Level Lock Pro w/ Matter over Thread, HomeKey (review)

In most cases, smart locks are easy to spot. This is especially true when they include built-in fingerprint readers, carry an NFC logo, or display the manufacturer’s branding. Retrofit locks manage to avoid this to some extent, as the motor is fitted on the inside of the door while the outer portion remains unchanged. Even so, you still end up with something bulkier than a standard thumb turn sitting on the door.

The lock under review today takes a different approach, one that Level has focused on since its launch in 2019. Their first model featured only the motor and deadbolt housed within the door itself, leaving both the outer and inner assemblies untouched. This is what earned it the description ‘invisible’. That original version remains on sale as the updated Level Bolt, alongside the Level Lock, and the subject of this review, the Level Lock Pro. If you’re interested in a smart lock that’s designed to remain out of sight, this could be worth a closer look.

PACKAGING

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From the moment the package arrived, it was clear this is positioned as a premium product. The price reflects that too, at US$349, but the contents and presentation also reinforce the impression. It has the kind of finish you might expect to see in an Apple Store.

The front of the box is dominated by an image of the lock itself, with the only variation being the colour, depending on which of the two available finishes you choose: Matte Black or Satin Nickel. I opted for the Matte Black version.

On the back, you’ll find a breakdown of the main features and what sets this model apart from earlier versions. The highlights include Matter over Thread support, Apple HomeKey, and door state detection, the latter made possible by a newly designed magnetic strike plate. There are also improvements to security, battery life, and general performance.

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The rest of the packaging is given over to installation requirements. Since the lock uses Matter over Thread, you’ll need a Matter controller for each ecosystem you plan to add it to. As long as those platforms can access the Thread network created by a Thread Border Router within one of these ecosystems, you should be fine going forward.

It’ll work with the four main smart home platforms: Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple Home. It should also work with both Alexa and Google using their legacy methods, although I think perform will suffer slightly. It’s also compatible with Home Assistant.

As this is a deadbolt lock, it isn’t compatible with mortice or latch locks, which makes it largely suited for use in North American homes.

The side of the box lists the contents, along with two optional accessories: the Level Keypad and the Level Connect Wi-Fi Bridge. The latter is mainly useful if you rely on the Level app alone, or if you don’t already have a Thread Border Router or Matter controller. It also allows you to remotely generate passes, which could still be useful even if you’re running the lock through Apple Home.

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Unpacking this thing gives off those Apple vibes all over again, with great attention to detail. It effortlessly exudes quality. Underneath the section that holds the motor and the deadbolt there are a set of six screws – 2 for securing the two assembly sections together, two for the deadbolt, and two for the strike plate. Also included is an extender for the outer end of the deadbolt itself if your door uses a 70mm backset. Finally, there’s an included CR2 (half AA) battery. This battery actually sits inside the deadbolt itself, hence the need for this type of battery.

CONTENTS

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Despite how it looks, there aren’t many parts to deal with. You have the outer assembly, the thumb turn (inner assembly), the strike plate, the deadbolt, and the motor. The deadbolt stands out compared to standard models, as it’s supplied as a separate piece from the smart motor, which itself is a completely new component compared to a typical deadbolt lock.

To adjust the backset position of the deadbolt, there are two markers, S and L, which line up with small indents. Pressing one of these allows the deadbolt to extend by about 10mm. The deadbolt slots into the motor from the side and is secured with a screw.

The motor has a central section designed for a flat tailpiece to pass through, along with two arch-shaped openings. These allow stems to transmit data between the inner and outer assemblies, the motor, and the deadbolt.

The strike plate is technically optional, but it’s required if you want the lock to detect whether the door is open, closed, or jammed.

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The final items in the box are a pair of keys, since the lock can still function as a standard lock. You’ll also find two NFC key fobs. These use the lock’s built-in NFC but operate separately from Apple HomeKey. To use them, you’ll need to register the fobs in the Level app first.

