When it comes to choosing the best lock to keep your bike safe, there are plenty of options out there. It can be a daunting task to choose the best bike lock, but luckily we’ve got your back. Below you’ll find a list of our top picks for the best bike locks of today and into the future. The best bike lock of the year needs to be durable, strong and versatile. It needs to be able to keep your bike safe from thieves, even if it’s parked in the busiest part of town. There are so many different types of bike lock, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your needs.
Today our readers will learn about the top D-locks, foldable locks and chain locks rated. The top D-locks are those locks that can be fitted with a D-lock cable. The D-lock is the most commonly used locking system in the world and consists of a lock, a D-lock and a number of keyholes along with their respective key.
With the release of the new super bike locks, bike thieves in the UK are turning to a new trend – D-locks. These are very difficult to steal and they are popping up all over the place. Most of them are quite expensive. But can you get yourself a super expensive bike lock? Do you really need one? We have had a look at some of the best options out there.. Read more about best lightweight bike lock and let us know what you think.
Are you looking for a lock to keep your bike safe? To find the finest bike locks on the market, we put 24 locks to the test.
For bikers, we tested a variety of U-locks, folding locks, and chain locks in a variety of pricing ranges.
Choosing the finest bike lock is just half the battle; you must also know how to use it correctly. Read our post on how to secure a bike, and we also have a separate tutorial on how to enhance the security of your bike shed.
What to Look for When Buying a Bicycle Lock
Before we begin, keep in mind that no lock is impenetrable; given the proper tools and expertise, anybody who really wants to steal your bike will be able to do it, regardless of what you use to secure it.
You may either discourage the bike thief looking for a quick buck or make it much more difficult for the more committed. With that in mind, after many years of breaking and picking locks in our testing, one of the greatest pieces of advise we can offer you is to utilize two locks of different kinds and brands. If a burglar is skilled at picking one kind of lock and has the tools to do so, it’s unlikely that they’ll have the tools or expertise to pick an other type. Two inexpensive locks with vastly different styles and key/lock-cylinder types are occasionally preferable to a single costly lock. Here’s a rundown of all the key lock jargon you’ll need to understand.
- Keys come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they always function the same way: they align pins or discs to enable the lock plug to be twisted and the lock to be opened.
- The D-shaped component of a D-lock/U-lock or padlock is known as the shackle. It binds two objects together. In our situation, it’s upgrading our bikes to something more durable.
- Chains are built up of links, which are hoops that are connected together. The smaller the interior diameter of the links, the better, since it leaves less room for a lever to be inserted and break the link.
- Nobody likes the sound of a naked metal lock clattering against their frame. To keep your pride and joy looking good and prevent the lock from corroding, use a cloth or sponge cover.
- The lock mechanism will be placed in the center of the barrel by the manufacturers. Check the barrel’s weight; if it’s hefty, it’s almost certainly armoured.
- Multiple keys are required, and some manufacturers, such as OnGuard, provide up to five with a lock. One to keep at home, one to keep at work, and one to keep on your keychain
- Check the operation of the mechanism since locks spend the majority of their lives outside, where corrosion may be an issue. Apply a mild lubricant or water repellent (GT-85 or WD-40) generously and reapply as needed.
- An extended warranty is usually a smart idea. It won’t protect you against theft, but it should be an indication that the lock won’t break or seize up on you.
- Anti-theft guarantee: This promise was created by Kryptonite as a kind of insurance. It raises the cost, but it also provides peace of mind to the bundle.
In 2023, the best bike locks will be
- £199.99 Abus Granit Extreme 59
- £69 Granit X–Plus 540 Abus
- £99.99 for New York M18 Kryptonite
- Hiplok DX costs £69.99.
- £89.99 for Gold Litelok
- £139.99 Granit X-Plus Bordo Abus
- £109.99 Homie Hiplok Gold
The finest bike D-locks and U-locks
The traditional bike lock is the D-lock, or U-lock as it is sometimes called. The design has a large shackle and a hardened crossbar with a built-in lock mechanism. It’s been around for a long time, and it’s basically just a big padlock. The advantages include its relative mobility and robustness for its size. If you wish to lock more of your bike into it, the disadvantage is the somewhat odd form. To make sure everything is covered, add an auxiliary cable or a second lock.
