Smart lock on a door? Psh, now you can have them on cabinets, safes, and more


Yale Smart Cabinet LockYale

Most people who are serious about their smart home likely have a smart lock on their front door. This not only makes your home more secure but also allows you to do cool things such as unlock your door from anywhere in the world.

Yale and August a pair of high-end brands well-known in the lock and security industry now want to bring the idea behind a smart lock to other parts of your home. At CES 2020, the two companies announced new traditional door locks but also introduced a new way to lock up your valuables in your existing cabinets. They also launched a product offering a secure way to accept deliveries and a smart safe for protecting your valuables.

Check out each of the products below!

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

August Wi Fi Smart LockAugust

August is updating its popular smart lock currently known as the August Smart Lock Pro. The new version will be known as the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, as shown above.

There are two huge differences between the two locks. The first is that the Wi-Fi Smart Lock is 45% smaller in volume and 20% slimmer than the Smart Lock Pro, which brings it more in line with the size of a traditional doorknob. This will be helpful for people with small hands, such as children, to comfortably use the lock.

Related:The best security apps for Android

The second big difference is that the Wi-Fi Smart Lock is self-contained. The Smart Lock Pro relied on Bluetooth for your phone to identify it and then a separate bridge device would actually send the Wi-Fi signal to unlock the door. Now, the bridge isnt necessary just install the smart lock in your door, connect it to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and youre good to go!

August didnt reveal pricing or availability for the new Wi-Fi Smart Lock. However, it should be priced similarly to the Smart Lock Pro bundle, which is around $280.

Yale Linus Smart Lock

Yale Linus Smart LockYale

Those of us who live in the United States think that doorknobs, locks, and deadbolts are pretty standardized because they are here. However, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and other countries around the world, there are many differences that make it so a smart lock developed for the US would never work outside the country.

Thats where the Yale Linus Smart Lock comes in. Named after Linus Yale, the founder of the Yale lock company, the smart lock can be installed in a DIY fashion across most of the EMEA countries. The lock is designed in such a way that you can tweak the installation procedure depending on the location in which you live.

Related:The best smart home devices you can buy

Unfortunately, the Linus lock still relies on Bluetooth and a Wi-Fi bridge to operate. Thats a small price to pay, though, as the Linus lock will be the first smart lock available in many different locations around the world, which is awesome.

The Linus lock will be available at different price points in different countries, but will likely clock in at around 250 (~$279).

Yale Smart Cabinet Lock

Yale Smart Cabinet LockYale

OK, so lets move away from front door locks and talk about a really interesting new product: the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock. This small and easy-to-install product turns any existing cabinet, drawer, or other household storage system into smart storage.

All you need to do is install the Smart Cabinet Lock into the storage item you own and then sync it with a Wi-Fi bridge (sold separately or as part of a bundle). Then, just like a smart lock for a front door, you can remotely lock or unlock the cabinet, see who opened the cabinet and when, etc.

Protect your valuables in cabinets you already own with this small and easy-to-install smart device.

This is a great tool for people who rent out their homes as Airbnb properties or those who have small children. Pretty much anything in your house that you dont want people snooping through would benefit greatly from the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock.

The Smart Cabinet Lock will launch in the Spring and cost $79 on its own or $129 bundled with the Wi-Fi bridge.

Yale Smart Safe

Yale Smart SafeYale

The Smart Cabinet Lock described above is certainly nice, but it wont stop someone strong enough to break open the cabinet. For more traditional protection of your valuables, youll need a safe, and thats where the Yale Smart Safe steps in.

The device looks a lot like the safes you find in hotel rooms. It has a keypad for your traditional PIN entry and even has a keyhole for those of you out there who actually want to use a physical key for some reason.

Don't trust just a PIN! Get a notification on your phone if your safe is ever opened.

The really useful feature of the safe, though, is that its now smart. By linking it to the previously mentioned Wi-Fi bridge, you can operate it as you would a smart lock on a door or the Smart Cabinet Lock.

The Smart Safe will launch in the Spring and cost $229 on its own or $279 bundled with the Wi-Fi bridge.

Yale Smart Delivery Box

Yale Smart Delivery BoxYale

Finally, Yale is also introducing a smart way to protect your deliveries from porch pirates. The Yale Smart Delivery Box is made of heavy-duty plastic to withstand the elements and even comes with an optional cooler inside to keep items from getting too hot or cold on your doorstep.

The box, though, is more than just a big plastic tub. Inside, it has a device similar to the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock which latches the lid tight as soon as its closed. In a typical scenario, you would leave the box unlocked on a daily basis. When a delivery is made, the courier opens the lid to put in your packages. Upon closing the lid, it automatically locks and you are notified as such on your phone wherever you might be in the world.

Stop porch pirates from grabbing your Amazon packages with this connected delivery container.

You can then remotely unlock the delivery box whenever it makes sense to do so. You might be thinking, Well, what if the pirates just take the whole box? To solve that problem, you can either weigh the base down with sand which would make it really heavy or even lock the detachable base to a solid structure. Either way, it would be pretty difficult for a porch pirate to steal the whole box.

The Smart Delivery Box will launch in the Spring and cost $229 on its own, $279 bundled with the Wi-Fi bridge, and $299 for the box, the bridge, and the cooler bag.

More posts about Smart Home