Rating My BEST and WORST HomeKit Devices

[@irvingdls]

Aqara U100 has been awesome for me. Got it in October. Haven’t replaced the battery yet. Daughter uses keypad daily, my wife uses fingerprint daily and i use Apple home key daily.

[@beardfm]

Lots of people here with great experience with the U100!

[@donpowers6033]

I used the Meross garage door opener for about a year and a half before we sold our Oregon house. As with you it was rock solid. If you have an extra smart plug laying around you might consider sticking it between the Meross and the ceiling socket. I only had my Meross go non-responsive once in all the time I used it, but having to get the ladder out to power cycle it was a pain. With a smart plug you could power cycle it if needed from your phone. Also, we have purchased a new home in Delaware and I am thinking I will give the new Tailwind GDO a go. It gets amazing reviews and have sensors you can get to place in your car that will open the door when you arrive etc. This eliminates the need for location-based automations.

[@beardfm]

I hadn't heard of that one! Looks very cool...

[@hugoboss435]

Aqara U100 lock is gold. Don’t have ANY of the issues you have. I rate mine 5/5!

[@LoopyChew]

Mine didn’t come with battery contact plates so QA may need work. However, it was pretty easy to get replacement contact plates and once I did I have loved it. It’s been several months and I haven’t had to replace them yet! But yeah, I imagine if I had to replace them every month, it wouldn’t be worth it.

[@RyGuyVidz]

I had nothing but problems with mine. All same issues described here, could not return fast enough.

[@vangeles11]

Same here. Loving mine so far!

[@xsh4n400]

In my experience about 50% of U100s have issues. Just return it at the first sign of trouble until you get a good one. Their warranty is reputed to be very bad.

[@bgille200]

It seems like you have a defective Aqara lock? I know this is anecdotal, but I have had mine for the better part of a year and I haven’t had to replace my batteries yet. I also haven’t had any of the issues that you have mentioned. It has been rock solid for me.

[@chazzico]

Same. The Aquara is actually one of my favorites

[@vangeles11]

I just installed mine a week ago and love the finger print reader. It’s so fast. Using Apple home key with your phone or watch is cool and all but just putting your finger on it is so instant, I never find the urge to use my phone or watch.

[@JordanCournoyea]

I’ve had my lock for a year and still have 60% battery on my main door with 3 kids. Terrible review in this video. He clearly has a defective device.

[@kieferjwright]

Great video as always! The Aqara U100 has been awesome for me. I purchased it in November of 2023 and the battery is 52%. All methods to unlock are exactly as advertised. The lock recently starting have "phantom touches" but it could be because of the cold temperatures and wind in my area right now. I would rate it a solid 4/5. You don't seem to be the only one mentioning the battery issue and the auto-locking (mine has done the auto locking despite it being off)

[@beardfm]

Glad your battery has been better! Interesting about the auto locking…

[@kieferjwright]

Well I think I jinxed myself. Since commenting that my battery had dropped from 50% to 10%. Ouch...@@beardfm

[@HappilyEverAli]

Same battery issues and random auto locking here with my Aqara U100

[@beardfm]

Interesting, hearing increasing reports

[@RothOfKhan]

I have the same issue with the Wemo remote. It worked really well, but it was constantly dying. It’s the one thing I don’t use anymore.

[@beardfm]

Weird! Glad I’m not the only one

[@terrywarren651]

Just installed the Aqara U100, hopefully I have better luck than you. I did want to ask, do you have any videos on how you setup your homebridge on your Mac mini? I would really love to see more on this. I installed HB on my Mac last week and had all types of issues. Likely user error 😂. I saw a video where you had your Mac mini in your server room/closet. Thought that was a wonderful idea.

[@beardfm]

I've had lots of commenters say that recent purchases of the U100 work great. Might have just been the very initial run (I got mine pre-release) so you should have a great time with it! And to be honest I've waned from using Homebridge and just stick to first-party HomeKit devices. But I do still use that Mac mini for Transloader, and you can see that tutorial here: beard.fm/blog/download-any-video-with-downie

[@ModernDayTech]

That's it Steven? Only 100 or so devices? Ask one of your HomePods, "Hey Siri, what's in my house?" I'm at 343 and that's just Apple Home devices and not including all my other smart home stuff that doesn't work with Apple Home. I'm glad I'm not the only one that hates the Aqara lock.

