A new-construction home is the easiest possible place to install a
smart lock: your doors arrive with the standard 2-1/8” bore, nothing
needs retrofitting, and most models install with a screwdriver in under
half an hour. The hard part is picking one — so here are actual 2026
models, prices, and the tradeoffs, not vague categories.
Quick context for 2026: this was the year hands-free unlocking went
mainstream. Ultra-wideband (UWB) locks that open as you walk up — no
tap, no code — arrived from Schlage, Aqara, and Ultraloq, and
Matter-over-Thread support has become common enough to be a real buying
criterion.
The Picks
Best all-around keypad deadbolt: Schlage Encode Plus
(~$280–$320). Built-in Wi-Fi (no hub), a solid keypad, Apple
Home Key tap-to-unlock, and Schlage’s residential-grade hardware. It’s
been the safe default recommendation for years for a reason, and it
regularly goes on sale well under list. No Matter or Thread on this
model — if that matters to you, look at the two below.
The 2026 flagship: Schlage Sense Pro ($399).
Launched June 2026 — Schlage’s first Matter-over-Thread lock and its
first UWB lock: with an iPhone or Apple Watch, the door unlocks
hands-free as you approach. It also takes NFC taps and has a USB-C
jump-start port for a dead battery. Expensive, but if you’re speccing
one premium lock for a new build, this is the current state of the
art.
Best Matter-over-Thread value: Aqara U300
($179–$230). Fingerprint, keypad, Apple Home Key, and Matter
over Thread at a much lower price than the flagship UWB locks. Its big
brother, the Aqara U400 ($270), adds UWB hands-free
unlocking, a 0.3-second fingerprint reader, and IP65 weather sealing —
it needs a Thread border router (an Apple TV 4K or HomePod counts) for
Apple Home.
Best fingerprint on a budget: Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Wi-Fi
(~$130). Fingerprint plus backlit keypad plus a built-in door
sensor, ANSI Grade 1 hardware, and roughly six months of battery. Wi-Fi
only — no Matter — but at this price it’s the value benchmark of the
category.
Best with a camera: Eufy Video Smart Lock E330
(~$200). Fingerprint, keypad, and an integrated video doorbell
in one unit — Tom’s Guide’s current overall pick. One device to install
and charge instead of two. If you’d rather have palm-vein recognition
and a 2K camera, the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max (~$300–$340)
is the step-up.
Best retrofit style: Yale Approach (~$75–$150).
Replaces only the interior side of the deadbolt, so the outside of the
door keeps its regular keyway — relevant if your builder’s hardware
package has matching exterior finishes you want to keep. It’s
effectively the successor to the classic August lock (same corporate
family; the August line hasn’t been refreshed in years). The
Level Bolt (~$110–$130) does the same trick completely
invisibly, hiding inside the door.
Best cheap and cheerful: Wyze Lock Bolt (~$69) —
fingerprint and keypad, but Bluetooth-only, so no remote access — or the
Aqara U100 (~$125–$150) if you want Apple Home Key and
app access at a budget price.
How to Choose: Three
Questions
1. Which phone ecosystem? iPhone households get the
most from Apple Home Key and UWB models (Encode Plus, Sense Pro, Aqara
U300/U400). Mixed or Android households should prioritize
Matter-certified locks so nothing is locked to one platform.
2. Keypad or biometric? Keypads are the practical
minimum for a family — codes for kids, guests, cleaners, and dog
walkers, no phones required. Fingerprint readers are faster day-to-day;
on cold-climate front doors, they’re also the feature most likely to
frustrate in winter gloves. Many current locks sensibly include
both.
3. Battery expectations. Plan on roughly six months
for a typical Wi-Fi keypad deadbolt, up to a year for efficient Thread
models, and as little as a month for camera-equipped locks at default
settings. Whatever you buy, turn on low-battery alerts the day you
install it.
New-Build Specifics Worth
Knowing
- Skip the builder’s lock upgrade unless it’s cheap.
Builders typically fold smart locks into a smart-home package with a
healthy markup. Since your door arrives pre-bored to the standard prep,
self-installing a $200 lock takes 20 minutes — or an
electrician/handyman will do it for $50–$100. Take the builder’s
standard hardware and put the savings toward a better lock than the
package offered. - Deadbolts don’t care about door handing — any of
the above fits a left- or right-swinging door. Only lever-style smart
locks (like Ultraloq’s Latch series) involve handing, and most
auto-detect during setup. - Wire the door anyway. If you read our smart-home
wiring guide, you know the drill: a Cat6 run to the front door serves a
PoE video doorbell today and whatever replaces it tomorrow — smart locks
stay battery-powered, but the doorbell side of the entry shouldn’t. - Re-key expectations: models with a physical keyway
can usually be keyed to match the rest of your builder hardware — ask at
any locksmith or big-box hardware desk. Keyless models (several above)
simply remove that step.
The Bottom Line
For most new builds: an Encode Plus if you want the
proven default, an Aqara U300 if you want Matter/Thread
value, a U-Bolt Pro if you want fingerprint convenience
at the lowest price that isn’t junk, and the Schlage Sense
Pro if you want the door to just open as you walk up and don’t
mind paying for it. Buy it yourself, install it in twenty minutes on
your pre-bored door, and spend the builder-package savings on hardware
you’ll actually notice every day.
Prices are August 2026 street prices and move frequently,
especially around sale events. We have no affiliate relationship with
any brand listed.
Sources
- Tom’s Guide: best smart locks (updated July 2026) —
tomsguide.com - Reviewed/USA Today: best smart locks — reviewed.com
- Schlage Sense Pro launch (June 2026, $399, Matter-over-Thread + UWB)
— prnewswire.com, notebookcheck.net - The Gadgeteer: best UWB smart locks 2026 — the-gadgeteer.com
- Eufy FamiLock S3 Max review — pcworld.com
- Yale Approach launch details — nasdaq.com press release
- Standard door prep specs — schlage.com, directdoorhardware.com
- Install cost data — fixr.com