Nuki joins Works with Home Assistant
Miranda Bishop
We’re thrilled to welcome Nuki
Unlocking their origin
Nuki started just over 10 years ago, with their first smart lock that was called the ‘magic black box’. It was this award-winning design that evolved into the sleek Nuki Smart Locks that are available today. Keeping everything in the family, the brand was started by brothers Martin and Jürgen. Frustrated with the hassle of carrying a door key in their sports kit, the brothers launched a successful Kickstarter and have been innovating ever since. They design their smart locks in Austria and manufacture them in Europe. Their locks are available across Europe, and in early July, they launched the Nuki Smart Lock in the U.S.
Nuki devices are certified for use with the Home Assistant Matter integration, which is now officially certified. Like all ‘Works with’ certified devices, Nuki locks prioritize local control, so you can manage your day-to-day home security without relying on a cloud connection.
"Joining the 'Works with Home Assistant' program is a logical step for us. We believe strongly in the power of open ecosystems and giving control to our customers. Home Assistant represents a vibrant community dedicated to innovation and customization, and we are thrilled to align our products with this vision. This integration ensures our customers can build the smart home they want, with the products they trust. The 'Works with Home Assistant' certification provides customers with the confidence that Nuki's products have been tested for compatibility and offer a smooth integration experience."
- Matthias Kerstner, Head of Product at Nuki.Devices
This lock is turning heads faster than it turns bolts
In case you didn’t know, Works with Home Assistant differs from other certification programs as products are rigorously tested in-house to ensure they work seamlessly out of the box. Any company joining also commits to providing long-term support and firmware updates while being a positive force in the Home Assistant community. Works with Home Assistant is operated by the Open Home Foundation
Our team has been busy testing the Nuki locks for some time and has certified the following Matter-over-Thread enabled devices. It’s important to note that to set up the lock, calibrate it, and activate Matter you will need to use the Nuki app. However, there is no hard requirement for a cloud account or account registration in order to use these locks. Once the device is active and connected via Matter, you can manage it purely through Home Assistant, and can even delete the app.
Insane speeds, literally
The devices certified include two cylindrical models, the Nuki Smart Lock Pro and the Nuki Smart Lock Ultra, which both feature a brushless motor and three speed settings. The speediest of these is called the ‘Insane’ setting. This ultra-fast setting is ideal for those in a hurry, but you can also pick from ‘standard’ or ‘gentle’ to move at a more leisurely pace. The gentle setting is also perfect for quieter unlocking, so you’re not disturbing others if you’re coming home after a night shift or an early morning jog.
We love that the cylindrical devices come with a rechargeable battery to reduce e-waste. Each cylindrical lock comes with both white and black band options, so you can match your existing hardware or your home’s style. The Nuki Smart Lock Pro can retrofit over a current lock, whereas the Nuki Smart Lock Ultra comes with its own cylinder.
If you’re looking for a solid entry-level choice instead, the Nuki Smart Lock Go is a great option, which uses four AA batteries. Both the Smart Lock Go and Smart Lock Pro can be installed in under five minutes, with no drilling or special tools required, which may mean even if you’re renting you could install a smart lock. Works with Home Assistant is all about providing more choice to the community, and Nuki is expanding the smart lock offerings.
A keyless future
All of the models listed work locally, as this is a requirement of the ‘Works with’ program so that you can ensure you feel safe and secure in your smart home. However, some users may wish to access these devices remotely too, allowing you to unlock the door for guests, contractors, family, or friends. If you’re looking for remote access, this can either be provided by the Nuki App, or via your Home Assistant system with something like Home Assistant Cloud (which supports the development of Home Assistant but also helps bring more ‘Works with’ partners to the program 🤝).
We’re really excited to have Nuki join our certified devices, and see the use cases the community will come up with to integrate their smart locks into the rest of their smart home.
FAQ ON WORKS WITH HOME ASSISTANT
Q: If I have a device that is not listed under ‘Works with Home Assistant’ does this mean it’s not supported?
A: Most Nuki locks will work via Matter with Home Assistant and we have even tried out a couple of older locks with good results. However, we have only officially tested and certified the devices listed above. If there is any other device missing from this list it just means that it hasn’t gone through testing with our team or doesn’t fit the requirements of the program. It might function well, and may be added to the testing schedule later down the road, or it might work under a different connectivity type that we don’t currently test under the program.
Q: Ok, so what’s the point of the Works with program?
A: It highlights the devices we know work well with Home Assistant and the brands that make a long-term commitment to keeping support for these devices going. We look for brands that will bring their key functionality into Home Assistant, operate locally without the need for cloud logins, and continue to do so long-term.
Q: How were these devices tested?
A: All devices in this list were tested using a standard Home Assistant Yellow with the built-in Thread border router and our certified Matter Integration. If you have another hub, border router setup, or integration, that’s not a problem. We test against these as they are the most effective way for our team to certify within our ecosystem.
Q: Will you be adding more Nuki devices to the program?
A: All of the main lock products Nuki currently sells are now represented here in the ‘Works with’ program. We’re thrilled to foster a close relationship with the team at Nuki to work together on any upcoming releases or add in further products that are not yet listed here.