Teacher here. I bought this bundle back in early November 2022, but didn't get to install it until the last week of November. Since I teach in a classroom of 24 students, I wanted to wait until the Switch Bot Lock ran out of batteries before I wrote my review. TL;DR at the end of the review.
I work at an elementary in the southern United States and after everything that happened last year, my school district now requires to have all doors locked at all times, including classrooms. So, this created an annoyance in which the teacher, or assigned students, unlock and lock the door whenever a person or student goes in or out of the classroom. It wasn't that bad until I started noticing how often the door needed to be unlocked and locked, which started affecting instructional time. So being the techy that I am, I started looking for something that would convert my classroom door deadbolt into a smartish deadbolt that wasn't too expensive, since it was coming out of my pocket, and that it didn't need major deadbolt modification to work. The Switch Bot Lock ended up being exactly what I wanted. Knowing that it only installs over the deadbolt, is removable, and allows manual unlocks/locks, whether by hand or key, was the perfect solution.
Once I got approval from my principal to install this lock, I had it up and running the following day. Installation was simple and setup was just as easy through the app. The only thing that might possibly cause it to not work is connecting the hub to the school internet. You would have to check if you can use the school internet for that first. That's why I had to get approval first. Other than that, connecting it to the internet and finishing up the set up was a breeze.
Once installed, it was only then that the locking and unlocking annoyance went away. I was shocked to find out that my door was locked and unlocked roughly 300 times a day! This sounds like a lot, and it is, but it isn't only students that are coming in an out of the classroom, other teachers, admin, janitors, and so on.
I also ended up installing the finger print keypad outside my door so that students could enter the classroom freely, without having to use the doorbell given to us (another annoyance in itself). They know the passcode and they were told not to give it to anyone else. So far, no other students, other than my own, have entered the classroom with the code. I did give the finger print reader 4 stars though since it doesn't really work with a child's finger, hence why the use a code instead. Other than that, it works just fine.
I also purchased the Switch Bot Button and paired it with the lock so that I could have full control of when the door unlocks. I didn't want to only rely on the app on my phone since I tend to leave my phone on my desk while teaching.
Now, on to the battery life. Like I mentioned above, the door opens roughly 300 times daily. I just got the low battery notification today (1/17). So, it's about a month and a half, to two month battery life span. It isn't the best, but I rather deal with changing batteries every two months or so than going back to locking and unlocking the door.
Conclusion:
If you're a teacher being required to have your door locked at all times, and you're in the fence on getting this because you're not sure if it works or not, it does. It's one last thing we now have to worry about. Not only do my students and myself love to see the door lock and unlock itself, it has wowed my coworkers and administrators as well. I would definitely buy this all over again.
TL;DR:
Teacher installs this smart lock on classroom door to relieve the hassle of unlocking and locking a door 300 times a day and gets, roughly, a two month battery life span.
| Brand | SwitchBot |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Retrofits to your existing deadbolt and doesn't affect your original lock, No tools needed |
| Lock Type | Smart Lock, Bluetooth, Retrofit for existing deadbolt, Doesn't affect your original lock |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 4.39 x 2.32 x 2.88 inches |
| Material | Plastic |
| Recommended Uses For Product | indoor |
| Style | Smart Lock |
| Color | Matte Black |
| Finish Type | Painted |
| Included Components | Lock×1, Ph1 Cross Head Screwdriver×1, Magnet×1, SwitchBot Tag×1, Thymbrium Adaptor×1, Wet Wipe×1, Double-sided Tape, User Manual×1, Spare Screws×1 |
| Controller Type | Siri, Amazon Alexa |
| Control Method | App, Voice |
| Connectivity Protocol | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Manufacturer | Wonderlabs |
| Part Number | SBT-SMART-LOCK |
| Item Weight | 1.32 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 4.39 x 2.32 x 2.88 inches |
| Item model number | W1601700 |
| Batteries | 2 CR123A batteries required. (included) |
| Size | 4.4 in x 2.3 in x 2.9 in |
| Finish | Painted |
| Pattern | Smart Lock Black |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Coverage | 360º clockwise and anti-clockwise |
| Special Features | Retrofits to your existing deadbolt and doesn't affect your original lock, No tools needed |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium Manganese Dioxide |
| Warranty Description | This product has one-year warranty (start from the purchasing day). If you have any concerns or questions about using it, please kindly report issues directly via the Feedback in your Profile of the SwitchBot App. |