PHYSICAL INSTALLATION

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The Pro, like the rest of Level’s range, is designed to replace standard deadbolt locks and is primarily intended for exterior doors. In my case, I already have a mortice lock fitted, so the Pro can’t act as a direct replacement. I do have a few internal doors that could take the Pro, but at around 44 mm thick they fall just short of the required depth. Level does sell spacers to get around this, but as I’m still waiting on my order, the Pro is currently installed on a demo door.

Even with the demo door meeting the minimum depth, I did run into some minor fitting issues at first. The deadbolt assembly is larger than others I’ve tested, most likely because it needs to accommodate a round battery. Standard deadbolts aren’t usually round, so this extra width may explain why the assembly feels like a tighter fit. The strike plate is also deeper than normal, which means you may need to carve out a little more space in the recess where the strike plate sits.

INITIAL SETUP IN THE LEVEL APP

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Although this is a Matter device and can technically work with any Matter platform, the Level app is still required in practice. The app is free but does require you to set up an account. One key reason for needing it is firmware updates, and in fact there was one ready as soon as I installed the Pro. Another is managing NFC cards or adding people who need access to the lock without giving them control of your wider smart home.

Since the lock doesn’t include a keypad by default, you can’t use the Guest Access option within Apple Home. Even if you add the optional keypad, it won’t integrate with Apple Home. Instead, it pairs directly with the lock over Bluetooth. To create passcodes or passes (which I’ll cover shortly), you’ll need the app. It’s as simple as that. The app itself is well designed, and once I’d got to grips with the features and layout, I had no issues using it.

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Once the lock is set up in the Level app, you can add it straight to your Matter platform of choice using the ‘Works With’ option in the settings page. In my case, it accessed the HomeKit side automatically and added the lock without needing to scan a Matter code. The process was pretty painless.

APPLE HOME

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In Apple Home, the Pro is largely the same as any other lock with a couple of exceptions. You still get a single tile and a toggle control for the lock, as standard. What you don’t get is the ‘Guest Access’ feature, seeing as the lock doesn’t come with a built in keypad. What it does come with, however, is something I’ve personally never seen as an option for a smart lock in Apple Home before, and that is the Automatic Lock option. This gives you the option for the lock to automatically lock itself after a user selectable amount of time. 30 seconds is the shortest duration available, with 30 minutes being the maximum. This maximum is half the amount of time available in the Level app, which can lock after 60 minutes if the user requires.

The first thing I noticed when using the Home app is how responsive the lock was at every point. Apple HomeKey works as well as any other lock that has this feature, but the response time when tapping the tile to lock or unlock the Pro was very prompt. Even when I locked or unlocked the door manually, the app would show the correct and updated status of the lock in under half a second. Pretty impressive considering this was consistently the case.

THE LEVEL APP

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The Level app is probably one of the most well designed apps I’ve seen in a while, and even though I’m unlikely to use it much compared to the Apple Home app, it does deserve a bit of praise. There are quite a few options, like the option to check on the battery life and place an order for replacements directly from within the app. You can also set the auto lock for up to 1 hour, as previously mentioned. Auto Unlock relies on a combination of your geolocation, for which you have to give the app permission to use, along with the bluetooth signal from your phone. When you get close enough for the lock to connect to your phone via bluetooth, the Pro will automatically unlock. There doesn’t seem to be any mention of a time out, but then with auto lock enabled, you’re already covered.

The lock has on-device sounds that some might find annoying after a while, so you can adjust this to be louder, quieter, or totally off if you prefer, with a stylish interface to complete the task.

Boost Range literally boosts the bluetooth signal on the lock to pick up your phone at greater distances, although this does affect battery life of course.

Touch to Lock and Touch to Unlock basically allow you to literally touch the lock to perform either or both of these actions. In the case of Touch to Lock, the way it works is that whilst you’re within Bluetooth range of the lock, you have an option to tap the lock itself with your finger and have it lock. it does this based on your location and the bluetooth signal. Once the Pro is connected to your phone, you have 1, 2, or 3 minutes (depending on what you have set) to tap the Pro to lock it.

