Yale announced two new entries in its Assure Lock 2 smart lock product line today: the Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch (pictured up top, left) and the Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus. Yale says both locks are about 60 percent smaller than the competition. Variations in connectivity—Bluetooth and Wi-Fi—mean shoppers will encounter four new SKUs in the marketplace, not including differences in finish. Here’s the breakdown:
Each of the new Yale Assure Lock 2 models is equipped with a numeric touchscreen keypad and a Bluetooth radio, and they all support Apple’s HomeKit smart home ecosystem—with an important distinction I’ll get to in a moment.
The Yale Assure Lock Touch ($199.99) features an integrated fingerprint reader; a first for Yale. The company says its fingerprint reader can recognize up to 20 distinct fingerprints, and that it has a 99 percent recognition rate.
This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks.
The Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi ($279.99) has the same set of features, plus a Wi-Fi adapter module that the buyer will plug into the lock’s interior escutcheon during installation. The addition of Wi-Fi enables remote locking and unlocking, granting guest access from anywhere you have broadband access, and voice control via third-party integration with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
Yale also sells the Wi-Fi Smart Module separately for $79.99, and it can be added to any of the other three new Assure Lock 2 models. Both Assure Lock 2 Touch models are available with or without key cylinders for back-up access (only one physical key is included).
Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus
The Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus doesn’t offer fingerprint recognition, but it does support both Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem and its “home key” technology, so it can be opened when either your iPhone or Apple Watch are in proximity.
Yale
Yale’s Assure Lock 2 Plus does not have a fingerprint reader or a key cylinder, but it is also available in two SKUs: a Bluetooth-only model that sells for $209.99 and one that includes the Yale Wi-Fi Smart Module that sells for $289.99.
Like the Assure Lock 2 Touch models, the Plus SKUs support Apple HomeKit, but they add a feature you won’t get with the Touch models: support for Apple’s “home key” technology. When properly configured, this allows Apple iPhone and Apple Watch users to unlock the door by bringing the device in proximity of the lock. (The feature requires an Apple iPhone XS or later smartphone with iOS 15 or higher, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with watchOS 8 or higher.)
The new Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch models are available now at Amazon, Best Buy Shop, and YaleHome.com. Buyers can choose from three finishes: black suede, oil-rubbed bronze, and satin nickel. The Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus is available from the same retailers in black suede or satin nickel; an oil-rubbed bronze model is coming soon, according to Yale.
We have the Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi, the Assure Lock 2 Plus, and a Wi-Fi Smart Module undergoing review now and will publish our findings in the next week or so.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the smart home, home audio, and home theater. He built his own smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world test lab for product reviews. Following a relocation to the Pacific Northwest, he is now converting his new home, an 1890 Victorian bungalow, into a modern smart home.