ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro Review

The ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro's unique fingerprint scanner makes it more advanced than most models on the market, and is perfect for those that often forget their phone or that want as many keyless entry options as possible.

Performance Comparison

Smart Features

The ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro offers a field-leading number of smart features. If you like your tech to be future proof, or just like having lots of access options for your lock, this is a great choice.

First and foremost, the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro has a fingerprint scanner that allows you to unlock the door with just a quick tap. This is a feature we haven't seen on any other models, and allows easy access even if you forget your phone.

You can also open the door by entering a code on the keypad, by using your phone as a Bluetooth key, or with a physical key by opening the hidden key port. Via the app you can easily share access with anyone whether you prefer to use a code or a Bluetooth key (the latter requires the person you're sharing access with to create an account and download the associated app). No matter how you share access you can put time constraints on that access. In our opinion this makes remote access sharing infinitely more useful, as you can do things like share access with a dog walker only during the week and at certain times of the day. You also get a log of all your lock's activity, so you know when people access your home.

There is also an optional geofencing feature, which automatically unlocks the lock when your phone gets close and automatically locks it when your phone gets a certain distance from your home.

The ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro offers broad smart home compatibility, working seamlessly with both Google Assistant and Alexa. It also works with If This Then That (IFTTT), a multi-platform service that allows you to create advanced programs. For instance, you can program the door to automatically lock when your compatible front door security camera senses motion or sees a person.

Another unique feature, the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro has a micro USB charging port. This allows you to run the lock from an external power source in the event that it runs out of battery. This works great in a pinch if the battery runs out when you've left the house without the physical key.

Though it's still in the beta stage, there is also a "magic shake" feature that opens the lock simply by shaking your phone. Right now this only works if you open the app first, which largely defeats the purpose. However, the company says that in the future this feature will be able to run in the background, so anytime you shake your phone in proximity to the lock it will unlock.

Keyless Entry

In our testing, keyless entry for the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro worked flawlessly. We had no issues and almost no delays whether we were accessing the lock from the app, using a code, or via the fingerprint scanner.

Security

The ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro is not certified with an official ANSI rating. We contacted customer service concerning its security level, and they told us it was modeled after ANSI Grade 2, which is considered adequate for most residential uses, but again it is not officially certified as such. There is an auto lock feature that protects against forgetting to lock the door when you leave your home.

Installation

The physical installation of the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Pro is relatively straightforward when compared to other locks on the market. We did have some minor issues in setting up the smart features, namely in connecting the lock to its separate smart hub. There were multiple restarts of the app and many unpluggings of the hub before they started talking to each other, but once they did they worked perfectly with no further issues.

Value

While the ULTRALOQ U-Bolt Prois quite expensive, it isn't absurdly so in comparison to its competitors, and it generally offers more smart features. If you're willing to pay just a bit extra for its unique fingerprint scanner, it's likely well worth the money.

Conclusion