Honorable Mentions
Photograph: Adrienne So
Hiplok D1000 for $330: After four years of testing electric bikes, this is the bike lock that I use to protect my most expensive ones. It has the highest security ratings possible, but the shackle is quite a bit smaller than the Abus above which makes it a bit more difficult to use with bigger ebikes.—Adrienne So
Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
Abus Ultra 410 for $55: The Abus Ultra 410 U-lock comes with a 47-inch-long cobra cable, giving you more options and leeway when it comes to locking your ride up. At just over two pounds and thanks to its 12-millimeter shackle, it’s an easy lock to tote around. However, it’s only a Sold Secure rating which means it’s probably not great for high-value bikes in high-risk areas.—Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
To lock up your high-value electric bike, you want the best protection on the market. There are a few third-party security rating organizations that we trust. Sold Secure, an English security group, issues security ratings for each bike lock based on how hard a thief will have to work to steal your bike. If you’ve got a highly valuable, attractive bike that thieves want, and it’s out of your sight for protracted periods in a public place? Look for a bike lock that’s ranked Sold Secure Diamond, then bring in other considerations.
Most of the highest-rated locks are U-locks, though these are of course heavy and may require a bracket on your bicycle to carry comfortably. For a regular-size U-lock, you’ll usually want to lock the bike around the frame and the back wheel, if space allows. Some methods suggest simply locking the back wheel, but this can leave the rest of your bike vulnerable. You’ll want to keep U-locks away from the ground, especially with concrete or asphalt, to prevent thieves from trying to smash it with a hammer or using leverage devices like a tire jack or iron.
The components on electric bikes are also valuable, so you’ll need to protect them as well. You can thread separate steel cables through your wheels and rack, or alternatively, you can use a secondary lock as we have suggested above. Chain locks can work well for securing both a frame and wheel, though they have their drawbacks. They’re usually quite heavy, especially the thicker ones that can better resist heavy bolt cutters. They’re also generally not nearly as grinder-resistant as our top picks. Again, keeping the chain off the ground will help ward off bolt-cutting thieves.
Of course, the best lock is the lock you’ll actually use. If you find it difficult to tote a big, bulky, grinder-resistant lock around? You might want to consider a folding lock, even though those are slightly less secure.
Smart locks are an emerging space in the bike lock scene, but are really still in their infancy. Smart locks like the I Lock It Plus (which we have not tested) can offer conveniences like keyless unlocking via your phone, and even a smart alarm with up to 110 decibels of shrieking sound. Some also promise to alert your phone when someones’ trying to tamper with the lock, though most operate on short-range Bluetooth. And alarms can go off accidentally, of course, causing as many problems than they solve.
For now, we have not found a grinder-resistant smart lock that’s been certified by Sold Secure or ART, which means for now these connectivity features come at the expense of security, As noted in our Security Ratings section, we recommend making sure any lock you choose is independently rated by Sold Secure and/or ART to ensure objective testing for the best protection.
What to Know About Security Ratings
Some bike lock makers provide their own internal security ratings for guidance. Those can be helpful, but the most secure locks we’ve tested use standard ratings from objective sources, including Sold Secure, which offers ratings of multiple vehicle types between Bronze and Diamond, and ART, which uses a number scale from 1 to 5.
So what do these ratings actually mean? Here’s a guide to two of the top lock-security firms and their rating systems:
Sold Secure was established in 1992 by Northumbria and Essex police in the UK. The brand is now owned and operated by the Master Locksmiths Association, a not-for-profit trade group. It uses a four-level rating system, as listed below.
Sold Secure Rating Levels: Bronze (lowest, secure against basic tools); Silver (midrange, secure against enhanced tools/determined attacks); Gold (second best, resistant against dedicated tools/attacks); Diamond (highest, resistant against destructive attacks and “special tools”).
The firm also uses separate ratings for different vehicle types, like bikes versus motorcycles (which it now calls pedal cycles and powered cycles, respectively). For example, the Hiplok DX has a Sold Secure Pedal Cycle Diamond rating and a Sold Secure Powered Cycle Gold rating. It’s a good score, but it isn’t as secure as top grinder-resistant options like the Litelok X1 or tougher locks like the Litelock X3 and Hiplock D1000, all three of which get Diamond ratings in both categories. Grinder-resistant locks will usually say so directly on the brand’s site as well. When in doubt, you can always go to the Sold Secure website to check whether your lock is rated.
ART is a Dutch independent security firm that uses a five-star security system centered on vehicle type, durability, weather, environmental resistance, and resistance to attacks.
ART Rating Levels: 1/5 (minimum security rating, fit for a second bike lock only); 2/5 (higher security rating that represents good theft protection for bicycles, the minimum for most insurance companies); 3/5 (bicycle security for high risk of theft, also suitable for mopeds and scooters for insurance purposes); 4/5 (very high security rating for bicycles, good theft protection for motorcycles while traveling); 5/5 (highest security rating, sometimes required to insure motorcycles stored at home).
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