Best August Smart Lock for a Shed Door (2026)
August does not make a shed lock. Every August lock in its current lineup is a retrofit deadbolt lock: it bolts over the inside of an existing single-cylinder US deadbolt and turns the thumb turn for you. That matters for a shed, because it means the electronics sit on the interior face of the door and August publishes no IP weather rating for them. Below we go through which August models can work on a shed door, what the real battery and connectivity specs are, and when you should skip the smart lock and buy a weather-rated padlock instead.
Quick answer
An August lock only makes sense on a shed if that shed door already has a standard single-cylinder US deadbolt and the interior face of the door stays dry. If it does, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) is the best pick because Wi-Fi is built in and no bridge is needed. If your shed door uses a hasp and staple, a slide bolt, or is open to driving rain on the inside face, no August lock is the right product and a weather-rated padlock is the better buy.
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Research updated August 2026.
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)
Smallest August, Wi-Fi built in, no bridge required. Retrofit only, mounts on the inside face of the door.
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) | Overall pick | Built-in Wi-Fi, 2x CR123A | 4.7/5 | Mid |
| August Smart Lock (3rd Gen, 2020) | Budget value | Bluetooth only, Connect bridge optional | 4.5/5 | Low |
| August Smart Lock Pro (3rd Gen) | Z-Wave smart homes | Z-Wave Plus, 4x AA, Connect bundled | 4.6/5 | Mid-High |
| August Smart Keypad | Code entry outside | Weather-resistant add-on, no phone needed | 4.3/5 | Low |
| Yale Assure Lock 2 Touchscreen | Full deadbolt replacement | ANSI/BHMA Grade 2, keypad, August app | 4.4/5 | Mid |
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)
Best OverallPros
- Built-in Wi-Fi, so no separate Connect bridge to buy or power
- Smallest August body, about 45 percent smaller than the older Pro
- Retrofit install on a standard deadbolt with a screwdriver
- Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit
Cons
- No IP weather rating, and August specifies interior mounting
- Needs a real single-cylinder deadbolt, which most sheds do not have
- CR123A cells cost more than AA and are harder to find locally
- No built-in keypad, so the Smart Keypad is a separate purchase
If your shed door is a proper hung door with a standard US deadbolt, this is the August to get. Wi-Fi is built into the lock body, so you do not need the August Connect bridge plugged into an outlet nearby, which is the single biggest practical win for an outbuilding. You control it from the August app, grant permanent or temporary access to other people, and see a log of who opened the door and when.
Two things to be clear about before you buy. First, the lock runs on two CR123A lithium cells, not AA, and August rates them at roughly three to six months depending on how often the lock cycles and how strong the Wi-Fi signal is. A shed at the far end of the garden with a weak signal will drain them faster because the radio works harder. Second, the lock body is not weather rated. It mounts on the inside face of the door, and that side of the door needs to stay dry. If wind-driven rain gets past your shed door, this lock will not last.
August Smart Lock (3rd Gen, 2020)
Best BudgetPros
- Cheapest way into the August app and access sharing
- Same retrofit fit and same physical key on the outside
- Auto-unlock and DoorSense still included
Cons
- Bluetooth only, so no remote access unless you add a Connect bridge
- The Connect bridge needs a mains outlet within range of the lock
- Same interior-mounting limitation as every other August
This is the plain Bluetooth model. It does everything the 4th Gen does when your phone is nearby, and nothing at all when you are away from home unless you buy the August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge and plug it into an outlet close enough to hold a Bluetooth link to the lock. On a shed that usually means running power to the shed or mounting the bridge in a window of the house facing it, and Bluetooth through two sets of walls is unreliable.
Bluetooth range in the open is roughly 30 feet, and considerably less once a shed wall and a house wall are in the way. If the shed is within a few strides of the back door you will be fine walking up to it with your phone. If it is at the bottom of the garden and you want to check the lock state from indoors, spend the extra on the 4th Gen instead of buying this plus a bridge.
