The original Wyze Lock Bolt lowered the bar to entry for upgrading homeowners to add a suite of premium smart lock features to their front doors, offering a fingerprint reader and other remote controls for about $70. That enticing offer came with a catch, though: The lock only connected via Bluetooth, which meant you couldn’t open the door remotely via WiFi or connect it to many smart home systems. It was a fair compromise at that price, but still felt very limiting for a smart deadbolt.

Three and a half years later, Wyze has fixed that major flaw with the new and improved Lock Bolt V2. WiFi support allows you to lock and unlock your door from anywhere, get activity alerts on your phone, and set up temporary codes remotely. The fingerprint reader has been upgraded, too, along with a glass touch screen and a sleek new look. Best of all, the Lock Bolt V2 costs $80—just $10 more than the original—so it retains the Lock Bolt’s title as one of the most affordable ways to upgrade your locks.

The Lock Bolt V2 makes a good first impression before you even get it on the door. Everything inside the box is neatly organized and well-packaged, almost reminiscent of unboxing an Apple product.

If you’ve installed a deadbolt before, setting this one up should feel familiar. The Lock Bolt V2 is a full replacement, which means you’ll have to remove your existing lock and hardware and start fresh. I installed it in about 15 minutes with a Phillips-head screwdriver.

Pairing with the Wyze app was quick. It asks you to select your product from a list, then shows you instructions on how to pair your lock with the app. Once I selected the Lock Bolt V2, the app walked me through calibration, a firmware update, and setting up the lock. I already have a few Wyze products, so I didn’t have to go through the process of creating an account.

I did encounter one small hiccup, though. When I went to set up my fingerprint, the app didn’t show the process progressing on-screen, despite audible confirmation from the hardware. It worked, but I had a brief moment of wondering if anything was happening. Once I realized the fingerprint had been saved, everything else was smooth. Adding more fingerprints, setting up temporary codes, and inviting other users through the app are all straightforward. The fingerprint reader itself is accurate and fast, and it’s how I interact with the Lock Bolt V2 90 percent of the time.

The Lock Bolt V2 runs on eight AA batteries, which Wyze claims should power the lock for about eight months. (Don’t worry, there’s a pack of them in the box.) That said, if the batteries die, there’s a USB-C port on the underside of the exterior housing for emergency power. In a pinch, you can plug in a portable battery pack to power the lock so you can open, then lock the door. There’s also a keyhole below the fingerprint sensor with included backup keys, so you can get in the old-fashioned way if all else fails.

The best thing I can say about the Lock Bolt V2 is that it stays out of the way. I can walk up, press my finger to the reader, and the door unlocks. Wyze claims that the scanner works in about half a second and uses an artificial intelligence self-learning algorithm that adjusts to your fingerprint over time, accounting for variables like angle, pressure, and small changes in your skin. I live in Arizona, where cold and wet conditions are a rare occurrence, but I did hose the reader down to see what would happen. It worked without a problem.

While I prefer the raised rubber buttons on the Schlage Arrive for pure tactile feedback, the Lock Bolt V2’s glass touch screen gives it a premium look and feel. The numbers are spaced comfortably and are easy to see, and they illuminate when you touch the panel. Meanwhile, there’s an anti-peep feature that lets you hide your real code with random digits, so anyone watching can’t pick out the actual sequence. For instance, if my code is 9519, I can input 743395192346 and it will unlock without a problem.

And I didn’t expect a smart lock at this price to include a built-in tamper alarm. If someone repeatedly enters the wrong code or tries to force the bolt, the lock sounds an audible alert and sends a notification through the Wyze app. This is a real feather in Wyze’s cap: Even more expensive smart locks like the aforementioned Schlage Arrive don’t offer it.

The original Lock Bolt’s Bluetooth-only connection meant that your phone had to be relatively close to your lock to open it. With WiFi integration, the Lock Bolt V2 gives you the true smart lock experience, allowing you to control it at all times, no matter where you are.

The Wyze app shows real-time lock status and keeps a detailed activity log of every lock and unlock event, including the method used and the user. You can set auto-lock timers anywhere from instantly to 15 minutes, and schedule the lock to engage at a specific time each day. I set up a one-time access code to test guest sharing and it worked without a hitch. You can store up to 50 PINs and 50 fingerprints, and the app makes it easy to set up permanent, recurring, or one-time codes for guests.

The Lock Bolt V2 also supports Alexa and Google Home if you want voice control or to use it with smart home routines. What it doesn’t support is Apple Home Key, and after using the Schlage Encode Plus, I do miss being able to unlock the door with just my iPhone or Apple Watch. That said, the Encode Plus costs more than three times as much, so the trade-off makes sense at this price.

I love all of this lock’s features, but not all of them are perfectly thought out. For example, there’s no door-position sensor, so the auto-lock timer will engage the deadbolt, whether your door is closed or not. If you rush out of the house and forget to pull the door shut, the bolt will still lock, and the app will show you that everything is fine even though the door is not closed. Locks with a door sensor, like the Yale Assure Lock 2, will only auto-lock when they detect the door is shut. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

The Lock Bolt V2’s IP53 weather resistance rating is on the low end for a front door lock. It’s made to withstand light rain and dust, but I wouldn’t set it up on a front door that isn’t covered by a porch, awning, or storm door.

A BHMA Grade 2 security certification is solid for a residential lock, but isn’t the highest tier. Grade 1 locks, like the Schlage Encode, are built for heavier use and more rigorous physical security testing. For most front doors, though, Grade 2 is good enough.

Lastly, the Lock Bolt V2 only comes in matte black. It’s a relatively minor problem from a tech perspective, but locks like the Schlage Arrive come in multiple trims and finishes, giving you options to match your smart lock to the rest of your home’s door hardware. If black won’t be a good fit, you may need to go elsewhere.

The Wyze Lock Bolt V2 does what a good smart lock should do. It lets you in quickly, keeps a record of who comes and goes, and gives you remote control without requiring a second device or a subscription. The fact that it does all of this for just $80 makes it easy for even the most budget-conscious homeowners.

The fingerprint reader is the standout feature for me. There’s something about walking up to a door, pressing your thumb, and being inside in a few seconds that makes every other unlock method feel like a chore. I currently have it on a side door, but I’d be comfortable putting one on my front door as well.

I won’t deny that there are lots of premium smart locks out there that are worth the spend for a more robust feature set, support for other smart home ecosystems, and a higher security rating. But for the vast majority of people who just want a reliable, connected smart lock without spending $200 or more, the Lock Bolt V2 is hard to beat.

Buy the Wyze Lock Bolt V2