My top feature for a smart lock for any Apple smart home person is Apple Home Key support. The ability to tap your iPhone or Apple Watch against your front door and walk right inside is incredibly convenient. The problem is that most locks that support this feature are expensive, often costing $ 200 or more. That is where the LNDU HK01W comes in at a nice spot. It brings native Apple Home Key support to a door for right around $100.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
Apple Home Key and native Wi-Fi
As I said, the biggest selling point of the LNDU HK01W is having Apple Home Key support. You can simply tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock it. It uses Wi-Fi for communication, which is great, but it can be more battery hungry than Thread over time, so that is something to keep in mind. While Apple Home Key is my preferred unlock method, you are not out of luck if you forget your phone. The lock provides several other ways to unlock your door.
- It has a biometric fingerprint scanner that the LNDU claims unlocks the door in 0.3 seconds.
- You can also use the touchscreen keypad, which includes an anti-peep function that lets you enter random numbers before and after your actual passcode to confuse someone watching you.
- It also supports fob cards and includes a traditional key as well
Power and installation on the LNDU HK01W
Whenever a lock uses Wi-Fi instead of Thread or Bluetooth, my immediate thought is battery life. In my experience, Wi-Fi is notoriously power hungry compared to Thread and BT. LNDU addresses this by powering the HK01W with eight AA batteries. They estimate that a set of batteries will last for 8 months, assuming they are unlocked every day. If batteries do die, there is a USB-C emergency power port on the bottom of the lock, so you can jump-start it to get inside. Of course, the physical key will always work as well.
Installation on the LNDU HK01W is a standard DIY retrofit. It fits most standard US doors without requiring any extra drilling, and you can put it together using a simple screwdriver. I’ve swapped my deadbolts 10+ times, so I can do it fast now.
Wrap up on the LNDU HK01W
This lock is not perfect, but it’s great for the price. The LNDU HK01W carries a BHMA Grade 3 rating. That is the entry-level tier for residential security, designed for daily convenience rather than heavy-duty physical protection. However, if you are looking for a low-cost way to add Apple Home Key to an interior garage door or a secondary entrance, getting all of these features for $100ish is a fantastic option. It’s not the best Apple Home key lock on the market, but it’s one of the more affordable options.
You can buy the LNDU HK01W on Amazon.
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