For years, the smart lock market has been a battle of features versus aesthetics. You could get a feature-packed lock with a bulky, tech-heavy keypad on your front door, or you could keep your beautiful, traditional door hardware and sacrifice smart functionality. As a Smart Home Integrator, I’ve had countless clients who loved the idea of a smart lock but hated the look. “I don’t want a giant keypad on my historic home,” they’d say. “It just looks… ugly.”
Then came Level. The company entered the market with a revolutionary proposition: what if a smart lock could be completely invisible? What if all the motors, batteries, and smarts could fit inside the door itself?
The Level Lock Touch Edition is the culmination of this idea. It’s a full-featured smart lock that looks, from the outside, exactly like a normal, high-quality deadbolt. I’ve been installing and testing the Level Lock series since its debut, and I’ve spent extensive time with the Touch Edition on my own home. Is this minimalist marvel the perfect blend of design and technology, or are there compromises hiding beneath its beautiful exterior?
The Defining Feature: True Invisibility
Let’s be clear: the primary reason to buy a Level Lock is its design. The engineering here is truly remarkable. The entire locking mechanism, including the CR2 battery, the motor, and the Bluetooth/NFC radios, is housed within the deadbolt housing that sits inside your door. The exterior and interior components are just sleek, metal housings.
This is a game-changer for design-conscious homeowners. You can use your own existing door hardware or Level’s high-quality options, and no one would ever know it’s a smart lock. For clients with specific HOA rules or a desire to maintain a traditional aesthetic, the Level Lock is often the only option they will even consider. On this front, it gets a perfect 10/10.
The “Touch” Feature: How It Works in the Real World
The “Touch” in the name refers to its standout feature: touch-to-unlock and touch-to-lock. The idea is that you can simply touch the outside of the lock housing to unlock or lock your door. Here’s how it works in practice:
- Touch-to-Unlock: This requires your phone (with the Level app) to be on your person and within Bluetooth range. The lock authenticates your phone’s presence, and your touch completes the action. It’s designed for when you’re coming home with your hands full.
- Touch-to-Lock: This is much simpler. Anyone can touch the lock housing to lock the door when leaving.
My Real-World Experience: When it works, it feels like magic. However, I’ve found the touch-to-unlock feature to be about 85-90% reliable. Occasionally, there’s a slight delay as it waits to connect to my phone’s Bluetooth, and I’ll have to touch it a second time. It’s good, but not as instantaneous or foolproof as a keypad. Touch-to-lock, however, is flawless.
The 4 Ways to Unlock: Flexibility Is Key
Beyond the touch feature, the Level Lock Touch gives you multiple ways to operate your door, which is crucial for a family home.
- With Your Phone (The App): The Level Home app is clean, simple, and allows you to lock/unlock remotely (if you have a compatible hub), share access with others, and view activity history.
- With Your Voice: This is a critical point. Out of the box, the Level Lock is Bluetooth-only. To enable voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or for true remote access when you’re away from home, you must pair it with a compatible smart home hub. This includes Apple HomeKit (via an Apple TV or HomePod), a Ring Alarm Pro system, or a Sidewalk-enabled Echo device.
- With Key Cards (NFC): The lock comes with two hotel-style NFC key cards. You can program these and give them to kids, dog walkers, or contractors. They simply tap the card on the lock housing to unlock it. This is a fantastic feature that avoids the need for them to have an app.
- With a Regular Key: At the end of the day, it’s still a standard deadbolt. It comes with two physical keys, providing an essential analog backup if the battery dies or the tech fails.
What’s Missing? The Keypad Conundrum
This brings us to the biggest trade-off of the Level Lock’s minimalist design: there is no built-in keypad.
A Personal Case Study: For the first few months, I loved the sleek look of the Level Lock on my door. But a real-world scenario quickly highlighted the limitation. I went for a run and decided to leave my phone and keys at home to travel light. When I got back, I was standing on my porch, sweaty and tired, with no way to get in. I couldn’t use the app (no phone), I couldn’t use touch-to-unlock (no phone), and I didn’t have my key card or physical key.
The Pro Solution: The Level Keypad. Level recognized this and now sells a separate, wireless keypad that you can mount near your door. I purchased and installed one, and it completely solved the problem. The keypad is slim, well-designed, and pairs perfectly with the lock.
My Verdict on This: The separate keypad is an elegant solution, but it is an extra expense (around $79) and it does compromise the “invisible” aesthetic. For me, the practical need for a reliable, phone-free entry method for myself and my family outweighed the desire for pure minimalism. I now consider the keypad an essential part of the Level Lock system.
Other Key Considerations
- Battery Life: The lock is powered by a single CR2 battery hidden inside the deadbolt itself. In my testing, I’ve consistently gotten about 8-10 months of battery life with regular use, which is quite good.
- Installation: Installation is incredibly simple and is one of Level’s biggest strengths. If you’ve ever replaced a deadbolt before, you can install a Level Lock in under 10 minutes with just a screwdriver.
- HomeKit Performance: The Level Lock is one of the best Apple HomeKit-certified smart locks available. Its response time when controlled via the Home app or Siri is nearly instantaneous.
Final Verdict: Is the Level Lock Touch Edition Right for You?
The Level Lock Touch Edition is a brilliant piece of engineering and a triumph of industrial design. It solves the biggest aesthetic problem that has plagued the smart lock industry for a decade.
I recommend the Level Lock Touch Edition IF:
- Design and aesthetics are your absolute top priority.
- You are a dedicated Apple HomeKit user.
- You are comfortable with the idea of purchasing the separate keypad for true phone-free access.
I would recommend a different lock (like the Schlage Encode or Yale Assure) IF:
- You want an all-in-one solution with a built-in keypad at a lower total cost.
- You are not concerned with maintaining a traditional look on your front door.
For me, the combination of the invisible lock and the slim, wireless keypad represents the best of both worlds: elegant design when you want it, and practical, reliable access when you need it. It’s a premium product with a premium price, but for those who refuse to compromise on design, the Level Lock Touch Edition is in a class of its own.
