Smart locks
Wi-Fi in the lock, or Thread and a tap of a phone?
Both fit on the inside, over the existing cylinder, and change nothing permanently. The difference is in how they reach the network and open the door: the Nuki needs no bridge thanks to its Wi-Fi; the Aqara joins a Thread mesh and opens with an Apple Home Key. For Matter, both need a Thread border router.
The rows below come out even. The ratings do not — Nuki Smart Lock Pro (5th gen) carries the higher one. That difference is made on each product's own page, not in this table, and the rows are where the comparable claims are.
| Compared on | Smart Lock Pro (5th gen) | Smart Lock U200 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Retrofit, cylinder unchanged | Retrofit, no drilling |
| Network | Built-in Wi-Fi, no bridge | Matter over Thread |
| Matter | Over Thread, border router required | Native over Thread, border router required |
| Ecosystems stated | Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Homey | Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa |
| Apple Home Key | Not stated | Supported |
| Power | Built-in battery, recharged on the door in about 2 h | Rechargeable Li-ion |
| Stated runtime | Several months per charge | Up to 6 months |
| Speed | Under 1.5 s | Not stated |
| Modes | Not stated | Silent unlocking, auto-lock |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the Nuki when there is no smart-home hub and none is wanted. Wi-Fi in the lock means it works on its own, which is the shortest path from box to working door.
Buy the U200 in an Apple household that already has a Thread border router. Home Key — holding a phone or watch to the lock — is one of the most convenient ways to open a door.
No. Both turn the thumbturn you already have. The cylinder, the strike plate and the frame are exactly as they were, and those are what resist force. If the door is the weak point, the money belongs in a cylinder and long screws.
Your key still opens the door, because the cylinder was never touched. That is the structural advantage of retrofit locks — and it only helps if the key is somewhere other than inside the locked flat.
Retrofit · built-in Wi-Fi, no bridge · Matter over Thread · charged at the door · months per charge
Nuki's fifth-generation lock puts Wi-Fi inside the unit, so remote access needs no bridge or hub, and adds Matter alongside Bluetooth. The battery charges at the door with the supplied cable rather than coming off it.
Best for: A household that wants remote access without adding another box to the hallway.
Matter over Thread · Apple Home Key · rechargeable Li-ion, 6 months stated · no drilling
A retrofit lock with native Matter over Thread, so it joins Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa without a vendor bridge. Aqara states Apple Home Key support, a rechargeable battery quoted at up to six months, and a quiet unlocking mode.
Best for: A household already running Matter or Apple Home, that wants the lock to be part of it rather than another app.
