When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. You can open this lock with a key, a PIN, or a voice command, but flashing your palm in front of it is by far the coolest way to gain entry. The Wyze Palm Lock combines dependable biometric access, solid performance, and smart-home integration at a price that's hard to beat. Wyze has made a name for itself by delivering affordable smart home devices that punch well above their price tags, and its latest addition to its smart lock offerings continues that trend. The Wyze Palm Lock brings a more advanced form of biometric security to the front door, swapping a fingerprint sensor for a more advanced and hygienic alternative: palm vein recognition.

This inexpensive smart lock covers the basics--and even provides a fingerprint reader--making for a very affordable smart lock if you don't need any other bells and whistles. You probably know TCL for its TVs, soundbars, and smart appliances more than its home security devices, but the manufacturer now offers no fewer than six smart locks (and one home security camera, too). One of its most ambitious smart locks--the D1 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock--was a better value than the even more ambitious TCL D1 Max 3-in-1 Video Smart Lock, which boasted an integrated video doorbell. Both of those devices had their flaws, but if you're willing to give up palm vein scanning technology and an integrated camera to see your visitors, the far more basic TCL D1 is the better value. This less-expensive alternative retains the PIN pad, fingerprint scanner, and Wi-Fi connectivity in a package that's available at Amazon for just 90.

Integrated Wi-Fi is the major upgrade in this revamp of Lockly's well-aged Secure Pro lock, making it a winner on all fronts. The Lockly Secure Pro isn't a new lock, but rather an upgrade to an old one: The original Lockly Secure Pro came out way back in 2019, hence this release's full (and rather awkward) name: Lockly Secure Pro 2025 Version. The two locks have roughly the same industrial appearance (though the new lock is reportedly 25 percent smaller), so you'll need to pay close attention when shopping to ensure you're getting the current version. While Lockly's website includes the 2025 indicator in the name, many vendors, including Amazon, do not. Look for Lockly model number PGD728WMBE1 to be sure.

Lockin has stuffed pleny of clever ideas into this smart lock, but it feels like it's a few firmware updates away from something I'd trust to guard any of my entry doors. Lockin claims a history dating back to 2014--as well as the involvement of Hartmut Esslinger, best known as a key Apple Computer designer in the 1980s--but it wasn't until CES 2025 that the company really touched down with a major presence in the smart lock space. Though Esslinger has a reputation for minimalism, the new Lockin Veno 7 Pro really does come loaded with everything. It's a hub-free Wi-Fi lock with ANSI grade 2 and IP65 certifications that allows for access via a numeric touchpad, fingerprint reader, or palm vein scan--in addition to support for its mobile app and a physical key. A very wide-angle camera mounted on the front of the device also lets the unit work as a video doorbell, complete with a ring button that illuminates when someone comes near.

The feature-laden FamiLock Max S3--the first smart lock we've seen with an integrated video screen on its interior escutcheon--works well, but its onboard camera won't make sense in some home environments. As if on steroids, smart locks have been advancing in amazing and surprising ways over the last year, with each few months bringing a new "first" to the market. Eufy's FamiLock S3 Max offers yet another smart lock innovation that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago: It's the first model we've seen that has a built-in, 4-inch video screen on its interior escutcheon, relaying video from a camera mounted on the exterior escutcheon, no secondary device required. It's a neat idea but right off the bat, it's clearly not a lock that's going to make sense for everyone. Like many homeowners, I have a massive window set into the center of my front door, so having a small video screen that displays what is happening on the other side of that door isn't going to do me much good. However, those with fully opaque doors--especially apartment dwellers –might find this a much more compelling proposition than a peephole.