Guide to Lock Brands

There’s tons of door lock brands on the market, and it can be a bit confusing for the typical consumer to figure out exactly which one serves their needs the best. Here’s our guide to the top door lock brands, so you can know what you’re buying.

Kwikset

This lock is fairly common, and somewhat cheap – but unfortunately is somewhat easy to bump and pick. Their SmartLocks are somewhat more burglar resistant, but still don’t hold up to those of some other brands.

Schlage

These locks are a bit more expensive than Kwiksets, and are harder to bump or pick. The Everest and Primus have a degree of bump and pick resistance, but can still be beat by experienced burglars. Schlage probably makes the best low cost locks out there.

Baldwin

This widely available brand is somewhat average. The locks are strong and somewhat durable, with high amounts of metal – which is good, since the higher the amount of metal, the more burglar resistance a lock offers. However, Baldwin lock cylinders can be bumped or picked by experienced burglars.

Yale

This brand is known as the inventor of the pin tumbler lock technology, and for that reason it’s a bit legendary in the industry. These locks are made well, and often come with spool pins that work well for burglar resistance. This brand has staked out a name for itself as a purveyor of trustworthy locks consumers can count on.

Corbin Russwin

This brand makes locks often used in schools or large institutions. The locks are easy to fix and perform maintenance on, so they offer great convenience to the consumer. They are generally hard to pick – but get easier to beat the older they are, which is why the brand makes ease of replacement and service a cornerstone of their operations. They aren’t perfect for every use, but certainly do a good job as locks.

Mul-T-Lock

This company makes very strong and secure locks that present a strong challenge to any burglar trying to bump or pick them. They have strong solid construction and strong metal cores, but we recommend not installing thumbturns, as they can compromise the security of these particular lock cylinders. However, all in all, this brand is widely trusted and can be counted on to deliver quality locks.

RR Brink

This company makes very strong locks – so strong in fact, that they make locks for prison institutions. They’re pretty much impervious to any burglar attempt – unless they are master keyed, a process which unfortunately makes them much weaker.

Medeco

This brand’s locks are unpickable by the average layman, but keep updating their design to offer unique construction, and with each update, the locks have gotten slightly weaker. It’s certainly not easy to pick a Medeco lock, but it’s not impossible for seasoned or skilled burglars – but for use in an average home, these locks should serve fine.

Evva

This company makes a magnetic key called an MCS, which is incredibly secure. Magnetic pins inside the keyway’s construction is a unique hallmark of this brand’s lock schematics – making it a company trusted by all the best lock and security experts. While not as well known as other lock brands, it’s certainly one that can be trusted.