11 Best Bike Locks 2026: Actually Grinder-Resistant, Not Just Heavy

The best lock is the one you actually carry, and most heavy-duty chain locks fail that test before they fail any security test — nobody wants a kilo of steel round their shoulder. Here are eleven locks worth your money in 2026, from the wearable ones you'll forget you're carrying to the budget option that's still properly rated.

Diamond-rated: the top tier

Litelok X1 — our top pick

Sold Secure Diamond rated — the top tier — and angle-grinder resistant, in a shape that clips onto the bike rather than living in a bag. If your bike lives outside overnight or in a high-theft area, this is the one. See it on Velorution · Shop →

ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 — the German alternative

ABUS's flagship U-lock carries the same Sold Secure Diamond rating as the Litelok X1, with a 17mm hardened-steel shackle and a security score ABUS rates 15/15 on its own scale. £99.99. See it at Halfords →

Squire Stronghold D16 — the British heritage pick

Squire have been making locks in the UK since 1780, and the Stronghold D16 is their Diamond-rated D-lock — hardened boron alloy shackle, made for exactly the kind of overnight street parking Diamond tier exists for. £129.99. See it at Squire →

Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain — for e-bikes and high-risk overnight parking

A 14mm hexagonal hardened-steel chain paired with a disc lock, rated Diamond as a combo. Heavy — this is the one you leave on a rack near home, not the one you carry — but if your bike or e-bike is worth £2,000+, this is the level of overkill that's actually rational. £144.99. See it at Halfords →

OnGuard Brute STD — Diamond security at a budget price

The outlier on this list: a 16.8mm hardened-steel U-lock that's actually Sold Secure Diamond rated, at a fraction of what Diamond locks usually cost. £48.85. Bulkier than the premium options and the customer support is more hit-or-miss, but the security rating is the security rating. See it at Sprocket & Gear →

Gold-rated: wearable and everyday

Litelok X3 — wearable security

The category Litelok invented: a lock that wraps around your waist or across your body like a belt, so it's never dead weight in a bag. Same grinder resistance, worn instead of carried. See it on Velorution · Shop →

Hiplok Gold — the wearable chain

10mm hardened-steel chain that clips round your waist like a belt (85cm, 2.4kg), Sold Secure Gold rated. If you specifically want a chain rather than a rigid lock — more flexibility in what you can lock to — this is the wearable version of that idea. £85.90. See it at Halfords →

ABUS Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500 — the folding lock with real security

Folding locks are usually the weak link security-wise — the joints are a natural attack point — but the Bordo Granit X-Plus is one of the very few folding locks with a Sold Secure Gold rating. Hinged steel bars pack flat into a frame-mounted case rather than looping round like a chain. £165. See it at The Electric Bike Shop →

Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 — the budget pick

Sold Secure Gold rated U-lock bundled with a 4ft cable (for a second wheel or the saddle), regularly discounted to under £50 from its £84.99 RRP. Not Diamond-tier security, but genuinely good value for a name-brand lock if your bike or area doesn't call for the top tier. See it at Halfords →

Litelok Core — the everyday lock

A step down in security tier, a big step down in bulk — for short stops in lower-risk areas where a full X-series lock is overkill. Core Plus and Core Flex cover slightly different shapes and lock points. Core Plus · Core Flex · Shop →

Silver-rated: short stops only

Foldylock Compact — the other folding option

A different shape entirely: hinged steel bars that fold down to 19 x 4.2cm and clip onto the frame, rather than a rigid loop or a chain. Sold Secure Silver rated, around £65-77 depending on where you buy. Worth knowing about if a U-lock's fixed shape never quite fits where you need to lock up — the ABUS Bordo above is the pricier, better-rated version of the same idea. See it on Amazon →

Sold Secure ratings, explained

• Diamond: the top tier — rated to resist angle grinders and top-end power tools for a meaningful amount of time. Litelok X1, ABUS Granit X-Plus 540, Squire D16, Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit and (surprisingly, at the price) the OnGuard Brute STD all sit here.
• Gold: resists bolt croppers and most hand tools, but not sustained grinder attacks. Litelok X3, Hiplok Gold, ABUS Bordo Granit X-Plus and the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 sit here — fine for most UK streets, not for known theft hotspots overnight.
• Silver: a real deterrent against opportunistic theft, not a match for someone who came prepared. The Foldylock Compact sits here — use it for short stops, not overnight.

Bundles, if you want two

Litelok also sell their locks in bundles — useful if you want one heavy-duty lock for overnight and a lighter second lock for quick stops. Browse bundles →

Not a lock, but worth knowing: Quad Lock

If your actual worry is your phone rather than your bike, Quad Lock's mounts are the standard the rest of the market copies. See Quad Lock on Velorution.

The verdict

Litelok X1 or the ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 if the bike is locked up unattended for hours — both Diamond-rated, pick whichever shape suits how you carry it. The Kryptonite chain if it's an e-bike or a known theft hotspot. Litelok X3 or Hiplok Gold if you want to wear the lock rather than carry it. OnGuard Brute STD if you want Diamond security without the Diamond price tag. Foldylock or the ABUS Bordo if a rigid shape never fits where you actually lock up.

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Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them, the brand may pay Velorution a small commission at no cost to you. Locks bought via the Halfords, Squire, Sprocket & Gear, The Electric Bike Shop or Amazon links above are not affiliate links — included because they're genuinely good options, not because we earn from them. It never affects what we recommend. More on how Velorution works here.