August Smart Lock Pro (3rd Gen)
Best for Z-Wave HomesPros
- Bundled with the August Connect bridge, so remote access works out of the box
- Z-Wave Plus radio joins SmartThings, Ring Alarm and similar controllers
- Runs on 4x AA cells, cheaper and easier to source than CR123A
Cons
- Discontinued by August, so stock is end-of-line and pricing is inconsistent
- Much bulkier body than the 4th Gen
- Z-Wave does nothing on its own, you need a Z-Wave controller
The Pro is the older, larger August. Its reason to exist is the Z-Wave Plus radio, which lets a hub such as SmartThings or a Ring Alarm base station control the lock directly rather than going through August's cloud. If your shed is already covered by a Z-Wave mesh, that is a genuinely more robust link than Wi-Fi at the end of a garden.
It is also the AA-powered model, which matters more than it sounds for an outbuilding you visit rarely. Four AA cells are easier to keep spares of than CR123A lithiums. The catch is that August has discontinued it, so you are buying remaining stock rather than a current product, and the body is noticeably larger than the 4th Gen, which can foul a narrow shed door frame or an inward-opening bolt.
August Smart Keypad
Best Add-OnPros
- The only August part actually designed to sit outside the door
- Lets helpers, family or a gardener in with a code, no app or phone needed
- Codes can be set as one-time, scheduled or permanent in the August app
Cons
- Not a lock, it is useless without an August lock already fitted
- Adhesive mounting can let go on rough or damp shed cladding, use the screws
- Another set of batteries to remember
This is the piece most shed guides leave out. Because every August lock lives on the inside face of the door, there is nothing on the outside to interact with except your original key. The Smart Keypad is the fix: a small wireless pad you fix beside the door that talks to the lock over Bluetooth and unlocks it when a valid code is entered.
For a shed this is genuinely the most useful accessory in the range, because it removes the need for anyone else to have the app installed. Mount it with the screws rather than the adhesive pad if your shed is clad in rough-sawn timber or the wall gets damp, and site it under the eaves or a small hood rather than fully exposed.
Yale Assure Lock 2 Touchscreen
Best Full ReplacementPros
- Replaces the whole deadbolt, so the exterior half is built for outdoor use
- ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 residential certification
- Uses the August app, so access sharing and logs work the same way
- Keypad on the door itself, no separate accessory needed
Cons
- Wi-Fi is a plug-in module and is not included on every version sold
- A bigger job than a retrofit, you are drilling and swapping the whole deadbolt
- Touchscreens can read poorly with wet or gloved fingers
Yale and August are both owned by ASSA ABLOY, which is why the Assure Lock 2 runs on the August app. The important difference for a shed is that this is not a retrofit. You take out the existing deadbolt entirely and fit the Yale in its place, with a touchscreen keypad on the outside face and the battery pack on the inside. That exterior half is designed and finished as an exterior door component, which is more than can be said for any of the retrofit Augusts.
Watch the version you buy. The Assure Lock 2 is sold in several configurations, and Wi-Fi comes from a plug-in smart module that is bundled with some SKUs and sold separately for others. Check the listing carefully if remote access matters. Also confirm your shed door is thick enough and has a proper cross bore, because a thin ply or single-skin shed door often is not a valid host for a full deadbolt.
What to check before putting an August lock on a shed
Start with the door, not the lock. Every retrofit August needs an existing single-cylinder US deadbolt, and it replaces only the interior thumb turn, so your outside key cylinder stays exactly as it is. Most sheds sold in the US do not ship with a deadbolt at all. They come with a hasp and staple for a padlock, or a simple slide bolt. If that is what you have, fitting an August means first installing a proper deadbolt, which means a door and frame solid enough to take one. Measure the backset, either 2-3/8 inches or 2-3/4 inches, and the 1 inch cross bore before you order anything.
Then check the weather. August publishes no IP rating for its retrofit locks and specifies interior installation. On a house door that is a non-issue. On a shed it is the whole question, because shed doors are often unsealed, ill-fitting, or open straight onto the weather with nothing sheltering the inside face. If rain or blown snow reaches the inside of that door, the lock will fail and you will not be covered.