[@User57655]

Are you ok?

[@beardfm]

343!!! Bro I’d love to see a screenshot of that Home app 😂

[@marn200]

Well then you should do a tour, I’m at 27

[@benjamineastwood5616]

16 🎉

[@jsac3939]

I’ll join others on here having positive experience with the Aqara lock. Batteries lasted nine months before replacing, and have had zero issues. I love how I can use a key, my finger, my phone, or my watch to open the door. Also works great when I ask Siri to lock and unlock it. You should order a new one and test it.

[@beardfm]

It seems like later batches have less issues. Glad to hear!

[@yuahk]

@@beardfm I bought mine on first day of launch (in Canada), and it's been rock solid so far. The set of batteries actually lasted as advertised - 9 months. The mysterious automatic re-lock is probably from accidentally touching the screen (esp. the lock button area) when closing the door.

[@supereldian]

The common denominator for bad experiences seems to be if the product relies on Wi-Fi for connectivity instead of Thread or a hub. Nice video!

[@beardfm]

Thanks! While some Wi-Fi devices like the Meross garage door opener are inexplicably solid, yes thread is superior.

[@dopeshow16]

Tried all the locks and the Aqara is easily the best. Zero connectivity issues and my battery meter barely shows any gone and it’s been 3 months. It’s on my main most used front door.

[@beardfm]

Glad you have a good experience with it! Seems most people have a reliable lock

[@Andrew_L]

Get your Aqara U100 replaced. I’ve had mine for 8 months and after a firmware update a month or so after I got it, it’s been fine. Batteries never replaced and level is currently 76%. (I installed decent batteries and not the batteries that came with it.)

[@beardfm]

Oh nice! I think i will

[@heatherprauto]

Thank you! Great video! It’s nice to hear ratings after you have used them over the years.

[@Waterbottle365]

Surprised you're having issues with the Aqara lock. I have two of them and after a firmware update shortly after I got them (last July/August-ish) they've been great. I have them automatically unlock/lock every time we leave and come home, so multiple times a day. Great video!

[@howardzhao4685]

I had three U100 since initial release. After few firmware updates, it has been working solid for me. I had one U100 exhibit excessive battery consumption, I contacted Aqara Support, they replaced it, and all working fine now. I think the initial batch of the U100 may have some hardware issues. In all I will definitely give the U100 the 5 stars.

[@beardfm]

I was wondering if it was an early model issue. Thanks for sharing.

[@amymoore6218]

I’m wondering the same thing. I haven’t had any battery issues but it goes offline every other day it seems. I got an Aqara hub and I had a defective one first and then got a replacement hub that actually works. However, after a day, my lock won’t connect to Bluetooth. So frustrating. Wondering if I have one of those first batches.

[@StrifePulse]

I think your Aqara lock is defective. Try to contact Aqara for a replacement unit.

[@ml4319]

Aqara and Hue are both super solid for me as well.

[@chazzico]

Have to agree with the masses. The Aqara U100 is 5/5 for me as well

[@beardfm]

Looks like it was an early batch issue! All recent purchasers have had a great experience.

[@Dr_Cole]

I am a fan of all of the Eve devices, so I was pleased to see your experience warranted a 5 for many of their devices. On the other side, I think my wife and kids (15 & 11) would rate the Aqara U100 as one of their favorite devices in the home. All of them love the myriad of ways you can unlock the door (my 11-year old cycles through all of the options, except the keys he doesn’t get that!), the quick lock finger swipe, its reliability vs. previous smart locks, and even the look. Compared to our previous August lock, the battery life is good (around 6 months) though you get very little forewarning that it is about do die. My Schlage lock on the office door is equally reliable but the battery always sounds like it is at its end of life.

