One Year Later, Here’s How My Front Door’s Stylish Smart Lock Is Holding Up

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. In “Front of House,” we dig into all the elements that give a home “stop the car!” kind of curb appeal, from main character mailboxes to much–welcome yard transformations.

Our sweet little house in New Jersey has a lot going for it—crocuses in the front yard, the original 1930s dentil molding, a recently renovated kitchen—but the security situation when we moved in was rather dismal: a finicky old keypad that frequently left us spinning the dial this way and that until the door miraculously swung open. Did I mention it was glaringly ugly?

My husband and I aren’t opposed to smart locks as a genre—it was nice to never have to dig around for actual keys—but ours wasn’t cutting it in the looks or function departments. In March 2023, I got in touch with Level to test out its Level Lock+. It’s now been more than a year since I installed it—scroll down to get all the details on that—and Level recently came out with a nifty Wi-Fi accessory, so it felt time to check back in about how we’re liking it.

An Update, One Year Later

The design: A+. Despite daily use, there is no noticeable wear and tear to the matte black finish, and the deadbolt turns as smoothly as day one.

The battery life: A-. Level says its Lock+ battery should last six months, and we’ve replaced it exactly once since installing it 13 months ago. Doing so is supersimple—you just unscrew the cap on the deadbolt. The minus is due to the battery itself. It’s a Lithium 3-volt CR2, which was not readily available near me, so it required a dedicated Amazon order.

Locking and unlocking: B-. When the Lock+ works, it works great, and the manual options—the actual key, the cards, and the app—are reliable. But every once in a while, the app glitches, not connecting with my door for a few minutes. Not the worst-case scenario, but certainly annoying. And while the auto-unlock features are amazing in theory, more often than not, the lock still doesn’t realize that we are at the door quickly enough for it to be useful. We end up pulling out our phones anyway. If yours is as attached to you as mine is, you’re still saving time not having to dig for your keys, but it’s a bit of a bummer.

Level connect: A-. Level’s new Wi-Fi accessory is an unobtrusive little device that you plug into the wall near your door. It isn’t a must-have, but given the finicky auto-locking/-unlocking, I do like the reassurance that comes with its main benefit: accessing your lock remotely. This way, if I’m running out the door and don’t want to pause to pull up the app, I know I can lock my door from anywhere. One of those people who’s always worrying that you left yours open? You’ll love this.

My Original Review

The Design

When the lock arrived, it was immediately clear that one of Level’s biggest claims, that it makes technology invisible, was very much true. From the outside, the bolt looks just like a standard low-tech version, and it was half the size of our old bulky keypad. Even the packaging is minimalist—underneath the instructions pamphlet and a couple key cards, the bolt, motor, and two outer plates are nestled neatly into designated spots next to a box with the battery, bolt strike plate options, and screws. Those plus a Phillips screwdriver are all you’ll need to install it.

FYI: What the Lock+ does not come with is a matching black door handle. You’ll have to purchase your own—mine is a $20 Home Depot find.

Door Compatibility

The very first step is assessing your current door situation. We have a standard, builder-grade front door, so the Lock+’s basic requirements—1 ¾-inch door thickness, a standard deadbolt—were no problem. 

The Installation

We said a not-so-fond farewell to our existing keypad, the corresponding bolt, and the bolt strike plate (on the doorframe) with the help of the screwdriver. From there, you simply screw the new Level bolt into the door per the instructions.

FYI: If curiosity compels you to manually push in the bolt mechanism at this point and you close the door, you will actually lock it…with no easy way to retract the bolt. Don’t do this unless you want to get into an argument with your significant other and end up pulling out the bolt with pliers.

The step that requires the most finesse is sliding the motor into the hole and onto the bolt in an upright position; “Level” should be facing up. Do it slowly, though, and you’ll be fine. After that, you attach the outer plates to either side of the motor with, yes, more screws. (I pulled out our drill at this point to make it even easier.) The “paddle,” aka the dial you turn to lock the door from the inside, snaps into place with a push.

Once you screw the strike plate into the doorframe, you’ll turn your attention to the bolt one last time to pop in the battery. A chirping sound indicates a job well done. According to Level, the Lock+ battery should last about six months. 

In total, installation took me 45 minutes, but 30 of those were dealing with the aforementioned bolt debacle, so expect more like 15.

Setting Up the App

Download the Level Home app on your phone and connect it to your lock right away (apparently, you only have 30 minutes to do so for security reasons or you’ll have to reset it). You’ll be asked for some personal information, then a few prompts follow. We’re talking an under-five-minute process, after which your phone becomes a key in and of itself via Bluetooth. To lock or unlock the door, you simply hold down the Level logo until you hear the sweet sound of the deadbolt turning.

Locking and Unlocking

You have three different ways to engage your Lock+: the app, a hotel-like key card, and a regular ol’ key. If you spring for Level’s separate keypad, add a fourth to the list. We use the Level Home app’s press-to-unlock feature the most—our phones are always with us!—but I was relieved that the Lock+ gives you a couple alternatives. This way, should your phone die (or should a guest love the analog life), you’ve got hands-on options at your disposal. 

Bonus Features

For tech-friendly visitors, you’re able to share forever, temporary, or recurring access via the app. There’s also an “auto-lock/unlock” option, where the door is meant to open with either a touch of the hand or whenever you’re within a certain predetermined radius. I could see this being particularly handy when you’re loaded down with groceries or mail. 

FYI: My husband has found that the auto-unlock feature to be hit or miss. Sometimes, his phone doesn’t recognize him—or if it does, it’s only after he’s been standing at the front door for a solid minute.

You can also add your Lock+ to a few compatible apps you may already be using, like Apple Home, and control it from there. Integrating your Lock+ with Home, specifically, has another advantage: the ability to enable a key in your Wallet app with “express mode,” where all it takes to open the door is holding your phone near it, no app opening required.