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7 Best Bike Locks of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed

CR tests bike locks with brute force, saws, grinders, bolt cutters, and other hand tools to find ones that protect conventional and electric bikes

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person putting Kryptonite New York FAHGETTABOUDIT Mini U-Lock on bike with city street and buildings in background
A great bike lock should keep your bike safe when you leave it unattended. Some of the experts we spoke with even use two.
Photo: Kryptonite

Biking is a great way to get exercise by doing an activity you actually enjoy. But owning a conventional bike or e-bike isn’t without its risks.

Nearly 19,000 bikes were stolen in 2024, according to Bike Index, a nonprofit bicycle registration service. That was a 15 percent increase from the previous year.

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A great bike lock can be your best line of defense. But the type you choose should be determined by how valuable your bike is and how long you expect to keep it locked up. Many people who temporarily lock up their inexpensive bikes and e-bikes don’t need the added security of a heavy lock, nor do they want to carry the extra weight. In that case, a simple bike lock is sufficient. 

But if you have to leave your bike unattended outside for any length of time, we found that U-locks offer the best security because they’re the most difficult to break open with a wide variety of tools. 

Gavin Hoover, operations lead at Bike Index, recommends U-locks for anyone who walks away from their bike. In fact, Hoover rides with two U-locks so he can independently lock both the front and back wheels through the frame and to a post or a rack. “I find U-locks to be the simplest to shove into a belt or mount onto the bike frame itself,” he says. 

Still, U-locks can be heavy and pricey, so they’re not the best fit for everyone.

To help make your cycling excursions more secure and worry-free, Consumer Reports tested 24 bike locks to see which held up best under common bike-theft methods, including brute force, hacksaws, reciprocating saws, grinders, bolt cutters, and other hand tools.

person in lab trying to cut bike lock to test its strength
Bernie Deitrick, who oversees bike lock testing, attempts to cut through a bike lock at Consumer Reports' headquarters.

Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports

Best Bike Locks

Here are the best bike locks we found. Note that some don’t provide a way to secure them to a bike while you’re riding, so you might need to carry them in a backpack.

How CR Tests Bike Locks

We rate bike locks based on one aspect: how well they might deter someone trying to break them open.

“Given enough time, a thief can break open or cut through just about any lock—even the stronger ones. That’s why it comes down to how long it takes to defeat a lock,” says Bernie Deitrick, who leads CR’s testing of these locks. The longer it takes your bike lock to break open, the more likely it is that someone will give up trying to steal your bike.

The best bike locks from our tests earn outstanding marks for resisting brute force, hacksaws, saws, grinders, bolt cutters, and other hand tools. All tested locks were large enough to secure a bike to a big, square post in our lab.

The bottom line: Cables and chains—especially the lightweight ones—are easier to break open with the right equipment. “Unfortunately, when it comes to locks, heavier is actually better for security but worse for portability,” Deitrick says. Considering security first, only a handful of locks made the cut. See our full bike lock ratings.

Deitrick uses a grinder to break through a bike lock during testing.

Justin Krajeski headshot

Justin Krajeski

Justin Krajeski is a reporter covering a range of travel and healthy-living topics, including e-bikes, treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipticals. Before joining CR in 2022, he covered style for Wirecutter, part of The New York Times, where he began working in 2015. Justin lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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