Aqara U50 Smart Lock Review (2025): Affordable Until the Hub

The new lock of flour, U50, I have a front door for a good part of three months. I almost forgot about it because it was easily serted in my family life just before the holiday season. My family learned the new code, and though I handed over the two keys included, none of us need them.

This is the most affordable lock I have testedThe However, it brings all the features I want in a smart lock: automatic locking and multiple entry codes after a certain time and can tell if the door is open or closed without any additional accessories or sensors. Even with some smart-home and security companies you have no soft subscription fees that you find.

I really like this lock. However you want to get Aka M3 Hub ($ 110) The cost of the hub is almost doubled to get access to all its features and the cost of buying the lock almost. If you can get Wi-Fi access without access (which means no smart-home integration and door lock status is not being tested remotely), this affordable lock is a great purchase.

Slim

Photographs: Nena Faralel

The U50 has a minimalist design, which has a simple, modern-fledged keypad and a soft deadbolt in the interior panel. I prefer large sunser serif fonts in the keypad and there are two buttons after zero: an AO Mode button, which you can configure to the Cyam app and an enter/lock button, which you need to click to reloc the door after entering the door code or after yourself. The keypad needs to tap it before entering your code and wake it up, which is not difficult, but I had to deliberately press a button to wake it vs. somewhere in the keypad.

The bottom of the keypad is also a large area that is actually a hidden keyhole. It is covered with a panel that you slide downward to reveal the keyhole. The sliding cover will click to the place to open, so you don’t need to worry about keeping it open when you use your own key. If you are concerned about lock pickers, this is a great additional protection feature, since it is not just clear that the panel will be open. You can also keep it in a professional locksmith.

Photographs: Nena Faralel