The best bike locks
Match the lock to where the bike is left: a Sold Secure D-lock for the station rack, a folding lock for the e-bike, a light chain for a quick stop at the shop.
A bike lock doesn't have to be unbreakable, just slower to beat than the one on the next bike. Where the bike is left for hours, at a station, at work or in town, that means a hardened D-lock or folding lock. Thin chains and cables are quick to cut, so keep them for short, low-risk stops, or for the wheels alongside a stronger lock.
The rating worth looking for is Sold Secure, set up in 1992 by Northumbria and Essex Police with Home Office backing and now run by the Master Locksmiths Association. Its testers attack locks by hand with real tools, against the clock, and grade them Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond, which says far more than thickness alone.
What matters
- A Sold Secure rating: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond.
- D-locks and folding locks for long stays; chains and cables for quick stops.
- Enough reach for the frame, a wheel and the stand.
- A frame bracket, so the lock rides on the bike.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 D-Lock with 4ft Cable
£74.99 RRP
A 13mm hardened-steel D-lock rated Sold Secure Gold, with a looped cable for the front wheel. Kryptonite made its name in 1972, when a bike locked to a signpost in New York's Greenwich Village for 30 days was stripped of every loose part, but the lock held.
What owners say: Owners say it's solid and well made, feels reassuring to leave the bike with, and puts thieves off.
Heads up: The D is compact (8.3 × 17.8cm inside), so try it round your frame and the stands you use before you rely on it.
A closer look: Lock the frame and back wheel to the stand with the D, then thread the cable through the front wheel and back onto the shackle. The cable isn't part of the Gold rating, so it's for the wheel, not the frame. One of the three keys has a little LED light, handy on dark winter evenings.
- Sold Secure Gold
- 13mm hardened steel shackle
- Double deadbolt
- 120cm looped cable
- Frame bracket and 3 keys
Best for: Everyday commuting
- Type
- D-lock + 120cm cable
- Sold Secure
- Gold (D-lock)
- Thickness
- 13mm shackle
- Size or length
- 8.3 × 17.8cm
- Weight
- 1.61kg with cable
- Frame bracket
- Yes
#2 of 5
Best folding lock
ABUS Bordo 6000K Folding Lock with Holder (90cm)
£50–£75 Price range
Six 5mm hardened-steel bars fold up like a carpenter's rule into a neat case on the frame, then open out to 90cm, long enough to reach round a lamp post or a chunky e-bike frame. It's from ABUS, the German lock maker that has made bike locks since 1931.
What owners say: Owners find it well made and secure, and like how neatly it folds away onto the bike.
A closer look: The holder straps on without tools and the lock slides out of the front, so it's ready in a second. The soft coating on the bars stops them scratching the paint. At about 1.2kg it suits commuters and e-bike riders who keep the lock on the bike rather than in a bag.
- Sold Secure Bronze
- Six 5mm hardened steel bars
- 90cm when unfolded
- Holder straps to the frame
- Pick-resistant XPlus cylinder, 2 keys
Best for: E-bikes and wide posts
- Type
- Folding lock
- Sold Secure
- Bronze
- Thickness
- 5mm steel bars
- Size or length
- 90cm
- Weight
- 1.21kg
- Frame bracket
- Yes
#3 of 5
Best budget D-lock
Sportneer 17mm D-Lock with Steel Cable and Bracket
£10–£20 Price range
A D-lock, a looped steel cable and a frame bracket in one box: a sensible first lock for a student or a new commuter, with a silicone coating that keeps it from scratching the paint.
What owners say: Owners find it sturdy and good value, easy to use with a satisfying click, and like being able to lock both wheels and the frame.
A closer look: Put the D round the frame and back wheel and loop the cable through the front. It has no independent security rating, so it's best for daytime stops somewhere busy rather than overnight in town.
- 17mm shackle
- 5ft steel cable
- Bracket fits 26–38mm tubes
- Silicone-coated body
- 2 keys
Best for: Students and new commuters
- Type
- D-lock + 5ft cable
- Sold Secure
- Not rated
- Thickness
- 17mm shackle
- Size or length
- 12.8 × 19.7cm
- Weight
- 0.74kg (lock)
- Frame bracket
- Yes
#4 of 5
Best budget
GRIFEMA 120cm Bike Chain Lock with 2 Keys
Under £10 Price range
At 120cm it's long enough to loop round a tree or a railing, or through two bikes at once outside the café. The chain sits in a fabric sleeve that won't scratch the frame, and a cover keeps rain and grit out of the keyhole.
What owners say: Owners find it heavy-duty and easy to use, like the length for locking bikes together, and think it's great value.
A closer look: A 7mm chain can be cut, so keep it for short stops in busy places, or use it at home as a second lock through the wheels. Wrapped round the seat post it's easy to carry at under 800g.
- 120cm chain
- 7mm steel links
- Nylon sleeve protects the paint
- Dust cover over the keyhole
- 2 keys
Best for: Locking bikes together
- Type
- Chain, key
- Sold Secure
- Not rated
- Thickness
- 7mm chain
- Size or length
- 120cm
- Weight
- 795g
- Frame bracket
- No
#5 of 5
Best combination lock
SPGOOD Combination Chain Bike Lock (83cm)
Under £10 Price range
No keys to lose: a resettable five-digit code on a 7mm hardened steel chain, in a nylon sleeve that comes in 14 colours. Good for children and teenagers who'd lose a key before the end of term.
What owners say: Owners find it sturdy and good value, and say the code is easy to set and change.
Heads up: It arrives set to 00000, so set your own code before the first ride and note it somewhere safe.
A closer look: At 83cm it goes round a frame and a stand, but not far round a thick post. Like any thin chain it's for short, low-risk stops: the school bike shed, a friend's front garden, a quick trip to the shop.
- 5-digit resettable code
- 7mm hardened steel chain
- 83cm long
- Nylon sleeve guards against rust
- 14 colours
Best for: Kids and teens who lose keys
- Type
- Chain, 5-digit code
- Sold Secure
- Not rated
- Thickness
- 7mm chain
- Size or length
- 83cm
- Weight
- 750g
- Frame bracket
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1Kryptonite Mini-7 | #2ABUS Bordo 6000K | #3Sportneer D-lock | #4GRIFEMA chain | #5SPGOOD combination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best folding lock | Best budget D-lock | Best budget | Best combination lock | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| Price | £74.99 RRP | £50–£75 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | Under £10 Price range | Under £10 Price range |
| Type | D-lock + 120cm cable | Folding lock | D-lock + 5ft cable | Chain, key | Chain, 5-digit code |
| Sold Secure | Gold (D-lock) | Bronze | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| Thickness | 13mm shackle | 5mm steel bars | 17mm shackle | 7mm chain | 7mm chain |
| Size or length | 8.3 × 17.8cm | 90cm | 12.8 × 19.7cm | 120cm | 83cm |
| Weight | 1.61kg with cable | 1.21kg | 0.74kg (lock) | 795g | 750g |
| Frame bracket | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Everyday commuting | E-bikes and wide posts | Students and new commuters | Locking bikes together | Kids and teens who lose keys |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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