I often hear from my family and friends how they are almost always worried about the safety of their belongings in the gym. From my experience and knowledge, I can tell that this concern is faced by most people going to the gym worldwide.
Placing your valuables in the gym can make the otherwise stress buster activity, i.e., workout, stressful. Losing your valuables after a strenuous exercise is a nightmare nobody would want to experience. Thankfully, most modern gyms are well equipped with lockers. Hence, a good gym locker lock can help you keep your belongings safe in the gym.In this article, I will help you choose the best gym locks for your gym lockers. But before taking a look at the actual list for the best lock for gym locker, let’s first take a look at the factors that I considered while compiling this list.
How To Choose The Best Lock For Gym Locker?
Finding the best gym lock may not be rocket science, but there are several things that I am going to highlight in this article that you must look at while selecting one.
There is a wide variety of locks available in the market. Understanding the critical differences among them is essential in choosing the ideal one for your facility.
So let’s begin with the factors.
- Size: Since most gym lockers include medium-sized hasps, a medium-sized padlock is the most suitable. A more miniature padlock may be too easy to pick, and a larger one may be unusable for all lockers because of shackle-fit issues.
A medium-sized lock with dimensions around 5.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches is an ideal gym locker lock.
- Material: Ensuring a lock made up of sturdy material lessens the chances of picking and thrifts. A strong metal or alloy is best suited for a reliable gym padlock. I would recommend an Aluminium built.
- Type: There are various types of padlocks available in the market. Multiple features of a lock make some locks better than others. I will discuss some of these types in this article.
- Ease of Use: Well, I am sure that nobody would want to spend a lot of time and energy locking and unlocking the lock while at the gym. Therefore last one on the list is Ease of Use of operating the lock.
The factors to consider in a gym lock for ease of use may be:
- Availability
- Affordability
- Mechanism to unlock (physical key, fingerprint, combination code, etc.)
- Resistance to factors like sweat
- Mechanical or battery operated
- Anti-theft
Types Of Gym Padlocks To Choose From Along With Their Merits and Demerits
In this section, I will take you through some types of locks along with their pros and cons. Hopefully, it will help you select the best gym lock for your needs. I will also share my recommendations based on my usage and reviews.
1. Gym Locker Lock With Key
A gym locker lock with key is a detachable lock that opens with a key. Keyed padlocks have a square or rectangular body with a U-shaped shackle, which is meant to loop around the secured item.
I am sure all of us would have used these types of locks the most during our lifetime. Easily accessible at a nearby convenience store, these are the most affordable ones.
Though a gym locker lock with key scores high on affordability and availability points, I do not consider these types of locks as the best gym locker lock.
These locks require you to carry the key, which can be tricky if you don’t wear garments with pockets at the gym.
You may consider investing in wrists straps designed to hold a locker key and are suitable for swimming and exercise, reducing the risk of loss. However, the trouble persists. Isn’t taking care of the key while working out as bad as taking care of your belongings? Or, somewhat worse as the key is much tinier.
If you are looking for the best gym lock with a key, below are a few options that I recommend.
Master Lock 141D Covered Aluminium Keyed Padlock
Master Lock’s 141D Aluminium Keyed Padlock relies on keys to unlock and lock it. This method offers more stability and the same level of general protection as most combination locks.
What impresses me the most about the lock is the fact that the lock is constructed with a black vinyl-covered aluminium body. This makes this padlock scratch and corrosion-resistant. I have no reason to believe it cannot be used for the long term when used for gym lockers.
The item dimensions (LxWxH) are 0.69 x 1.78 x 2.16 inches. The dimensions make it a perfect gym locker lock with key. I was quite pleased to see that the lock comes with two keys with matching color key heads for added convenience.
Wanlion Small Steel Safety Padlock
Wanlion Small Steel Safety Padlock intrigued me with its durable design. The lock’s strength lies in its strong metal body which is corrosion-resistant, and a hardened steel shackle that prevents theft. I personally tested it by attempting to bypass the key while unlocking the lock, but I had no luck.
I was ecstatic to find out that the lock doesn’t come with one or two but with four keys. This is a massive relief for anyone as clumsy as I am. Or for somebody who wishes to share their locker with a friend.
However, I have heard a few users complain about the key getting stuck while unlocking. The item dimensions (LxWxH) are 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.7 inches, making this lock a pretty compact one.
2. Combination Padlocks for Lockers
Now I will talk about the kind of padlocks I rely on while going to the gym. Actually, they are not only reliable, but I also find them most convenient.
A combination padlock doesn’t use a key or a fingerprint. Instead, it uses a sequence of symbols or numbers to unlock the lock.
My experience with combination padlocks for lockers at the gym has been great, and I recommend these locks the most. Since these locks do not open with a key, there is no stress of taking care of the key or losing the key.
Tried and tested through multiple usages, I can tell that the work-out sweat causes no trouble unlocking these locks, unlike the case with fingerprint locks.
A 4-digit combination padlock can be locked with 10,000 unique combinations making it ten times longer to decode than 3-digit locks. Another reason why I prefer these padlocks over the others is that using these locks, it is easier for me to share my gym locker with a friend. Combination padlocks for lockers are often ideal for multiple users who need to operate a single padlock.
Listed below are a few combination padlocks for lockers that I personally used or reviewed.
Planet Fitness Locker Locks
I have been using Planet Fitness Combination Gym Padlock for some time now and have been quite satisfied. Based on my usage and thorough assessment, I rate this padlock as an excellent gym padlock. Its efficient security system makes it a reliable option to protect your locker from thieves.
