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Japan, Tokyo
1 Level
727 Review
81 Karma

Review on Level Bolt Bluetooth Deadbolt Smart Lock - Keyless Entry with Apple HomeKit, Smartphone Access, Compatible with Existing Lock by Mario Madden

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Bolt modifications

I've been watching the development of remote controlled bolts for a year. I chose Level Lock mainly for its aesthetics. I just don't like those drops hanging on the door inside or outside. The biggest downside is the price. They are slightly more expensive than blobs. They're easy to install, but keep a few things in mind. Use their website to ensure the lock will work with your existing deadbolt. We have an old bolt from Titan and Level said the Level Lock doesn't work with it. I bought from Revain anyway to keep an eye on a return. It fit and worked great for the most part. First issue, the new latch assembly is slightly larger than the hole in the door for the original latch. A little pressure and I was able to insert it, it fits perfectly. Next problem, we have a large transom backplate with 3" screws in the wall stud. I wanted to keep that rather than replace it with a shorter striker plate. The hole in my base plate does not match the new slightly larger leveling screw. I used a quarter round file on the strike plate to enlarge the hole for the new bolt. Again it worked fine. Everything perfectly matched. This is necessary because no resistance can occur when inserting the bolt. In this case, you will get an error message in your application that the screw cannot engage. The installation time is about 40 minutes because I have to file the strike plate. If you use your strike plate and everything is in order, the installation only takes 15 minutes. At this point I tested the lock with their app. Smooth, smooth, with a little musical touch to let me know he's heeded my praise. Now the real problem for me is the range, I wanted more, much more. Level Lock communicates via Bluetooth, which has a limited range, maybe 12-15 feet from my door. Drops use Wi-Fi to communicate and have a much longer range. The solution, AppleTV, communicates with Level Lock via Bluetooth and connects to the internet via Wi-Fi. Oooooh, my smartphone (iPhone) connects to AppleTV via Wi-Fi and AppleTV communicates with Level Lock via Bluetooth. Easy, oh no you say, but yes, because everything happens automatically. There is still a touch as my AppleTV is in another room with a large device between it and the Level Lock so there is no bluetooth signal for the lock. I bought a second AppleTV and put it in the same room as the Level Lock. An expensive decision, but I still planned to buy a second AppleTV for our office. This last part was made so I can say "Hey SIRI, close/open the door" from anywhere in the world and it will happen. Use the level lock app and ignore the 12-15ft range. You can completely ignore the AppleTV part. There were multiple crashes. This morning SIRI told me the door was locked, which it wasn't. I didn't hear a music note so I tried to open it, it opened. Said SIRI again and it blocked. I'm having a little trust issue right now.

Pros
  • cool product
Cons
  • something different