Switchbot Lock Ultra Max Review: Faster, Stronger Smart Lock With Clever Backup System

SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max review: The best smart lock I've tested gets even faster. SwitchBot's new smart lock is faster, stronger and protected by an ingenious backup system, but unlocking its smartest features requires a considerably bigger investment. This article contains affiliate links.

We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. It doesn't seem that long ago since I tested the SwitchBot Lock Ultra, which was billed as the ultimate smart lock, with "ultra-fast unlocking", and 99% compatibility. I was more than a little surprised, then, when the nice people at SwitchBot whispered to me that there was a new version coming, which would be even faster and even smarter.

I've been testing it for a few weeks now, and the SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max has just been put on sale. It costs £189.99, while the standard Ultra is discounted down to £127.99. Is it worth the premium? I set out to find out.

Let's get one thing straight first of all, the whole ethos of the Ultra Max is its speed. The locking and unlocking speed of the Lock Ultra was hardly pedestrian, but this new Max version is nothing short of brutal.