This Bluetooth padlock lets you lock and unlock your stuff with just your smartphone

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NokeTech companies will put Bluetooth in anything. Headphones, speakers, watches, car kits, suitcases, basketballs — if it’s a thing people use, there’s a chance it can connect to your smartphone. Now, with the Internet of Things creeping further and further outward, it’s made its way into padlocks as well.

Does anyone need to pay $70 for the keyless, smartphone-operated Noke Padlock, when you can get a “dumb” one for less than $15? Probably not. It’s as niche as tech gets. But if you have the cash, you absolutely cannot stop losing your keys, and/or you find yourself in positions where you’d like to lock your stuff up but not be required to have a keychain jangling in your pocket (the gym, perhaps), there’s merit here.

If nothing else, the Noke — that’s “no key,” by the way — is well-made. It looks as inconspicuous as a regular steel padlock, which is a plus, it’s sturdy (if a bit heavy), and it’s weather- and water-resistant. Fuz Designs (the company behind the device) says its battery will last a year. Since it uses a common CR2032 coin battery, it isn’t hard to find a replacement. And if it dies while locked, you can access a clever opening on its bottom, temporarily power it up, and open it again.

Using the Noke is generally straightforward. It pairs with any Android phone, iPhone, or Windows Phone over Bluetooth 4.0, via the free Noke app. To unlock it, you press down the shackle on its top. If you’re signed into the app on a synced phone, the Noke will recognize said phone is nearby (at a distance you can adjust), turn its LED light green, and let you open it up. For extra security, you can make it so you have to confirm the unlock within the app before anything opens. Reviews from Wired and iLounge verify that, for the most part, all of this works reliably.

Alternatively, there’s the “quick click” feature Fuz prompts you to create upon setup. That uses a custom, Morse code-style series of taps and presses, and serves as a backup plan if you ever misplace your phone. Our own hands-on noted that this can be finicky at points, however. You can also buy a dedicated key fob for another $20, but at that point the cost may be a bit too prohibitive.

Since this is a smart device, the Noke app also lets you manage multiple locks, share unlocking privileges with others (either permanently or temporarily), and check the GPS location of a lock on the go. For a first-generation product, it’s fairly well thought out.

Now, it is a first-generation device, so it’s not totally polished. Aside from the occasional quick click issue, you also need to be sure the app isn’t suspended on your phone for anything to work, which can get annoying. And again, it’s not like traditional padlocks were all that broken. But if you’re determined to go keyless, the Noke is worth a shot.

Noke Padlock - Keyless Bluetooth Smart Padlock, $69.99, available at Amazon.