Comments on: Kwikset Convert Zigbee 3.0 Electronic Smart Lock Conversion

By: Greg Mayer

Greg Mayer — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Simple Way to Make Existing Locks Smart
This actually replaced my existing Kevo, so it was a simple installation of swapping out this back panel. It paired easily to my Home Assistant via Zigbee. The deviceâs batteries last a lot longer than the August Lock. The back panel is solid, though the black plastic panel is a bit flimsy. Also, the placement of the screw on the bottom makes it challenging to install because the door handle is in the way. Iâd prefer if the unit was more streamlined and less bulky, for a better look. Overall, this is a great alternative to other smart locks and retains the existing lock look and functionality from the front.Works great with Home Assistant.

By: Ege Atay

Ege Atay — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Great product
Setup was easy. Works with ZHA. I love the fact that there is no need to change the lock mechanism or the outside unit.My favorite part is you can easily remove the battery pack with no tools in two seconds and your lock becomes an ordinary (dumb) lock with no outside connection, and still looks good.

By: brwyatt

brwyatt — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Louder than a chainsaw and dead after 3 months
The instructions are verbose, but fairly usable. Getting it configured “correctly” for left-vs-right doors is confusing at first (mostly a wording and status communication issue) is a bit weird, but fine. Otherwise, it works. Connects just fine to Home Assistant and seems to work.However, it is LOUD. Like… REALLY loud. Like… “power drill” loud. Or “chainsaw”. How is it THIS LOUD? I can literally hear it echoing down the hallway of my floor of the apartment building… from OUTSIDE my apartment.How has no one else mentioned how loud this is? … did I just get a bad unit?Update: 3 months later (note: I replaced the original unit with another that seemed to be slightly quieter), the motor has just stopped functioning. It started sounding a little funny less than a week ago, happily locked yesterday morning when I went to work, but then was no longer working when I got home. No sounds or anything indicating even an attempt to lock/unlock when it is requested to, but it does still seem to be reporting the lock status when manipulated manually. So I guess the motor is just dead. Guess the motor isn’t rated for more than 250-300 cycles…

By: Neal Rollins

Neal Rollins — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Cautiously optimistic
Based on the other reviews in withholding final judgment. Right now though I easily installed this device to am existing Kwikset deadbolt. It is connected to my Home Assistant instance via ZHA for a few days now without issue. It responds much faster than the August lock I tried out (likely bc it works without a cloud connection).Couple things though. First it is recognized as a gen 1 when I connected it and the box showed a manufacture date of 2017. Second i was sold an open box unit rather than a new unit. Amazon did give me $20 back so I’m satisfied. The batteries in the box were corroded and weathered by poor storage conditions. The lock hardware itself looks ok. I pulled the zigbee board out and it is in good shape. Even being opened, it was obviously unused so I think it’ll all be ok. Yes it’s loud and you have to take the face plate off to replace batteries but…it ended up only costing $80 so again, I’m ok with some design shortcomings. A few days is not long enough to evaluate battery life but I will update my review if that looks to be an issue.Overall, so long as it lasts, I do not have any major complaints considering the cost.

By: imc

imc — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Works Really Well. Fitment and Orientation are Most Important
It works really well. Locks and unlocks flawlessly with a solid connection to my smart home. The things to watch for most is the orientation of the lock in relation to the deadbolt mechanism (the manuel doesn’t quite make this clear and the lock doesn’t work in the wrong orientation)…Other than that set up is easy it looks nice fits right into the door without really changing anything and without having any weird looking retrofits.

By: diverdude

diverdude — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

It works
This lock installed fairly easily. I had to enlarge the one insert by filing it a bit to fit my existing lock. So far this has been working properly and I have integrated into the Home Assistant software. The programming was relatively easy with the Zigbee network. My biggest complaint at this time is that it seems to eat batteries. The batteries are at 40% after about a week of only locking and unlocking once a day. This may be due to the factory supplied batteries but some other reviewers relate this issue. I will use a better type of battery when I replace the original ones. The upside is that the app does show what the battery level is.

By: John M.

John M. — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Discreet and exactly what I needed
Works great with Home Assistant. Doesnât look like an ugly keypad like most. Keeps the original look.Iâve wanted smart locks but the keypad designs are hideous, plus they often have security issues and signal to people that they can try to crack them in some way beyond just kicking the door in.

By: goedtv

goedtv — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Wouldnât unlock remotely
I love the way it looks, but it wouldnât work right. It refused to unlock remotely after the first 2 days of use. My hard key worked fine, the device reported lock status fine, it would lock just fine, but it would never unlock using Zigbee. I got a Wyze lock instead which has been working fine for weeks now.

By: isidore12

isidore12 — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

Quite a disappointment, I bought the conversion kit 914 hoping to replace the indoor part of my existing Kwikset 914 lock.It happens there is no cable to connect the outdoor keypad on this kit.Misleading and misrepresentative, you are not buying a 914 model.

By: ijeeves

ijeeves — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 21:18:28 +0000

If youâre a person who cherishes his/her privacy (especially when it comes to your entrance door usage pattern) you would be using Home Assistant locally with Zigbee (never WIFI or any subscription based cloud service that forces you to download a spyware app on your phone to operate). Then, youâd be interested in this one.Worked very well with ZHA: lock/unlock/battery level.UPDATE:After about 4 months of light use (only 2 people in the household), it starter âskippingâ with a clear audible clicking. It is now a hit-and-miss to unlock it. This makes it is dangerous as you âmayâ be locked out of your home. Now it takes 3-4 times of repeatedly locking and unlocking for a successful unlocking! COMPLETELY unacceptable.The Zigbee ZHA connectivity remains rock solid. No issues there whatsoever.I decided to disassemble it to understand the root cause and to my dismay, I found the mechanism to be predominantly made of cheap plastic susceptible to a high rate of ware and tare. Also the axel that drives the latch to be very wobbly with no support to keep it in place. This leads to easy misalignment and high friction everywhere.I am not sure if the manufacturer decided to save cost in materials or this is just a classic case of âPlanned obsolescenceâ. The end result is the same as this is now unreliable.It is sad that the electronics implementation is âso goodâ. While the hardware is this flimsy. I hope the manufacturer would see this review and gets serious with the hardware side as they do have a potentially magnificent product in hand.Sad, sad, sadâ¦