The best combination locks, compared.
Top pick: NovLock NLCL003 – Highest score: 4.7 from 883 reviews, a stated 8 mm shackle, 271 g and a push-button open. Night reading, the tiny screw and the missing grade are already deducted. Best value: XShield 4-digit padlock – Lowest price with a stated shackle diameter, 4.6 from 534 reviews. Two body sizes conflict, and no grade is printed. Updated October 2026.
A combination lock here is a resettable combination padlock for a hasp, locker, gate or shed. Several people can share one number without cutting extra keys. Check the shackle against the hole, whether the code resets without a screw you can lose, and whether the listing admits the lock is only a deterrent. None of the ten prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark. Council shed notes often ask for a closed shackle, or a rated lock, with the hasp coach-bolted. The [combination lock buying guide](/hub/door-and-window-security/combination-lock/sub/combination-lock-buying-guide) puts fit ahead of the reset and the limits the seller prints. A door keypad sits with the code lock comparisons. A suitcase cable lock is a different product.
A combination lock here is a resettable combination padlock for a hasp, locker, gate or shed. Several people can share one number without cutting extra keys.
36 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +24,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the lock live?
The NovLock NLCL003, listed at about £14.99, is a 271 g push-button padlock with an 8 mm hardened-steel shackle and the code wheels on the bottom. Across 883 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.7, the highest star line in this set, and the first 50 UK texts praise a chunky body on gates, sheds, and a bin store, with several saying the finish showed no surface rust after rain or a winter. The push-button open is preferred to a pull shackle, and reviewers say the code does not drift by accident. The reset screw is tiny and easy to lose, and the bottom digits are hard to see at night. One shed hole was too small for the shackle, and one buyer thinks the button is the weak point. The seller claims five years and a 180-hour salt spray, which is a seller figure and not a BS EN 12320 grade. It is the top pick here for a heavier open-shackle hasp if you can read the wheels in the light you actually use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the heaviest open-shackle lock in this set for a gate or shed hasp that takes 8 mm, and you can see the bottom wheels in daylight.
Less suitable: You need a printed security grade, a closed shackle, or a code you can read in the dark.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the 8 mm shackle fit a locker?
The listing tells you to check. The shackle is 8 mm and locks both sides. One reviewer’s shed hole was too small.
Where is the code?
On the bottom, which the seller says hides it. A review says the digits are hard to see at night. Opening is a push button.
Is the salt-spray line a British Standard class?
No. It is the seller’s 180-hour claim. The listing does not state BS EN 12320 or Sold Secure.
The XShield 4-digit padlock, at about £3.77, states a 6.2 mm hardened-steel shackle and 31.5 mm of clearance on a body given as 49 mm by 42 mm. It is 4.6 from 534 amazon.co.uk reviews. In the first 50 UK texts, people change the code in under a minute and use it on a gym locker, with some also fitting a garden shed and a rear gate. The metal dials click and the numbers are readable in ordinary light. The details block also lists 20 × 40 × 80 mm, so the two size lines do not match, and there is no security grade. Night reading without glasses is a complaint, the body is smaller than some buyers expected, and the first reset of the default code is the snag before it settles. At this price, with a stated diameter and that review file, it is the best value in the set for a locker when 6.2 mm fits the hole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap readable locker lock, 6.2 mm clears the hole, and you will check the body against the hasp because the listing prints two sizes.
Less suitable: You need a stated corrosion class, a wider shackle, or a lock the seller has aimed at a gate.
Specifications
Common questions
What shackle size does the XShield listing state?
The bullet says 6.2 mm diameter and 31.5 mm shackle width, on a body given as 49 mm high by 42 mm wide. The details block also lists 20 × 40 × 80 mm, so the two size lines do not match.
Is a security grade printed?
No. The listing does not state BS EN 12320 or Sold Secure. It does state 10,000 combinations and a hardened steel shackle.
Does the pack list a manual?
Included components say padlock only. Reviews in the file often say the instructions were clear.
