I Replaced Every Lock in My House With Smart Locks. Here's What Actually Happened.

Six months ago, I did something my wife called "obsessive" and my locksmith called "job security": I replaced every single lock in my house — front door, back door, garage entry, side gate, and home office — with smart locks. Five doors. Five different locks. One very opinionated verdict. I didn't do this because I hate keys (though I do). I did it because every smart lock review online reads like a press release. "Great build quality. Easy setup. 4.5 stars." Cool. But does it actually work when your hands are full of groceries at 11 PM in the rain? Does the battery die without warning? Does it phone home to some cloud server every time you unlock your front door? I tested three of the most popular smart locks in 2026 head-to-head: the Schlage Encode Plus , the Yale Assure Lock 2 , and the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) . I also tried the Aqara U100 and Schlage's new Arrive WiFi Deadbolt. Here's what actually happened — the good, the bad, and the one lock I'd never buy again. Why I