REVIEWED: Noke smart padlock

More keyless than phone-operated, this smart padlock is nevertheless more for business than travel

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Why on Earth would anyone need a padlock that uses Bluetooth? That’s the first reaction to the ‘world’s first smart padlock’, but this is more a keyless product than a phone-operated one.

Tap to open

The world of padlocks does’t need ‘digital disruption’, you might think, but is anything with a physical key – that could easily get lost – going to have a long-term future? We think not. Cue Noke, which is programmed via an app, and can be opened via a tap on a phone.

At a pinch

Noke is designed to be opened using a pre-programmed sequences of short and long pinches, doing away with a key. It works on any iOS, Android or Windows device running Bluetooth 4.0. Although Noke is mostly a keyless padlock and is only programmed by Bluetooth (though you can also open the lock using your phone), there’s a connected dimension, too.

Year-long battery

Unlike your average key-operated padlock, Noke can be shared with others, its history of being opened checked in that app. Its CR2032 battery lasts a year and uses 128-bit encryption.

Break it down

However, is Noke necessary for using in hostels and other low-rent places where a padlock really is a good idea? Perhaps, but the EasyLock is probably more useful if you’re only going to carry one locking device. Noke is better for commercial lock-ups, warehouses and anywhere else where a breakdown and a history of visits would be useful.

Price as reviewed: US$69.99

Buy the Noke smart padlock

 

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