The SharkByte Lock-604 is two black 4-digit padlocks at about £7.79, listed at 4.5 from 860 amazon.co.uk reviews, with instructions in the pack and a weather-resistant coating claimed. A control-method field says App, and a bullet names TECHGEAR, while the product text describes mechanical dials, so treat it as a dial lock. An 11-year-old set one for a school locker, and some buyers like the side window and the weight for the size. The numbers are small and low contrast, hard without glasses or swim goggles, and they face downwards. One of a pair stopped locking and could not be reset, another stuck after about five weeks once the return window had closed, and one code returned to the original setting after a few days. Shackle diameter is not stated. It is a spare pair for lockers if you check both locks the day they arrive.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want two mechanical locker locks, someone in the house can read small dials, and you will test both before the return window closes.
Less suitable: You expected a phone app, or you need high-contrast numbers in a dim gym.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an app lock?
The control-method field says App. The bullets describe a 4-digit mechanical reset and do not mention a phone. Treat it as a dial padlock.
Which brand name is on the listing?
The brand field says SharkByte. The first bullet says TECHGEAR. Manufacturer is SharkByte Trading.
What failed in the review sample?
One lock stuck after about five weeks. Another stopped locking and could not be reset. One buyer’s code returned to the original setting. No security grade is printed.
The NovLock NLCL004 is an orange 4-digit padlock at about £9.99, 178 g, with a stated 7 mm hardened-steel shackle and 4.5 from 550 amazon.co.uk reviews. The dials sit on the face with high-contrast figures, and gym reviewers say they can read them without glasses. Several texts mention PureGym-style lockers, a shed, and an outdoor gate. The reset is a small cross-head screw under a bottom cover, and a screwdriver is not in the box list. The arrow above the numbers is hard to see. One lock stopped locking after about two months, one disc began to fail after about three months, and another stopped between April and July. The seller claims five years, the page prints no BS EN 12320 grade, and the 180-hour salt-spray line belongs to the heavier NovLock. It is the readable locker pick when about £9.99 is acceptable and 7 mm fits the hole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a locker lock you can read without glasses, 7 mm fits the hole, and you have a glasses screwdriver for the reset cover.
Less suitable: You want a tool-free reset, or you are choosing on the salt-spray claim that sits on the other NovLock.
Specifications
Common questions
How do you change the code?
Reviews say a small cross-head screwdriver opens a cover, and that the current code has to be entered. The bullet only says a few steps and that instructions are included.
Are the numbers easy to read?
Reviews describe white figures on black, readable in a gym without glasses. One buyer could not see the arrow and marked it.
Is the 180-hour salt-spray claim on this model?
No. That line is on the NLCL003. This listing says weatherproof in the highlight and does not print a corrosion class or a security grade.
The GRIFEMA GA1001-1 is a 120 g black 4-digit padlock at about £3.78, with a side window and a claimed hardened-steel shackle whose diameter is not stated. It is 4.4 from 10,461 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest file in this set. The first 50 UK texts describe an easy set, readable figures in changing-room light, and a fit on gym and PureGym-style lockers, plus a tool shed and a gate where the size suited the hasp. Outdoors, the numbers stick unless you lubricate them, and one buyer stopped being able to open the same lock after about six months, twice, on a gate used only as a deterrent. The alignment mark sits on the edge rather than the face. Weatherproof is a seller word, and the listing prints no corrosion class. The sample size keeps it on a locker shortlist, while those seizure notes keep it off the outdoor pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are locking a gym or work locker, you can see the side window in changing-room light, and you do not need a stated shackle diameter.
Less suitable: You want a gate lock you can leave through a wet winter without oiling the wheels.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the shackle diameter listed?
No. The bullet says a zinc alloy body and a hardened steel shackle. Diameter and clearance are not in the spec block.
What do outdoor reviews in the file say?
Buyers say it can need lubrication outside, and that numbers stick with weather. One buyer had two locks stop opening after about six months on a gate.
Is a grade stated?
No BS EN 12320 or Sold Secure line. The seller’s security claim is 10,000 combinations versus a 3-digit lock.
