Feels like a lock Apple would build
I’ve owned several smart locks over the years. The Aqara U300 is my favorite of them all.PROS -1) Simple installation – if you use HomeKit it integrates into Apple Home easily without need for a separate WiFi hub, the Aqara locks were built for HomeKit so this feels like the closest thing to an Apple built smart lock.2) Sleek design – no bulging battery pack on the inside, small footprint for the equipment on the outside, hands down this is the best looking smart lock I’ve ever seen.3) Fingerprint scanner is very quick – sets up a lot like a fingerprint ID on an iPhone4) Apple HomeKey is incredible – HomeKey is added to Wallet on iPhone (of all Household members of your Apple Family who have access to Home) automatically when the lock is added to Home. Just tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on the outside display and the lock opens immediately, you don’t even need to turn on your iPhone or Watch, just tap and open the door.CONS -1) No WiFi connection to Aqara APP – only connects via Bluetooth. Which isn’t too much of a hassle, because once setup through Apple Home, remote operation (locking and unlocking) is available. But you need the Aqara app to setup additional users, their passcode and their fingerprint scan, all things that need to be done close to the lock, so lack of a WiFi connection on the app is not a deal breaker. But just be aware, if you are adding additional users, you need the Aqara APP, and you need to be very close to the lock.2) It RE-LOCKS very quickly. When you unlock this lock you have a very short time to open the door, or it will re-lock. I understand wanting to keep the house secure – but there are times when a 10 minute delay re-lock would be helpful – like bringing in your groceries from the garage, your hands are full it’s not convenient to be trying to put your thumb on the fingerprint reader, or trying to tap your Apple Watch on the display. There is a setting in the Aqara APP called PASSAGE MODE – I set that to 10 minutes. To activate PASSAGE MODE, you need to push a button on the top of the inside portion of the lock, and verify with a passcode, fingerprint or Apple Watch / iPhone bump on the outside portion of the lock. That then stops the lock from re-locking for the set amount of time – IF you remember to hit that little button. It would just be easier to have the 10 minute delay activate every time.Lots of PROS for this lock – and a few CONS – but a HIGHLY recommended smart lock!!

The Feature-Packed Smart Lock You’ve Been Waiting For!
I have been anxiously waiting for this lock since it was announced earlier this year and after finally getting my hands on it, I am impressed. This lock is packed with many features that make it not only a great lock but also allow it to be future-proof for newer technologies, such as Matter and Thread connectivity. Having owned various Aqara products, it’s clear that Aqara continues to go above and beyond with their products, and I’m also happy to see them develop locks for the United States market – I’ve always been a bit jealous that their other smart locks have only been available outside the United States, until now!* Overall Impressions *The lock is packaged very well and the hardware itself looks and feels premium, it has some heft, and the materials appear to be high quality. The lock has a touch screen with numbers that disappear when not in use, making it look like a high-end door lock that blends in with any other door locks you may have and doesn’t look out of place – other smart looks look like smart locks and they don’t match more contemporary or modern homes, but this lock is sleek and modern without overdoing it. This lock is also packed with newer features, like it supports the newer Matter standard, which allows you to easily pair the lock not only to Aqara’s ecosystem, but also supports systems like Apple HomeKit, Home Assistant, Google Home, and Amazon’s Alexa – just be sure you have the proper controllers in place (see my installation tips below). I installed this lock on my home office door, but I am planning on buying additional locks for my garage entry door and a few other doors that would benefit from easy keyless entry.* Digital Installation Guides *Although the kit itself does come with some basic getting started instructions including a physical installation template, Aqara is following suit with other modern companies in that they are mostly paperless. Although the lock doesn’t come with a traditional full paper manual, they have a lot of resources on their website such as installation videos and digital user manuals – I highly recommend reading through these free resources to familiarize yourself with the lock and its features and to ensure a successful installation.* Pros *This lock can be unlocked using so many different options like a fingerprint, a PIN code, using your iPhone or Apple Watch, an NFC tag for those who may not want to use their phone, and through the Aqara app using Bluetooth or Matter over Thread. If you’re more of a traditional key user, it even has a neatly hidden away keyhole underneath the fingerprint scanner. I like that Aqara doesn’t limit this lock to their own system and they have clearly been working hard to make it compatible with other smart home systems like Home Assistant, which is rarely heard of by other major manufacturers, and gives you a choice in the smart home system you want to use. You also don’t have to worry about being locked out if your batteries run out – this lock can be easily charged through a USB-C charging port, so you can easily give it enough juice so you can get back inside – I love that they included one on both sides, so no matter how you install your lock, you can easily charge it back up in an emergency.* Cons *I’ve noticed some reviews may not be happy with the auto-locking feature – you can easily work around this by enabling Passage Mode. I feel it’s important that Aqara kept security in mind given that it is a door lock, so although not a con for me, it’s worth noting that this feature may take some adjusting to. The passage mode feature can also be customized in the app, such as how long it stays unlocked, including indefinitely. Additionally, when installing the lock, it can be a bit tricky to align the plate to the door at first glance and determine how to best stuff the cable back into the door, but I highly recommend watching their installation videos which will help you get a perfect fit – don’t try to force anything.* Installation Tips & Suggestions *To fully utilize this lock’s features, you’ll need to ensure you have a compatible Matter controller with Thread capabilities, such as an Aqara M3 Hub, an Apple TV 4K, or an Apple HomePod Mini. The lock will still work without a controller, but adding a compatible controller will allow you to use additional features like remote unlocking and remote PIN management for your guests. I also highly recommend using the Aqara app and exploring all the settings and features of the lock – there are a lot of customizations you can do in the app such as muting the sound for a quieter household, customizing how long passage mode stays unlocked for (including permanently, until you relock the lock), and even locking the lockout entirely, for when you’re not expecting any guests, such as night for greater security.* Matter & Thread Support *Matter and Thread are newer kids on the block, and these features are still evolving. This lock supports Matter over Thread, and as long as your smart home supports both, you can unlock this lock’s potential. Since Matter supports multiple “fabrics”, I can have this lock not only paired to my Aqara M3 Hub but also have it linked to Apple Home using my Apple TV and Home Assistant, which also support Matter and Thread devices. Matter and Thread can take some getting used to, so I recommend reading up on how they work if you’d like to use these features. The Aqara app also makes it easy to use these features if you have a supported Matter hub like the M3, but it’s not required if you don’t want to use those features or if you already have another compatible hub like an Apple TV or HomePod Mini.* Aqara Support *Having owned other Aqara products, I’ve always had a great experience with their support team. They’re also very open to feature requests and suggestions. If you run into issues or have any ideas on how to improve their products like this lock, shoot them an email and hopefully, they can make it happen.

Great features especially for those in the HomeKit / Apple ecosystem. The security options from old school key, Apple Home Key, fingerprint, or even nfc card is super convienent. The handle form factor works great on my garage door entry way to the house.

I’d like to save you money and headaches. This product along with the U100 are not ready for the market. They are buggy in terms of software. It will let you down, especially if you are trying to manage your house remotely. I tried hard to exchange concerns with the Aqara support team via email and no luck, barely any help and mostly expenses on my side figuring out how to deal with the challenges. The locks will randomly unbind themselves from the router and you loose all online capabilities. Another thing is that they won’t recover from the router losing internet, it happens randomly. I’m sad because I had all my faith but how come they don’t extensively test this or even provide a phone number for support in Canada. You are better off with another product with reliable local support and willingness to help. I have all my ecosystem with Aqara and the locks and the doorbell are the ones prone to failure. I regret making this decision but i hope I save you from facing this too. I once got locked out by this system too.