Aqara U50 Smart Lock Review (2025): Affordable price to the hub

Aqara’s latest lock, The U50 was in my main entrance for most of the three months. I almost forgot about it because it was smoothed into family life just before the holiday season. My family learned new codes, but none of us needed them despite me handing out the two keys that were included.

The most affordable rock I’ve tested it. However, it comes with all the features you need with a smart lock. It has an automatic locking lock after a certain period of time and the ability to generate multiple entry codes, allowing you to see if the door is open or closed without adding additional accessories or sensors. There’s not even a sneaky subscription fee you can find at some smart homes and security companies.

I really like this rock. But you’ll want to get AQA M3 Hub ($110) To access all the features, the hub price tag almost doubles the cost of purchasing a lock. However, if you can get it without the need for Wi-Fi access (i.e., you don’t have smart home integration and you don’t remotely check the locked status of your doors), this affordable lock is a great purchase.

Slim Formation

Photo: Nena Farrell

The U50 has a minimalist design, with a simple, modern look keypad on the exterior panel and a sophisticated deadbolt on the interior panel. I like the big sans serif font Aqara on the keypad has, and there are two buttons after zero. You will need an Away Mode button that can be configured in the Aqara app, and an Enter/Lock button that requires you to relock the door after entering the door code or after yourself. The keypad needs to be tapped to wake up before entering the code, which is not difficult, but rather had to intentionally press the button to wake up rather than lightly tapping somewhere on the keypad.

There is also a large area under the keypad, which is actually a hidden keyhole. Covered with a panel that slides down to reveal the keyhole. The sliding cover is clicked to open in place so you don’t have to worry about keeping the key open when using it. If the lock picker is worried, it’s not clear just by looking at the locks sliding on the panel, so it’s a great security feature. You can also rekey a professional locksmith.

Photo: Nena Farrell