When I installed the SwitchBot Lock Pro on my front door last year, it quickly became one of my favorite smart home upgrades. It was renter-friendly, worked with my existing deadbolt, and – with the optional fingerprint keypad – gave everyone in my house an easy way in without keys. But it wasn’t perfect. The motor was sluggish, and my kids often tried to yank the door open before the lock had finished its cycle. And while the fingerprint access worked well, I still had to set down grocery bags to use it.
That’s why I’m excited about the new SwitchBot Lock Ultra Vision Combo. It addresses both of those issues in one smart move: adding a faster motor and the ability to unlock the door just by looking at it.
The unique feature here is 3D facial recognition – a first for retrofittable smart locks. The Keypad Vision unit scans your face using over 30,000 infrared points to create a detailed facial map. According to SwitchBot, it authenticates in under a second, works in low light, and has a false acceptance rate below 0.0001%. Even better, the facial data is stored locally and encrypted with AES-128, so it’s not floating around in the cloud.
In theory, that means I could walk up to my door, arms full of takeout, and it would unlock for me instantly; no need to dig for my phone or tap a keypad. That alone would be a major convenience upgrade over the Lock Pro.
Speed is another big leap. SwitchBot’s new FastUnlock tech maintains a constant Bluetooth connection between the lock and keypad, enabling near-instant unlocking. The motor inside the Lock Ultra is 122% faster and more powerful than the Pro, and significantly quieter too, clocking in as low as 20 decibels.
If you've ever stood outside your door waiting for a slow smart lock to finish churning, you know why this matters. I’m hoping this faster response will eliminate those awkward seconds where the kids are yanking on the handle while the lock is still turning.
One of my small complaints about the Lock Pro was its utilitarian look and limited color options. The Lock Ultra Vision Combo brings some needed style flexibility, with three new wood-grain wraps in addition to the standard black and silver. That should help it blend better with a variety of door styles and finishes.
Read more: SwitchBot Lock Pro Review: The Smart Lock Solution for Renters
Like the Pro, the Lock Ultra installs without drilling and works with 99.9% of locks – including Night Latch, Mortise, and Jimmy Proof types – making it a solid option for renters or anyone avoiding permanent modifications.
The Vision Combo comes bundled with the SwitchBot Hub 3, which is Matter-enabled and acts as a central command center for your smart home. It connects over 100,000 infrared devices (including TVs and air conditioners), adds voice assistant compatibility, and supports Apple Home integration.
One cool bonus: the Hub 3 includes a Dial Master rotary controller and customizable scene buttons, making it more than just a bridge for the lock – it’s a full-featured smart home control device in its own right.
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Battery anxiety isn’t new with smart locks, but SwitchBot has gone all-in on redundancy. The Lock Ultra Vision Combo includes a three-tier battery system: a main rechargeable battery that lasts up to 9–12 months, a backup CR123A battery, and even an emergency unlock system if both die. It’s overkill – in a good way.
The SwitchBot Lock Ultra Vision Combo is priced at $249.99, and you can knock off 15% through June 5 with code 15OFFBW522 on the SwitchBot website. A slightly lower-cost version without the Vision facial recognition (the Ultra Touch Combo) is also available for $209.99.
[Image credit: SwitchBot]
