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It's important to note that the best padlock in the world won't secure your valuables if it's fastened to a poorly made door or cheap chain or latch. If you're looking for a padlock that'll provide a higher level of security, Home Depot suggests die-cast zinc, solid-steel bodies, and boron-steel shackles as they "provide additional cut and pry resistance."You may also want to consider investing in a lock with a shrouded shackle: a covered shackle makes it more difficult and, in some cases, impossible for a crook to use bolter cutters to circumvent a padlock's security.
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You might not plan on using your lock outside, but it's is nice to have the option to do so, down the road. When you're shopping for a reliable padlock, look for locks made from weather-resistant materials such as brass, laminated steel, or aluminum. But if you’re locking up simple things at a gym or an employee locker room, or sharing a locked space, combination locks work will too-you may just struggle with a combination a few times before opening. You’re going to want to opt for ones with more key pins, which means they’re more difficult to pick, and ones made of tougher metals. Typically, keyed locks are the easiest to use and are often made with a higher level of security in mind.
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How to Choose the Right Padlock for Youĭifferent uses call for different kinds of padlocks. Crafted with a forged brass lock body and a high-quality stainless steel shackle, the lock offers exceptional protection against water. Whether you are in coastal areas, near ports, or on the high seas, the 180IB ensures reliable security for your valuables. Taking bolt cutters to them was just about the only test we didn't put these padlocks through. Our 180IB padlock is a weatherproof lock with numeric code ideal for outdoor use. The locks were then submerged in water for 24 hours to see if weathering would damage them.įinally, they were placed in a freezer for 24 hours and we then attempted to open each one, to simulate how they would fare in cold weather. We also checked a while later to see if they still worked. Locks were chucked from the second-floor fire escape of our building to see how easily they would break or if they would open on impact. Next, we had some fun with a few destructive tests. Next, these tests were applied to a bike lock and a chain to see how they fared in action. We also tried opening the locks while they were locked by pulling on them. For the combination padlocks, each lock was set with a combination and opened several times to determine how easy each padlock was to unlock and lock. We found 9 of the most popular padlocks and pitted them against each other to determine the best of the best. Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar / Jeremy Stamas