Review: Yale Assure Lock SL

How many times have you forgotten your keys when you leave the house? Once, twice, or maybe just like we have, you’ve stopped counting. You get home after a long day at work, excited to jump into your bed, when you realize — your keys aren’t in your pocket. The answer? The Yale Assure Lock SL.

The Yale Assure Lock SL is the latest digital smart home security from the lock maker that has become a household name: Yale. For less than $300, you get a sleek, key-free touchscreen deadbolt that is compatible with your devices. This dependable hardware works with Apple HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant devices, which means you can access it virtually anywhere. With its minimalist design, connectivity, and ease of use, it’s the best smart lock out there.

You will never get locked out of your house ever again!

Design

The Yale Assure SL Lock is a well-designed smart lock that features a simple front panel with a touchpad. It looks and feels small compared to existing locks on the market. Its front part measures 3.5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide, at just about 0.5 inches deep. It’s a clean, rounded rectangular piece of hardware that showcases a shiny black screen.

The Yale Assure SL comes in three finishes: Satin Nickel, Oil-Rubbed Bronze, and Polished Brass. Whatever your home looks like, they will all go perfectly with painted, wood, stained, or even steel doors.

The smart lock is a chatty little thing. Touch the keypad, and it will give you audio confirmation as you press each individual button. The keypads will light up, which makes the Yale Assure Lock convenient even in low-lit places. It makes quiet chirps when you enter your code on the keypad. Take too long, and it’ll simply say, “Time expired.” You can set the voice to be in French, English, or Spanish through the keypad menu, as well as change volume levels, or silence the keypad completely.

While the touch screen is a neat feature, we noticed that it often took a couple of touches to wake it up from standby mode. The lock automatically goes into standby mode to save battery after a few minutes without interaction. We get it — but we just hope it was a lot easier to wake up. It’s not a very convenient feature especially when you’re in a hurry.

Setup and Installation

The installation process was straightforward, taking us only around five minutes on a standard wooden door. The rear of the Yale Assure Lock SL contains a spacious case that holds four AA batteries, as well as the locking mechanism, resembling your typical deadbolt.

The lock comes with paper instructions as well as an audio and step-by-step animated version through the BILT app. Before setting it up, it’s important to make sure your door is aligned well and working properly. The Yale Assure Lock SL might not work as well on a door that needs an extra push to fully latch.

Smart Home Compatibility

The Yale Assure Lock SL can be locked and unlocked with the Yale Secure app. From there, you get to manage lock settings, create, store and delete PIN codes. You can download the app from the Play Store or App Store for free.

Connecting the lock to your home network is fairly simple. With just a few taps on the keypad, your smart device will be connected to your hub network. Incorporating the lock with platforms like HomeKit and SmartThings is easy if you follow a step-by-step guide on the Internet. With HomeKit, you can lock and unlock your Yale Assure SL using the Apple Home app and Siri commands. It also works fine with Alexa.

The Yale Assure SL links flawlessly with August’s system, which means you can take advantage of all the app’s features, such as the 24/7 activity log, and remote locking and unlocking. August has been known to be one of the best home security apps. By inserting the August module into the back of the Yale Assure SL, you can connect the lock with August Home app on Android and iOS.

Features

To unlock your home, just enter your four or eight digit code on the keypad. Lock the door behind you by simply tapping the keypad once the door shuts entirely. Connecting to the August module lets you lock the keypad conveniently with just a wave of the hand.

With the Yale Assure Lock SL, you’ll never have to worry about leaving your door ajar. It has a useful feature called the DoorSense, which uses a small magnet embedded in the door frame to detect when the bolt has slid into place. It won’t automatically close the door for you, but it will alarm you if this happens.

The lock can store up to fifty codes on the app or as key codes only. And, if you’ve installed the August module, you can store as much as two-hundred fifty codes. They can also be set to allow access only at certain times of the day, the week, a month, or forever. You can set up codes for family members, visiting relatives, or even personalize codes for certain people. The codes can be quickly added and deleted on the keypad using instructions in the provided manual.

Worried of locking yourself out if the battery dies? No need to fret — the Yale Assure Lock SL can be connected with a 9-volt battery from two terminals at the bottom of the keypad. It gives it a temporary kick of power, enough to get you inside. Just be sure you always have a couple of AA batteries stored safely at home.

Verdict

Those who want an upgrade in their home security system will find a lot to love in the Yale Assure SL. It has a sleek and slim exterior design that works with all kinds of home finishes. Compatible with almost all smart home platforms, it seamlessly integrates with your existing devices. It’s one of the best key-free touchscreen deadbolts today, made by one of the best key manufacturers in the world. User-friendly, you can set it up within minutes, and enjoy its extra layer of security from the convenience of your smart phone. Overall, it’s the best option for people who don’t want to carry around keys.

Yale Assure Lock SL on Amazon for $250