Touch to Unlock works in much the same way, but of course it will only begin to work once you’re in range, and will only give you the option to unlock from between 1 and 3 minutes. If like me you live in an apartment, this could be tricky if the lock picks up your signal before you’ve reached your floor.

SHARING – ADD PASSES

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Although the Pro doesn’t have a built-in keypad (and realistically, how could it?), and even if you decide against buying the optional separate keypad, you can still create passes for both family and guests. As well as adding your family members to Apple Home in the usual way, or handing out NFC cards or fobs, you can also generate virtual passes.

By tapping on the Sharing option from the home page, you’ll see three further choices – Add People (HomeKit), Add Passes, and Add Cards. Selecting Add Passes lets you choose the lock in question (if you have more than one), and assign a name to the pass, such as ‘dog walker’.

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From there you can select start and end dates and time for the pass to be valid. For example, you want someone to water your plants or feed the cat whilst you’re on a two week vacation, you can set a two week window, starting on a Monday at 9am, and finishing two weeks later. Once these times and dates are finalised, the app then generates a link that you can email or message the person for whom it’s meant. This link instructs the user to download the app, whereupon they can use it to unlock the ‘Pro’ as though they were the owner or a family member, but only for the specified amount of time.

The only issue with these passes is that even though you can set both a start and end date, you can’t restrict access during these dates to specific times of the day, which is something nearly all other smart locks offer. Still, if you didn’t expect a guest to access your home after a certain time, but they do, there will be a record of it.

LEVEL LOCK PRO IN USE

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As mentioned earlier, until the spacers I ordered arrive, I’ve only been able to test the lock on a demo door. That hasn’t stopped me from putting it through its paces in various ways though. So far, it’s impressed me far more than I’d expected. Starting with presentation and build quality, I’d say it’s right up there with the best. At US$349 you’d expect a high standard of finish, and it certainly delivers.

Installation was also easier than I’d anticipated, despite the slightly tighter fit compared with other locks I’ve tried. Setup, calibration, and adding it to Apple Home were straightforward, and with Matter over Thread in the mix, that’s how it should be. Even so, it was as smooth as I could have hoped for.

In terms of response times and connectivity, I’ve no complaints either. Despite Matter and Thread often being hailed as the solution to all smart home problems, they can still prove just as temperamental as other protocols. That said, Matter over Thread does seem more reliable overall. The Pro hasn’t dropped its connection once during my testing, which is essential for a lock, even if you’ve got physical keys as a fallback.

All in all, the Level Lock Pro has exceeded my expectations and eased any concerns raised by negative reports I’d read beforehand. That’s not to dismiss those issues outright, but from my experience it looks as though they’ve been addressed in this latest version.

Where could it improve? The guest pass system would benefit from more flexibility, such as limiting access to certain times of day, selecting specific days of the week, or leaving an open-ended timeframe for ongoing use. These are fairly standard features elsewhere, so it seems feasible to add them here too.

Although the Pro offers auto lock and unlock, many will naturally wonder when support for the Aliro standard* might arrive, and whether this model will support it. Rumours suggest the hardware is already present, waiting to be activated, but I can’t confirm that and wouldn’t want to speculate too far. It’s worth noting that Level previously introduced Matter over Thread to earlier locks through updates, which does bode well for future support.

In conclusion, if budget isn’t a concern and you want a lock that blends into the door yet performs like no ordinary lock, the Pro is an excellent choice.

* The Aliro Standard is a CSA protocol that lets phones and wearables securely unlock smart home devices like locks using NFC, with optional Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband for added convenience. Backed by Apple, Google, and others, it complements Matter by focusing specifically on mobile-to-lock access, aiming to replace fragmented digital keys with a single, interoperable system for the smart home.