Moving beyond its core competencies in door security, lock maker Yale has debuted a new Smart Storage line with products designed to expand the company’s overall home security footprint. This includes the launch of the Yale Smart Delivery Box and Yale Smart Cabinet Lock, products designed to bring security to doorstep parcel delivery and cabinet doors/drawers, respectively.
Tech Behind the Scene From August
Interestingly, these new Yale products heavily rely upon technology its parent company—Assa Abloy—inherited when it acquired smart lock maker August Home. This includes the Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge—which is essentially a rebranded version of the August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge used with August and some Yale smart door locks—as well as the Yale Access app, a rebrand of the August app. Furthermore, the new products can be optionally fitted with the Yale Smart Keypad, a rebrand of the August Smart Keypad. And while we have not tested them yet, we expect the new Yale Smart Storage products will also be accessible from the August app.
The August-sourced tech also brings integration with Apple HomeKit and Siri, as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility to the new Yale Smart Storage offerings.
Yale Smart Delivery Box
Resembling a footlocker or cooler, the Yale Smart Delivery Box is an injection-molded, weather-resistant plastic box outfitted with smart locking technology, designed to provide secure drop-off of multiple small- to medium-sized packages from delivery services. While the box is freestanding, it can be secured with an aftermarket tethering device or simply weighed down with sand in the bottom of the box.
Additionally, it can be fitted with an optional cooler bag to keep perishables, such as groceries or floral deliveries, protected from high temperatures. A motion-activated LED inside the box illuminates at night, while a glow-in-the-dark emergency escape button inside provides children an easy way out in case they get locked inside.
Multiple delivery modes make the Yale Smart Delivery Box suitable for a broad range of delivery scenarios. In its most basic mode, the box is simply left unlocked (using the Yale Access app) until a delivery is made by any carrier. Then, when the lid is closed by the carrier, the box automatically locks to prevent theft and a notification can be sent to the respective mobile device running the app.
Furthermore, the Yale Access app can be used to lock, unlock, and share access with others at will and receive notifications of any resulting delivery events. Lastly, when used with the optional Yale Smart Keypad, carriers can be provided with a PIN code to gain access to the box and leave a package.
One caveat on these products: While we applaud the integration of optional Wi-Fi for usage flexibility, the Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge and its sister product from August Home can only pair with a single device at a time. So if you already have a Yale smart door lock with a Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, you will still need to purchase another bridge for use with either the Smart Storage Box or Smart Cabinet Lock. It would be nice to see these bridges pair with multiple devices.
The box was designed in partnership with Kingsley Park, and is available in two designs—Kent and Brighton. Kingsley Park also sells non-smart versions of these boxes, which are secured with a padlock.
Yale Smart Cabinet Lock
Bringing smart home security technology to drawers and cabinets, the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock is aimed at guarding valuable items, jewelry, important documents, hazardous materials, medicines, and more. The device is designed to mount inside the cabinet or drawer with 3M adhesive tape or permanent screws, and consists of a compact smart lock module and a companion latch device.
Once installed, the device works similarly to the Smart Storage Box. It can be remotely controlled with the Yale Access app, locally with Apple HomeKit and Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, or be configured to grant app access to trusted parties. In its basic configuration, the device communicates with the Yale Access app over Bluetooth for local access, and can also be fitted with the Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge for remote access. Furthermore, the Yale Smart Keypad can be added for local PIN code access to the cabinet or drawer.
Usage cases for the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock can be broad. For example, Yale suggests the device can be suitable for short-term rental hosts in securing valuables from renters, while also enabling secure access to cleaning supplies for maintenance staff and service workers.
Both the Yale Smart Delivery Box and Yale Smart Cabinet Lock are available for purchase from the Yale website, Amazon, BestBuy, and other major retailers.
