Deciding on the other type of bike lock to purchase generally comes down to your own preferences, but there are some features worth looking out for across all types of bike lock, as they make it harder for skilled thieves to beat it. Looking to kit out a new bike with a full suite of accessories? If you're planning on cycling after dark, check our guide on how to buy the best bike lights.
For maximum convenience, combination locks usually trump key locks, as you don't need to remember to bring the key. You will, however, need to remember the code — not necessarily that easy if you don't use your bike that often. Combination locks are often regarded as less secure, however, because:.
It would take a determined thief less than an hour to work through all of the unique combinations on a three-digit lock — far from impossible if your bike is tucked away in a quiet location.
We recommend opting for a lock with at least four digits, which increases the number of possible combinations, and the time it would take to try them all, tenfold. In practice, a decent combination lock with at least four dials and built-in anti-lock-picking features will offer similar levels of protection to a decent key lock.
An example of an anti-lock-picking feature is 'false gates'. These make it 'feel' to a thief like they have found the right combination, but doesn't allow the lock to open.
It will take a thief much longer to beat a false-gated lock. The cheapest bike locks are usually cable locks. While these are better than no lock at all, most thieves will be able to make short work of them.
You shouldn't rely on a cheap cable lock as your main lock. While in general the more expensive the lock, the more secure it will be, you don't have to pay a fortune either. The short answer is no: no lock is unbreakable. The aim of bike locks is to make your bike as unappealing as possible, deterring thieves from even trying to nick your bike.
You should use two locks to secure your bike, with one of them being a U-lock. Our tests have found that the best bike locks, while not unbreakable, will stand up to angle grinders, saws and bolt cutters for several minutes.
This will stop an opportunist successfully breaking the lock, and make it more likely a professional will give up or be interrupted when trying to break the lock. A lock is only as good as how and where you secure your bike — read our guide on how to secure your bike. Bike lock manufacturers typically grade the security of their locks on a scale of one to This can be useful when comparing the different locks within a single brand.
However, different manufacturers use different scales, as well as different criteria to measure their locks' security. This means it's not possible to use manufacturer ratings to directly compare the security of locks across brands.
Our bike lock reviews are based on assessments and criteria that are comparable across all of the locks we test, so you can feel confident that the locks that score the highest are genuinely the best. If you're interested in a bike lock we haven't yet reviewed, check its security rating by an independent body such as Sold Secure. Sold Secure is a third-party certification body that rates locks. Many insurance companies recognise its safety ratings, so getting and using a lock with this certification can may help lower the cost of bike insurance.
There are four Sold Secure ratings; the higher the rating, the more secure the lock — though you're likely to also find that, in general, the highest-rated locks are the most expensive. Best rechargeable front lights — stay safe on the road with the best rechargeable bike lights you can buy. Requirements and test methods for cycle locks. What this means in practice is that we throw everything including the kitchen sink into testing a lock's security, as well as assessing how easy to use and how durable it is.
And wafer locks are considered the least secure—more vulnerable to entry-level picking—but individual wafer locks may prove more secure than others. Find a detailed description of each type of locking mechanism at the bottom of this guide.
Aim for well-lit places and never leave a lock against the ground, as thieves might get the necessary leverage to pry it open. Every lock here has been thoroughly evaluated and vetted by our team of test editors. We research the market, survey user reviews, speak with product managers and engineers, and use our own experience with these locks to determine the best options. The u-lock has a 16mm hardened steel shackle and uses a pass-through crossbar design to prevent twisting attacks, forcing thieves to cut the shackle twice to compromise the lock.
From personal experience, the four-pound lock works great as a mallet, too. The included mounting bracket uses a nylon strap to affix to the frame rather than going through the bottle bosses, a design that increases available mounting positions.
However, the design relies on friction to keep the lock in place, so user reviews are mixed on whether it works long-term. One crafty Amazon reviewer used his or her own hardware to screw the mount to the bottle bosses, which might prove sturdier than the friction mount. The OnGuard Brute LS presents a square-shaped shackle that widens the diameter of available lock-up poles.
The shackle is mm x mm of hardened steel, and the key hole closes automatically to keep the elements out. So Hiplok reimagined the U-lock with a crucial addition: a clip.