Granit Extreme 59 Abus
Granit Extreme 59 by Abus.
- £230 (about $279.99)
- 2,700g in weight
- 16mm diameter of the shackle (square)
- Dimensions: 260mm
- Thatcham (rating)
The Extreme 59 is similar to putting an X-Plus on a high-protein diet. This is the hardest D-lock you’ll ever come across. It’s remarkable, with a torsional resistance 1,000Nm greater than its closest competitor and a tensile resistance that could withstand a pair of vans pushing on either end. Its weather resistance is unsurpassed, as is its resistance to plucking. It ranks in the top three of all the locks tested when it comes to bolt cropping. The Extreme is ideal if you value your bike and have someplace to keep your lock while not in use, or if you need something robust for home usage. Only the expensive price prevents it from receiving a perfect five-star rating.
Abus Granit X–Plus 540
Granit X–Plus 540 by Abus.
- £95 on the high street
- 1,460g in weight
- The diameter of the shackle is 13mm (square)
- Dimensions: 230mm
- Sold Secure Gold is a rating given to a product that has been sold.
With its unique square profile shackle that resists torsional assaults better than others and can withstand 1,750Nm of pressure, the X-Plus 540 is one of the smartest D-lock designs ever. The cutting-edge lock mechanism outperformed our lock picker and has a high bolt cropping resistance (146kN) that greatly exceeds its small weight. Because of the high quality of the materials and construction, this one passed our corrosion test and the EasyZyKF bracket survived the entire 200 hours. It stripped the normal saw blade in cutting tests and took over 2 minutes to cut with tungsten. Only heftier competitors topped the almost four-minute power grinder result.
Kryptonite New York M18
Immediate Media. Kryptonite New York M18.
- Cost: £99.99
- 2,640g in weight
- 18mm diameter of the shackle (round)
- Dimensions: 260mm
- Thatcham (rating)
The New York M18 is a huge lock, weighing in at over 2.5kg and featuring a gigantic 18mm diameter shackle. A pick-resistant disc cylinder mechanism centers the twin deadbolt mechanism within the ovalised crossbar. Bolt cropping, sawing (best on test), tensile (best on test), and torsional resistance are all strengths of the New York (runner up). The New York is a robust D-lock constructed the traditional Kryptonite manner, with just its mediocre performance against the angle grinder working against it. Its design may not be as smart as an Abus’, but the effects are quite similar.
Hiplok DX
Immediate Media Hiplok DX
For a high-performing lock, it’s small, robust, and reasonably priced.
- Cost: £69.99
- 1,120g in weight
- 14mm diameter of the shackle (round)
- Dimensions: 150mm
- Sold Secure Gold is a rating given to a product that has been sold.
Hiplok’s DX combines a small D-lock with a soft-touch material shell that protects your bike and makes carrying simple due to two built-in prongs that are intended to slide into your pants pocket or under a belt. These ergonomic features offer a little something more to a well-performing tiny lock. It’s tough as nails when it comes to sawing, twisting, and grinding, and it’s designed to endure with great weather protection. Only a poor tensile (pull) performance caused worry, but the ability to resist 28kN is more than adequate to readily defeat most small, portable bottle jacks. The rather shallow shackle is reinforced by a large 85mm width, so despite its small size, we were able to fit it safely through our bike’s frame and rear wheel. To fully secure all of the extremities of your bike, you’ll need a second lock or some supplementary wires.
- Conclusion: When it comes to sawing, twisting, and grinding, the DX is a tough cookie.
The best bike locks for folding bikes
A lock that is more portable than a D-lock or chain yet stronger than a basic café stop cable lock is sometimes required. These may be for you if you desire a combination of low weight, portability, and durability that you can rely on for shopping trips and extended meals.
