intrigued by the facial recognition feature of the SwitchBot Lock Ultra and curious to see if it would be more reliable than the Aqara U200. Spoiler alert: I’m no longer using the U200…
I already have several SwitchBot products in my home. It all started with the SwitchBot Bot, but if you look at what they’ve developed over the years, it’s safe to say they’ve become a major player in the smart home market. I’ve had the chance to test several of their products, and now they’ve sent me the SwitchBot Lock Ultra and the Keypad Vision.
Unboxing
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra box includes the lock itself, which feels sturdy and reliable. Interestingly, the box claims it contains a white version, but it has a black one.
Also in the box is a Hub Mini, which is included by default. A rechargeable battery is also included, eliminating the need to deal with AA batteries. Even better, the lock features a built-in backup battery, allowing you to charge the main battery while the lock remains operational.
There is also a keypad in the box, which features a fingerprint scanner and supports NFC cards.
Additionally, various accessories are available to assist with mounting and fitting the lock. You get a USB-C cable and two different lock adapters, so the SwitchBot Lock Ultra should fit on almost any lock. The box includes many more accessories to make the lock compatible with both knob and key-type locks.
Along with the SwitchBot Lock Ultra, I also received the SwitchBot Keypad Vision. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the magical device where Cardboard Ed gets involved. The Keypad Vision looks professional and sturdy. Of course, it also comes with all the necessary accessories to mount it to your doorframe. It has a built-in battery that charges via USB-C.
Oh, and you might notice my hands are shaking a bit. I often get questions about that. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s not Parkinson’s, and I didn’t drink too much last night either. I have a congenital essential tremor, which makes it hard to keep my hands still. For more information, I’ve included a link in the video description. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_tremor) But anyway, that’s not what this video is about.
Installing
Installation is super easy! SwitchBot offers several installation videos that demonstrate exactly how to mount the lock. You don’t need much technical knowledge. Simply insert the battery into the lock, and it will start working immediately.
If you don’t want to use the Keypad Vision, you can use the standard keypad, which uses two included batteries but isn’t rechargeable. I’m not showing it in this video because I personally think the Keypad Vision looks much nicer.
Even though this lock should fit on almost any lock, I ran into a problem: my key was too thick and too long. I had to file down the head of the key to make it fit. I was initially worried that I’d have to replace all the locks in my house, but with a bit of tinkering, I managed to get it to fit.
Make sure that if your lock uses keys on both sides, the lock must support unlocking from the outside even when a key is present on the inside!
In my case, I attached the lock adapter to the cylinder using three screws. Then I inserted the key and could mount the lock onto it. To detect whether the door is open or closed, you stick a magnet on the doorframe — that takes about a minute.
Then it’s just a matter of inserting the battery and configuring the lock via the SwitchBot app. A few clicks later, it’s ready to go. You can configure it to open the door fully, or just unlock it. Finally, put the protective cover on, and the lock installation is done.
I then configured the Keypad Vision using the SwitchBot app by adding access codes, scanning my fingerprint, and setting up facial recognition. Then I mounted it to my doorframe. Just make sure you place it where both adults’ and children’s faces can be scanned.
Testing
Once everything was mounted, it was time to test. The facial recognition works really well. You can configure the sensitivity and the distance at which it starts recognizing you, up to 3 meters.
And here’s where Cardboard Ed comes in handy — would the lock recognize me from a photo of myself? It turned out that the lock only recognizes me when I’m actually standing in front of the door. And it recognizes my face really fast. Well done, SwitchBot!
Besides facial recognition, you can also enter a code, use your fingerprint, or use an NFC card. It’s also possible to unlock with the NFC function on your phone, though that’s a bit fiddly on iPhones, so I skipped that. Of course, you can also unlock it via the SwitchBot app.
If you want to unlock it manually from the inside, you can turn the knob or press the button on the knob. You can also disable this feature, which is handy if your lock is near a mail slot — burglars could use something like a clothes hanger to reach in and press the button.
Options
This lock offers numerous options, including the ability to use it as a doorbell. Unfortunately, I don’t see this function in Home Assistant, so I’m unable to create my own automations for the doorbell function. It’s not even noticeable that the keypad has a doorbell feature, so it’s not a big deal for me. I can link it to the SwitchBot Hub 3, though I haven’t installed that yet — but I’ll be reviewing the Switchbot Hub 3 soon.
There are additional options, such as muting the sound and adjusting the rotation speed, which has three speed levels. The lowest is so quiet that you can easily use it at night without waking anyone up.
There’s also an auto-lock feature that locks the door as soon as you close it. Super handy — and it works flawlessly.
You can integrate this lock with Home Assistant using the SwitchBot Cloud integration, or, if you prefer, via Matter or Bluetooth for an entirely local setup. You’ll need a SwitchBot Hub for Matter. I use the Hub 2, but the Lock Ultra comes with a Hub Mini by default. The lock also works with Google Home, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit through the hub.
Comparing to Aqara U200
So, how does the SwitchBot Lock Ultra compare to the Aqara U200?
The entire installation and configuration process for the SwitchBot was extremely smooth, except for having to file my key. However, I had to do something similar for the Aqara U200, so that’s comparable.
I didn’t run into any issues during the installation or use of the SwitchBot Lock Ultra. Everything worked immediately and remained stable. The Aqara U200 often had problems auto-locking, which was my biggest annoyance. Many times, the door just stayed unlocked. That alone was enough for me to switch to the SwitchBot Lock Ultra.
This lock also operates much more smoothly for me, and I can recharge the Keypad Vision instead of swapping batteries. If I look at all the products SwitchBot offers, I can only say they’re solid and work well. Well… except for the remote. I didn’t even bother to review that one because it didn’t work properly for me.
Final Verdict
And now, my final verdict: I’m a fan! And so are my kids — they love being able to enter the house using facial recognition! My wife has a different opinion, though, and still opens the lock from the outside with a key. Luckily, that is still possible.
I haven’t been using the lock that long, but I already think it works better than my old Aqara U200. There’s just one thing I really regret: there are very few sensors and triggers visible in Home Assistant. If at least the doorbell trigger were visible, I could do so much more with automations.
So SwitchBot, if you’re watching — please consider adding that to your cloud and Matter integrations!
Where to buy?
👉 Lock Ultra Vision Combo:
Switchbot Webstore:
- Amazon NL: https://amzn.to/4lhGe00
- Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/4eki9n8
- Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3GanUXC
👉 Lock Ultra Touch Combo:
Switchbot Webstore:
- Amazon NL: https://amzn.to/3T3lLQw
- Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/3FYpSuh
- Amazon US: https://amzn.to/44doAnd
You can purchase the SwitchBot Lock Ultra, along with the SwitchBot Keypad Vision, on Amazon or in the SwitchBot Web Store for €299.99 or $299.99. There are also options to buy just the lock with the standard keypad. See the links in the description. By using them, you support me a little, at no extra cost to you.
On behalf of Cardboard Ed and myself, thank you for watching this review. Thanks to supporters like these people, I can continue to make these videos. You’d be a massive help if you became one of my monthly sponsors — see the links to Patreon, Ko-Fi, or becoming a paid member of my channel in the video description.
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Bye-bye!
