One of the challenges when raising children is keeping them away from danger, and out of certain drawers and kitchen cabinets. Because some of these spaces contain sharp objects or dangerous cleaning materials which you don’t want to expose your children to. There are different types of child safety child locks but these are either expensive, require drilling in the front of the cabinet or don’t work that well at all. Therefore we were happy to find the Yeelock Smart Lock, a Bluetooth lock from Xiaomi Youpin. This lock is controlled from the Yeelock app and has more features than just opening and closing the lock from the app. So another cool gadget you don’t have to justify buying because it is for the safety of your kids. And what makes it even better: it will cost you less than $15.
Contents
Specifications
The specifications as found on Banggood:
- Material: ABS + PC
- Brand: YEELOCK
- Wireless Connection: bluetooth 4.0
- Unlock Distance: ≤10m
- Unlock Speed: 1~2s
- Power Supply: 2 x AAA Battery
- System Support: iOS & Android
- APP Language: English, Chinese
Expectations
An app controlled lock for drawers and cabinets like the Yeelock Smart Lock sounds like a great idea. Whether it is actually great depends on the details, especially on how quick and easy the app manages to control the device. The lock also needs to be high quality to be strong enough to prevent the drawer or cabinet from being forcefully opened. But since it is a Xiaomi product, we expect these aspects to be more than sufficient.
Packaging
The Yeelock Smart Lock comes in a tiny retail branded white box.
What’s in the box
The following can be found in the box of the Yeelock Smart Lock:
- Lock body (with installed 2 x AAA batteries)
- Lock catch
- Catch plate (for double open cabinets)
- Four 3M adhesive pads
- Mounting screws (4 x long, 2 x short)
- Manual in English and Chinese with Key QR code
Contents of the box 
AAA batteries are already pre-installed in the body
Features
The following features are stated on Banggood:
- Phone Replaces Key, One Click To Open
- Care About Baby’s Safety
- Protect File Privacy, Keyless Convenience
- Ultra Low Power Consumption, Long Lasting Time
- Hidden Installation, Won’t Affect Appearance
- Applicable to Sorts of Cabinets
- Minimalist Design, Pure White & Delicate
Build Quality & Design
The design of the Yeelock is plain and simple, which you can expect from a Xiaomi product. But that does not matter that much, especially if you consider that you are not going to see it that often after you installed it. The lock body and lock catch are made of PC plastics, and the internals are made of ABS steel. All together it is not the most industrial grade lock, but the quality is more than sufficient to keep toddlers out of your drawers and cabinets.
Power consumption
It all is powered with two AAA batteries (included). The power consumption is marketed as ultra-low but we do not have the means to test these claims. What is more important than the exact power consumption are the options for the lock when it almost runs out of power: next to a battery indication in the app, you can set the lock to unlock when it almost runs out of juice. So you can still access your drawer or cabinet.
Usability
Installation of the Yeelock Smart Lock
Installing can be done in two ways: either by using the included screws or the 3M adhesive pads. I did not want to damage my furniture so I chose for the latter. Sticking them on the lock and attaching the device to the cabinet and door was a piece of cake. However getting them in the right spot can take some time. Luckily the manual includes a short instruction and a QR code linked to an instruction video. There is also a catch plate included for double cabinets. Important tip: only test lock the door AFTER you have successfully connected to the device.
Installation of the body is easy with the 3M tape 
The latch can be installed in two ways.
The Yeelock App
When I searched for the app in the Apple App Store, I saw a bunch of Chinese signs instead of the expected name ‘Yeelock’. After installing the app luckily turned out to be in English (with the exception of some of the warnings). The biggest drawback then revealed itself: in order to operate the Yeelock Smart Lock, you need an account. And that is not all: the login of this account is your phone number. So no burner email addresses, but your actual phone number on which you receive a confirmation code via SMS. But after giving up your privacy you are ready to go.
App in the app store. Luckily most of the App is in English 
Looks like you are ready to go… 
Nope, you first need to register.
After login you need to add the Device Key, which is a QR code located in the manual. After adding the key in your app, you can scan via Bluetooth for Yeelock devices. You then connect to the device and are able to unlock it by pressing the Unlock key.
Scan the QR code in the manual for the Key 
After that select the device you want to add.
Basic operations
Unlocking will let the Yeelock Smart Lock shortly beep and unlock the device for a couple of seconds. After that the Yeelock is automatically locked again. During this you will get status messages in the app about the connecting, locking and battery capacity. It will take less then two seconds to connect and unlock the device. In the app the number of unlocks is shown and also the last time the device is unlocked.
Press the blue button to unlock the Yeelock 
During unlock and lock the app shows status messages like the device battery level.
Advanced settings of the Yeelock
There are some more options to control the Yeelock Smart Lock. You can disable the auto-close of the lock, so after unlocking you need to lock it back manually. There is also an option to let the lock unlock automatically when low power is detected. This will save you from breaking the cabinet door when the batteries run out of power. You can also authorize other phones to control the device. But then they need the same app and an own account.
Advanced settings on the Yeelock 
Sharing access to the Yeelock
Home automation compatibility
There is no integration yet for the Yeelight Smart Lock in Home Assistant and Domoticz, but it seems like the Home Assistant community is working on it so that should be a matter of time.
A big missed opportunity is that the device currently cannot be added to the Mi Home app. Although it is a Xiaomi branded product, it is currently only supported by the Yeelock app.
pro / cons
pros
- Innovative solution
- Attractive price
- Lock is well hidden
cons
- Takes some time to getting used to unlocking
- Using the app requires an account with your phone number.
- No Mi Home app support yet
Verdict on the Yeelock Smart Lock
The Yeelock Smart Lock is a well designed and well working lock. It won’t keep out everyone out of your locked drawers and cabinet but it surely will prevent toddlers and small children from getting into drawers that they are not allowed to access. Although the app is intuitive it takes some time getting used to opening a cabinet with an app, especially when you need to open it several times a day. At the end it is the best smart lock you can get, especially taking into account the price. It has easy installation with either the screws or 3M adhesive pads and after the installation no one will know the Yeelock Smart Lock is even there. The biggest flaw is that it requires an account, which requires your phone number.
Where to buy?
Review
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Design
(4.5)
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Quality
(4)
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Usability
(4)
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Price
(5)
