Matter or Original: which Locksure should I buy?
Both ranges do the same job. A small sensor sits beside the thumb turn or key you already have and reports whether the door is locked or unlocked. Neither has a motor, so neither can lock or unlock the door. The difference is how the sensor gets its answer to you.
The short answer
- Choose Original if you do not have a smart home hub, or you want a small display in the hall that shows the door at a glance without a phone. Everything you need is in the box.
- Choose Matter if you already use Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings or Home Assistant and you own one of the hubs on this list. The sensor appears in the home app you already open.
Side by side
| Original | Matter | |
|---|---|---|
| What is in the box | Monitor(s), Locksure Display Hub, USB cable, brackets, free app | Sensor(s), battery fitted, settings tool, pairing QR code, adhesive pads |
| Needs | Home Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) and a socket for the hub | One smart home hub with Matter and Thread (not included) |
| Where you see the state | Display Hub in the hall, Locksure app, Alexa skill | Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings or Home Assistant; Locksure app optional |
| Thumb Turn price | £89.99 Starter Pack (hub included) | £69.99 (hub not included) |
| Key Turn price (two sensors) | £99.99 Starter Pack (hub included) | £79.99 (hub not included) |
| Extra doors | Additional Monitor Packs, 10% off with a starter pack; we recommend up to two doors per hub unless they are close together | One sensor (or pair) per door, 10% off from the second |
| Door open or closed as well | Not available | Open/Close Magnet, £9.99 |
| History, sharing, left-home alerts | In the Locksure app | Needs the optional Locksure Matter Hub (£34.99) |
| Battery | A replaceable CR2032 coin cell, typically 18 months depending on use | |
| Subscription | None | |
| Fit | The same: euro cylinder, flat plate, barrel at least 1 mm proud. See Will it fit? | |
Choose Original if
- You have no HomePod, Nest Hub, Echo or similar, and do not want to buy one.
- You want a display in the hall for the last person to bed, with no app needed.
- You are setting it up for a parent who will not use a phone. The hub shows the door; you check from the app.
- You want the simplest possible setup: plug in the hub, add the door and join Wi-Fi from the app, done.
Choose Matter if
- You already own one of the hubs on the one smart home hub list and use its home app daily.
- You want the lock state next to your lights, heating and cameras in one app.
- You want automations: turn on the hall light when the door unlocks, announce on a speaker if it is unlocked at 11pm.
- You run Home Assistant and want the sensor local, with no Locksure cloud involved.
Two things people get wrong
The Matter sensors are not a cheaper Original. The lower price is because the hub is not in the box. If you do not already have a compatible smart home hub, the Original Starter Pack is the cheaper and simpler route, because it brings its own.
The two ranges do not mix. An Original monitor talks to the Original Display Hub. A Matter sensor talks to your smart home hub, and optionally to the Locksure Matter Hub. You cannot add a Matter sensor to an Original hub, or an Original monitor to a Matter Hub. If you have one range already and want another door, stay in the same range.
Still unsure?
Tell us which home app you use (if any) and send a photo of your lock through the Ask Locksure form. We will say which range and which version fits.
Can I use the Locksure app with the Matter sensors?
Yes. On iPhone the app pairs the sensor through Apple Home and reads it from there; on Android you pair the sensor in Google Home first, then finish in the Locksure app. For history beyond the last few dozen events, left-home alerts and sharing a door with someone on a different smart home account, you also need the Locksure Matter Hub.
Does Matter work with Alexa?
Yes, through an Echo that is a Matter hub with Thread, such as an Echo (4th gen) or Echo Show 8 (3rd gen). An Echo Dot or Echo Pop on its own is not enough. The Original range reaches Alexa differently, through the Locksure Alexa skill.
Can I start with Original and move to Matter later?
Yes, but it means new sensors. The ranges use different radios, so an Original monitor cannot be re-paired to a Matter hub. Most people pick one range and stay with it.
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