The BeskooHome long-shackle pair is listed at about £7.49 for two, at 4.4 from 4,668 amazon.co.uk reviews, with a shackle the bullet calls 6.5 cm and the title calls 2.5 inch. The piece count is two, while a bullet says one padlock and a manual, so the pack size is not settled on the page. Reviewers like the reach on gym lockers and storage boxes, and the side window for lining up the digits. Setting is fiddly: if a dial sits between numbers, the stored code can be the neighbour. Rust shows up outdoors, including a badly rusted paint-shed lock that still opened, and several reviews say one of the pair arrived dead. One buyer reached a door catch and missed the lid. There is no grade. It is a reach option for two hasps when you can return a dud.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need extra shackle reach on a locker or a storage-box catch, and you will test both locks before you rely on either.
Less suitable: You are securing valuables, or the hasp only has room for a short shackle.
Specifications
Common questions
How many locks are in the pack?
The title and piece count say two. A bullet says one padlock and a user manual. The listing does not resolve that.
How long is the shackle?
The title says 2.5 inch and the bullet says 6.5 cm. Diameter is not stated.
Do reviews report outdoor rust?
Yes. One buyer describes heavy rust on a paint-shed lock that still worked. Others report no rust after months outside. A grade is not stated.
The FOBOZONE FBmm24 is four long-shackle 4-digit padlocks at about £14.99, at 4.2 from 909 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the listing states a factory code of 0000. When a lock in the sample works, the long shackle helps a gate catch, a shed, and storage boxes, and some stayed outside for a year. The repeated fault is a dead unit in the multipack: the new code and 0000 both fail, or the lock breaks while the code is being set. Reviewers call the working ones a deterrent, and one text says light force on the dials opened a lock. Numerals are hard to see on a silver ground. One review measured about 12 mm of useful opening despite the long shackle. Diameter is not stated, and waterproof is a claim without a class. The four-pack price helps only after you have opened and reset every lock before it goes on a hasp.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need several long-shackle locks for low-risk catches, you will change 0000 on each one, and you can spare a dud from the pack.
Less suitable: You need every lock in the bag to set first time, or you are protecting anything beyond a deterrent.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the factory code?
The bullet says 0000. Change it before the lock is used. Reviews include locks that then accept neither the new code nor 0000.
How long is the shackle opening?
The title says long shackle. Diameter is not listed. One review measured about 12 mm of useful opening.
Do all four work?
Not in the review sample. A repeated complaint is that one lock in the pack will not set or will not open. No security grade is stated.
The Squire CP50/2.5 is a 50 mm padlock at about £22.99, 240 g, with a 2.5 inch extra-long shackle, at 4.2 from 88 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing aims it at double gates, sheltered storage, and wide hasps, and it says the lock is unsuitable for high-value items, primary security points, remote sites, and harsh or coastal weather. Reviewers who needed the reach say it fits a shed and a back gate, and some long-term users say it always opens. A specification field prints Bluetooth, which no bullet supports, so it is a mechanical code lock. In a beach-hut setting the coating wore and the bottom button cracked after about two months. Other texts describe a seized button after about a month, ten weeks, or one winter, and dials that would not turn after a mild winter. Diameter is not stated. The about £22.99 price buys that 2.5 inch of clearance after you have read the seller’s exclusions.
Pros
Cons
Best for: The hasp needs 2.5 inch of reach on a sheltered gate or shed, the contents are low value, and the site is inland.
Less suitable: The site is coastal or remote, or a schedule asks for a named security grade.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the CP50/2.5 a high-security lock?
The listing says it is not. It excludes high-value items, primary security points, remote sites, and harsh or coastal weather. No CEN or Sold Secure grade is printed.
Does it use Bluetooth?
A connectivity field says Bluetooth. No bullet describes a radio or an app. The mechanism in the bullets is a push-button 4-digit code.
What is the shackle for?
Extra reach on double gates, storage boxes, and wide hasps. Length is stated as 2.5 inch. Diameter is not on this listing. Reviews include seized buttons after weeks or a winter.
