Netatmo Smart Door Lock And Keys Does Things Very Differently

Many homeowners are embracing the smart home lifestyle, replacing conventional appliances with connected devices. But even the staunchest smart home believer is sometimes still reluctant to replace door locks with smart ones, especially considering the threat of hacking and invasion of privacy. It is against this backdrop that Netatmo is launching its own smart door lock solution and it might already be catching attention in a good way by doing the exact opposite of what most in this market do.

Smart locks are often characterized by at least three things. They do away with keys, using PIN codes or smartphones to unlock doors, have cloud-based information and control, and often require a subscription to access the latter. In contrast, Netatmo's lock still uses a key, keeps everything in the lock, and is only a one-time purchase.

To be fair, you can also use a smartphone and you'll need that for giving access to friends, family, or renters. The key, however, is unique in the sense that it actually uses NFC rather than mechanical parts and even that can be wiped from the system if the key gets lost.

The Netatmo lock also stores nothing in the cloud to prevent leaking information or potential hacking. No cloud storage, no subscriptions needed. That said, there are minor disadvantages, like requiring to be within Bluetooth range to read the door access history.

The Netatmo Smart Door Lock can be used to replace any existing cylinder door lock and, amusingly, the same NFC key can be used to unlock all door locks if desired. The lock promises a two-year battery life and can be integrated with Apple HomeKit scenes. Netatmo hasn't yet provided information about availability and pricing yet.