Finally check signal and power. The 4th Gen has Wi-Fi built in but still needs a usable signal at the shed, and a marginal signal drains the batteries faster because the radio keeps retrying. The Bluetooth-only models need the August Connect bridge in a mains outlet within Bluetooth range of the lock, which for a detached shed usually means running power out there.
Mistakes to avoid when choosing a shed lock
The biggest mistake is treating a retrofit smart lock as an outdoor product. It is not. If your shed is genuinely exposed, a weather-rated padlock through a good hasp is a better and cheaper answer than any smart deadbolt, and it will still be working in five years.
The second is forgetting how other people get in. Because the August body is on the inside, the only thing on the outside is your original key. If you want a neighbor or a gardener in without handing over a key or asking them to install an app, you need the Smart Keypad, or a lock like the Yale that has a keypad on the door itself.
The third is buying the wrong batteries. The 4th Gen and the 2020 Smart Lock take 2x CR123A lithium cells. The older Smart Lock Pro takes 4x AA. They are not interchangeable, and a shed lock is exactly the kind of thing you discover is flat at the least convenient moment, so keep the right spares on hand.
FAQs
Does August make a shed lock?
No. August makes retrofit smart deadbolt locks for interior installation on house doors. They can be used on a shed door only if that door already has a standard single-cylinder deadbolt and the interior face stays dry.
Are August locks weatherproof?
No. August publishes no IP weather rating for its retrofit locks and specifies interior mounting. Listings or guides that quote an IP splash rating for these locks are not quoting a manufacturer figure.
Will an August lock work on a metal shed door?
Only if that door has a standard deadbolt with the correct backset and cross bore. Most metal shed doors use a hasp and staple instead, which an August cannot work with.
Can I use an August lock in freezing temperatures?
The lock body is designed to sit on the sheltered interior face of a door, so it is not intended for direct exposure to the elements. Cold reduces battery capacity, so expect shorter runtime through winter. Check August's stated operating temperature range for your exact model before fitting.
Does the August lock need Wi-Fi to work?
No. All August locks work over Bluetooth for local control when your phone is nearby. Wi-Fi is only needed for remote control and status checks from outside Bluetooth range.
What batteries does an August lock use?
The Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) and the 2020 Smart Lock use two CR123A lithium cells, rated at roughly three to six months. The older Smart Lock Pro (3rd Gen) uses four AA cells. The Smart Keypad accessory uses two AAA cells.
Can I install an August lock myself on a shed?
The lock itself is a screwdriver job of around ten minutes, provided a compatible deadbolt is already fitted. Installing that deadbolt first, if the shed does not have one, is the harder part and needs a door and frame solid enough to take it.
How do other people get into a shed with an August lock?
Either through the August app after you share access with them, with the original physical key on the outside, or by entering a code on the separate August Smart Keypad. The lock itself has no keypad.
Does the August lock work with Alexa or Google?
Yes. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. Bluetooth-only models need the August Connect bridge for voice assistant control.
What is the difference between the 3rd Gen and 4th Gen August?
The 4th Gen has Wi-Fi built into the lock body and is substantially smaller. The 3rd Gen models are Bluetooth or Z-Wave and need the separate August Connect bridge for remote access. Neither is weather rated.
Can I still use a key with an August lock?
Yes. A retrofit August replaces only the interior thumb turn, so your existing exterior key cylinder and keys keep working exactly as before.
Should I just use a padlock instead?
For most sheds, yes. If the door is exposed, has no deadbolt, or is too thin to take one, a weather-rated padlock through a good closed-shackle hasp is more appropriate, cheaper and more durable than any retrofit smart lock.
Our verdict
If your shed door already has a standard single-cylinder deadbolt and the interior face is sheltered, the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen) is the right August, because Wi-Fi is built in and no mains-powered bridge is needed at the shed. Add the August Smart Keypad so other people can get in without the app. If the shed door is exposed, thin, or uses a hasp and staple, skip August entirely and fit a weather-rated padlock, or replace the whole deadbolt with a Yale Assure Lock 2 Touchscreen where the exterior half is actually built for outdoor use.