Lockly Smart Safe review: Convenience with some quirks

Home safes have gained technology over the years by adding fingerprint sensors and touchscreens, but connectivity like Wi-Fi has been slower to gain adoption.

The primary reason is that solid metal enclosures are enemy number one for strong wireless connections. Additionally, safes aren't typically stored in convenient places next to electric outlets, so power is more limited by batteries.

Adding mobile app connectivity isn't easy, but Lockly's Smart Safe does an admirable job keeping valuables safe for a $349.99 retail price while making it easy to open from more places.

Lockly Smart Safe - specs

The Lockly Smart Safe is rife with features. For such a compact enclosure, it oozes flexibility to protect valuables in any way someone needs.

Beyond personal needs, you could use it for business to create unique codes from the app to give to house guests if you're running an Airbnb.

The Smart Safe also features the company's patented PIN Genie touchscreen, which can shuffle the numbers randomly to prevent fingerprints from hinting at the number locations.

The 3D biometric fingerprint sensor on the safe can store up to 99 fingerprints and can't be tricked by a photo of a fingerprint.

Two keys are included in the box if you prefer a more traditional unlock method. The safe also has a C Grade lock cylinder to help avoid lock-picking.

For people worried about getting locked out of their high-tech safe, offline access codes can be generated. Plus, if the batteries die, a 5V battery can temporarily revive it.

Lockly Smart Safe - setup

The setup process wasn't difficult, but it did contain a fair amount of steps, mostly because of the multiple unlock methods and the separate Wi-Fi module that needed to be connected.

We didn't run into any problems during the initial configuration, from unboxing to getting the safe connected to its app, but it took us at least 30 minutes. It might take longer for less technical people, but the steps are straightforward.

The safe came with four AA batteries, and those slotted inside easily. After the safe powered up, we used the Lockly app to connect it to our iPhone.

The app also guided us through connecting the Wi-Fi module, which paired itself much faster than we expected. We needed to get creative for the safe's location within range of an electrical outlet, but it worked as advertised.

We liked how the safe's lid popped open automatically when it was unlocked. Be aware that the lid can't close automatically, however. If you were to remotely open the safe, it would remain open until you could manually close it again.

Lockly Smart Safe - downsides

Overall, the Lockly Smart Safe is a compelling product to secure smaller items. Its digital experience, however, wasn't without some minor annoyances.

We had no problems with the safe's hardware but found the software hard to navigate — specifically the iOS app we used.

One example of an annoyance was only seeing the activity log for one week at a time initially until you select more days. But then it would revert to only showing the last week again.

A more concerning issue was that notifications wouldn't show up consistently or timely. After multiple times of not getting an alert that the safe was opened when testing it, we toggled the notifications on and off both in the app and at the system level.

This seemed to help. There was also an app update that happened around the same time that could have addressed the issue. Either way, it was a noticeable problem but resolved as our testing progressed.

Additionally, the Lockly app layout was confusing. Its visual aesthetic was far from elegant, and not all the functions were identifiable.

"Bluetooth Audio" is a setting listed inside the app settings, but it wasn't clear what turning on or off the audio did — even after turning it on and off — without heading to the web to investigate.

We've seen similar utilitarian app designs from companies like Schlage. This doesn't make it excusable, but Lockly is far from the only company with a basic type of app.

While the hardware may be technically impressive, customers potentially interact with the software on a daily basis. It should be better. Lockly's mobile iOS app needs more development resources devoted to it.

Can Lockly Smart Safe protect your valuables?

We've tried several smart safes over the last few years, and the market remains limited.

In that context, the Lockly Smart Safe does a fine job of being more convenient than a traditional analog safe. Even for its $350 retail price, it offers enough features to feel robust for people looking to store documents, medicine, or a firearm.

Its fingerprint sensor performed well, the touchpad functioned as intended, and the wireless connectivity operated quickly nearly every time in ideal conditions.

Its app could use a lot of polish, and using the separate Wi-Fi module felt slightly limiting.

We think being able to see a log of activity on our phone is critical, and potentially remotely opening the safe could be extremely helpful in certain circumstances.

Lockly Smart Safe - Pros

• Multiple ways to open the safe
• iPhone app opened safe quickly
• Multiple ways to secure the safe to a certain location

Lockly Smart Safe - Cons

• iPhone notifications were hit or miss
• Overall small capacity
• Wi-Fi connection requires separate module and electrical outlet close

Rating: 3 out of 5

Where to buy the Lockly smart safe

The Lockly Smart Safe is available for purchase at Lockly for $349.99.