Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Reviews

Hands on: Noke Bluetooth Padlock

Forget combos and key: Noke unlocks with your phone, and it's finally here

By

From bikes to lockers and garden sheds, the Noke makes securing just about anything more convenient with the phone you already own.

Bluetooth can tether your phone to everything from a smartwatch to a smart lightbulb these days, and now you can add another device to add to that list: a connected padlock called the Noke that uses your phone to unlock. (That’s pronounced No-key, get it?)

Launched back in 2014 on Kickstarter, the device has evolved since those early days, and is now nearly ready to ship out to backers. It’s also available as a pre-order, for those who missed out. We got a chance to see the Noke in action.

Related

A classic design

It’s pleasing to see the company hasn’t messed with decades of padlock design, keeping to a simple circular shape for the body, and a U-shaped shackle to keep everything secure. While it could have gone for a space-age style, the traditional shackle works as well here as it did on your high-school gym locker.

Replacing dumb tech with smart tech continues to be an expensive task.

The Noke can unlock when you’re in Bluetooth range, or at the tap of a button in the accompanying app (Android | iOS | Windows). Why choose? Because the minute it auto-unlocks, anyone could slip the lock free and make off with whatever it was securing. The difference could be crucial for your bike, but negligible for your garden shed.

Both these features were demonstrated to us, and worked perfectly each time. It was clearly quicker than fiddling around with a key in a lock, and anyone who has fumbled with a bike chain on a freezing morning will appreciate not running the risk of frostbite while locating and twisting a key for 90 seconds.

Quick-Click could save the day

What happens if your phone dies? After all, it’s hardly unusual for our phones to run out of power during the day. That’s where the backup feature, Quick-Click, comes in. If your phone is out of power, lost, or left behind, an emergency Morse-code style series of squeezes on the shackle will unlock the padlock.

Is all this a step forward in padlock technology? It doesn’t make the lock any more secure, but it is more convenient than having a key, and negates the need for a sturdy set of bolt cutters in an emergency. Incidentally, the Noke is still just a padlock, and provides no more protection than any other.

The lock is weatherproof and made out of steel. What’s worth mentioning is the weight. Just because it doesn’t have a complex lock inside, doesn’t mean it’s a featherweight. It’s quite the opposite at 320 grams, with real weight and heft behind it. It’ll keep things safe, but you wouldn’t want to carry it around in your pocket. The battery is easy to replace, and should last a year anyway. The app has additional features including location-based history, and the option to manage multiple locks.

Conclusion

Replacing a key with Bluetooth tech results in a padlock that’s yours for $70, or about three times the price of a similarly robust padlock with an actual key. Replacing dumb tech with smart tech continues to be an expensive task, but if you’re tempted, then the Noke can be pre-ordered here.

If you can afford the upgrade, you’ll not be disappointed by the build or operation based on our short hands-on time with it. Whether or not the convenience is really worth the price depends on just how much you hate remembering keys and combos.

Highs

  • Strong build
  • Sensible safety features
  • Easy to use

Lows

  • Questionable benefits
  • Expensive

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
The best smart home devices for 2023
The X2 Omni dock up against a wall.

With hundreds of incredible products available, it can be intimidating to piece together a smart home. From smart displays and thermostats to smart light bulbs and video doorbells, not only are there tons of categories to browse, but each category is filled with highly reviewed products that can be difficult to distinguish from one another. If you’re in the market for a new smart home gadget or are just starting your smart home journey, there are tons of factors to consider.

If you need help navigating all the products, here’s a look at the best smart home devices of 2023 across a wide variety of categories. It’s hard to go wrong with products from big names like Ring, Arlo, Amazon, and Google, but if you need a bit more guidance, here are some of our top picks.
Voice assistant

Read more
The best smart locks for 2023
Lockly Vision Smart lock installed on door next to phone showing camera view.

The best smart locks of 2023 come from popular brands like Yale, Wyze, August, and Lockly, and they offer tons of cool features you won’t find on traditional deadbolts. From the ability to check the status of your lock remotely to being able to set up temporary profiles for guests, there’s a reason these smart home gadgets continue to grow in popularity.

Picking the right smart lock for your needs, however, is no small task. Not all smart locks are worthy of your time and money, and installing a bad smart lock could cause you plenty of headaches. Thankfully, there’s a product for every purpose. Whether you’re setting up a rental property, need something robust for a large family, or want to do away with your keys entirely, there’s bound to be a smart lock with your name on it.

Read more
Are keyless smart locks safe?
A person opening the Yale Assure Lock 2 with their Apple Watch.

Upgrading your traditional lock to a smart lock is a great way to bring futuristic security to your front door. These gadgets allow you to interact with your lock using a password, fingerprint, smartphone app, or even voice commands, making them the perfect fit for large families or households with frequent guests. Instead of making several copies of your keys, you can simply give your visitors a code.

Smart locks come in a variety of formats, and one that’s grown increasingly popular is the keyless smart lock. These are exactly what they sound like -- smart locks that lack a keyhole entirely. Keyless smart locks rely exclusively on passcodes, fingerprint scanners, and other electronic access methods. But are keyless smart locks as safe as normal smart locks? And how do keyless smart locks compare to traditional smart locks?
Are keyless smart locks safe?

Read more