The Planet Fitness Locker Locks have a stainless-steel body that makes the padlock strong and challenging to pick. It earns distinction with its impressive chrome plating that makes it anti-rust, anti-corrosion, and anti-freeze.
The lock also allows easy setting and resetting of your combination. I didn’t have any issues setting the code on my first attempt. To be honest, it usually takes me a few tries to set up other gym locks.
The colors of the lock add glamour to my locker.
Master Lock 653D Locker Lock
Master Lock 653D Locker Lock is a four-digit combination lock with a non-slip grip for easy handling. Master Lock did a good job constructing a metal body with a hardened steel shackle.
I have heard that the lock has a reputation for anti-rust abilities that ensure practical outdoor usage and longevity. Upon testing the lock on this aspect, I was quite impressed. This feature makes them a great option for outdoor lockers.
This lock is appropriate in terms of size and weight and comes in red, blue, yellow, and orange colors. I like the idea of bright colors as it makes the lock easily
FortLocks Gym Locker Lock
FortLocks Gym Locker Lock is great for both indoors and outdoors utilization. Upon assessment, I found the locks safe, high resistant, anti-rust, and anti-freeze.
Weather resistance is another vital attribute of this lock.
In case of the lock breaking, FortLocks backs you. Each buyer gets a 100% lifetime warranty to ensure your gym locker remains protected at all times. I haven’t used this policy yet, but I have heard they have a reputation for honoring it.
3. Fingerprint Gym Lock
As the name suggests, a fingerprint gym lock uses your unique fingerprint to unlock the device. There is no need to carry a physical key that you lose easily.
These types of locks are a sure winner in terms of security as the lock opens only using the unique fingerprint set by the user. However, I will not call this kind of lock the best lock for gym locker because the padlock may not recognize the fingerprints in case of post-workout sweat. This may result in repeated attempts to open the lock.
Another reason why a fingerprint gym lock is not the best gym lock for me is because the lock needs batteries to operate. These locks may be great smart locks for Airbnbs and homes, but for a gym locker, I prefer a more hassle-free option.
Here are a few recommended locks if you are looking for a fingerprint gym lock for your gym locker.
eLinkSmart Digital Keyless Thumbprint Lock for Gym Locker
eLinkSmart Digital Keyless Thumbprint Locks have a body made of aluminium alloy and a shackle made of stainless steel for superior cut resistance to protect your locker room against thieves.
What makes these locks stand out is that the smart padlock is equipped with lower power consumption and long standby time.
The size of the smart lock is so small that you can easily place it in your pocket, and it is the best choice if you want to take it to the gym.
I will give this lock a few brownie points for having a 30-day money-back policy and one-year free repair.
eLinkSmart also ensured that the lock comes in some delectable colors. I chose the grey one for myself and a green one for my daughter.
OMaggie Store GZ001 Fingerprint Padlock
OMaggie Store GZ001 Fingerprint Padlock, like any other fingerprint gym lock, gets you rid of the troubles of losing keys or forgetting passwords. Your fingerprint is your password!
I rate it more innovative than other fingerprint padlocks because the thumbprint padlock takes less than 0.5 secs for unlocking and supports 100 sets of fingerprints.
The keyless padlock can be connected to a free mobile APP through Bluetooth. I was excited to see that the padlock supports unlocking by the mobile APP directly.
The smart padlock rightly boasts lower power consumption and longer standby time. I couldn’t believe it before using it myself.
The lock is also dust-proof and water-proof. I remember an incident when my friend accidentally dropped the lock into the swimming pool and almost thought it died. But no, the lock worked fine.
FAQs
Q1. What should be the size of a gym locker lock?
Answer – A gym locker lock should neither be too small nor be too large. A small gym padlock may be too easy to pick. The shackle of a large padlock may not be a fit for all the lockers.
Q2. What makes a fingerprint gym lock NOT an ideal gym locker lock?
Answer – It can be challenging to unlock the fingerprint gym lock in case of sweat. Due to this fingerprint gym lock is not the best gym lock.
Q3. Are combination padlocks for lockers anti-theft?
Answer – A 4-digit combination padlock has 10000 combination codes to choose from. This makes these locks quite challenging to pick.
Q4. Which kind of lockers are the most suitable if I share my gym locker with a friend?
Answer – Combination padlocks for lockers can be unlocked using a unique code set by the user. These can be shared easily if the user shares the unique code with someone.
Q5. What, according to you, is the best lock for gym locker?
Answer – I have been using the Planet Fitness gym lock for a while. I haven pretty satisfied with its functionality and reliability. I definitely recommend it.
Conclusion
Keeping your belongings safe during a workout session is a necessity. Most gyms these days are installed with lockers, which takes us a step closer to the safety and security of our valuables. However, choosing the best lock for gym locker is essential to ensure security.
There are many types of padlocks available in the market which can be used efficiently for the said task. Choosing the right kind of padlock is essential.
All types of locks come with their pros and cons. While fingerprint padlocks are great for security and convenience, I would rate combination padlocks for lockers a bit higher for their relevant usability.
This article should’ve provided enough information to help you take your pick. After all the sweat that you toil during the workout, I wish you a hassle-free end to your gym session.
I have been a security guy throughout my life. For the last 30 years, I have been making homes safer and hence, putting people at ease. Even on the other side of age, I get fascinated by how technology and simple hacks can make a whole lot of difference to the overall security of the house.
1 thought on “Looking For The Best Gym Lock? Here Are Our Top Picks!”