Kevo Convert Review – Kwikset Test, Pros, Cons, Final Verdict
You’ll agree with us when we say that smart locks can be quite an asset to your home in terms of security but it can be hard finding a suitable one for yourself.
This is why today, we’re testing one of the most popular smart locks available in the market: The Kwikset Kevo Convert.
In this post, we’ll discuss whether this product is worth your hard-earned money or not and also discuss what makes it stand out from the crowd.
Main Product
Kwikset 99250-102 Kevo Convert Review
It has a sleek, glossy finish, a durable locking mechanism and complete Alexa compatibility. Thus, this product can secure your home wonderfully. It’s compatible with a number of other electronic devices as well and offers a wide range of customizability.
Alternative #1
Kwikset - Kevo 99250-202 Review
This smart lock looks exactly like a traditional lock. It also offers streamlined support and compatibility with select iOS and Android devices. So, you can easily unlock it with your smartphone. It offers great convenience as well as security.
Alternative #2
August Home ASL-03 AC-R1 Review
This smart lock is easy to install onto your door and it is compatible with Alexa as well as a number of different iOS and Android devices. It even has an automatic locking mechanism in case you forget to lock it.
Quick Summary of the Main Product
This product comes with two different finishes (Bronze and Nickel). This enables this smart lock to wonderfully incorporate itself into your home’s surroundings. It's not obtrusive at all when you’re using your door. It works by fitting onto the existing lock you have on your door and converting it into a smart lock.
It can connect to your electronic devices either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The connection itself is extremely simple to establish. We also found that the range on this lock was incredible too. You can be in an entirely different room and unlock this lock from your phone.
You can download the Kevo app on your smartphone. This allows you to customize the lock in many different ways such as setting up keycodes, sending digital e-keys and tracking home access, etc.
It’s also completely compatible with home-assistant devices such as Alexa, Skybell, IFTT, etc.
The auto-lock that is incorporated into it is also a welcome feature that enables the smart lock to lock the door by itself after 30 seconds. This is especially useful if you’re a forgetful person that often forgets to lock their door.
Features and Benefits
Access Codes
The Kevo app that can be installed on your smartphone allows you to customize the Kevo Convert smart lock in many different ways. One of these ways is to make use of access codes that you can use to gain access to your smart lock. These can be especially handy if you want to share access with someone else inside your home such as a loved one or friend.
Backup Key
It comes with a physical backup key that you can keep in a safe place just in case. This can come in handy in a scenario where the smart lock has malfunctioned or run out of power. You’ll be surprised to know that many smart locks often don’t come with a physical backup key. So, if the electronics of those smart locks stop working then you would have to call a locksmith to your home to gain access to the lock.
Long-distance locking
The lock itself operates over Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi and this entails that you can control over quite long distances. You can unlock the door from anywhere in your home as long as you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the smart lock. This can be extremely useful if you want to unlock the door for someone else but don’t want to go all the way to the lock with them.
Auto-Locking
We’ve mentioned this briefly before but auto-locking is a feature that a lot of smart locks often don’t have. Hence, it’s something that is often taken for granted by many brands and even customers. If you feel that you are careless or can forget to lock your door sometimes then this feature will make your life a whole lot easier. The door locks by itself conveniently after 30 seconds of being used.
Voice-Control
The smart lock is completely compatible with Alexa voice commands so you can easily “talk” to your Kevo Convert. You can use this feature to customize it, unlock it, lock it and do many other things with it just by using your voice.
This can be especially useful if you don’t have your phone near you. It also looks especially impressive if you have guests in your home.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can keep your existing keys with this product in use. This smart lock installs onto whatever deadbolt lock or any other type of lock that you already have installed onto your door. It enables you to make use of the smart lock and all its features. It also enables you to keep your existing keys and make use of them in case you’re unable to make use of the smart lock.
- It’s extremely inconspicuous. Its elegant design not only looks lovely on your door but it also ensures that the lock itself just looks like a regular lock and not a smart lock. This will deter any form of a burglar as they will be unable to break into this lock because they would approach it as if it were a regular lock.
- It has great customer support. With its intuitive design and easy-to-use app, you will find that you rarely ever need help with setting the Kevo Convert up or using it. However, if there does come a time when you’re having trouble operating it, you can contact Kwikset customer service to get help. We tested it just for the sake of it and found that they were extremely customer-friendly and their instructions were clear. If you’re not very tech-savvy then the customer support is a feature that you’ll definitely appreciate.
- It is compatible with a number of smart home devices. Smart home devices such as Alexa are becoming increasingly popular. As a result, more and more products are starting to offer compatibility with them. The Kwikset Kevo Convert is no exception. It offers easy pairing to your Alexa device and you’ll find that Alexa voice commands work very smoothly with this smart lock.
- It is aesthetically pleasing; It’s available in a Bronze and a Nickel finish. We tested it with both and found its stunning appearance to be almost mesmerizing. What we appreciated the most about it is that it blends very well into most homes while also looking incredibly appealing.
