Some bike lock makers provide their own internal security ratings for guidance. Those can be helpful, but the most secure locks we’ve tested use standard ratings from objective sources, including Sold Secure, which offers ratings of multiple vehicle types between Bronze and Diamond, and ART, which uses a number scale from 1 to 5.
So what do these ratings actually mean? Here’s a guide to two of the top lock-security firms and their rating systems:
Sold Secure was established in 1992 by Northumbria and Essex police in the UK. The brand is now owned and operated by the Master Locksmiths Association, a not-for-profit trade group. It uses a four-level rating system, as listed below.
Sold Secure Rating Levels: Bronze (lowest, secure against basic tools); Silver (midrange, secure against enhanced tools/determined attacks); Gold (second best, resistant against dedicated tools/attacks); Diamond…
