Top 5 compared
The best steering wheel locks
A lock a thief can see through the windshield, stopping the steering wheel from turning far until you take it off with the key.
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The top 5 at a glance
A steering wheel lock goes on each time the car is parked and comes off before the next drive. Most are steel bars that hook the rim, with a long end that meets the dashboard or a seat if someone turns the wheel. A twin bar uses two bars and four hooks, and a cable lock ties the wheel to the seat belt buckle.
None of the listings here gives an independent security rating, so treat any of these locks as a visible deterrent and a delay rather than a guarantee. Where a size range is given, it’s the distance across the inside of the rim, which takes a few seconds to measure. Between drives, most locks ride in the footwell or under a seat.
What matters
- A stated fit for your vehicle, or a range that covers your wheel.
- Three keys, so losing one isn’t a crisis.
- Light enough to put on at every stop, not just overnight.
#1The Club 1102 LX Series Steering Wheel Lock (blue)
$100–$150
- Keys can’t be duplicated
- Locks with one pull
- One size, cars to trucks
One pull locks it onto the rim, and its chrome lock comes with three keys that The Club’s maker, Winner International, says can’t be duplicated. Winner also says the steel stands up to sawing, prying, hammering and freeze-spray attacks. James Winner got the idea from his Korean War service, when soldiers chained their vehicles’ steering wheels.
What owners say: Owners trust it to keep thieves away, find it tough and well built, and say it’s easy to fit and to unlock. Its weight is where opinions split.
A closer look: It locks without the key, which is only needed to take it off, so fitting it takes a moment whenever the car is parked. Its hooks are solid steel, and the metallic blue is easy to see from the sidewalk.
Best for: Keys nobody can copy
- Type
- Bar, hook at each end
- Fits (inside of rim)
- No range given, one size for cars to trucks
- Keys
- 3
- Weight
- 1.9 kg (4.2 lb)
#2Tevlaphee Steering Wheel and Seat Belt Lock (red)
$30–$50
- Also blocks the seat belt
- Coated cable won’t scuff wheel
- Metal lock body
A braided steel cable, coated in PVC, loops over the steering wheel and locks into the seat belt socket, so the wheel can’t be turned far and the belt can’t be buckled. The lock body is a metal shell rather than plastic, and it goes on in moments at every stop.
What owners say: Owners call it a sturdy, well-made deterrent that takes only a few seconds to put on and is easy to remove, and they think it fair value. Whether it fits their own car well is the mixed point.
A closer look: The PVC coating keeps the steel cable from scuffing the steering wheel and from rusting, and the whole lock can stay loose in the car between stops. Keep one of the three keys at home, away from the car, as a spare.
Best for: Locking wheel to belt buckle
- Type
- Cable to seat belt buckle
- Fits (inside of rim)
- No range given, sold for most cars
- Keys
- 3
- Weight
- –
#3Tevlaphee Telescoping Steering Wheel Lock with Safety Hammer
$30–$50
- Light at 1.3 kg
- Shrinks for a door pocket
- Glass-breaking hammer built in
- Rims to 31.8 cm only
A telescoping bar that pulls out and locks onto the rim in a few seconds, then shrinks small enough for a door pocket or the space under a seat. The end hides a metal hammer, capped when it isn’t needed, for smashing the glass if you’re ever trapped inside.
What owners say: Easy to put on and take off, owners say, and heavy-duty enough that they feel safer leaving the car. Its fit, its looks and the number of keys are well liked too.
A closer look: Before the first use, put on the four protective pads so the metal doesn’t mark the wheel, and add the drop of lubricant Tevlaphee suggests in the lock cylinder. When it’s stored, wrap the blue strap around it so a hook can’t swing loose.
Best for: Breaking glass in an emergency
- Type
- Telescoping bar, two hooks
- Fits (inside of rim)
- 16.8–31.8 cm (6.6–12.5 in)
- Keys
- 3
- Weight
- 1.3 kg (2.8 lb)
#4The Club 2100 Truck/SUV Steering Wheel Lock (red)
$75–$100
- Long shaft for truck wheels
- Keys resist copying and picking
- Locks with one pull
The Club’s longer-shafted bar, made for the bigger steering wheels of pickups and full-size SUVs. Winner says the extra length gives a more secure fit and its keys can’t be duplicated and resist picking. The LX above is also sold for trucks, as one size without the extra length.
What owners say: Owners find it solidly built, easy to use and convenient day to day, and they like the fit and the value.
A closer look: Set the hooks over the rim and draw the shaft out until both bite, and it locks with that pull. Longer than a car-sized bar, it’s best kept on the floor behind a seat rather than in a door pocket.
Best for: Large trucks and SUVs
- Type
- Long bar, hook at each end
- Fits (inside of rim)
- No range given, made for large trucks and SUVs
- Keys
- 3
- Weight
- –
#5Tevlaphee Twin Bar Steering Wheel Lock
$50–$75
- Two bars, four hooks
- Fits sedans to pickup trucks
- Plastic-dipped, won’t mark wheel
- Needs the key to lock
Two bars and four hooks lock onto the rim, more firmly by Tevlaphee’s account, and the plastic-dipped body won’t mark the steering wheel. Tevlaphee chose the bright yellow so it shows from outside the car, day or night.
What owners say: Sturdy and strong enough to put thieves off, owners say, with a good fit and a colour that stands out, and many call it a decent buy. The weight gets mixed reports.
A closer look: Pull the bars apart until all four hooks sit snug on the rim, then turn the key to lock it, a quick job once it’s familiar. Tevlaphee says it fits sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks and vans alike.
Best for: Four-hook grip
- Type
- Twin bar, four hooks
- Fits (inside of rim)
- 13.5–35.8 cm (5.3–14.1 in)
- Keys
- 3
- Weight
- 2.1 kg (4.7 lb)
Side by side
How they compare
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| Feature | #1The Club 1102 LX | #2Tevlaphee seat belt lock | #3Tevlaphee telescoping bar | #4The Club 2100 Truck/SUV | #5Tevlaphee twin bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.0 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $75–$100 | $50–$75 |
| Type | Bar, hook at each end | Cable to seat belt buckle | Telescoping bar, two hooks | Long bar, hook at each end | Twin bar, four hooks |
| Fits (inside of rim) | No range given, one size for cars to trucks | No range given, sold for most cars | 16.8–31.8 cm (6.6–12.5 in) | No range given, made for large trucks and SUVs | 13.5–35.8 cm (5.3–14.1 in) |
| Keys | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Weight | 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) | – | 1.3 kg (2.8 lb) | – | 2.1 kg (4.7 lb) |
| Best for | Keys nobody can copy | Locking wheel to belt buckle | Breaking glass in an emergency | Large trucks and SUVs | Four-hook grip |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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