Kwikset Kevo Contemporary: Upscale Touch to Open Smart Lock

The Kwikset Kevo Contemporary is an upscale smart lock that is part of the Kevo family. This beautiful looking smart deadbolt allows you to to touch to open so that you don’t need to use codes or your phone to open the door. Just approach with your phone in your pocket, touch the lock and it will unlock. When you leave, touch it again to lock. It’s super simple and the new modern design looks great.

You can DIY install the Kevo Contemporary smart lock in just a few minutes by replacing your old deadbolt. You remove the old deadbolt and install the new Kevo Contemporary in it’s place. The best part about a smart home upgrade like this is that the skill required is very minimal so most home owners can install this in under 30 minutes.

In addition to the Touch to Open feature, you get notifications when the lock is locked or unlocked and you can share keys to others with limitations so that a dog walker can get in at a specific time or so you can allow a neighbor in to check on something if you are traveling and are worried about your house. We’ve used similar features to let a neighbor in when we were running late to get home.

Connect the Kevo Contemporary to smart home devices for an even broader smart home experience.  This includes using Alexa for controls as well as many other smart devices and connections into existing smart home systems to trigger actions when the door is locked or unlocked.

• Nest Learning Thermostat: Trigger home temperature adjustments and energy savings with Nest Learning Thermostat by locking or unlocking Kevo
• Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Wi-Fi Thermostats: Seamlessly connect Kevo to compatible Honeywell thermostats to enable greater energy saving potential with each lock or unlock of Kevo
  
• Ring Video Doorbell: Sync Ring and Kevo to see and speak with guests at the front door via the Ring app, then unlock Kevo, all from a smartphone
• SkyBell HD Doorbell: Kevo is the first smart lock to directly integrate with SkyBell, allowing homeowners to unlock the door for guests direct from the SkyBell app
• Kevo Smart Home Skill for Alexa: Ask Alexa if the door is locked, and lock the door if it’s not when you have compatible Kevo and Alexa-enabled devices; requires Kevo Plus
• IFTTT: Available applets on IFTTT that trigger actions with other smart home devices in the home upon locking or unlocking Kevo
• Apple Watch: Receive notifications when Kevo is locked or unlocked directly to a paired Apple Watch
• Android Wear: Leave your phone at home, and lock or unlock Kevo directly from an untethered Android Wear device, like the Moto360 smart watch

The Kevo Contemporary smart lock is available in 2018 in Satin Nickel, Venetian Bronze, Iron Black and Polished Chrome. The touch to open smart lock retails for $229 and will be available at a number of retailers who sell Kwikset products. You can check out our Kwikset Premis review to learn more about our experience with Kwikset smart locks.