Hyve Smart Package Locker Review: Can a Lockbox Stop Porch Pirates?
Wired tested a smart package lockbox from US startup Hyve, designed to protect parcels left at the front door. The hardware works reliably, but couriers often ignore it and some features are limited to two cities.
Technology outlet Wired has published a review of the smart package locker made by US startup Hyve. The device is meant for homeowners who are away and want to protect delivered parcels from theft at the front door. Wired gave it 7 out of 10.
How it works
The Hyve locker stands 32 inches (about 81 cm) high and is 20 inches wide and deep, with a capacity of 7.4 cubic feet. The maker says it fits 80 percent of Amazon package sizes. It is built from plastic and steel, weighs 40 pounds empty, and comes with a security bracket and cable tether for anchoring it to a fixed object. The hatch opens with a four-digit PIN, and the unit needs its own Wi-Fi bridge plugged into an indoor outlet. Power comes from four AA batteries plus a solar panel, with a USB-C port for emergency power.
In its basic mode the app uses one master PIN for everyone. The Essentials subscription, at $5 per month or $50 per year, allows separate PINs for each carrier and notifies the owner who opened the lid. The Returns plan, at $15 per month, lets Hyve's own couriers collect return parcels twice a month, but it is available only in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Test results
The reviewer says assembly took nearly an hour because the box ships without printed instructions. The first set of batteries died in under three weeks, although the maker promises five to six months. App notifications arrived quickly and accurately.
The main problem was couriers. FedEx and UPS do not offer an option to specify that parcels should go into a lockbox, so at first packages were left beside it. After the reviewer spoke in person to a FedEx driver, a parcel was placed inside, but by the third day the situation was again uncertain.
