Best U Lock Reviews 2023

Product prices are affected by a number of factors, the most obvious being the features and design of the product in question. A feature-packed product will cost more than its counterpart with lesser features. To make the right selection at the best price point, you need to identify the feature you most need in a product and then search for the item that has it at the price convenient for your budget.

The U-locks featured in our review range from approximately $25 to $83 which encompasses both high-end and low-end U-locks for your budget comfort. Whichever product you pick from our product review section, be assured that you’re dealing with only the best from reputable manufacturers.

Of course, there are numerous cheap U-locks out there. We came across them, but owing to their flimsy makeup, we ignored them because we wouldn’t want you spending money for a bike replacement because the U-lock you bought couldn’t even secure a stick if its life depended on it.

There are important factors and features to look out for when shopping for the U-lock that will secure your bike at all times. These features include:

• Construction material
• Lock type
• Security rating
• Size
• Portability
• Extra features

The best U-locks are made of hardened steel. Steel is an extremely hard metal to cut on a good day, and when it passes through a special hardening process, it becomes practically impossible to cut through unless you employ the use of power tools—which is just too much stress for the common bike thief. There are other metals that can be used in manufacturing U-locks such as iron and aluminum, but they don’t offer the same level of hardness as steel. You should also note that steel U-locks are more expensive than U-locks made from other metals, so you have to think about how safe you really want your bike to be against what you’re willing or able to pay for the security.

Lock type refers to the type of locking mechanism built into the U-lock. Different brands equip their U-locks with either a key lock or combination lock. Both offer the same level of security, but the combination lock has the advantage of your not having to worry about losing or forgetting your key. So, choosing a U-lock with either a key lock or combination lock is based on individual preference (and on whether you’re good at not losing or misplacing items like keys).

There are different sizes of U-locks as well. The size here refers to the diameter of the U-shaped shackle. The larger the diameter, the harder it is to cut with a bolt cutter, which most thieves employ in stealing things like secured bikes. The U-locks with diameters below 13 millimeters (<0.5 inches) will be prone to attack from medium bolt cutters, a tool which most bike thieves have, while a U-lock with a diameter from 13 to 15 millimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) will be much more difficult to cut. Leading the range are U-locks with 16 to 18-millimeter (0.63 to 0.71-inch) diameters that cannot be cut with even large-sized bolt cutters.

At this point, it’s fair to point out that the larger the thickness of a U-lock, the heavier it is and the more difficult it’ll be to move around with. For convenience, it’s recommended you go for mid-sized U-locks so it won’t be cumbersome to move around, unless you live or work in areas with a high theft rate. In that case, you’ll be better off with the large-sized U-locks if you can find a way to deal with the weight.

U-locks are built to be portable, but this depends solely on the diameter of the U-lock. Generally, the smaller the diameter, the lighter and more portable it is. Although when compared with other bike locks such as the chain lock and cable lock, even the heaviest U-lock tends to be lighter than them on average.

U-locks are also easy to use; in fact, they’re as easy as using a padlock. All you need to do is hold the frame and back wheel of your bike together with the U-shaped shackle, fix the ends into their slots on the straight crossbar, and turn the key or set the combination. It doesn’t even take a minute to secure your bike with it, and there’s absolutely no pre-assembly required.

To check the security rating of the U-lock you want to buy, it’s highly recommended that you check the Sold Secure Rating for that particular U-lock. Sold Secure developed a three-tier grading system that grades bike locks according to their security level. A gold rating means the product offers the highest possible security for your bike, a silver rating indicates that the product offers some level of security at an affordable cost, while a bronze-rated lock offers the most basic protection against an opportunistic thief.

Checking your preferred U-lock with the Sold Secure will give you a broader idea as to the security level that will be availed your bike if you purchase it.

Another important feature that affects the performance of the U-lock is the space between the U-lock arms. The smaller the space, the better. A U-lock with small space in between is infinitely more difficult to cut, as the U-lock will give less room for maneuvering a bolt cutter to successfully cut through the lock.

For easy and better storage and transportation, some U-locks come with a frame mount that allows you to carry it on the frame of your bike. This feature saves you the stress of trying to fit the U-lock into your bag, especially given its odd shape that makes it a little awkward to transport in the bag.