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Keyed alike vs keyed different for cupboard locks

Updated: 20.10.2026

You are fitting a second cupboard, or a short run of lockers, and the listing says 4 keys as if that answered the question. It does not. Keyed alike vs keyed different is a choice about who holds a key. This page is that choice for cam locks: one key for one person, a key per door, or a master key, plus the trap of mixing body lengths. The [cabinet lock comparison](/hub/burglar-protection/cabinet-lock) is the five amazon.co.uk listings. Hole and panel are a different decision, on the [cabinet lock buying guide](/hub/burglar-protection/cabinet-lock/sub/cabinet-lock-buying-guide). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are fitting a second cupboard, or a short run of lockers, and the listing says 4 keys as if that answered the question. It does not. Keyed alike vs keyed different is a choice about who holds a key.

Our top picks

VOCIBO VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys

Best overall

VOCIBO VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys
8.8/10about £5.99
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shinfly shinfly 16 mm cam lock with 5 plates

Best value

shinfly shinfly 16 mm cam lock with 5 plates
8.4/10about £5.49
View offer
Mclcvp7re Mclcvp7re DUYIT07 22 mm cam lock, pack of 2

Alternative

Mclcvp7re Mclcvp7re DUYIT07 22 mm cam lock, pack of 2
7.0/10about £6.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Three phrases, not one
  2. 2.When one key is the right nuisance
  3. 3.When each door needs its own key
  4. 4.What the locks in this comparison say

Three phrases, not one

Keyed to differ means each lock has its own key. Keyed alike means one key opens every lock you ordered together. Master keyed means each lock keeps a user key, and a further key opens the group. Lock & Key Centre sets those three out for cam locks. Body length is the extra constraint on a cupboard. Four keys in a box are four copies of one cylinder, not four doors. The VOCIBO and the shinfly each ship four for one lock. The Litensh says keyed different. The Mclcvp7re pack says the keys are not alike. The Lpraer pair has no key.

When one key is the right nuisance

Keyed alike suits one person who opens every door. Order the locks together, name the body length, and keep a spare outside the cupboards. Whether the key comes out only when locked does not tell you if the next lock matches. Lose that one key and every door is open to whoever finds it, or shut until each is opened. A single letterbox can live with four copies. A bank of communal boxes on one found key is a poor plan. G Johns states that keyed alike applies only within the same body length, across 20 mm, 22 mm, 27 mm and 32 mm. The alike option there was about £9.85 including VAT. If a page will not say that a 16 mm lock and a 22 mm lock share a key, they do not.
VOCIBO VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys

Testsieger

VOCIBO VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys
8.8/10about £5.99
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When each door needs its own key

Keyed to differ suits different people: two housemates, or a locker room where one lost key must not open the row. Unrelated amazon.co.uk cylinders differ because nobody asked them to match. None of these five states a differ count. The Lpraer’s 1,000 combinations do nothing while the code stays 0-0-0. A master key opens the group while each locker keeps a user key. Deskkeys lists a Lowe & Fletcher 22 mm mastered cam, series 92001–92400, 400 differs, at £8.95. Asec examples at Lock & Key Centre, about £8.90 to £11.05, are where you can say KA, KD or MK before the locks are cut.

What the locks in this comparison say

Read the key line, not the picture of keys. The Mclcvp7re pack, £6.99 for two, is the only pair that says the keys are not alike, for a stated 16 mm hole. Do not buy it hoping the two locks will match. Buying two VOCIBO or shinfly locks does not create keyed alike. The Litensh says keyed different on one lock. A second Litensh from a later order is another unknown cylinder. If you need KA, order it as KA, in one body length, cut together. If you need MK, order a mastered series and keep the code sheet. Mixing a 16 mm letterbox body with a 22 mm cupboard body on one key is the order these pages cannot fulfil.

Common questions

What is keyed alike?
Keyed alike means one key opens every lock in the set you ordered together. You still get spare copies of that key. It is for one person who opens several doors, and it is a nuisance if that key is lost, because every door is then at risk or every door is shut.
What is keyed to differ?
Keyed to differ means each lock has its own key. Another key from the same cupboard run will not open it. It is the right choice when two people, or two lockers, should not share access. Unrelated amazon cylinders differ by default, without a stated differ count.
If the box has four keys, is that keyed alike?
No. Four keys on the VOCIBO and on the shinfly are four copies for that one lock. The listings do not say a second lock will match. Keyed alike has to be ordered as keyed alike.
Can I mix a 16 mm and a 22 mm lock on one key?
Not from these listings, and not from the G Johns range, which states that keyed alike stays inside one body length. Ask the supplier in writing if you are buying elsewhere. If the page is silent, treat the locks as different keys.
What is a master key for lockers?
A master key opens a group of locks that each still have their own user key. It is how a building manager gets in without giving every user the key to every locker. A mastered cam lock is sold as a series with a differ range. None of the five amazon listings here is that product.
What happens if I lose the one shared key?
Whoever finds it can open every door in the suite, and you cannot open any of them until each lock is changed or opened. That is the trade against the convenience of one key. Keep a spare outside the locked cupboards, not inside one of them.
Do the locks in this comparison set state a differ count?
No. They state four keys, keyed different, or keys are not alike, or they have no key. Do not invent a differ number from the star rating or from the combination lock’s 1,000-code claim.

Related pages

Best cabinet lock

Cabinet lock for a letterbox

Cabinet lock

Cabinet lock buying guide: measure before you order

How to fit a cabinet lock without wrecking the door

Sources

Public UK sources used for measurement, keying and the legal limit. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. Lockshop Direct — how to measure a cam lock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Lock & Key Centre — choosing cam locks, KD, KA and rotation (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. G Johns — keyed-alike cam locks for cabinet doors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. BSI Knowledge — BS 3621:2017+A1:2024 scope, building doors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. legislation.gov.uk — Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, Schedule 2 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE — flammable-liquid storage in workrooms (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Intertek Inform — BS EN 16948:2017 child-resistant cupboard devices (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Locktrader — cabinet and cam locks, nut-fix and snap-fix (retrieved 19 October 2026)