[@prochnowja]

Great video!! I think you got something going on with your Aqara lock. I've had mine for just about a year now and have changed the batteries once. Wonder if it's having trouble connecting to your hub being in the garage.

[@beardfm]

Thanks! And it sounds like the very early batches may have had issues. Lots of recent buyers with great experiences!

[@vangeles11]

Saw another review on the Aqara U100 and they had the same issue. They contacted customer support and deemed it a factory defect and sent a new one, and the new one worked a lot better in terms of battery life.

[@beardfm]

That’s what I’ve been hearing, great customer service!

[@jcumbie51]

Do you have the solar panel on your SmartWings Shades? Would you recommend them at the additional $100 price per shade?

[@beardfm]

I don’t, the shades are on the front windows and didn’t want the visual of the solar panel. I’ve only had to charge mine 1-2 times a year and if you have an outlet nearby, I’d just get a long usb c cable to charge it manually. If you don’t have a close outlet then probably worth it b

[@jcumbie51]

@@beardfm Thanks for the reply and suggestions!

[@DandQchannel3536]

Stephen your channel is one of the best. Another great video! Fortunately haven’t had the issues you’ve experienced with my U100 lock (I also ise the M2 hub). I went from old Nest Yales that were just super reliable, (but had to use a Starling hub for HK). I was lured by the Aqara price point vs features. I really wanted the Schlage because I’m pretty sure it was Thread enabled. But I need 4 of them. ☹️ I’m curious. Why only 4 for the Hue? Of all things I have, they have always been my rock solid gem. Is it the price/hub requirement? Again…just curious-not necessarily disagreeing. And thanks for all that great information. I’m looking into the Lutron’s right after I type this. I know they are pricey, but they really seem worth it.

[@beardfm]

Thanks! I’ve been hearing both sides from U100 owners and it may have been an early batch with issues like mine. Glad your experience is better! The hue is 4/5 only because they’re not thread and require the hub. But reliability and quality is 5/5

[@NickBham]

Ive had the Aqara U100 installed for over a month and it’s been fine for me. No auto lock issue and haven’t had to change any batteries. Maybe you have it set to lock when you leave the house in homekit

[@beardfm]

It seems recent purchases have worked great! Must hav been my early release product.

[@OMUZIKWORLD]

Where did you get the light fixture in the living room?

[@beardfm]

Lowe’s!

[@TheTinRam]

Great overview. I really wanted to avoid additional hubs but it sounds like I will not be able to. I’ll see if you have a video on how to connect a manufacturer hub to HomeKit.

[@drewy13184]

If you're using rechargeable batteries that might be the battery issue with the aqara u100

[@beardfm]

I’m not, regular alkaline

[@ikegold]

I had a similar issue with the battery life, but then I updated it and it seemed to solve my issues

[@coletc]

Would like to see your Meross gdo install. I recently went with the ratgdo over Meross because the wiring looked like a mess. Yours is very clean.

[@kxngdavid]

I know that my Aqara Lock uses about 0.114% of its battery each day (with the lock being used up to 15 times daily). I’ve been using Energizer Max batteries, and they typically last around 15 months before needing replacement. I know I could go longer without replacing them, but I’ve noticed that once the battery level drops to around 50%, the device starts to behave erratically. I’ve had a couple of issues with the lock where I needed to reset it due to connectivity issues. The lock is exposed to the sun for about 8-9 hours a day, and we’ve been consistently reaching temperatures of 90-100 degrees due to heatwaves. The sun has been wreaking havoc on the unit, and I’ve started to notice some delamination around the edges of the keypad. The U100 has been very reliable for me, but I might switch to a Yale Thread lock for aesthetics in the coming months.

[@Bikepacking]

I building my home from scratch with home apple kit .. my goal is only use thread and Apple HomeKit..with out any other brand hubs is my goal .. the good thing i can get a lot of home automation gadget months before available as building home in Vietnam

[@danieloflaherty2154]

I also want to do this but so tough. Any tips let em know ✌️

[@Bikepacking]

@@danieloflaherty2154 i think get the stuff that has thread and wait for more thread to expanded the network i now see thread dock locks etc

[@JoeS97756]

Nice reviews. Tell me about the geometric wall art things behind you? I'm guessing they are sound dampers. I really like the look of them and could be good in family room with home theater to dampen reflections.