The ViperSafe VS60 green is a 175 g 4-digit padlock at about £14.99, at 4.1 from 20 amazon.co.uk reviews, with a 7 mm shackle in the title. The title says hardened steel, one bullet says hardened stainless steel, and another says a zinc-alloy body with a hardened-steel shackle, so the material is not settled. Sixteen UK review blocks in the file praise a heavier-than-expected body and smooth barrels, and one buyer calls it gym-locker level rather than a lock for valuables. A screwdriver is required and the sheet is unclear without the listing video. One lock jammed after about two months outside. The seller claims five years and uses wording such as unbreakable that is not a standard. Twenty ratings cannot show how a winter treats it. At the same about £14.99 as the NovLock NLCL003, this file is too small to treat as the gate pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a green locker lock with a stated 7 mm shackle, and you will watch the listing video before you trust the paper sheet.
Less suitable: You are choosing a gate lock from a review file of 20, or you need the material settled on the page.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the shackle made of?
The title says 7 mm hardened steel. One bullet says hardened stainless steel and another a zinc alloy body with a hardened steel shackle. The details field says Hardened Steel.
Do you need a tool to set it?
A review says yes, a screwdriver, and that the sheet is unclear until you watch the listing video. A screwdriver is not in the included-components line.
How many reviews are there?
The listing line is 4.1 from 20. The file holds 16 UK review blocks. One of them says the lock jammed after two months outside.
The Squire CP40 is a 40 mm, 90 g, 4-digit padlock at about £13, at 3.9 from 230 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing points it at gym lockers, bags, and cabinets, and it says the lock is unsuitable for gates, sheds, wide hasps, or continuous outdoor use. A bullet gives the body as 32 × 89 × 165 mm while the item dimensions say 7.7 × 4 × 2.2 cm, so the size lines conflict. Reviews call for a tiny grub screw and a small screwdriver, and several buyers found it much smaller than the Squire name suggested. Digits are hard to see in glare. Locks jammed within days or about two weeks outdoors and had to be cut off a locker or a gate, and one plastic outer case came away. Shackle diameter is not stated. It belongs on a small indoor locker after you have read the seller’s own limit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a small indoor locker or bag lock, you have a fine screwdriver, and you will ignore the brand name if the hasp is on a gate.
Less suitable: You are locking a shed, a garden gate, or anything left in the weather.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the CP40 go on a shed or gate?
The listing says no. It is for lockers, bags, and cabinets, and it points gates, sheds, and wide hasps to the CP50 or CP60.
How is the code changed?
Reviews describe a tiny grub screw and a small screwdriver. The cartoon instructions are called unclear, and the screw can arrive stripped.
Which size figure should you trust?
The name says 40 mm and the details say 7.7 × 4 × 2.2 cm and 90 g. A bullet also says 32 × 89 × 165 mm. Those lines conflict. Reviews call it about two inches and small.
Ten amazon.co.uk combination padlocks were scored from the listings and the review notes on file, dated 19 October 2026. There is no laboratory test. The highest score is the top pick. The best value is the lowest price that still states a shackle diameter, with a star line above 4.5 and several hundred reviews. None of the ten listings prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark, so those marks add nothing. A closed-shackle lock on another shop is context, not an eleventh row.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then the size of the review file. A 4.7 from 883 reviews outranks a 4.4 from a much larger file when that sample also describes outdoor seizure. A file of 20 reviews is deducted.
Stated shackle
25%A stated shackle diameter and a stated length. A blank diameter does not inherit 8 mm from another listing. A long shackle is scored as reach, for a chain or a deep staple, and it leaves more metal exposed.
Listing faults
20%Deductions for two size lines that disagree, a pack count that disagrees with a bullet, an App or Bluetooth field the bullets do not support, a dead unit in a multipack, and a review file of 20.
Seller limits
15%Seller limits that name the job. A page that excludes gates and sheds is scored for lockers. A page that says the lock is not high security is not scored as if the brand name replaced a grade.
Price in this set
10%Shelf price is judged inside these ten listings only. The best value is the lowest price that still states a shackle diameter, with stars above 4.5 and several hundred reviews. A cheaper lock with no diameter is not that pick.
You want one number that several people can use on a hasp, a locker, a gate or a shed. Ten amazon.co.uk combination padlocks cover that job, from about £3.77 to about £22.99. None is a closed-shackle lock, and none prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark.
