Smart lock battery life: 11 locks from 6 makers, as stated
How long Schlage, Kwikset, Ultraloq, Aqara, Lockly and Level say their smart lock batteries last, with Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi versions side by side and battery changes per year.
Battery life figures copied by hand from each maker's own product page, spec sheet or support answer on 21 October 2026, one link per row. We have not tested any lock. How we research | How links work
The short answer
Smart locks with Wi-Fi built in are rated for 3 to 6 months on 4 AA batteries: up to six months for the Schlage Encode, about 6 months for the Kwikset Halo and 3 to 6 months for the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi. Locks that connect over Bluetooth, Thread or Zigbee are rated for 8 to 12 months, from more than 8 for the Aqara U100 to 9 to 12 for the Level Lock Pro. Ultraloq's own spec table shows the gap on one lock: up to 1 year without Wi-Fi, 3 to 6 months with it. Yale publishes no figure for the Assure Lock 2.
Battery changes a year for your lock
Pick a lock, or type how many months your own set lasts. Add what you pay per battery if you want a yearly cost; we leave it blank because prices vary.
At least 2 battery changes a year
Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt: up to 6 months on 4 AA alkaline, so at least 8 cells a year.
Every lock, longest stated life first
"As stated" is copied from the maker. "Up to" means the maker's figure is a ceiling; "more than" means it is a floor. Changes a year is 12 divided by those months. Each row links to the page we read.
| Maker | Lock | Wi-Fi built in | Connection | Battery | Battery life as stated | Months | Changes a year | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultraloq | U-Bolt Pro (Bluetooth, + Bridge and Z-Wave versions) | No | Bluetooth; Wi-Fi through a plug-in adaptor, or Z-Wave | 4 AA alkaline | Up to 1 year | up to 12 | at least 1 | Same spec table as the WiFi version: one lock body, two connection types, a twofold gap | Ultraloq |
| Lockly | Secure series (family statement) | Varies | Varies by model | 4 AA alkaline | 9 months to a year with normal use and 6-9 months with heavier use | 9 to 12 | 1 to 1.3 | Lockly's support desk, for all Secure models; Lockly advises against rechargeable or lithium cells | Lockly |
| Level | Level Lock Pro | No | Bluetooth; Matter over Thread (hub or Wi-Fi Bridge for remote use) | 1 CR2 lithium | anywhere between 9-12 months, depending on use | 9 to 12 | 1 to 1.3 | One CR2 cell inside the bolt, not AA | Level |
| Lockly | Model X | No | Bluetooth; Wi-Fi through a Secure Link hub sold separately | 4 AA alkaline | Up to 10 months for regular use | up to 10 | at least 1.2 | Read on Lockly's Australian store; we found no US product page for this model | Lockly |
| Kwikset | Halo Select, on lithium-ion pack | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi; Matter | Lithium-ion battery pack (sold separately) | 9-months battery life | 9 | 1.3 | Same lock as the row above with Kwikset's rechargeable pack | Kwikset |
| Aqara | Smart Lock U100 | No | Bluetooth 5.0, Zigbee 3.0 (hub for remote use) | 4 AA | 8 daily unlocks and auto-locks, > 8 months | more than 8 | fewer than 1.5 | The only maker here that states the use behind its figure | Aqara |
| Schlage | Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi | 4 AA alkaline | up to six months of battery life with typical use | up to 6 | at least 2 | Schlage | |
| Schlage | Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi | 4 AA | up to six months of battery life with typical use | up to 6 | at least 2 | Schlage | |
| Kwikset | Halo (touchscreen and keypad) | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi | 4 AA alkaline | approximately 6 months depending on usage | 6 | 2 | Kwikset says not to use rechargeable or lithium-ion AA cells in Halo | Kwikset |
| Kwikset | Halo Select, on AA | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi; Matter | 4 AA alkaline | 6-months battery life | 6 | 2 | Kwikset | |
| Ultraloq | U-Bolt Pro WiFi | Yes | Built-in Wi-Fi | 4 AA alkaline | 3-6 months | 3 to 6 | 2 to 4 | Ultraloq | |
| Yale | Assure Lock 2 | Varies | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or Bluetooth only, by version | 4 AA alkaline | No figure on the product page or the Assure Lock 2 support hub | not stated | Listed so you know we looked: Yale gives battery tips but no number | Yale |
Only one maker states the use behind its number. Aqara's figure for the U100 assumes 8 fingerprint unlocks and auto-locks a day. Schlage says "typical use", Lockly "regular use" or "normal use", and Kwikset and Level "depending on usage". So a busy door can run down faster than any figure here.
