News + Trends
Only four out of 19 bicycle locks convince Stiftung Warentest
by Stephan Lamprecht
Bike locks tested by "saldo": Why are they so locked?
3.4.2025
Translation: machine translated
Bicycles are extremely popular with thieves. A good lock can put a stop to this criminal energy. However, a test conducted by "saldo" shows that theft-proof bike locks are still in the minority.
Closed-mindedness is one of those things. It may be a hindrance as a character trait, but it is essential for bike locks. The fact that this is not for the best is evidenced by the 40,000 or so bicycle thefts reported to the police every year according to Pro Velo Schweiz. In addition, tests of bike locks are always sobering in terms of break-in security. For example, the German Stiftung Warentest recently tried its hand at lock picking:
Locked and cracked open
The fact that there is no such thing as absolute security against theft is now made clear by "saldo" in its own test. The Swiss consumer magazine put ten folding, U-locks and chain locks to the test. The two main criteria:
- Protection against non-violent breaking open
Members of the Verein Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik in Hamburg have tried to open the locks with dexterity and special tools without damaging them.
- Protection against forced opening
Brute force was used by the PZT laboratory in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The experts there used bolt cutters, cold spray, hammers and angle grinders to get to grips with the bike locks. The laboratory also investigated the handling of the test devices.
A "very good" novelty
The test winner is the folding lock from Hiplok with a Swiss score of 5.7, closely followed by the U-lock from BBB (score 5.6). Both models drove the sports fans of locking technology to despair. And in the laboratory, only the angle grinder was successful. It is the first time that two bike locks have received a very good grade in a separate test, "saldo" is pleased to report.
"Well" chained
Two chain locks scored "good". One is the model from Master Lock (score 5.3). Looking at it, you could also come up with completely different uses ... Don't do that!
The other good bike lock comes from Kryptonite (grade 5.2). Another model from the same manufacturer is currently the most popular bike lock in our shop. Will this fact make up for the fact that Kryptonite did not win the "saldo" test?
Can you crack it, I mean crack it
"Bike locks have improved overall", is the basic conclusion of the "saldo" test. Maybe so. But the fact that over half of the tested models failed the test is rather sobering. No fewer than six of the ten bike locks received unsatisfactory to poor marks.
For example, the model from Tex-Lock (score 2.5) failed to protect against theft by force. The lock from Burg-Wächter (grade 2) does not even require force, and the test product from Abus (grade 2) fails in both main criteria.
My conclusion loosely based on Friedrich Schiller:
"So check which lock you tie your trolley to."
Which bike lock do you trust? Or do you possibly need a new one after this test? Write it in the comments.
Header image: Shutterstock / Kozak_photo
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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