When we reviewed the Poly-Control Danalock V2 BT it earned high marks for its stylish looks, quick response, and easy installation.
The new Danalock V3 BTZU ($199.99) is also very easy to install and responds quickly to open and close commands.
This time around it sports a more compact design and an updated app, but there were a few minor issues with the Twist Assist feature and the app wouldn't link to my Nest account.
And although the lock has Bluetooth and Z-Wave radios, it lacks some of the features you get with our Editors' Choice for smart locks, the August SmartLock Pro + Connect.
Design and Features
The Danalock V3 sports a totally different look than previous Danalock models.
Whereas the Danalock V2 has a round puck shape and measures 3.1 by 1.9 inches (HD), the new lock is cylindrical and measures 2.3 by 2.9 inches (HD).
It has a silver anodized aluminum finish and can be manually locked and unlocked using the thumb turn.
An LED indicator at the top of the thumb turn glows red when being locked and green when being unlocked.
There's a removable panel on the bottom of the cylinder that conceals four CR123 batteries that will power the lock for up to 9,000 cycles before they need to be replaced.
The Danalock V3 BTZU uses Bluetooth to communicate with your mobile device, which means you have to be within Bluetooth range (around 40 feet) to control the lock with your phone.
It also has a Z-Wave radio that lets you incorporate it into any number of Z-Wave home automation hubs including the SmartThings and Wink 2 hubs.
The lock doesn't have a Wi-Fi radio, but you can configure a Wi-Fi bridge to control it remotely.
However, there are a few caveats: You have to supply your own bridge hardware (an old phone or tablet) and leave it plugged in and running, with the Danabridge app open, in an always-on state, somewhere near both the lock and your Wi-Fi router.
Poly-Control also sells an Apple HomeKit version of the lock, as well as a Zigbee version, but it doesn't offer an all-in-one version that combines Z-Wave, Zigbee, and HomeKit compatibility.
No matter which version you get, the lock comes with three mounting plates and three tailpiece adapters for compatibility with most popular lock cylinders, a mounting guide, a tailpiece, four CR123 batteries, and assorted screws and bolts.
The Danalock V3 uses a redesigned mobile app for Android and iOS.
This latest version eschews the colorful settings screen used in the past and instead takes a minimalist approach.
The app opens to a screen with a simple thumbscrew icon for each installed lock.
The thumbscrew is green when the lock is opened (unlocked) and red when it's closed (locked).
Simply tap the icon to lock or unlock the door.
When you're connected remotely (via Danabridge), the icon becomes a circle with two keyholes: Tap the red keyhole to lock the door and the green one to unlock it.
There are five buttons at the bottom of the screen labeled Settings, Add Device, Users, Log, and Menu.
In Settings you can enable double cylinder control (for European models), calibrate the lock, enable the Auto Unlock feature, which uses your phone's Bluetooth to unlock the door automatically whenever you are within range, and enable the Twist Assist feature, which helps with manual locking and unlocking (just turn the thumbscrew a few degrees and the motor will kick in and complete the cycle).
The Auto Lock settings let you designate a time (between five seconds and three minutes) before the door automatically locks itself.
Tap the Add Device button to add more locks to your account and the Users button to invite users and grant permanent or temporary access to the lock.
Here you can also view a list of invited users and edit their access level.
The Log is where you go to view a list of all lock events including the name of the user, the time and date, and the type of event (lock, unlock, settings).
The Menu button takes you to a screen where you can configure the lock for use with Nest devices and Logitech's Harmony Hub, register it with Airbnb, and add it to a Z-Wave network.
Missing are the push alerts that you get with the August SmartLock Pro + Connect.
The lock has its own IFTTT channel that allows it to work with other IFTTT-enabled devices such as smart switches and smart lights, but the Danabridge must be up and running to do so.
You don't get native support for Alexa voice commands like you do with the August SmartLock Pro, but you can create an IFTTT applet to trigger the lock with a phrase.
You can't directly tell Alexa to "unlock the front door;" instead you have to tell Alexa to "trigger" a lock or unlock action.
Installation and Performance
As with other smart locks such as the Friday Lock and the August SmartLock Pro, the Danalock V3 uses your existing lock's cylinder, tailpiece, and strike bolt, and is very easy to install.
I removed the interior escutcheon from my old Kwikset lock, selected the proper tailpiece adapter, and inserted it into the slot on the back of the Danalock.
I installed the correct mounting plate for my Kwikset deadbolt, attached the Danalock to the plate, and twisted it to the right until it clicked into place.
Once the lock was attached to the door I downloaded the iOS app, created an account, and tapped the Add Device button at the bottom of the screen.
Following the in-app instructions, I stood in front of the door and selected the lock from the list of available devices.
I gave the lock a name, calibrated it, enabled the Auto Unlock, Auto Lock, and Twist Assist features, and was done.
The Danalock V3 responded quickly to my app commands to lock and unlock the door and the Auto Unlock feature worked wonderfully, unlocking the door whenever I came back into Bluetooth range.
I created an IFTTT applet to have a WeMo Mini switch turn on whenever the door was unlocked and it worked like a charm.
I also created an IFTTT applet to have the door lock and unlock using an Alexa phrase, and it too worked flawlessly.
However, I kept getting an error message whenever I tried to link the lock to my Nest account, which according to a spokesperson, was due to an issue on the Danalock servers.
I also had trouble linking the lock to the Danabridge and was told by a spokesperson that there was a server issue.
Once the issue was resolved I was able to pair the lock to the bridge.
Lastly, the Twist Assist feature stopped working during testing, but once I recalibrated the lock, disabled the feature and re-enabled it, it worked fine.
Conclusions
The Danalock V3 BTZU is one of the better-looking smart locks we've seen, and since it uses most of your existing deadbolt assembly, it's very easy to install.
It uses Bluetooth and Z-Wave wireless technology to communicate with your phone and with a Z-Wave hub, but if you want to add it to your HomeKit or Zigbee automation platform, make sure you buy a version that supports your preferred wireless protocol.
The lock always opened and closed when commanded to do so with the app, and the Auto Unlock feature worked as advertised, but Twist Assist was problematic and the lock wouldn't pair with my Nest account.
Although the lock supports IFTTT and Alexa voice commands, you'll have to configure a bridge and jump through a few hoops to get them to work.
For a smart lock that offers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Z-Wave connectivity, as well as native support for Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant voice commands, the August Smartlock Pro + Connect is your best bet and remains our Editors' Choice.
