Do I actually need a Wi‑Fi smart lock, or is Bluetooth enough?
Asked by Tom, Southport · 2026-05-30
I keep seeing “built-in Wi‑Fi” as a selling point. Is it worth it, or will a cheaper Bluetooth lock do the job?
It comes down to whether you need to control the lock while you are away from home. Bluetooth is perfectly fine if you only ever unlock when standing at the door — it is reliable, uses less battery, and is often cheaper. You need built-in Wi‑Fi (or a separate Wi‑Fi bridge) if you want to unlock remotely for a guest or tradie, get lock/unlock notifications, or check the door status from work. Note that most locks use 2.4GHz Wi‑Fi only, so confirm your network supports it.
2 community replies
Bluetooth is enough for unlocking at the door. Choose Wi‑Fi (built-in or a bridge) only if you need remote unlock, alerts or away-from-home control. Most use 2.4GHz.
We went Wi‑Fi purely to let the dog walker in during the day. Worth it for us, battery just needs charging a bit more often.