Yale Assure Lock 2 review

If you wish to link the Assure Lock 2 to Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and yes, Matter, which will be available very soon, you can connect it via interchangeable modules because it is around thirty percent smaller on the interior than the previous model was. In spite of this, our review of the Yale Assure Lock 2 revealed that it was missing a few common features on other models that are ranked among the best smart locks.

Compared to its predecessor, the Yale Assure Lock SL, the Yale Assure Lock 2 represents a little improvement. Both feature the same understated and fashionable number pad, utilize the same user-friendly software, and offer excellent interaction with the most popular smart home systems on the market today.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Design

The Yale Assure Lock 2 has a configuration that is comparable to that of the vast majority of other smart locks: Your door features a number pad on the exterior, which, depending on the type that you choose, may or may not also incorporate a keyhole into its design. My testing revealed that the keyless variant has an appealingly simple design, and its matte surface is resistant to fingerprints.

A few different finishes are available, including bronze, black suede, and satin nickel, all of which were featured on the review model I received. Unfortunately, there is no polished brass alternative; as a result, individuals with older door hardware, such as myself, may discover that the Yale lock does not match.

The bigger portion of the lock is located on the interior side of your door; yet, this version of the Assure Lock is about 30% more compact than its predecessor. The throw that may be used to lock and unlock the door manually is stored in the lower portion of the lock.

This component’s upper half is covered by a black plastic cover that can be removed with the push of a button to expose the lock’s wireless module as well as the battery compartment. You can buy this smart lock from its official website.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Connectivity

The Assure Lock 2 comes in three finishes: black suede, bronze, and satin nickel. It comes in four basic configurations: a $160 keypad version with physical buttons that can be ordered with or without a physical keyhole, and a slightly more advanced $180 touchscreen model that supports both keyed and keyless setups.

By default, the lock is connected via Bluetooth, but Yale sells modules that can add support for WiFi, Z-Wave, and Matter for people who want more integration with smart home ecosystems. There are also versions of the lock that come with the installed WiFi module, starting at $240. Yale says that the Assure Lock 2 is fully compatible with the Matter standard, but its Matter modules won’t be available until early 2023.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Performance

The Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset stands out as the most important piece of hardware here. There are many improvements over last year’s model, but the boost in ray-tracing performance has the most potential for gaming. In this area, the Adreno GPU in the chipset is 25 percent faster and 40 percent more efficient than last year’s model.

More and more games need powerful hardware, so the Redmagic 8 Pro is one of the best ways to get the most out of the latest games. The engine has a lot of power, and the cooling fan, which runs up to 20,000 RPM and is surprisingly quiet, keeps it cool. When it came to performance, the Redmagic 8 Pro did well with every game I gave it. At the highest settings, Genshin Impact stayed at 60 FPS, Dead Cells stayed at 120 FPS, and the phone never got hot in my hands during any of this.

Even though the speakers on the Redmagic 8 Pro are in an odd place, the sound quality is very good. Even though I had to turn the volume down a bit from maximum to avoid major distortion, the speakers are loud enough to fill the room. People in the same room won’t be able to hear your calls because the sound is clear and the volume is just right.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Battery Life

The lock runs on four AA batteries, which come in the box. The batteries in locks that only use Bluetooth should last between six and nine months before they need to be changed. Yale says adding the Wi-Fi module cuts the battery life down to three months. The battery life depends on how you use it and other things, like how strong your Wi-Fi signal is and how much friction is inside your deadbolt.

My Wi-Fi-enabled unit’s batteries died in just seven weeks, but that’s because I locked and unlocked it dozens of times a day while writing this review. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t show anything about the battery level until it’s below 20%. When the batteries do reach that level, the Assure Lock 2 will let you know through the app

A red light on the device, and a sound. We wish it would have sent these alerts out a lot sooner. I was locked out during testing before I got one of the app’s low-battery warnings. This happened when it was pouring rain and I was only wearing socks on my feet.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Price

Yale also plans to release Z-Wave and Matter Smart Modules, which will cost $79.99 each and should make it easier to connect the Assure Lock 2 to your smart home ecosystem of choice. With a Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Matter Smart Module, the lock works and a wide range of third-party security and automation systems.

Such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Philips Hue, Ring, and Samsung SmartThings. The Assure Lock 2 collection fits on doors that are 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick and have a deadbolt bore hole of 2-1/8 inches (standard in the US) or 1-1/2 inches (common in Canada) and a backset of 2-3/8 inches or 2-3/4 inches.

Yale Assure Lock 2 review: Final words

The Yale Assure Lock 2 has the potential to improve both the aesthetics of your door and the functionality of your daily life. It provides a decent range to fit your needs, tastes, and budget, including keyless and keyed versions with physical buttons or a touch screen, with prices ranging from $159.99 to $259.99. Among the options available are keyless and keyed models.