Level is one of the newer players in the Smart Lock space, but with a design pedigree that includes many earlier ones Apple Employees, the company already has a lot of praise for its industrial design. I have tested both of the current offerings, the Level Bolt and the Level Touch, and found that they are well-designed, easy-to-use smart locks that stand out from the competition in terms of aesthetics and functionality.
The basics
Level’s debut product, the $ 229 Level Bolt, works with existing bolts and only replaces the inside with a connected locking mechanism, which you can control from your smartphone via the Level app. The newer $ 329 Level Touch is a complete deadbolt replacement, including the faceplates, but unlike most other smart locks on the market, it looks like a standard deadbolt from the outside – albeit a very nicely designed one. The Level Touch is available in four different finishes, including satin nickel, satin chrome, and polished brass and matte black (the latter two are listed as “Coming Soon”).
Credit: level
The bolt is similar in concept to other Smart-Lock products like the August lock in that you use it with your existing deadbolt, eliminating the need to change keys. It also leaves the thumb intact, which means it won’t be obvious from the outside that you have a smart lock at all. Installation is relatively simple and basically corresponds to a transplant with a locking mechanism. Level includes a variety of cam rail adapters that cater to the vast majority of deadlocks available. Hence, most homeowners should be able to do this in just a few minutes. The Bolt offers access sharing via the app, automatic lock on departure, automatic unlock on arrival, an activity log, temporary passes and a built-in audio chime. It also works with Apple’s HomeKit for remote control, voice control via Siri, automation, and push notifications.
Credit: level
The Level Touch has everything that is great about the Bolt and has some super smart add-on features like a capacitive external latch case that allows for amazing touch-to-lock / touch-to-unlock functionality, and NFC that you can use Programmable NFC cards and stickers for issuing revocable badges to unlock your door. Plus, it’s probably the most attractive bar I’ve ever owned or used. This says a lot in a smart lock area where most offerings have unsightly large keyboards or large battery compartments.
Design and functions
The Level Bolt’s design is clever in its ability to be completely invisible when in use. The latch itself is the battery case, which houses a lithium CR123A battery (included, offers a service life of over a year). Installing the bolt was as easy as loosening my existing latch, removing the internal latch mechanism, finding the correct adapter for the cam bar, inserting it into my door latch lock, and screwing back the outer face panels. It took less than 10 minutes to finish.
Setting up the lock was easy too. All you have to do is download the app and follow the instructions. You can also control your app in a few minutes. With the app, you set up a home profile for your lock or locks and you can also invite other people in your household to share access (they have to install the app and receive a profile for it). You can also set up HomeKit if you have an Apple device and HomeKit hub (this can be an Apple TV or iPad) and instantly unlock many features, including remote unlocking and lock controls, when you’re not home.
Credit: level
Even without HomeKit, you can set up Level so that it locks automatically when you leave a certain geofenced area around your house and unlocks automatically when you return within that area. It’s a fantastic convenience feature that works great and has tons of benefits when it comes to coming home with an armful of groceries or large packages.
With the Level Touch you get all of the above plus a function that I consider indispensable: the touch controls. The metal outside of the outer cylinder of the Level Touch has capacitive touch sensors. This means that, like your iPhone’s screen, it can recognize when it is touched by a finger or skin. You can activate a touch-to-lock feature that can be used to lock it when people leave the latch cover and hold their finger on it. You can even set it to unlock when a touch is detected in connection with your phone’s close proximity to identity for verification purposes.
To me, this is even more useful than auto lock / unlock, yet much more convenient than fiddling with keys or even manually locking / unlocking the app. This is one of the unique advantages of Level Touch, and a great one.
Installing the Level Touch is very simple too – no more difficult than installing a latch you might buy at a hardware store. Like the bolt, it uses a single CR123A battery that is charged directly into the bolt itself and should give you enough power for over a year of use.
Bottom line
Smart locks have become much more common in recent years, but haven’t really advanced in terms of functionality or design either. Level has improved all of that, bringing the best of convenience features and miniaturized hardware technology into a smart, modern design that overtakes the competition.