WELOCK U71 Review — when tradition and technology come together

Smart locks are an asset for different types of people, allowing you to grant or restrict access to a given space using a variety of methods.

However, with traditional keys falling out of fashion, there are still those who prefer this method to share a key with a relative or friend who is more reluctant about new technology — and this is exactly where the WELOCK U71 steps in to please everyone.

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Although it is a smart lock with fingerprint, numeric code, NFC tags, and app connectivity, the WELOCK U71 still lets you keep using a normal key to lock and unlock a door, keeping all users happy.

First steps with the WELOCK U71

Before going ahead and buying a smart lock like the WELOCK U71, you need to make sure the door where you intend to install the lock is compatible.

Although the lock is compatible with the vast majority of cylinders, there are some that do not allow installation without making some adjustments to the door, so it is important to carefully check the measurements and the installation location.

In addition, you should make sure you will not have problems with the door handle or with the material the WELOCK U71 is being installed on, to avoid anything bumping into it, since it takes up slightly more space than a traditional lock.

After that, you simply install the WeLock app to set everything up, add users and distinct keys, and choose the access methods best suited to each person.

WeLock app

The WeLock app is, as we have mentioned before in other reviews of the brand’s locks, a mixed bag.

The initial connection to the lock is quick and simple, something that never gave us any setup trouble on any model, and the same goes for the WELOCK U71. Following the on-screen steps, it is a setup that is impossible to get wrong.

It is after that setup that we get a more confusing and dated panel that needed some improvements to become more reliable and intuitive.

Although we can configure all the different types of digital access (pin, fingerprints, and NFC tags) manually on the lock, the app supposedly also allows it and should make it simpler. In our case, we always ended up doing everything on the lock, because the app does not always register new users, does not let you configure some things on the first try, and we constantly think everything is fine when in fact nothing happened.

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However, once all the permissions are set on the WELOCK U71, the app interprets each of the configurations made quite well.

4 ways to lock and unlock the WELOCK U71

The WELOCK U71 offers 4 distinct ways to be locked/unlocked: numeric code, fingerprint, NFC tags (3 included in the box), and a normal lock key (2 included in the box).

This way, each user can choose the method that suits them best, and the administrator can easily create and delete new users or new access codes for each person.

This way, as well as being able to control who opened or closed the WELOCK U71 and when, you can also grant access to the space in question without having to hand over a copy of the key or worry about losing one of the access methods and someone else being able to enter the space.

Each user can be permanent or temporary and, this way, you can grant access only for the strictly necessary time automatically (all through the app).

As for the fingerprint sensor, the model is quite reminiscent of the ToucA51 lock we have already reviewed here, and it works equally well. Every time we tried to use the WELOCK U71, 99.99% of the time the reading was successful, only failing when our hands were wetter or when we did, in fact, place the finger slightly wrong for the reading.

The tags and numeric codes have no way of being fooled or failing — you just bring the tag close to the lock or enter the correct code, respectively, and the green light comes on to confirm the operation was successful.

Análise WELOCK ToucA51 + WiFi Box – um código, um dedo ou a Internet para entrar em casa

When we use the traditional keys — which here replace the external power input found on other models for when the batteries run out — there is no indication from the lock as to whether it is locked or unlocked; we only hear and feel the cylinder making that movement, like any other normal lock.

This opening method is quite traditional and functional, with little room for failure. However, if the batteries (3 AAA batteries) run out of power, we have no other way to power the lock to unlock it — we really will have to resort to the keys, which, for safety, should be kept somewhere outside the space in question.

Battery life of up to 10 months (or much more)

Powered by 3 AAA batteries, the company guarantees battery life that can reach 10 months of use with the WELOCK U71.

We did not have as much time to test the lock and confirm that figure, but based on other models we have tested and continue to use day to day, we can guarantee the lock lasts the 10 months without problems and even longer than that.

This figure will always depend on how the lock is used and the most-used methods for locking/unlocking the WELOCK U71, with the only one that uses no power at all being the physical key.

As mentioned, this is a model that does not offer the option of connecting a power bank or something similar to power the lock and allow access in the event of battery failure, as happens on other models — a copy of the physical keys really is necessary.

Extra security, suitable for all ages

By offering all the convenience of a smart lock without removing the practicality of the traditional method, the WELOCK U71 is one of those locks we can say suits all ages.

Those who do not get on so well with technology can keep using a normal key without any problem — simply lifting the small rubber flap on the front of the lock and using it like any other traditional lock. For the more tech-savvy, however, there are 3 other interaction options that can be distributed and configured to each person’s taste and time.

This is a good way to grant access to different people, at various times, and only for the strictly necessary period.

The fingerprint is one of the fastest and most intuitive methods and always works well, with a quick reading and confirmation via a green or red light depending on whether the reading was successful or not.

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The pin is another foolproof method (as long as we do not get the numbers wrong) and is the easiest way to share access with other people, since the WELOCK U71 can store different codes for different periods of time.

The NFC tags, meanwhile, are handy to carry anywhere without needing to walk around with a whole set of keys all on the same keyring.

The app also lets you lock or unlock the WELOCK U71, and it is also possible to configure it to be connected to the Wi-Fi Box so that it can interact with virtual assistants such as Alexa or Gemini.

This model can be used both indoors and outdoors as, besides having quite generous battery life that should easily exceed 10 months of use, it also has IP65 certification to withstand any season of the year.

With a quick, simple setup and an elegant look, with a metal handle on the inside, the WELOCK U71 can be used in different spaces without any problem and without seeming to be a complex device — although, on the inside, it has far more than meets the eye.

The WELOCK U71 can be purchased at an RRP of €199, or €298 if bought together with the Wi-Fi Box.

We thank WELOCK for providing the WELOCK U71 for review.

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