A smart lock that isn’t a lock at all is on display at CES 2021

This story is part of CES, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets of the entirely virtual CES 2021.

At CES last year, we saw the Level Lock, an “invisible” smart lock that replaced the deadbolt of your existing door hardware. At CES 2021, a new approach to making an unseen smart lock is on display at the virtual show.

The Den SmartStrike makes your existing lock smart by changing not the deadbolt, but the strike plate on the door frame. The Den SmartStrike communicates through BLE, Zigbee, Wi-Fi or Z-Wave to your iOS or Android mobile devices for remote access to your door. The company says it will also integrate with popular smart home platforms. 

With the Den SmartStrike installed in your doorframe, your regular deadbolt is housed inside a smart strike plate that unlocks via app. The company’s demo video shows the deadbolt’s installation and control of a regular lock.

The idea, as with the Level Lock, is that your door can join your smart home without advertising it to the outside world or your needing to change the look of your hardware. 

Den Smart Home says the Den SmartStrike will cost $229. That’s comparable to other smart locks from major brands like Yale, Kwikset and August. The invisible Level Lock that debuted last year costs also costs $229, but only works with HomeKit. The SmartStrike from Den Smart Home could launch as soon as the third quarter of this year in the US, with a global expansion slated for 2022. 

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