Wi-Fi built in or not
The clearest test is a maker that rates two versions of one lock. Ultraloq gives the U-Bolt Pro up to 1 year and the U-Bolt Pro WiFi 3 to 6 months, on the same 4 AA cells (Ultraloq). Across makers the split holds:
| Wi-Fi built in | Locks | Stated life on AA | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Schlage Encode and Encode Plus, Kwikset Halo and Halo Select, Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi | 3 to 6 months | Schlage, Kwikset, Kwikset, Ultraloq |
| No (Bluetooth, Thread, Zigbee or Z-Wave; remote use through a hub or bridge) | Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro, Aqara U100, Lockly Model X, Level Lock Pro (CR2) | more than 8 to 12 months | Ultraloq, Aqara, Lockly, Level |
The trade is the hub. Without built-in Wi-Fi, remote locking and alerts need a separate bridge or a Thread or Zigbee hub, as Ultraloq, Lockly and Level say on the same pages. Kwikset's other route is a rechargeable pack: 9 months for Halo Select on its lithium-ion pack against 6 on AA.
Yale lists 4 AA alkaline batteries for every Assure Lock 2 version but no battery life on the product page or its Assure Lock 2 support hub (Yale, Yale support). The August support page we read gives no number either, so August is not in the table.
Next step
If you want a lock you rarely touch, compare the stated life of the version you would buy, not the model family: Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi versions of one lock can differ twofold. Then check whether the longer-lasting version needs a hub you do not own.
Common questions
How long do smart lock batteries last?
By the makers' own figures, 3 to 12 months. Locks with Wi-Fi built in are rated at 6 months at most: Schlage says up to six months for the Encode and Encode Plus, Kwikset about 6 months for Halo, and Ultraloq 3 to 6 months for the U-Bolt Pro WiFi. Locks that talk over Bluetooth, Thread or Zigbee are rated longer: more than 8 months for the Aqara U100, up to 10 for the Lockly Model X, 9 to 12 for the Level Lock Pro and up to a year for the Bluetooth U-Bolt Pro.
Does Wi-Fi drain a smart lock battery faster?
The makers' own numbers say yes. Ultraloq lists both versions of the U-Bolt Pro in one spec table: up to 1 year without Wi-Fi and 3 to 6 months for the U-Bolt Pro WiFi, on the same 4 AA cells. Every lock in our table with Wi-Fi built in is rated at 6 months or less on AA cells.
Can I use lithium or rechargeable AA batteries in a smart lock?
Check your maker first. Kwikset's Halo FAQ says not to use rechargeable or lithium-ion batteries, and Lockly's support desk advises against rechargeable or lithium cells. Kwikset does sell its own lithium-ion pack for Halo Select, rated at 9 months against 6 on AA alkaline. Level Lock Pro runs on one CR2 lithium cell by design.
How many battery changes a year is that?
12 divided by the months the maker states. A lock rated up to 6 months needs at least 2 changes a year, which for 4 AA cells is at least 8 cells. A lock rated 9 to 12 months needs 1 to about 1.3 changes. The figures are each maker's and depend on how often the door is used; Aqara is the only one here that says what use its figure assumes (8 unlocks and auto-locks a day).
Method
- Locks. Smart locks from Schlage, Kwikset, Ultraloq, Aqara, Lockly, Level whose maker states a battery life on a page we could read, one page at a time, on 21 October 2026. Yale is listed with no figure because its pages give none. Wyze, SwitchBot and eufy product pages did not load for us and are not included; the August support page we read gives no number.
- Figures. Copied as stated. We keep "up to" and "more than" as the maker wrote them and do not turn them into averages. Lockly's Secure series row is the support desk's statement for the whole series, not one model.
- Changes a year. 12 / months. Example: up to 6 months means at least 2 changes; 9 to 12 months means 1 to 1.3.
- Not covered. Real-world life, which depends on how often the door is used, the temperature, signal strength and battery brand. We did not test any lock, and we do not price batteries.
Sources
- Schlage: Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt (BE499WB) product page, features and specifications, read 2026-10-21
- Schlage: Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt (BE489WB) product page, features and specifications, read 2026-10-21
- Kwikset support: How long will a fresh set of batteries last on the Halo deadbolt?, read 2026-10-21
- Kwikset support: Halo FAQs (Wi-Fi built in, battery type), read 2026-10-21
- Kwikset: Halo Select sell sheet, PDF (AA and lithium-ion battery life), read 2026-10-21
- Ultraloq (U-tec): U-Bolt Pro Series product page, specifications (battery life by version), read 2026-10-21
- Aqara: Smart Lock U100 specs, read 2026-10-21
- Aqara: Aqara introduces its first deadbolt Smart Lock U100 (8-month basis, footnote 5), read 2026-10-21
- Lockly Australia: Model X product page, specifications, read 2026-10-21
- Lockly support desk: If I lose power, will my Lockly still function? (battery life for Secure models), read 2026-10-21
- Level: Level Lock Pro product page (battery life footnote, specifications), read 2026-10-21
- Yale: Assure Lock 2 product page (battery type, no life figure), read 2026-10-21
- Yale support: Everything About the Assure Lock 2 (no life figure), read 2026-10-21
- Our smart lock battery life dataset, CSV
Changes
- : Published. 12 rows from Schlage, Kwikset, Ultraloq, Aqara, Lockly, Level and Yale, each read on the maker's own page on 21 October 2026.