Cons
- The app can be unresponsive sometimes. There’s a delay between the commands you give to the lock and those commands actually physically happening within the lock’s mechanisms.
- It doesn’t have a tap to unlock feature. This isn’t the end of the world but a tap to unlock feature would have been welcome. It was quite surprising to us that this smart lock doesn’t offer it since almost all smart locks these days come with it.
Social Proof
Many customers agree with us when we say that the lock provides great security and convenience and is also relatively easy to set up.
One thing we failed to mention so far that was brought to our attention by many customer reviews is that the smart lock came packaged extremely well. This is important so that the lock itself does not get damaged during shipping.
One customer was quick to tell us about how convenient the lock is to open your door when you have your hands full. It's also great for when you’re dealing with kids or looking for your keys in the rain, etc.
More Recommendations!
This is an extremely impressive lock that can definitely go toe-to-toe with the Kevo Convert. It features a very convenient and impressive touch-to-open feature. It detects when you’re near the lock and all you have to do is touch it and the door will unlock. This can come in hand when you have your hands full and don’t want to go fumbling for your phone.
The lock also detects whether you are inside the house or outside it.
Features of Kwikset - Kevo 99250-202
Dimensions: 10.3 inches x 5.87 inches x 3.74 inches
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Touch-to-open feature
Advanced Smartkey security
Lock-tracking feature
If you want something even more unobtrusive and inconspicuous than the Kevo Convert then this product is for you. It’s incredibly small, unassuming and very convenient to operate.
We were very impressed just by how little time it took us to mount this smart lock onto our door and set up the app with it as well. We had this lock up and running within 10 minutes and all we really needed was a regular screwdriver.
This product offers pretty much every feature that the Kevo Convert offers and it may just offer something more as well. It features tap-to-open possibilities which are great for when you have your hands full.
Features of August Home ASL-03, AC-R1
Dimensions: 3.4 inches x 2.22 inches x 3.4 inches
Weight: 13.9 ounces
Installs in 10 minutes
Compatible with Android and iOS devices as well as Apple Watch devices
Offers door monitoring
If you want a convenient and elegant smart locking solution then this product is ideal for you. It looks great, is very easy to use and is very responsive as well.
Guide to Buy
Compatibility
Smart locks connect to your electronic devices in many different ways such as through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Before going out to buy a smart lock, you must ensure whether you have an electronic device which you will be able to use to control your smart lock(s). Most smart locks offer complete compatibility for iOS and Android devices. However, you have to be wary of the fact that oftentimes, support for older versions of iOS and Android is not available in many smart locks. Thus, you need to keep an eye out and ensure that you have an electronic device that can be used to control the smart lock you intend on buying.
Ease of Installation
It’s extremely important that a smart lock is relatively easy and straightforward to install. This is important because you want to save time while installing it onto your door. Secondly, it's also important because if a lock is complicated to install onto your door, then there may be a chance that you don’t install it properly. This could lead to many different types of security flaws that burglars could exploit to gain access to your home.
Ease of Use
A lock should be invisible in the sense that in your day-to-day life, you should barely even notice it. That’s the sign of a good lock that offers streamlined convenience when you’re using a door regularly. You don’t want a smart lock that is slow or requires a convoluted process in order to be unlocked. This would bring your day to a grinding halt and would become annoying after a very short time. Thus, when you go out to buy a smart lock, make sure it’s one that is very easy and quick to lock and unlock.
Price
Most smart locks have a price point that usually goes above $100. This is a reasonable ask considering how sophisticated their mechanisms are. Also, keeping in mind how much security and information they are able to offer to the user, it's not too steep.
You can’t really put a price on security but still, you have to keep your budget in mind when going out to purchase a smart lock. We recommend that you go over the features of the smart lock you intend on buying thoroughly. If it has features that you don’t really require or don’t see yourself utilizing in your day-to-day life, then we recommend you look elsewhere. Maybe then look for a smart lock that has some barebones feature that you could buy for a much better price.
Is a smart lock really worth it?
It depends highly on what you want to use the smart lock for. A smart lock is extremely useful and worth it if you have several users. It can also come in handy if you want to give access to someone for a limited period of time and then have their access expire (for example, Airbnb).
Smart locks are definitely a big investment considering the fact that their prices are much higher than those of regular locks. We still maintain that the amount of information, customization and features that a smart lock offers you is definitely worth it.
Wrapping Things Up…
This concludes our review of the Kevo Convert. It’s a feature-packed smart lock that enables you to conveniently access your home while providing enhanced security as well. It will last you an incredibly long time and if you’re looking for a smart and simple way to upgrade your door lock, you can’t really go wrong with this one.
This concludes our post for the Kevo Convert review.
Let us know in the comments what smart lock you’re using or what your experience has been like with the Kevo Convert.