[@DanZimmerli]

I gotta disagree on the U100. I've had good luck with battery but I also have it paired to a hub. There is a feature in the Aqara app for the auto lock as well.

[@beardfm]

It seems recent purchasers have a great experience. Mine was pre-launch and may explain it.

[@redstang5150]

Have you tried/used Aqara light switches? They seem to look decent - not sure if I missed it but it seems odd that you wouldn't have tried any of them. Good info in the video. I'm just getting into smart home stuff, decided I'm going to focus on Homekit, and then am trying to decide if i go whole hog on the Lutron swtiches or if I throw in some Aquara ones.

[@beardfm]

I did try them in my old house since they don’t require a neutral wire, but from what I remember they don’t offer dimmers. And at the new house I’ve really wanted reliability above all else with the number of switches I have, so Lutron is my choice.

[@taylorsloanYT]

I think you might have just gotten a bad U100. I have several of them on my house and detached workshop building. Haven’t had to change the batteries on them in months and have never had any other issues with them.

[@beardfm]

Hearing lots of positive reports so yes, it seems like a lemon situation

[@jeffhale1189]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed learning about your smart home devices. Blessings on your day!

[@techhealthandfood9952]

My Leviton switches on matter are rock solid. it helps IOT devices that run on Wi-Fi that they run on a separate network. I have them on a separate network limited to 10 MB per second. This way IOT devices are not sharing any bandwidth with non-IOT. I also could have easily given the Leviton devices a two star review, but I was determined to see what network settings would make them work optimal. I’m glad I did.

[@beardfm]

Did they work better when updated to matter?

[@techhealthandfood9952]

@@beardfm yes a combination of switching over to matter and keeping up with the latest firmware updates from Leviton. Have absolutely made them work better, it could be more due to the Leviton firmware updates, but there is no way of me actually knowing. I don’t have a fancy modem set up just a AU88 with 4 AC1900’s as WAP’s

[@joelkdean]

I love my Aqara lock.

[@beardfm]

Battery life has been good??

[@ektataneja1747]

I am planning to buy smart lock, I am in canada. What’s your recommendation. Thank you

[@JohnWentworth]

I’m not really defending the Aqara u100 because I have issues with it as well but for those that are stuck with one using lithium batteries fixes the battery life issues as well as a lot of its common issues. Also as far as connectivity, I think you need a better WiFi network and I’m not talking about crappy mesh stuff You need prosumer devices like unify or tp-link Omada and hard wired access points I run Omada and never have connectivity issues with smart home devices. With 100 devices you probably need high density APs and at least a few of them depending on the size of your home

[@cbrezzy3637]

Great video!! @ Stephen Robles Do you have any other suggestions for an alternate smart lock like the Aqara U100 lock? I had watched your video on them and I really liked all the feature the Aqara had to offer. Actually have it in my cart to purchase but then saw this video lol

[@heatherprauto]

Same!

[@beardfm]

Lots of commenters on here saying they have great experiences with the u100. It may have been issues with an early batch (I got mine pre release), so I’d say go for it!

[@RyGuyVidz]

Have any experience with a homekit RF blaster? Not ir….but RF. Is there even such a thing as I can’t find one that works natively with homekit.

[@beardfm]

Hm, can't say that I have. I don't believe I see any HomeKit compatible ones.

[@theGer-Ver]

The 3 Aqara doorbells that I bought all after 3 months wouldn’t hold a battery charge for one day. Had to hard wire them. So I can see how that would happen to the smart lock as well. Unfortunately you can’t hard wire that.

[@eyeDavid]

Love my aqara lock. I use Amazon rechargeable batteries and only charged once so far after maybe 6 months and only use HomeKit no hub

[@carldevans1]

I wasted so much money on Leviton light switches. They ALL constantly needed to be reset, even with no power outage. Total junk. I've replaced them all with Kasa (via Home Assistant) and Lutron.

