Andrew Liszewski, a longtime tech journalist, reports on a new budget-friendly smart lock from TP-Link. Launched today for $69.99, the Tapo DL100 Smart Deadbolt Door Lock joins the company's growing Tapo smart home lineup. Despite its affordable price, this lock is equipped with a wide array of features that make it a competitive option in the smart home market. The Tapo DL100 offers several convenient methods to unlock your door, including a numeric keypad, a physical key, the Tapo mobile app, and voice commands through popular smart assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. This versatility is a notable feature, especially given the lock's budget-friendly tag. Compared to the Wyze Lock Bolt, which we recently named the best budget smart lock in our buyer’s guide, the Tapo DL100 is about $10 cheaper. However, it lacks the fingerprint scanner offered by the Wyze option. On the plus side, the Tapo DL100 supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi out of the box, whereas the Wyze Lock Bolt requires pairing with a video doorbell to gain Wi-Fi capabilities. With Wi-Fi enabled, TP-Link estimates that the Tapo DL100 can function for up to seven months on a set of four AA batteries. If you switch to Bluetooth-only operation, the lock's battery life can extend to as long as 10 months. In case of unexpected battery depletion and lost keys, the lock can be temporarily powered via a USB-C port, ensuring you won't be locked out. Security is a top priority for the Tapo DL100, and it includes several advanced features to protect your home. One of these is pin masking, allowing you to enter your access code within a longer string of numbers to obscure your PIN and prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, the lock lets you create one-time codes for visitors or codes for service personnel that are only active during certain hours, adding another layer of control and security. The integration with TP-.Link's smart doorbell stands out as a particularly useful feature. This allows you to unlock the door directly from the mobile app while viewing a live feed of who is at your doorstep. The app also sends notifications whenever the door is locked or unlocked and maintains detailed logs, including actions taken by specific users, based on the codes they use. Moreover, the Tapo DL100 boasts an IP54 weather-resistant rating, making it durable enough to withstand rainstorms or accidental splashes from a garden hose. This resilience enhances its suitability for outdoor installation and ensures long-term reliability. In summary, the Tapo DL100 Smart Deadbolt Door Lock offers a robust set of features at an attractive price point, making it a strong contender for anyone in the market for a budget-friendly smart lock. Its integration with other smart home devices and reliable security measures, coupled with a longer battery life in Bluetooth mode, solidify its position as a practical and modern solution for securing your home.