Best E-Bike Locks: 7 Picks Compared
Buy the Kryptonite New York Standard. Its 16mm shackle is thick enough to take bolt croppers out of the conversation, and Kryptonite sells it as an e-bike lock rather than a bicycle lock, which is the distinction that matters here.
An e-bike is a worse thing to lose than the bike it replaced. It costs more, it is heavier to chase after, and it spends its life parked in exactly the places bikes get stolen from. The lock that was adequate for a $400 hybrid is not adequate here, and the rule of thumb the trade uses (spend around ten percent of the bike’s value on the lock) puts most e-bike owners in a different aisle than they expect.
abouteBikes is reader-supported. We research products from their published specifications and owner feedback rather than testing them ourselves, and the links on this page are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we choose what to feature.
Best for what
| Best overall | Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock | See on Amazon |
| Best against angle grinders | Hiplok DX1000 | See on Amazon |
| Best folding | ABUS Bordo Granit 6500K | See on Amazon |
| Best for awkward racks | Kryptonite New York 1275 Cinch Ring Chain | See on Amazon |
| Best lightweight | Seatylock Mason | See on Amazon |
| Best value | Kryptonite KryptoLok Standard | See on Amazon |
| Best for home storage | Kryptonite Evolution Ground Anchor | See on Amazon |
Security ratings, and why most of them mean nothing
Three different numbering systems appear on the locks below, and only one of them is independent.
- Sold Secure rates locks Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond after independent attack testing. It is UK-based, but the ratings appear on locks sold worldwide, and it is the only figure here that a manufacturer cannot award itself.
- ABUS security levels run to 15 on this scale. Useful for comparing one ABUS lock against another ABUS lock, and meaningless for comparing an ABUS against anything else.
- Kryptonite’s 1–10 scale is the same idea. A Kryptonite 9 and an ABUS 15 are not comparable, because neither company tests the other’s products.
Where a lock carries a Sold Secure rating we have said which tier. Where it only carries a house number, we have said whose house.
The angle grinder changed the math
Bike locks were designed around bolt croppers, and thickness was the answer: get past about 14mm and croppers stop working. Cheap cordless angle grinders rewrote that. A grinder goes through almost any conventional shackle quickly and noisily, and the only defense a normal lock offers is that the thief has to cut twice if the shackle is anti-rotation.
A small number of locks now use abrasive-resistant materials designed to destroy grinder discs rather than resist them. The Hiplok DX1000 is the one on this list. It is heavy and expensive, and for a bike that sleeps outdoors in a city it is the only entry here addressing the attack that actually happens.
The seven locks
01
Best overall
Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock
The default answer for an e-bike, and the one to buy unless something below describes your situation better. A 16mm shackle is thick enough that bolt croppers are no longer the threat, and Kryptonite sells it specifically for e-bikes and scooters rather than bicycles generally.
Type
U-lock
Shackle
16mm hardened
Cylinder
Disc, pick-resistant
Keys
3 supplied
Key features
- 16mm hardened max-performance steel shackle
- Patented anti-rotation features to resist twist-and-cut attacks
- Pick and drill-resistant disc-style cylinder
- Sliding dust cover over the keyway
- FlexFrame-U carrying bracket included
- Ergonomic key heads designed not to bend or snap
What stands out
- Thick enough to rule out the most common attack outright
- Anti-rotation shackle means a thief has to cut twice
- Sold and supported as an e-bike lock, not a bike lock
What to watch
- Weight is not published on the listing, and this is not a light lock
- The listed item dimensions are plainly wrong for a U-lock. Ignore them
- No cable included, so the front wheel needs its own solution
02
Best against angle grinders
Hiplok DX1000
One of the very few locks built specifically to resist an angle grinder rather than bolt croppers. If your bike lives outside overnight in a city, this is the category that matters, and this is the lock, provided you can carry six pounds of it.