[@beardfm]

Kasa have been solid?

[@carldevans1]

Most reliable devices in the smart home. Better than the Homekit certified switches that I've used. @@beardfm

[@capnjackcanon]

It's been a while since I bought a Doorbell cam for Homekit, what would you recommend? Seeing mixed reviews between the Ecobee and the Aqara.

[@beardfm]

I'm still rocking my Logitech circle view and love it!

[@briantheis15]

For the smart home devices, are you assigning each of the devices a designated IP, or using DHCP? I found my smart home devices have far less connectivity issues when I assign them a designated IP

[@beardfm]

I’ve never assigned them an IP, all DHCP

[@wings9920]

Hi, Thanks for the effort off making the video. It's so helpful to get reviews from real users. I saw you have a Flic Twist button, I wonder how you feel about it? And is it the Flic first Gen or Flic 2 you're using? Thanks again.

[@Capt-Cran]

Don't laugh ... but what is the "pad" device you have on your iPencil ... seems like that is exactly what I need ... and love ALL of your videos!!

[@beardfm]

Thank you! And I think you mean this: amzn.to/43GvErQ

[@magnus33john]

Your u100 maybe faulty mine going on a year and have yet to change the batteries.

[@beardfm]

It seems I have a lemon, and early batch models may have these issue but recent purchases people have a great experience!

[@magnus33john]

@@beardfm Certainly possible. I Try contacting them

[@danieloflaherty2154]

Have you tried any nanoleaf bulbs? I see you like matter and thread so I thought maybe you experienced them. Also between Eve motion blinds and Smart wings do you have a preference? The Eve motion only annoys me because you veto run a cable up there to charge the battery, no solar power panel or no removable battery feels like a missed opportunity. I presume the fabrics are better than smart wings a though? Zemismart blinds also matter and thread if you have ever tried that I would also be interested in your thoughts ✌️

[@danieloflaherty2154]

OH! And as for smart lights, have you tried the Inovelli White Series Smart Dimmer ? This is also thread

[@julianorossi2450]

I was quite surprised with U100 being the "bad" product in your list. For me, it's one of the few devices on my home that never failed me. It works just as I expected. I have 2 of these in my house, both installed around 4 months ago, and they're at 91% and 93% battery life, so I'm foreseeing over 2 yr battery life (amazing!). Keep in mind I live in Alberta (Canada), so for most of the past 4 months that lock has been exposed to below freezing temperatures (with 2-3 weeks below -25C/-13F). Among the "expensive" HomeKit devices that I have, the one that has been a bit disappointing to me is the SmartWing cellular shade. I would say around 10% of the times I try to control it through HomeKit I got "No Response" messages. So, not reliable, at all. Also, in the 3-4 months I've been using them, I already had to recharge the ones from the bigger/taller windows around the 3 month mark. I still believe it's the best product for the price, so I wouldn't return them (if I could), but I had higher expectations.

[@beardfm]

Turns out many U100 users have great experiences. My early release product may have been a lemon. And for your SmartWings shades, are they the thread version? And do you have a thread router nearby?

[@julianorossi2450]

@@beardfm yes, all of them have the thread/matter motor. My house has 3 Apple TVs and 4 HomePod minis spread out through the house, so every blind is no more than 4-5 meters away from a router.

[@KristopherStoker]

Hey Stephen! I got a Linksys Velop system thinking it’d be great to include in my AppleHome setup, but it’s been TRASH! Can you help me find something new? Especially since apparently HomeKit Routers are on their way out?

[@beardfm]

I use Unifi for wifi and it’s great! Did a video on it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPLaJmrbLCdqZIsi=gpsoYAU0585k0Y3L

[@shrupy]

I think the Aqara lock you have is a dud. I installed 2 about 4 months ago and they’ve been perfect.

[@beardfm]

It seems like early batches may have had the issues as recent buyers do not

[@NegyedMisi]

Man, I love all this. Doesn't it take more time to find the switch on the phone than walking to the physical switch and flip it? 😉😂

[@beardfm]

Haha I use more scenes and automations then controlling individual devices

[@simonsayshomeassistant]

Great video mate!