A combination lock, for this comparison, is a resettable combination padlock with an open shackle, sold on amazon.co.uk for a hasp, a locker, a gate or a shed. Several people can share one number, and you do not cut extra keys. A door keypad sits with the code lock comparisons. A suitcase cable lock is a different product. Fit comes first. Stated shackle diameters in this set run from 6.2 mm on the XShield to 8 mm on the NovLock NLCL003. The NovLock NLCL004 and the ViperSafe title state 7 mm.
The Squire CP40 listing points the lock at gym lockers, bags and cabinets. It says the lock is unsuitable for gates, sheds, wide hasps or continuous outdoor use, and it sends those jobs to a larger model. The body-size lines also conflict, and the star line is 3.9 from 230 reviews.
A 4-digit wheel is 10,000 codes if each wheel is 0–9. That count is not an attack time and not ten times the physical security of a 3-digit lock. None of these listings prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark. Stars and a heavy-duty title are not that test.
FOBOZONE prints a factory code of 0000. Change it, scramble the wheels, and do not hang the code on the hasp. A weatherproof or weather-resistant title has no corrosion class on these pages. The NLCL003 salt-spray line is the seller’s 180-hour claim, not EN 1670. Expecting a lock under £5 to survive a wet winter on the title alone is the mistake the outdoor reviews already show.
Measure the hole and the clear opening before you compare prices. A stated diameter is the figure you can check. In this set that is 6.2 mm on the XShield, 7 mm on the NovLock NLCL004 and in the ViperSafe title, and 8 mm on the NovLock NLCL003. GRIFEMA, SharkByte, BeskooHome, FOBOZONE and both Squire listings leave the diameter blank. A blank line does not inherit 8 mm from the NLCL003. Length is a separate measure.
A reset you cannot finish is a lock you cannot share. The CP40 and the orange NovLock use a small screw, and the screwdriver is easy to lose or is not in the box. The NLCL003 keeps the wheels on the bottom, which hides the code and makes night reading hard. GRIFEMA, XShield and BeskooHome use a side window. FOBOZONE starts at 0000, and reviews include a dead lock in the four-pack after the code is changed. Read the job the seller names.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a 4-digit locker lock you can read without glasses. The NovLock NLCL004 at about £9.99 states a 7 mm shackle and 4.5 from 550 reviews, with high-contrast face dials. The reset needs a small cross-head screwdriver that is not in the box, and the listing prints no security grade.
The hasp takes 8 mm and the lock will sit on a gate, shed or bin store. The NovLock NLCL003 is the top pick at about £14.99: 4.7 from 883 reviews, 271 g and a push-button open. The code sits on the bottom, the reset screw is tiny, and there is no printed grade. The seller’s 180-hour salt-spray line is not a British corrosion class.
You want the cheapest lock in this set that still prints a shackle diameter. The XShield is the best value at about £3.77, with 6.2 mm stated and 4.6 from 534 reviews. The listing prints two body sizes that disagree, so measure the lock against the hole. It is a locker pick when 6.2 mm fits.
The NovLock NLCL003 is the top pick at about £14.99: the highest score, 4.7 from 883 reviews, a stated 8 mm shackle and a push-button open. Night reading, the tiny reset screw and the missing grade are already in that score. The XShield is the best value at about £3.77, the lowest price that still states a shackle diameter, at 4.6 from 534 reviews. Two body-size lines on that listing disagree, so check the lock against the hole. When a bike, trade tools or a policy wording needs a named standard, a rated keyed padlock is the next comparison.
NovLock NLCL003
Highest score: 4.7 from 883 reviews, a stated 8 mm shackle, 271 g and a push-button open. Night reading, the tiny screw and the missing grade are already deducted.
XShield 4-digit padlock
Lowest price with a stated shackle diameter, 4.6 from 534 reviews. Two body sizes conflict, and no grade is printed.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings for B0DSV9C75V, B0F4886GRM, B0CF21Y5JZ, B0FLQBNYPP, B0BNPRS182, B07VK5NKLP, B0CR3963NB, B0BG8WFGT2, B0FT1VCCKQ and B0BG8VSS54. Prices stored 19 October 2026. None of those listings prints a BS EN 12320 grade or a Sold Secure mark.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
