Should I upgrade to the August Smart Lock Pro?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't long for the day when I can have my own personal Jarvis that can control my life for me. Thankfully with the technology we have available to us today, that reality is not too far away. The idea of locking and unlocking your door without using a physical key has been around for a few years and smart locks with keypads and pin codes have been available to install on your door for a while. However, as smart phones and wireless technology have evolved, smart locks have gotten a whole lot smarter.

The August Smart Lock Pro has some of the best and most useful features you can find in a smart lock today. One of its most useful is that you don't have to replace both locks on your door. The regular lock on the outside of the door stays put and you only replace the one on the inside. Another is its use of Bluetooth to sense when you and your phone are approaching the door, so it can unlock automatically. Also, when connected to a Wi-Fi smart hub, you can grant guest access to friends and family coming by the home and how long that access lasts (it's great if you're looking to add one to your Airbnb).

Probably one of the August Smart Lock Pro's best features is that it's compatible with almost all of home automation systems including Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. It also includes Z-Wave Plus technology, which is what most smart home gadgets use so even if you don't use one of the big three, chances are it'll still work just fine. This interoperability is helpful if you use more than one different type of smart home automation, as I do.

The Smart Lock Pro is great on its own and packs lots of features just by itself. However, it doesn't reach it's final form until it's connected to a Wi-Fi bridge or smart hub. You can still control a lot of your lock without it, but if you want to use Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant, you'll definitely need a hub or bridge.

The additional Wi-Fi connectivity also enables remote access to the lock, meaning if you forget to lock the door because you're running late for work (story of my life) or the kids are getting home after school while you're still at work, you can lock or unlock the door from your smartphone, no matter where you are. You no longer just have to be connected via Bluetooth.

August has its own Wi-Fi bridge companion, which you can find on Amazon for $72. You can also use any other Z-Wave+ compatible smart hub to accomplish the same thing, like the Samsung SmartThings Hub, which is slightly cheaper than the August one at $69.