Smart locks for Home Assistant: Z-Wave and Matter
Links to Amazon are affiliate links, so I get a small cut if you buy through them. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This buying guide is researched, not gear running in my house, so the verdicts come from specs and what Home Assistant users report.
If a lock depends on its maker’s cloud, an outage on their end breaks every automation that uses it. For Home Assistant, the lock should talk to your own radio, not to the maker’s server. That means Z-Wave or Matter over Thread. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-only locks depend on an app or a bridge.
What to check:
- Protocol. Z-Wave needs a Z-Wave stick. Matter over Thread needs a Thread border router. Buy for the radio you already run.
- Security class. On Z-Wave, look for S2. Older S0 locks still work but are slower and use more battery.
- User codes. Home Assistant can set and clear PIN codes on Z-Wave locks, and on Matter locks since 2026.4. The Keymaster integration adds named code slots with date and time limits for Z-Wave locks.
- Physical rating. ANSI/BHMA grades measure how well the deadbolt holds up to force. Grade 1 or AAA is the top of the scale.
My alarm runs on Alarmo with a Ring Keypad v2 on Z-Wave. A Z-Wave lock on the same mesh can be part of the same arm and disarm automations. The locks below are researched picks from the makers’ spec pages and Home Assistant forum reports, not locks I’ve installed.
What to watch out for
Battery level often shows up as its own sensor entity, not on the lock entity. Build a low-battery alert on that sensor before the batteries die. Forum reports on the Schlage say a fully dead battery can drop the lock off the network and force a re-pair.
Pair Z-Wave locks close to the controller. Locks need a secure inclusion, and an interview that times out leaves missing entities. Move the lock or the stick, then re-interview.
Yale and Kwikset sell the same lock body with different radios. Read the listing title for “Z-Wave” or “Long Range” before you order.
Verdict
On Z-Wave, buy the Schlage BE469ZP for the strongest lock, or the Yale Assure Lock 2 Z-Wave if you want a physical keypad and door-closed sensing. For a door far from the hub, the Kwikset 620 Long Range. With Thread and no Z-Wave, buy the Aqara U200.
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The highest security rating in this list, and a long track record in Home Assistant forums. Buy the ZP model: it uses S2 security, while the older BE469 without the ZP uses S0, which is slower and harder on batteries. Forum reports say to pair it next to the controller, since the inclusion interview can time out at a distance.
- Z-Wave Plus with S2 security
- ANSI/BHMA Grade AAA (A156.40), Grade 1 (A156.36)
- Touchscreen keypad, 30 user codes
- Built-in alarm
- 4 AA, rated up to 1 year
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Physical buttons instead of a touchscreen, plus DoorSense, a sensor that tells the lock whether the door is closed, not only whether the bolt is thrown. Yale sells the Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Matter, and Z-Wave modules. Check that the listing says Z-Wave before you buy.
- Z-Wave Plus module
- Physical keypad
- Auto-lock with DoorSense
- ANSI/BHMA Grade 2
- 4 AA
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Z-Wave Long Range connects straight to the controller instead of hopping through the mesh, which helps on a detached garage or a back door far from the hub. Kwikset sold an older non-LR 620, so check for Long Range in the listing title.
- Z-Wave Long Range
- 10-button keypad
- ANSI/BHMA Grade 2
- 4 AA, rated at least 12 months
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The Matter pick, for a home with a Thread border router and no Z-Wave radio. Home Assistant 2026.4 added PIN code management for Matter locks, and users report it working on the U200. Aqara rates the battery at up to 6 months at 8 lock cycles a day, so plan on recharging it twice a year.
- Matter over Thread
- Fingerprint keypad, NFC, Apple Home Key
- Retrofit: keeps your existing exterior deadbolt
- Rechargeable 7.4V Li-ion pack, or 4 AA
- Keypad rated IPX5
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An 800-series Z-Wave lock that lists Home Assistant support on the box. It's newer than the others here, with less history in the Home Assistant community. Ultraloq lists no BHMA grade on the product page.
- Z-Wave 800 with Long Range
- Keypad entry, auto-lock
- IP65 exterior
- 4 AA
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