Ultion Nuki 2025 Review

Introduction

The best partnership in smart lock history continues with the Ultion Nuki 2025 smart lock.

Using Brisant Secure’s tough cylinder and custom door handle with the brilliant Nuki Smart Lock Pro, you get the best of both worlds: world-class security mixed with a smart lock that’s simple to control and compatible with a wide range of third-party systems.

Design and installation

• Two lock cylinder sizes
• Compatible with most UK Euro Cylinder doors

As with the previous versions of the Ultion Nuki smart lock, the Ultion Nuki Plus, this new addition is a partnership between two companies. Core to the security of your door is the Brisant Secure Ultion 3 Star Lock cylinder, which replaces your existing cylinder.

This is available in 30mm and 75mm sizes and is specially designed to be operated via a key on the outside and via the spindle on the inside, which connects to the smart lock. This cylinder comes with a £5000 guarantee for five years: if someone breaks into your house by snapping the Ultion lock, you’ll get the money. That shows the level of confidence that Brisant Secure has in its lock.

Also part of the kit are the door furniture that you’ll need. These include an inside handle and, if your door doesn’t have this, a pull. Both are solidly made and are specially designed so that the Nuki Smart Lock Pro clips into place.

It’s very easy to get everything fitted. I started by replacing my old cylinder with the new one, which took less than a couple of minutes with only one screw involved.

The handle was just as quick to fit, and has adjustable screw brackets so you should be able to install without needing any new holes.

Then, comes the Nuki Smart Lock Pro. This is the brand-new model, which contains an integrated, rechargeable battery. There’s a proprietary magnetic charging cable, with USB-C at the other end. This cable is easy to attach, but just make sure you don’t lose it. A standard USB-C input would have been easier, even if the connector wouldn’t look quite so nice.

The Nuki Smart Lock Pro is a radical redesign of the lock. While previous Nuki Locks were a bit boxy and much deeper, the new lock is a smarter-looking cylinder.

It still protrudes quite a way from the door, so it’s most likely suitable for inward opening doors. My office doors open outward, but I’ve cut a bit of trim off the inside of the second door so that the smart lock will fit; I’d rather have the best smart lock than a worse one that will fit without adjustment, such as the Yale Linus 2.

With the Ultion handle in place, the Nuki Smart Lock Pro needs to be lined up with the spindle, which inserts into the slot under the lock, and then it rotates until it clicks and locks into place. I did find it a bit tricky to get the lock to click into place, and it took a few goes until the latch locked into position.

For charging, the lock can then be easily removed, using the unlock button below it, and turned to be removed.

With Wi-Fi built-in, the door lock is easy to install via the Nuki app, and there’s even an automatic data migration taking settings from an old lock you might have installed, although this didn’t automatically transfer the keypad that I had installed.

Features and performance

• Responds fast
• Matter compatible
• Multiple lock and unlock options

With automatic calibration, the Ultion Nuki 2025 quickly works out where the door lock and unlock positions are. It takes a few seconds, and then the smart lock is ready to use via the app.

Thanks to Wi-Fi, the lock will work over your home network and the internet without the need for the bridge; to be fair, that was the case with the previous version of the smart lock.

The main difference is that the new version is far more responsive. With the older lock, a request to unlock could take a few seconds, but the new lock works almost instantly.

As well as using the lock via the Nuki app, the Ultion Nuki 2025 is also Matter compatible. Enabling Matter requires the lock to be within Bluetooth range, after which it will connect to the system of your choice and can then be locked and unlocked with a third-party system.

I connected my Ultion Nuki 2025 to Apple Home and was immediately impressed with how much faster it is to respond than the previous version. I’d occasionally get a bit of lag in the Apple Home app with the previous Ultion Nuki lock, where it would take a while to update the status, and a short while to respond to requests.

With the Ultion Nuki 2025 it always shows its exact status in the Home app, and unlocks (or locks) at the touch of a button. It’s so much more responsive, and the new lock removes one of my minor frustrations with the old lock.

Connecting the lock to multiple Matter systems is easy. I soon had my lock paired with Homey, which is a very powerful smart home system with the option of complicated automations.

I typically use my lock via Apple Home, because I can add the Ultion Nuki 2025 as a shortcut in Control Centre (Homey doesn’t have support for this at the moment), made available with a quick swipe down from the top of the screen.

That’s for everyday use, but relying on a phone for entry isn’t ideal, as they can run out of battery. It’s well worth buying the Nuki Fingerprint Keypad, which can be installed outside and gives entry via a fingerprint or PIN.

The only thing strange about this device is that it doesn’t have a ‘0’ key, so your PINs have to contain all other numbers. As well as permanent PINs, I could add limited guest access, too.

The keypad has another essential feature: the back button can be used to lock the door when you go out.

There is an option to automatically lock when the door shuts if you have the optional add-on sensor, or you can use Lock ‘n’ Go, which locks the door after a set period after the door is unlocked. The idea is that you unlock, step outside, close the door, and it locks.

However, my door requires the handle to be raised, so the auto options won’t work unless it’s raised. For that reason, I prefer the keypad, as I can lift the handle and press the lock button on my way out. Sensibly, the app warns you about doors that require the handle to be lifted.

I reused the Keypad that I had connected to the previous Ultion Nuki smart lock, but I couldn’t get it to go into pairing mode at first. In the end, I removed the keypad, took the batteries out, reinserted them and followed the instructions again.

With the Ultion Nuki 2025, I found the Keypad to be much more responsive. In the previous version, the lock could take up to 10 seconds to lock when I hit the back key; with the Nuki 2025, it locked almost instantly.

Having the Keypad is good, but there’s also the option for a Keyfob. That’s a really neat add-on for most people, as just a quick hit of the button will lock or unlock the door.

Should anything go wrong, then there’s still a manual key override from the front. This, in my mind, is essential, and I wouldn’t buy a smart lock that doesn’t have a manual key override.

Inside the app, the Ultion Nuki 2025 has several additional features. Auto unlock can unlock the door as you approach it, after you’ve been out. It might be useful for automated entry, but I prefer to manually lock and unlock, so that I know where I am.

Inside, there’s a button, which can be programmed with a click or double-click action. I tend to have the single click for the Intelligent option (it unlocks if locked, and locks if locked). The double-click option is handy for a different feature, say using Lock ‘n’ Go only on your way out.

I could also use the thumb turn inside to unlock the door, which is great in emergencies, such as if there’s a fire, so you can always open your door.

There’s also an option to set the lock and unlock speeds, going from the slow, quiet option to a turbo option. I’ve gone for slow, as I don’t need to lock or unlock in a hurry, but the default speed should be good for the majority.

Should you buy it?

FAQs