Hampton Products has been making durable weatherproof locks for over 30 years, so it comes as no surprise that its $299.99 Array By Hampton Connected Door Lock, which is made of brass, steel, zinc, and other alloys, looks and feels like it’s built to last. Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, this lock doesn’t require a hub and can be controlled with Alexa and Google voice commands or with your phone. It can also be unlocked using the hidden keypad or with traditional keys, and it has a unique solar charging panel. That said, it lacks the third-party integration you get with our Editors’ Choice winner, the $249.99 August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.
Hub-Free Connectivity and Solar Power
The Array By Hampton lock comes in two styles and a variety of finishes. The Cooper style sent to us for testing sports a modern look with rounded corners and smooth edges, while the Barrington style has crown molding edges. Both are available in Polished Chrome, Satin Nickel, or Tuscan Bronze finishes.
Whereas the August Smart Wi-Fi Lock uses most of your old hardware and only replaces the interior escutcheon, the Array is a complete lock set, which means you’ll be replacing all of your existing lock hardware. It comes with exterior and interior escutcheon components, a mounting plate and mounting screws, a deadbolt latch and strike assembly, two rechargeable lithium polymer battery packs, a fast charging cradle and USB power adapter, a pair of keys, and a detailed installation guide.
The metal-clad exterior escutcheon has a solid, durable feel. It measures 5.4 by 2.7 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and sports a round keyway on the bottom, just below a One-Touch lock button. The top half of the lock contains a panel that slides up to reveal a ten-button backlit keypad with metal buttons (0-9). The front of the sliding panel contains a solar panel that will charge the lock’s battery pack when it’s exposed to direct sunlight.
The interior escutcheon is also metal and measures 6.8 by 2.7 by 2.0 inches (HWD). It has a thumb turn knob on the bottom half, and the top has a removable panel that covers the battery pack and the antenna for the embedded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio. The rechargeable battery pack can receive power using the included charging cradle or with the solar panel.
You can lock and unlock the Array using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, but it doesn’t work with Siri voice commands or support Apple HomeKit, nor does it work with IFTTT applets that allow it to interact with third-party smart devices.
The lock uses the Array Solar mobile app for Android and iOS. The My Places screen contains buttons for all of your homes (if you have more than one), and a button for adding a new home. Tap your home button to view panels for all installed Array locks by their name and last event. Tapping a lock panel opens a screen with a large circular dial with unlocked and locked icons. When you tap the dial the lock opens, the screen’s background turns yellow, and the status (locked or unlocked) is displayed along with the current battery level. The dial will now point to the unlocked icon; tap it again to lock the lock, which turns the background blue and spins the dial to the locked icon.
At the bottom of the lock screen are buttons for Activity, Settings, and Keys. The Activity button opens a screen that displays all lock and unlock events and includes the method (user, automatic, manual), date, and time of the event. The Settings button is used to configure network settings and enable and configure the Auto-Lock feature with delay settings of 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. Here you can check the battery level, change the lock name, and enable a power saving mode that shuts down the keypad to prolong battery life. In this mode you can only operate the lock using traditional keys or E-Keys.
The Keys button takes you to a screen where you can create E-Keys and E-Codes. E-Keys are sent to users via email and allow the recipient to lock and unlock the Array using the mobile app. They can be scheduled to work all the time or only during specific hours and days. E-Codes have four to six digits that are used with the keypad. You can create full-time or one-time codes, or have codes expire at a certain time on a specific date.
Easy Installation and Operation
As with most smart locks, the Array is relatively easy to install. Since it’s a full lock assembly, I started by removing all components of my existing lock and followed the instructions in the Installation guide to install the deadbolt latch and strike assembly. Next, I fed the data cable through the bore hole, attached the exterior escutcheon to the mounting plate, attached the interior escutcheon, and used the keys to make sure the latch locked and unlocked smoothly.
With the lock physically installed, I downloaded the Array Solar app and created an account, tapped Add a Place on the My Places screen, created my home, and a new home icon was added. I then tapped my home icon and was prompted to add a lock. I followed the instructions to put the lock in pairing mode, which requires you to hold the A button down while installing the battery. I then held the button down until the lock emitted a long beep, performed the handing instructions, selected my home Wi-Fi SSID, and entered my Wi-Fi password. After 20 seconds, the lock was added to my network and I gave it a name. I was then prompted to enter my first PIN code, at which point the installation was complete.
The Array lock performed well in testing. The electronic deadbolt motor worked smoothly and was very quiet, and it responded instantly to keypad entries and app commands. It also responded quickly to Alexa voice commands to lock and unlock the door. E-Code and E-Key schedules were always adhered to, and the Auto-Lock feature worked as promised.
A Versatile Standalone Smart Lock
The Array By Hampton Connected Door Lock is a solid choice if you’re looking for a well-built smart lock you can control in a number ways. It uses a built-in Wi-Fi radio to connect to your home network, so you can lock and unlock your door with your phone or voice, and it has a hidden keypad and a traditional keyway. You can charge the removable battery pack with a cradle, or let the embedded solar panel do it for you. The lock worked well in testing, but it doesn’t interact with third-party smart devices such as lights, doorbells, and smart plugs. For that you’ll want to check out our Editors’ Choice winner, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock—you’ll save $50 and get a lock that supports Alexa, Google, and Siri voice commands, interacts with other smart devices via IFTTT applets, and works with HomeKit and other smart home automation platforms.
