Most failed picking tests in under 60 seconds. Two genuinely surprised us. We tested 18 deadbolts across every price point — bump tests, pick tests, and brute-force attacks — and ranked every single one. Here's the full breakdown with top picks for every budget.
Most failed picking tests in under 60 seconds. Two genuinely surprised us. Full breakdown with pick times, bump test results, and top picks for every budget.
After six months of testing, bypass attempts, and one very frustrated locksmith, we're ready to declare the Abloy Protec2 the closest thing to an unpickable consumer lock available today. Here's why it earns every penny of its price tag.
We put 12 of the most popular sub-$30 padlocks to the test — shims, bolt cutters, picking, and brute-force attacks. The results were deeply unsettling.
The SmartKey re-keying system is genuinely clever. The security behind it, less so. We found its core weakness in about eleven minutes.
Same price. Completely different security. One opens to a butter knife. The other takes real effort. This comparison will change how you buy padlocks forever.
That "1700°F Fireproof!" sticker is way more misleading than manufacturers want you to know. We break down what UL ratings actually mean and which safes are worth buying.
America's two biggest lock brands compared by someone who picks both. The SmartKey vulnerability is real — but so is SmartKey's convenience.
Aisle 10 has some real security theater on display. A tour of the locks you should leave on the shelf — and what to grab instead.
Both owned by ASSA ABLOY. Both promising keyless convenience. Only one gets our nod — and the reason might surprise you.
Amazon and Google both want to own your front door. This comparison is about more than cameras — it's about which tech giant you're willing to hand your security footage to.
Two budget doorbell cameras, very different philosophies on subscriptions. We break down what actually matters when you're spending $40–$100 on a front door camera.
Yale has been making locks since 1840. Does the Assure Lock 2 live up to that legacy, or trade security for smart features? A lockpicker's honest review.
Most reviewers test smart locks for a weekend. Here's what happens when you live with one — and know how to pick the thing it's attached to.
It costs $15 and it's made by ABUS since 1924. The locksport world uses it as a benchmark. We picked it, tested it, and tell you the truth.
Hardened steel, interchangeable cylinder, Nano Protect coating, CEN 3 certified. The padlock professionals actually buy — and for good reason.
Hand-welded stainless steel, ABUS Plus disc cylinder, 250,000 key combos. Every cheap disc lock at the storage facility is copying this shape. None come close.
Home Depot's house brand. Grade 3. Three spool pins. Made by Taiwan Fu Hsing. It's not terrible — but knowing exactly what you're getting matters.
Gardall builds bank vaults. The MS912 is their residential entry point — 85 lbs of heavy-gauge steel, tongue-and-groove closure, and build quality that makes SentrySafe feel flimsy.
ETL-certified 60-minute fire at 1700°F, 100-hour waterproof, fits legal-size docs flat. It's not a safe for theft — it's disaster insurance for the documents you can't afford to lose.
Four pins, tolerances you could drive a truck through, and a comb attack that opens it without any skill at all. The best-selling brass padlock in America — and here's why that's a problem.
UL 437 listed, rotating pins, tubular steel housing, hardened inserts. The deadbolt engineered to resist every real-world attack — including the ones most homeowners never think about.
Telescopic pins, a sidebar, and the Alpha Spring. The MT5+ is three completely independent locking mechanisms hiding inside one cylinder. Even elite locksport pickers approach it with genuine respect.
Grade 1, under $40, available everywhere, installs with a screwdriver. It's not exciting — it's correct. The most recommended deadbolt in North America, and for very good reasons.
Grade 1, Z-Wave Plus, built-in alarm, 12-month battery life. The same physical security as the Encode Plus, with a battery that lasts twice as long — if you have a hub.
Apple Home Key, ANSI Grade 1, built-in WiFi. Every other smart lock made the same trade — physical security for connectivity. The Encode Plus is the one that refused.
The cheapest fire-rated chest on any hardware store shelf. 30-minute rating, too small for a standard sheet of paper, and a latch that customers complain about. But it's better than nothing — barely.
1-hour fire, 24-hour waterproof, digital lock, 2.05 cu. ft. The most popular home safe — and one most buyers misunderstand. It's a fire safe that happens to lock, not a security safe that happens to resist fire.
WiFi, an AI fingerprint scanner that improves over time, tempered glass keypad, and key backup — all under $80. The catch is Grade 2, but for secondary doors the value is hard to argue with.
Don't let a $5 lock guard your $5,000 stuff. Nobody picks a storage unit lock — they cut it. Here are the padlocks that actually resist bolt cutters.