Litelok Gold
Litelok Gold is a gold-colored Litelok. Immediate Publication
- Cost: £89.99
- 1,120g in weight
- Size of the shackle: 265mm (circular diameter)
- 736mm x 50mm
- Sold Secure Gold is a rating given to a product that has been sold.
The Litelok Gold is a one-of-a-kind design that combines a heavy-duty disc lock mechanism with a mushroom stud and socket connection, all housed in a strong steel casing and connected by a nylon mesh-clad network of steel wires. The lightweight design allows you a lot of versatility. It’s simple to carry the lock: leave it straight and strap it to your top tube, or lock it into its circular form and strap it between your seat and top tube. Because of its flexibility, it can adjust to anything you lock it to, but it may be a bit stiff at first, so keep the pressure on while pressing the two locking ends together. After weather testing, it worked well, with just a ding in the lock casing from chilling and pounding. A conventional blade sawed through the wires in 52 seconds, but a tungsten blade took just 15 seconds. The bolt cropper put a lot of pressure on the Litelok (222.5kN). Torsion tests were ineffective, and the tensile test confirmed this. However, it didn’t survive long against the angle grinder.
- Conclusion: The design is lightweight and offers a lot of versatility.
Abus Granit X-Plus Bordo
Granit X-Plus Bordo Abus
- Cost: £139.99
- 1,520g in weight
- 5.5mm thick plates with a diameter of shackles
- Plates are 6x150mm in size.
- Sold Secure Gold is a rating given to a product that has been sold.
The Bordo design, which has been widely copied, utilizes 150mm long hardened steel plates connected by domed hardened rivets to create a powerful lock that folds into a small 1907040mm box. It passed corrosion tests with flying colors, and the X-Plus lock mechanism could not be picked. The barrel is also impossible to remove since it is enclosed in a hardened steel casing with folded over ends. A normal blade had little effect on it under saw assault, but a tungsten blade sliced through it in under a minute. Bolt crop resistance was remarkable for such tiny steel parts, and it outperformed many D-locks in this regard. A grinder, on the other hand, will make quick work of the plates.
Bike chain locks of the highest quality
A chain is versatile by its inherent nature; you can wrap it around almost any form and thread it through your bike. Its form also makes conventional tools tough to assault; try crowbarring a chain. Chains are appropriate for your workplace or home since they are often heavy and difficult to handle securely.
Hiplok Homie
Hiplok Homie Chain Lock is a chain lock made by Hiplok.
- Cost: £109.99
- 4,200g in weight
- Links are 10mm in diameter and come in a variety of colors.
- 150cm in length
- Sold Secure Gold is a rating given to a product that has been sold.
The 1.5m Homie is meant to thread between several bikes and is intended for usage at home, as the name implies. The individual links, as well as the shackle that protects the cylinder lock, are composed of hardened steel. When using the Homie, take cautious not to drop it upon a frame tube since the 4.2kg of weight will harm it. The Homie is resistant to corrosion, and hammer testing had no effect on it. Bolt cropping on the links was mediocre, but much better on the lock shackle. The lock cylinder is resistant to pick assaults, and the links are among the most durable on the market. It’s a solid option that we’d exclusively suggest for usage at home. You get a lot of lock for your money, and it works on several bikes at once – thread it through a floor or wall anchor and secure two or three bikes. Take care with it and avoid dropping it on your favorite lightweight carbon frame.
- Conclusion: For the money, you get a lot of lock and one that can be used on many bikes.
How did we do our research?
We’ve always utilized a mix of manual and power tools, as well as force and skill, to attempt to break locks throughout the two decades that we’ve been conducting our rigorous and independent lock testing. We utilized the facilities of Abus, Germany’s largest security company, and, more crucially, its state-of-the-art test laboratories, back in 2017. We developed a full-fledged torture chamber of testing that fully mimicked every possible lock assault and break. We required several models from each manufacturer for this, so thank you to those who accepted the challenge and voluntarily provided test samples. With nine tests on a total of 29 distinct models (24 of which are displayed here with seven reviews below), that’s a total of 261 tests and almost £11,000 worth of locks destroyed.