[@beardfm]

Thanks a lot!

[@batu3580]

Have anyone told you you sound EXACTLY like snazzy labs? My brain didn't comprehend anything for like 10 seconds 😂

[@beardfm]

That's a high honor! Love his channel

[@rfitzpatrickCO]

I have the Meross garage door opener and I have constant connectivity issues. I even find it extremely frustrating trying to reconnect it. I’m glad it’s working for you, but my experience is the opposite of yours.

[@hubbiemid6209]

Im so surprised about the aqara lock, what a shame 😭

[@beardfm]

Me too! But some people have good experiences so 🤷‍♂️

[@BlakeFealy]

I had an issue with the Aqara app locking me out and going offline and not accepting anything, not even the key. I told Aqara and they were quick to send me a replacement without even asking for the other one back and NO ISSUES now. I think there are just some QC issues

[@hubbiemid6209]

Maybe a re rereview is needed!

[@YesNoHiHoHiHo]

You mentioned multiple times you wish your cameras were thread based. From everything I've read thread was designed as low-bandwidth protocol, so unlikely there will be cameras over thread. Eventually matter will support cameras and then we can have cameras that are matter, but still over wi-fi.

[@beardfm]

Hm good point. I suppose I should eventually plan on PoE cameras for faster connectivity

[@tommyshobalongdong]

Weird you are having such bad issues with Aqara lock.. our has been flawless since launch and still has “High” battery life as of this video. Maybe try a new one, Aqara usually has great customer support but you probably waited too long now

[@beardfm]

Many people said they've had a great experience, and I now have the Aqara U50 which has been solid, so I think this may have been a lemon int he early / first run.

[@tommyshobalongdong]

@@beardfm yeah I realized everyone is already pointing this out and you have talked about having a lemon a lot haha Sorry to add to it lol

[@rosscuzick7759]

Thanks!

[@beardfm]

Really appreciate that! Thanks Ross 🙏🏻

[@waylinnelson]

Great video

[@beardfm]

Thanks!

[@jordaynerjr]

See how many hubs you have is why I use home assistant

[@MacRobeson]

Wow I thought I was the only one with a super shitty Aqara U100… can’t wait to replace it with a new U1 chip lock soon.

[@beardfm]

Most people say they have a good experience, so you could return and ask Aqara for a new one. A few commenters did that as well. But if you don't care for the fingerprint, the new U50 is cheaper and has been much more reliable for me.

[@absolutely1337]

can i pay shipping and you send the devices you no longer use? i was horribly injured at work and can no longer work....long story...

[@erickmatos97]

I don’t think it was a good idea to show the front of your house on the internet. There’s people out there with a lot of time in their hands and might not be well intentioned.

[@beardfm]

Fair point

[@Bigglare]

Hue hub isnt proprietary, you can use many non-hue devices with it.

[@beardfm]

Really? What’s the spec required?

[@Bigglare]

@@beardfm zigbee 3.0

[@Bigglare]

@@beardfm for example Sonoff s40 lite zigbee plug. All of ikeas lighting and plugs, hue app doesn’t have the brains to use their sensors and remotes yet. Sengled has several zigbee 3.0 skus like their rgb candle bulbs that sell for under $20 where hues candle bulbs are $45.

[@JordanCournoyea]

Should probably try a different device if your experience is so different from everyone else before making a video like this and influencing potential new purchasers. The Aqara U100 is an amazing HomeKit lock and after 1 year I haven’t changed the batteries one time and it’s on my main door with 3 kids and auto lock enabled. Not a good look for a reviewer

[@beardfm]

Experienced is largely good, but others had similar issues. It's also not a good look to leave a completely glowing review without mentioning a potential issue either.

[@JordanCournoyea]

@@beardfm 1 star review for one of most highly regarded HomeKit door locks is not simply pointing out issues. It’s essentially telling viewers it’s terrible and not worth a purchase. Big difference

[@jerrybrown3196]

Aqara gets lower ratings, some good, most not so good