The Bolt NFC Smartlock Review – How Smart is Smart?

REVIEW – I firmly believe that once you go smart lock, you can’t ever go back to dumb.  Consider the freedom: no pokey keys in your pocket.  No keys weighing down your bag and scratching your fancy purse stuff.  Never losing your keys again, because you don’t have any!  I was living that dream for many years until my Schlage got a case of dementia and it was time to send it to the E-waste center in Canoga.  Lucky for me, the Ultraloq folks needed someone to review the Bolt NFC Wifi smartlock. 

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Ultraloq or Amazon

What is it?

The Ultraloq The Bolt NFC smart lock is a coded lock that uses AppleHomeKey or Android NFC to open your door with your phone, your watch, or a contactless card.  You can also use a key, which they send along with the lock, just in case!

What’s included?

• The lock in several components
• Two programmable fobs
• Two traditional keys
• A quickstart guide and an installation and user guide
• Eight AA batteries

Specifications

• Hardware type: Deadbolt
• Case Material: Zinc Alloy
• Finish: Satin Nickel
• Dimensions: Exterior Assembly: 2.96 x 2.96 x 1.23 inch / 75.3 x 75.3 x 31.65 mm; Interior Assembly: 5.39 x 2.91 x 1.34 inch / 137 x 74 x 34 mm
• Weight: 3.5 lbs / 1.6 kg
• Working Temperature: External Assembly: -4 °F ~ 149 °F (-20 °C ~ 65 °C), IP65 Rated; Internal Assembly: 14 °F ~ 131 °F (-10 °C ~ 55 °C)
• Storage: User Capacity 50, NFC Capacity 50 (1 per user), Code Capacity 50
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi (no hub required)
• Compatible Smartphone: iOS and Android
• Compatible Smart home Eco-system: Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT
• Door Prep: 2-1/8 inch (54 mm) diameter face hole & 1 inch (25 mm) diameter latch hole
• Door Thickness: 1 3/8″ – 1 3/4″ (35 – 45 mm). For thicker door between 45mm (1-3/4″) and 57mm (2-1/4″), Thick Door Kit required.
• Backset: Adjustable to 2-3/8″ or 2-3/4″
• Warranty: 18 months electronic warranty and lifetime mechanical warranty

Design and features

The Bolt NFC smart lock has a lot of features that make it a great choice for your deadbolt.  For some time now one of the models has supported Apple Home Key but most recently Ultraloq introduced the Bolt NFC for Android users that supports tap-to-lock functionality.  As an Android person, I was eager to test this out, but first I had to install it. 

For many people, this lock can be installed with nothing more than a screwdriver.  In my case, however, I had to do a little extra chiseling to get the latch plate to fit.  I delegated that duty to a friend who is a lot better with tools than I am, and before I could stop him, he had the Bolt NFC installed.  It seems pretty easy and quick to install provided your door is a little more standard than mine is.  Note that I didn’t install the included door sensor because I have what can only be described as “nonstandard” door frames that would inhibit the functionality of that sensor.

This lock boasts up to a year of use without changing the 8 AA batteries, which is great, although I found myself changing them after a week of use.  I assume I just got a bad batch because once I changed them, I haven’t had any problems.  I want to warn you, however, that once you get the “low power/change battery” notification, you will want to change them right away.  I didn’t do that, and I came home one day to a really loud buzzing alarm noise that was impossible to ignore, inside or out.  This noise is the “critically low power” alert.  Avoid it.  It’s awful. 

What’s also kind of a letdown is the appearance of this lock.  Some of the newer door locks look like jewelry for your home.  They are sleek and sexy and make you feel like James Bond when you unlock them. The Bolt NFC is not a looker, but what it lacks in attractiveness it makes up for in ease of use.  I downloaded the app and found it easy to connect to WiFi and start feeding in codes for all the members of my family.  Each person can have a code, a keycard and app access, if you choose.  It also features “anti peep” technology, so if you come home with an aquaintance and you don’t want them to see your secret door code, you can tap random numbers and then the code followed by random numbers so it’s not obvious.  I really appreciate that because my son used to come home with his buddies and I’m pretty sure they all could get into my house any time they wanted because he was not the most careful with the code.

I experimented with programming different kinds of NFC based cards to see if they could be used as inconspicuous keys for the Bolt NFC.  I had an old hotel room key, for instance, and I was able to program that to unlock my front door.  I tried to program a credit card in the same way, but that didn’t work.  I tried my Tesla card key and that didn’t work either.   I tried a different hotel room key and that one didn’t work.  The good news is that Ultraloq sells extra NFC fobs on their website that you can program (4 for $16.99).  The lock comes with two and programming those was super easy.  I would like it better if the fobs weren’t branded though, because if I hide one for emergencies outside, I’d rather not advertise what it’s for.

This lock can be locked and unlocked remotely, and it can be integrated to trigger automations like turning on and off lights when you are close to home.  You can use a smart assistant like Siri, but I was most excited to try the feature that unlocks the door automatically when you’re close to home.  Unfortunately, I’ve had mixed experiences with this functionality.  I was eager to use it for dog walks, since I have all I can do to handle my dog when I come home sometimes, but more often than not I got a “communication error” with the Bolt NFC.  I’m not sure why this is, but I’ve had wifi connectivity problems with locks in the front part of my house before, so that was my best guess.  However, when I log on with the app remotely, I never get any kind of sign that there’s a connection problem, so I don’t know what’s going on. 

 

I was also interested to see if I could use my phone or NFC enabled smartwatch to unlock the door with a tap, but I’ve also had trouble getting that to work.  On my phone and watch, I have to manually trigger the NFC to pay for groceries, for example, so I think it might require me to do something like that to work.  According to their literature, however, it should work “out of the pocket” with no activation needed for “99% of NFC-enabled Android smartphones.” I guess I might be the 1%.   I’d rather be the other kind!

I have had one other “glitch” during the last month with the Bolt NFC.  Once I went to go on a dog walk and the lock was just dead.  No response when I tried to lock it, and no amount of punching buttons could wake it up.  When I checked ten minutes later via the app, the lock showed that it was locked, and when I returned from my walk, it was indeed locked.  I don’t know what happened.

One of my favorite features of this lock is the fact that the Bolt NFC will lock itself after a few minutes (you can adjust how many in the app).  This feature means I never have to wonder if I locked the door, although in the past I’ve just checked the app for confirmation.

Final thoughts

While I haven’t had the most perfect experience with the Bolt NFC, I think it has a lot going for it.  I really like the idea of a fob instead of a key for the elderly, kids and other people who don’t want another number to remember. Keys  are so easily copied, and let’s face it: keys are technology from thousands of years ago. That’s not sexy! Overall I’ve been happy with my Bolt NFC.

What I like about the Bolt NFC smart lock

• Easily programmed
• Long battery life
• Love the NFC fobs and cards

What needs to be improved?

• Wish my phone just unlocked the lock like it’s supposed to (realiably) when I come home.
• Wish my phone and watch could “tap” and open the lock like it’s supposed to.
• It could be more attractive.

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Ultraloq or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Ultraloq. Ultraloq did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.