The rest of the lock is formidable, with a 14mm shackle that locks on both sides of the crossbar. In an individual test, the shackle defeated the blade on our hacksaw rather quickly, but fell victim to a five-inch cordless angle grinder in about 30 seconds—an average time for cutting a hardened steel shackle, and two cuts are needed to defeat this lock. The outside is coated in silicone to prevent the shackle and crossbar from scratching your bike, and dimples on the shackle keep it from being twisted if a single cut is made.
For practical purposes, it succeeded: We burned through six batteries and four grinding discs before we finally managed to cut the lock. The hardened steel shackle stood up to metal shears and a 2-foot set of bolt cutters, and the crossbar survived attacks from a hammer and a crowbar. The Bordo Granit X-Plus is another folding alternative to unwieldy U-locks and chains, yet at approximately 3.
The 5. The carrying case has loops to secure the lock to your frame for easy schlepping and swapping between bikes. Its hardened steel construction should be formidable against hand tools; reviewers at Wirecutter were able to drill through the hinges of the previous version, the G, but the Apex has hardened steel joint caps to protect the rivets from drilling attacks.
A previous version of this review incorrectly stated that Wirecutter had drilled through the Apex, not the G. The device screws into your bottle bosses and stays there, although you can still mount a bottle cage above the lock. To lock up, you unfold the arms on each side of the lock and wrap them around the frame and front wheel, connecting them with a locking mechanism at the ends of the arms.
The Hiplok Gold is a chain lock designed to be worn. Rather than locking to your waist—a potentially dangerous move if you crash—the chain has a patented nylon clip and hook-and-loop waist adjuster to close around your torso.
The sleeve surrounding the chain is removable and washable, and its reflective coating increases your visibility at night. Our main tester has a inch waist and although the belt cinched tight enough, the heavy chain became uncomfortable after an hour in the saddle. For shorter commutes, though, we loved its convenience and high security. Weight: 1. Frame mount? No Locking mechanism: 4-digit combination barrel. It also fits smaller waists, down to 26 inches, and bigger waists up to 44 inches.
Similar to the Gold, an adjustable hook-and-loop closure allows you to don the lock without unlocking it. The tubes are 13 millimeters thick instead of the Kryptonite New York's 16 millimeters, and being a "Mini," the loop of the U is narrower. However, the included cable can be threaded through your front wheel, so you can secure your bike properly without carrying a second lock. See the end of this article for more tips on how to properly lock your bike.
The Steel-O-Chain strikes a good balance between weight and utility. It's 4. Like all bike chains these days, the links are wrapped in fabric to keep the metal pieces from scratching your bike's paint or finish. The Hiplok Gold is a 4. There's no need to carry it in a bag or wrap it around the top tube of your frame. As long as your waist measures between 30 and 44 inches, just adjust it to fit your body and wear it while you ride.
When you're ready to lock your bike, the chain attached to the belt is quite secure. The bike lock itself is Hiplok's strongest U-lock doesn't need to be mounted to your bike when you aren't using it.
It has clips that let you hook it over a belt or a backpack strap. It's 14 millimeters thick and weighs only 2. You might not be able to loop the lock through the frame and rear wheel to attach both to your lock-up point, especially if your lock-up point is a thick post or bike rack with particularly thick bars. If you run into that problem, use it with a chain, a second lock, or an add-on cable threaded through your front wheel. Kryptonite's Evolution Series 4 was a fine chain, but the Abus I picked as the best chain offers better length, security, and weight.
The 's centimeter length was a bit short, especially when a chain lock's main advantage over the U-lock should be a greater reach. The Evolution Series 4 has the same millimeter six-sided chain links, but it's centimeters long—closer to the Abus' length—and 3 pounds heavier. Abus' Granit XPlus was also a fine U-lock, but its metal U was only 13 millimeters thick compared to my top pick, the Kryptonite New York's 16 millimeters, although the Abus was lighter at 3.
Carl Ellis. I've had bikes stolen in London, New York and Barcelona. Yep, I was a serial, international, bike theft victim. In I decided to stop the rot. And not a single bike's been stolen since! Brakes, yes.
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