Product Review: LiteLok

This is our first community-submitted product review.  While every product may have a time and place, we’re also conscious that bicyclists want to hear from other bicyclists about how well bike locks and racks.  If you have a lock or rack you’d like to review, get in touch with us at brock@bicyclesecurityadvocates.org.

LiteLok, $107-$199 USD | Review by Jessica Lucas

LiteLok is a company out of London that has developed a remarkably strong, flexible lock bearing the Gold Standard rating. Moreover, LiteLok is lighter than most locks with the same rating. Is this the right lock for you? Maybe…

I was introduced to the LiteLok in December 2015 when a friend posted on social media about the company’s Kickstarter campaign. She had backed a single lock and was excited to give it a go. My interest piqued, I looked up the company, read about the locks, and ultimately liked what I saw. The two locks I ordered finally arrived six months later in June 2016. Such is the life of an early adopter…

When I received my new locks, the mesh around the kevlar was already starting to fray. That aesthetic issue aside — and who wants to return something to England and possibly wait several more months for a replacement? — I was otherwise immediately impressed with the product: the locks were well-made, sleek, and solid.

Beyond my initial impressions, here is what I found in my daily use of the LiteLok over the last eleven months:

The Good

• The locks are flexible and can fit around many potential anchors for your bike. Having two locks makes this even easier.
• They are straightforward to carry. The velcro straps securely hold the locks to your frame.
• They are unique and look formidable, which may ward off would-be thieves.

The Bad

• The locks are heavy. While they might be light for locks of this standard, two together are around five pounds, which adds considerable heft to your bike.
• They are difficult to manipulate. I have almost brained myself several times when a lock sprung back at me.
• The bands are quite wide, which, along with the weight, puts stress on your spokes.
• The locking mechanisms seems to loosen over time. I came out to unlock my bike the other day and the lock fell open when I touched it.
• The opening of a standard cable will not fit around the lock if you want to pair a single LiteLok with a cable to secure your other wheel.
• They are expensive. $107 USD for a single lock, $199 for two, plus shipping, really adds up.

There are many reviews extolling the virtues of the LiteLok. The company itself has videos of unsuccessful attempts at breaking them. Recently though, a friend shared this video of a thief taking apart  a single LiteLok with a crowbar in 17 seconds. When I saw it, I thought “fine, I have two of them. I’ll make sure I use them together and beat that method.” Then I saw the review on Sweet Home, where they were able to break the lock with a pair of bolt cutters. This quote about testing the LiteLok is buried on that page:

“We found the band of this lock extremely difficult to cut through without power tools. The arrangement of the cables against a flat metal strip is a clever idea and works extremely well at slowing these types of attacks, though someone with enough patience could do it. The big dealbreaker for this lock: We used just a pair of small bolt cutters against the lock mechanism (this is where most thieves actually cut many cable locks, as it tends to be quicker), and that immediately revealed its weakness. The entire mechanism spread open and revealed the thin strips of metal holding a single post that made up the latch to the lock. A second cut through the post, and the lock came apart.”

Any lock can be beat by a determined thief, but this a weakness that LiteLok should improve if they want to maintain their Gold Standard rating.

Ultimately: I’m shopping for a new lock. I want something I can trust to keep my bike secure without putting pressure on my spokes. Sweet Home did a great job of testing, and I’m still debating between the Kryptonite Evolution Mini 7, and the Abus 6500 folding lock.

A big thank you to Jessica Lucas for our first community-submitted product review!  While every product may have a time and place, we’re also conscious that bicyclists want to hear from other bicyclists about how well bike locks and racks.  If you have a lock or rack you’d like to review, get in touch with us at brock@bicyclesecurityadvocates.org.