- Bracket test: Some of the locks have a bracket that you may attach to your commuter bike. We put the brackets to the test on a treadmill-mounted bike with bumps and lumps to mimic road conditions. This ‘rattle’ test lasts 200 hours, which is plenty of time to determine whether the bracket is capable of securely transporting your lock.
- Corrosion test: One of each lock was exposed to ISO 9227 standards for 168 hours in a climate chamber. The amount of time is about equal to 10–12 months of outdoor usage in a salty air environment, such as living near the sea. Temperature and humidity vary throughout the course of 168 hours, simulating real-world circumstances.
- The freeze and hammer test imitates the use of a plumber’s freeze spray to cool metal. When hit with a hammer, it is said to make metal more brittle. Our test lab comprises of a chiller cabinet that freezes the lock to -40°C, after which it is hit numerous times from 1m and 2m with a weight mimicking a full power sledgehammer impact.
A common saw blade and a tungsten object were used to test the locks. BikeRadar
- An articulated saw was used as our test machine. A new, standard steel blade was used to cut each lock. If it passed the test, it was cut in the same saw with a high-quality, precise tungsten blade.
- Bolt cropper test: The bolt cropper is probably the contemporary bike thief’s favorite weapon. Short, concealable bolt croppers may be obtained for very little money and can easily go through most budget locks. Higher-quality locks are much more durable, and those that cross over into motorbike security are even more so. Our bolt cropping rig had to outperform hand-operated bolt croppers, so we went with a hydraulic jaw that cuts like a bolt cropper but can apply more than 250 kiloNewtons of pressure, which is roughly the equivalent of a 1.5m-long set of bolt croppers operated by a couple of World’s Strongest Man contestants.
Our corrosion test simulated a year of exposure to the elements. BikeRadar
- Tensile pull test: To break locks, this pulling apparatus had to mimic the bottle jack method. A jack is used to push the two parts of the lock apart, breaking the mechanism and causing the lock to fail. Our hydraulic test equipment accomplishes the same thing by simultaneously tugging on both components. This rig can draw almost seven tonnes of weight, while a typical bottle jack can only pull about three.
- Torsion test: The good old torsion attack, or crowbar to you and me, is a highly successful technique, although it typically results in considerable damage to the bike being stolen. Our test equipment can torsionally twist a lock to enormous forces, which is the equivalent of employing a 1.5m crowbar and one of the world’s strongest men!
- Picking test: Picking locks is a skill that can be learned, and with so many ‘picks’ accessible online, we’re witnessing an increase in bike thefts this method. To unlock the locks on the test, we employed a local expert equipped with a cheap homemade pick.
After compromising 29 common locks, we’ve obtained the whole scoop on lock performance. BikeRadar
- Grinder test: Angle grinders with strong batteries are a quick and efficient method to cut through metal. However, since they make a lot of noise and sparks, you’re less likely to witness this kind of assault in broad daylight if you park your bike in a high-traffic location and not concealed out of sight. We utilized an off-the-shelf device with numerous batteries and a continuous recharging cycle, as well as a new grinding disc for each test, to ensure that each lock was subjected to the identical circumstances while measuring the time it took to cut through it.
- The results: The data from this enormous test was compiled and each test was given a score; however, not all of the tests are relevant to every lock design. The various designs were given an overall score, and detailed evaluations of the top seven may be seen below. Here’s a chart with the complete results from this test, which shows how each of the 24 locks fared.
The bike industry is in a constant evolutionary process, and one of the most visible changes has been the rise of the bike lock. New models have been introduced to meet the ever-growing demand for better security, but they can be expensive and require specialist knowledge in order to understand how they work. This article summarises the best models available, and evaluates them based on a number of parameters that include ease of use, strength, compatibility with other locks and their price.. Read more about best bike locks and let us know what you think.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best D lock bike lock?
The best D lock bike lock is the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7.
What is the strongest bike lock?
The strongest bike lock is the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain.
Are D locks secure?
Yes, they are secure.
Related Tags
This article broadly covered the following related topics:
- bike lock
- bike locks
- best bike locks 2018
- best bike locks for college
- strongest bike lock