Type
D-lock
Shackle
32mm
Rating
Dual Diamond rated
Weight
6.1 lbs (2.75kg)
Key features
- Designed and independently tested for angle grinder resistance
- 32mm shackle with a 112 x 205mm locking area
- Anti-rotation double locking tabs, so both sides must be cut
- Rubberised outer shackle to protect the frame
- Three coded replaceable keys
- Lifetime warranty if registered within 30 days
What stands out
- Addresses the attack that defeats almost every other lock
- Locking area large enough for cargo bikes and fat tires
- Part of a system that pairs with Hiplok chains and anchors
What to watch
- 6.1 lbs is a lot to carry on a bike you already lift
- The frame mount is a separate purchase
- Considerably more expensive than a conventional U-lock
03
Best folding
ABUS Bordo Granit 6500K
Folding locks trade some outright strength for reach and packability, and this is the strongest of them. ABUS rates it 15, the top of their own scale. Ninety centimeters of reach means you can lock to things a U-lock will not fit around.
Type
Folding
Length
90cm unfolded
Rating
ABUS level 15
Weight
3.7 lbs (1,670g)
Key features
- Hardened steel bars with soft grippy sleeves to protect paint
- XPlus cylinder for high tamper protection
- Special rivets at each joint designed to shield against saw blades
- Folds flat into a supplied frame bracket
- Two keys and a rain cover included
What stands out
- Reaches around lamp posts and awkward racks a U-lock cannot
- Folds down small enough to carry without a bag
- Supplied with a proper bracket and a rain cover
What to watch
- The listing says “55mm thick rods”, which is a typo. Check the real figure before relying on it
- ABUS security levels are the manufacturer’s own scale, not an independent one
- Hinged joints are inherently more attackable than a solid shackle
04
Best for awkward racks
Kryptonite New York 1275 Cinch Ring Chain
A chain goes round things a rigid lock cannot, which matters when the only thing to lock to is a railing, a tree or a lamp post. The cinch ring is the clever part: it gives you nearly the usable length of a 3.5ft chain from 2.5ft of steel.
Type
Chain
Links
12mm manganese
Length
2.5 ft (75cm)
Weight
6.95 lbs (3.15kg)
Key features
- 12mm 3T hardened manganese steel with six-sided links
- Evolution Series 4 disc lock with a 14mm shackle
- Hardened double deadbolt locking mechanism
- Nylon cover with hook-and-loop fasteners to protect the frame
- Kryptonite rates it 9 out of 10 on their own scale
- Three keys, plus Key Safe and anti-theft protection registration
What stands out
- Goes around objects no U-lock will fit
- Six-sided links are harder to grip with croppers than round ones
- Cinch design cuts bulk without cutting usable length
What to watch
- Nearly seven pounds, and it has to go somewhere while you ride
- 2.5ft is shorter than it sounds once wrapped around a post
- Chains are slower to use than a U-lock every single time
05
Best lightweight
Seatylock Mason
Sold Secure Diamond is the highest independent rating a bike lock can hold, and this is among the lightest locks that carries it. If you want top-tier security without the weight penalty of the Hiplok, this is the trade to make.
Type
U-lock
Size
7.1 in shackle
Rating
Sold Secure Diamond
Weight
Not listed
Key features
- Sold Secure Diamond, the top independent rating
- Triangle-shaped crossbars and double-thickness protective plates
- Automatic keyhole shutter against dirt and rain
- Rust-prevention coating throughout
- Three-year cover
What stands out
- Independent Diamond rating rather than a manufacturer scale
- Much easier to carry than the other high-security options
- Keyhole shutter is a genuine help on a bike left outdoors
What to watch
- The mounting bracket is sold separately, which is mean at this price
- Actual weight is not published despite lightness being the selling point
- 7.1in shackle is short. Check it reaches your rack and frame
06
Best value
Kryptonite KryptoLok Standard
The sensible floor. Sold Secure Silver and a 12.7mm shackle will not stop a determined thief with power tools, but it stops opportunists, and the included cable secures the front wheel, which the pricier locks here leave to you.
