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Life Living with Sight Loss Smart Home

Ultion Nuki Smart Lock Review

Updated April 2023

Earlier this year, with increasing energy bills on the horizen and 20+ year old windows, we decided to invest in changing our windows and doors to triple glazing. While replacing the doors we opted to install high security locks. The front door was installed with an Ultion lock. Ahead of changing the locks I started looking into Ultion locks and options. Read on for my Ultion Nuki Smart Lock review…

Ultion Single Key for All Locks

The high security key was impressive, so I checked out Ultion’s full offering. Being blind, I hate hunting for the right key for the door, so when I read that I could have all the door locks use the same key, I was sold making all locks Ultion.

Ultion Nuki Smart Lock

Looking around the website, I noticed that they supported Nuki, a smart lock brand I had been looking at for some time, was this a sign? Well, I took it as one and ordered the Ultion Nuki Smart Lock with the measurements for my back door cylinder, hoping I could use the smart lock on the existing front door cylinder. I was wrong, the cylinders for the smart lock have a metal bar on the inside, so ended up with an additional smartlock for the front door. My wife still thinks that this was part of my plan to have multiple smart locks, it honestly wasn’t.

Ultion Key with Built-In AirTag

While ordering, I needed to order some additional keys, I had noticed that they offered keys with a built-in AirTag technology called Ultion KeyTag. The keys are great, but I should mention that they do not offer the precision finding of an Apple AirTag. They are great for kids with the added benefit of being able to check on your childs location.

Photo of two Ultion Keytag keys. Both keys are black with red and look like Car keys.
Ultion KeyTag – Hight security keys with built-in AirTag technology

Ultion Nuki Smart Lock – the Installation

On receiving the Ultion Nuki Smart Lock, you get a door lock cylinder, which is easy to install:

  • Open Door
  • Leave key in the lock
  • Remove screw in edge of door at the height of the lock cylinder
  • Adjust the key as pulling the cylinder out.
  • Line up the cylindar and insert
  • Secure cylindar with new screw
  • Check the mechanism works with the door open

Next, we move on to installing the bracket for the smart lock. There are multiple mounting options, and I used the replacement handle approach on the back door and the slam-lock fitting on the front door. In both cases, you remove the existing fitting and replace with the supplied handle/bracket.

Photo of athe Ultion Nuki Smart Lock, with a finger about to press a finger on the button to instigate the lock.
Single button on centre of Ultion Nuki Smart Lock for locking and unlocking a door.

Following the instructions, it was then a case of installing the app, batteries and placing the lock on the door. The smart lock is all on the inside of the house, there is no way to know it is a smart lock from the outside.

Once setup you can send digital key invites to others providing time-based access from their mobile phone. Digital keys use Bluetooth to connect and control the lock. Adding a Nuki Bridge will allow the lock to be controlled from anywhere with the option of integrating the lock with Ring, Alexa and Apple Homekit among many other services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Well, maybe not frequently, but the questions I asked before I would install the Ultion Nuki Smart Lock.

Q: Can I unlock the door with a key still?

A: Yes, the smart lock doesn’t interfere with the normal use of the lock.

Q: What happens when the batteries run out?

A: The key works as normal from the outside, or you can use the knob on the smart lock to turn the lock internally. You will be notified before the batteries run out.

Q: How long do the batteries last?

A: I don’t know, but after two months, they are still at 78 percent. Being standard AA batteries, they are easy to replace.

Q: Can the smart lock be hacked?

A: Anything can be hacked. However, it is unlikely. Nuki do not know your address and therefore if someone managed to hack their servers, they wouldn’t know which house the lock will open. If you have the bridge, there are more attack vectors for a potential hacker, but if someone wants to be in your home there are easier ways.

Q: Can you tell it is a smart lock from the outside?

A: No, it looks like a normal lock from the outside.

Q: Can I automate the door to lock when I set the Ring alarm?

A: Yes, with Alexa and Homekit support, it is possible to automate it however you like.

Q: Can I revoke a digital key after sending the invite?

A: Yes, you can change the time-based access or remove the key’s access at anytime.

Ultion Nuki Smart Lock Review Conclusion

After two months of using the Ultion Nuki Smart Locks, it is hard to imagine life without them. The ability to leave the house with just my Apple Watch, locking the door and setting the alarm is very liberating. The locks work flawlessly when the doors are closed fully. On rare occasions when they aren’t, the lock reports a jam via notification, and you can resolve it quickly.

We have issued digital keys to family members of all ages, and they have adapted to using them. Providing visibility of who is locking and unlocking the door. Digital keys have reduced the risk of family members losing them and saved us over £100 in physical keys.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Ultion Nuki Smart Locks for the quality and ease of use. Note, that I will update the Ultion Nuki Smart Lock review if my opinion changes.

Ultion Nuki Smart Lock Review Update: April 2023

Since writing the review I have encounted a few issues, but I am pleased to report that they were all resolved quickly and easily. I wanted to share the issues and how they were resolved.

The first issue was that the door didn’t always unlock on investigation we found that the bar in the cylinder had twisted. A five-minute call to Ultion, and everythings was resolved. They had seen the issue before and immediately issued me a new cylinder. But above that, they checked what other products I had and replaced my other cylinder and all keys because the profile had changed, with the old keys not working in new locks. Everything was with me two days later. Very impressed with the service and support.

The second issue was that at 50% battery, the lock wouldn’t unlatch properly. Note that 50% was after 4 months of using the lock. Replacing the battery made a huge difference, so we decided to buy the Nuki Power Packs, allowing us to charge the locks and always keep a high battery percentage. The battery pack can be plugged in all the time (if you run a cable along the door to it, but it is easy to pop out and charge as needed.

Overall, I am still very happy with the locks and would buy them again without a second thought.

Tell me what you think in the comments below or on X @timdixon82

By Tim Dixon

Tim Dixon has worked in IT for over 20 years, specifically within the Testing Inspection and Certification industry. Tim has Cone Dystrophy, a progressive sight loss condition that impacts his central vision, colour perception and makes him sensitive to light. He likes to share his experience of life and how he navigates the abyss of uncertainty.

2 replies on “Ultion Nuki Smart Lock Review”

Having Ultion locks and handles throughout my home, I was really keen on getting this smart lock.
However, as most homes in the Uk (mine included), require you to lift the handle before the lock will work makes it a bit pointless.

I guess you can change the whole locking mechanism, but not sure what sort of cost that would entail.

Thanks for commenting. Yes, unless you have a slam lock, you do need to lift the handle first. I have a slam lock on the front door and a traditional uPVC lift handle on the back door. It does still mean you can unlock the door without keys, and also alerts you if it can’t lock the door.

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