Yale HomeKit-enabled Delivery Box, Cabinet Locks Now Available

Porch pirates are getting one in the eye with the help of Yale and HomeKit, thanks to the first of two new products announced back at CES 2020 – namely the Yale Delivery box – which along with the company’s Smart Cabinet Lock – are now available for purchase. The first of these two new products aims to deter thieves from swiping unattended packages by having them placed in lockable boxes that reside at the front of your house.

Although the concept of a secure outdoor delivery box is nothing new per se, this new Yale product is, as you’d expect, smart, allowing you to not only lock and unlock the box remotely but also detect when the box has been opened. The lock is also designed to automatically lock after something has been placed inside, meaning your delivery person doesn’t have to worry about securing the delivery after. Also available is a separate keypad that allows any authorised person with a code, to open the box, allowing both delivery or collection. This allows the owner to keep tabs on who exactly has opened the box at any given time. You can assign codes to family, friends, regular visitors or delivery personnel.

The box come in two different designs/colours – Manor Grey for the Kent model and Carbon Brown for the Brighton model, with both being compatible with Yale’s Smart Keypad, which looks like a rebranded August keypad (August is owned by Yale, who in turn is owned by Assa Abloy). Both boxes use Bluetooth for direct connection, although if you use the Yale Connect Bluetooth to Wifi gateway, you will get WiFi control of the locks. The gateway is required for HomeKit functionality. If you regularly have chilled or frozen food deliveries, the company also sell a separate cooler insert to keep perishable food cold for longer. The boxes can also be tethered to the ground, so even the most emboldened thieves are kept at bay.

Currently, the Kent model is available for US$279.99, or US$329.99. The Brighton model is slightly cheaper at US$229.99 or US$279.99 for the box or with the optional Keypad.

The other product that has now been made available for purchase, at a reasonably more affordable US$79.99, and is designed to provide a locking solution to cupboard draws, doors or cabinets, to keep either precious or personal items more secure than with a simple draw or door. It’s also quite good for keeping medicines, alcohol, or potentially poisonous cleaning products away from the young and more inquisitive members of your family. The way it works is that it essentially adds a smart latch to your draw or cabinet door, that can be opened using your phone with your voice or the Yale Access app. As with the Smart Delivery Box, this uses Bluetooth, but with the addition of the Yale WiFi gateway, you get access to HomeKit and other smart home ecosystems.

The Smart Delivery Boxes will be released on Amazon.com on October 17th, with pre-orders available now, while the Smart Cabinet Lock, will be out the week before (Oct. 10th), with pre-orders also available.