Type
U-lock + cable
Shackle
12.7mm hardened
Rating
Sold Secure Silver
Weight
3.65 lbs (1.66kg)
Key features
- 12.7mm hardened performance steel shackle, vinyl coated
- Double deadbolt locking on both sides of the crossbar
- 4in x 9in interior locking dimensions
- 10mm x 4ft double-loop cable included for the front wheel
- FlexFrame-U bracket and two keys included
- Limited lifetime warranty, Key Safe and anti-theft registration
What stands out
- Complete package: lock, cable, bracket, warranty
- Light enough to carry daily without thinking about it
- Silver rating is a real independent standard, not a marketing number
What to watch
- 12.7mm is within reach of large bolt croppers
- Silver is two tiers below Diamond. Know what you are buying
- The cable is a deterrent for the wheel, not security for the bike
07
Best for home storage
Kryptonite Evolution Ground Anchor
The thing most people skip. A shed or garage gives a thief privacy and time, and a bike locked to nothing inside one is just waiting to be carried out. Bolt this to the floor or wall and the lock you already own suddenly does something.
Type
Ground anchor
Shackle
14mm carbon alloy
Mounting
Floor or wall
Weight
Not listed
Key features
- Permanent locking point where none otherwise exists
- 14mm special carbon alloy steel shackle
- Hardened steel baseplate to resist pull attacks
- Hardened anti-drill ball bearing inserts in the fixings
- ABS cover lets the shackle lie flat when not in use
What stands out
- Turns a shed from a hiding place into an actual obstacle
- Works indoors or out, and pairs with any lock you already have
- Cheapest meaningful security upgrade on this list
What to watch
- Only as strong as what you bolt it to. A wooden shed floor is not enough
- Fitting means drilling into concrete or masonry
- Weight and fixing specification are not published
All seven, side by side
| Lock | Best for | Type | Key figure | Rating | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock | Best overall | U-lock | 16mm shackle | Not stated | Not listed |
| Hiplok DX1000 | Best against angle grinders | D-lock | 32mm shackle | Sold Secure Diamond x2 | 6.1 lbs |
| ABUS Bordo Granit 6500K | Best folding | Folding | 90cm reach | ABUS level 15 | 3.7 lbs |
| Kryptonite New York 1275 Cinch Ring Chain | Best for awkward racks | Chain | 12mm links | Kryptonite 9/10 | 6.95 lbs |
| Seatylock Mason | Best lightweight | U-lock | 7.1in shackle | Sold Secure Diamond | Not listed |
| Kryptonite KryptoLok Standard | Best value | U-lock + cable | 12.7mm shackle | Sold Secure Silver | 3.65 lbs |
| Kryptonite Evolution Ground Anchor | Best for home storage | Ground anchor | 14mm shackle | Not stated | Not listed |
Four things that matter more than which lock you buy
Lock the frame, not the wheel
A lock through the front wheel alone leaves a thief carrying away everything except the wheel. Get the shackle around the rear triangle and the rack or post, fill as much of the lock’s interior as you can, and keep the keyway facing down so it cannot be attacked easily.
Two locks beat one big lock
Two different types of lock (a U-lock and a chain, say) force a thief to carry two sets of tools and spend twice as long. Most give up and find an easier bike. That is what security at this level buys you: not invulnerability, but somebody else’s bike being the better option.
Where it sleeps matters more than where it parks
Most bikes are stolen from home, not from the high street. A shed or garage gives a thief privacy and unlimited time. That is the case for the ground anchor, and it is the single cheapest improvement most e-bike owners can make.
Register it and photograph it
Record the frame number, photograph the bike, and register it with a national database. It costs nothing and it is the only thing that makes recovery possible. Check your home insurance too. Some policies specify a minimum lock rating for a claim on a bike taken from outside the home, and a Silver lock on a Gold policy is an expensive discovery to make afterwards.
The bottom line
For most people: the New York Standard for daily use and the Evolution anchor bolted down wherever the bike sleeps. That pairing costs less than the Hiplok alone and covers both places a bike actually gets stolen from.
If your e-bike lives outside overnight in a city, buy the Hiplok and accept the weight. If it only ever gets locked for twenty minutes outside a shop, the KryptoLok with its cable is enough. Just bought the bike? Our e-bike roundup is the other half of this decision.
How we choose
We don’t test locks hands-on. What we do is read each specification properly (lock type, shackle thickness, weight, and whether a security rating is independent or the manufacturer’s own) and set it against what owners consistently report over time. Where a claim looks optimistic, we say so.
That makes this page a shortcut through the spec sheets and rating schemes, not a guarantee. No lock stops a determined thief with enough time, so pair whichever you choose with the habits above.
