The Best Locks for Protecting Your Bike or Ebike
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Any bike lock is cheaper than replacing a bike stolen or hacked apart by thieves. So what are you waiting for? Regularly up-to-date statistics by well done studies are tough to come by in the bike industry, but as of 2019 more than 2 million bicycles are stolen every year in North America, and less than 5 percent of them are recovered. However brief you think that trip into the coffee shop or package store will be, a bike thief can hop onto your bike and pedal away even more quickly.
While nothing can prevent a really determined thief from making off with your bike, you can deter many of them by securing your bike properly with a strong, well-designed lock. Locking up your bike takes only a few seconds, so you should always do so when it's unattended. I tested more than a dozen locks on the streets of New City York, locking them up out of my sight outside shops, cafés, restaurants, and parks. None were broken open by thieves, and when I returned my bike was always right where I left it. Still, some locks instilled more faith than others, and some were easier to connect to lock-up points and transport than others. These are the best locks I've used, along with some tips for locking your bike up properly.
Make sure to cruise by our guides to the Best Electric Bicycles, Best Electric Cargo Bikes, Best Ebikes for Elderly Riders, Gear to Maintain Your Bike (and How to Do It), and Family Biking With Kids. Also, read our story on why you Should Not Put Your Kid on an Ebike. Prefer to stand up while you ride? Check out our guide to the Best Escooters.
Updated March 2024: We've added the OnGuard Bulldog STD, OnGuard Brute STD, and Hiplok D1000. We've also updated pricing and availability.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Which Lock Should You Get?
U-locks are the most secure. Thicker equals better, so a 16-millimeter U-lock is, all else being equal, a better bet than a 14-millimeter U-lock. They might be a little heavier, but they're not that heavy compared to a chain lock. That's why I focused on testing only the thicker ones on the market.
Chains are flexible, but heavy. A chain lock is easier to use on crowded bike racks (and with thicker or cheaper bikes) than a smaller U-lock. However, they are the heaviest type of lock. I tested the Evolution 4 1090 because it was "only" 6.1 pounds and had decent security (though not as good as the Kryptonite New York U-Lock). I tend to use chains mostly for scrambler-style ebikes that have very thick frames. Check out our Guide to Ebike Classes for more information on how ebikes differ from one another.
Folding locks are compact, but not as secure. The pins that bind the links are weak spots that can be drilled out. However, they're compact when mounted and a good option if you mainly use your bike to lock up quickly at the convenience store or coffee shop. I do have to note, however, that I would not use them to lock up a bike all day and that it's also easy to mount a U-lock on your down tube or carry something like the Hiplok on your body.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED