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Combination padlock buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You have a hasp on a garden gate, a locker at the leisure centre, or a shed staple, and the tape measure is still in the drawer. The amazon.co.uk titles in this set lean on heavy duty, weatherproof, or 10,000 combinations, and none of them prints a security grade. This combination padlock buying guide is the measurement and the wording, before you sort the [combination lock comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/combination-lock) by price. Peter F. read the ten amazon.co.uk listings and their review notes on 19 October 2026. He did not cut shackles in a lab. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a hasp on a garden gate, a locker at the leisure centre, or a shed staple, and the tape measure is still in the drawer.

Our top picks

NovLock NovLock NLCL003

Best overall

NovLock NovLock NLCL003
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer
XShield XShield 4-digit padlock

Best value

XShield XShield 4-digit padlock
9.2/10about £3.77
View offer
NovLock NovLock NLCL004

Rank 3

NovLock NovLock NLCL004
9.0/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Measure the hasp before the body
  2. 2.Read the outdoor sentence, not the title
  3. 3.10,000 codes is a count
  4. 4.What this set can and cannot be

Measure the hasp before the body

Start with the hole the shackle must pass through, then the gap between the staple and the hasp when the door is shut. Diameter and clear opening decide whether the lock goes on, and the shortest shackle that still clears the staple leaves less metal proud. Only four listings here state a diameter. The XShield at about £3.77 states 6.2 mm and 31.5 mm of clearance. The orange NovLock NLCL004 at about £9.99 states 7 mm. The NovLock NLCL003 at about £14.99 states 8 mm. GRIFEMA, both Squires, BeskooHome, SharkByte, and FOBOZONE leave the diameter blank.

Read the outdoor sentence, not the title

Weather words here are seller adjectives. BS EN 12320:2021 grades mechanical padlocks from 1 to 6, including corrosion, and none of these ten listings prints a grade. The CP40 at about £13 is aimed at gym lockers, bags, and cabinets, and it sets gates, sheds, and continuous outdoor use aside. The CP50/2.5 names double gates and sheltered storage, then sets high-value items, remote sites, and coastal weather outside its brief. The NLCL003 seller's 180-hour salt spray is not an EN 1670 class. Gate detail sits on the combination padlock for a shed.
NovLock NovLock NLCL003

Testsieger

NovLock NovLock NLCL003
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer

10,000 codes is a count

A 4-digit wheel with digits 0 to 9 has 10,000 combinations. It is a count of codes, not a CEN result and not a time to defeat the lock. Insight Security notes that combination padlocks have not achieved Sold Secure or CEN ratings, and that cheap wheels can be felt out. The reset matters on the day you buy. The CP40 and the orange NLCL004 use a small screw, and the screwdriver is not in the box. The NLCL003 keeps the wheels on the bottom. GRIFEMA, the XShield, and BeskooHome use a side window. FOBOZONE prints a factory code of 0000. Steps for each family are on how to set a combination padlock. App on the SharkByte and Bluetooth on the CP50/2.5 are fields the bullets do not support.

What this set can and cannot be

These locks share a number on a low-risk hasp: a leisure-centre locker, a garden gate, or a shed of hand tools. Prices on 19 October 2026 run from the XShield at about £3.77 to the CP50/2.5 at about £22.99. A large review file tells you about setting and sticking. Step away when a bike, trade tools, or a policy wording needs a named standard. Lichfield District Council's shed sheet asks for a closed shackle, or a Sold Secure or similar rated lock, with the hasp coach-bolted. Every lock here is an open shackle. Keyed locks that carry those marks are set out on combination padlock vs keyed padlock.

Common questions

What do I measure before I buy a combination padlock?
Measure the hole the shackle must enter, and the clear gap between the staple and the hasp when the door is closed. Shackle diameter and that opening come before body width. In this set the stated diameters are 6.2 mm on the XShield, 7 mm on the NovLock NLCL004 and in the ViperSafe title, and 8 mm on the NovLock NLCL003. The other six listings do not state a diameter, so you cannot check a tight hole from the page alone.
Is a 4-digit combination padlock safer than a 3-digit one?
A 4-digit wheel has 10,000 codes if every wheel runs from 0 to 9, against 1,000 on a 3-digit wheel. That is a larger code space. It is not a BS EN 12320 grade and it is not a Sold Secure result. Insight Security's account is that combination padlocks have not achieved those ratings, and loose wheels can be felt through. Treat 10,000 as a count you can reset, then judge the shackle and the hasp on their own.
Will an 8 mm shackle fit a locker hole?
Only if the hole is at least 8 mm. The NovLock NLCL003 states an 8 mm hardened-steel shackle, and one review says a shed hole was too small for it. The XShield states 6.2 mm and the orange NovLock states 7 mm, which is the closer match when the hole is tight. Several locker reviews in this set are content with the thinner bars. Measure the hole before you treat the heavier lock as the better locker lock.
Which listing admits it is the wrong lock for a gate?
The Squire CP40. At about £13 it is 3.9 from 230 reviews, and the listing sends gates, sheds, wide hasps, and continuous outdoor exposure to a larger Squire. Buyers who hung it on a gate anyway report jams within days or about two weeks. The CP50/2.5 will name a gate, then excludes high-value contents and coastal weather. Read that second sentence in the same breath as the first.
When is a combination padlock the wrong buy?
When the thing behind the hasp is a bike, trade tools, or anything a schedule names with a grade. These locks share a code on a hasp you accept as a deterrent. A house door, a seized lock on a frame you cannot scar, or a hasp that needs coach bolts is work for a locksmith or a carpenter. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers a faulty lock. It does not turn a budget dial into a rated padlock.

Related pages

Best combination padlock

Combination lock

How to set a combination padlock: three reset types

Combination padlock for a shed: open shackle limits

Combination padlock vs keyed padlock: when to switch

Sources

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.

  1. BSI, BS EN 12320:2021 padlocks and padlock fittings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Insight Security, combination or keyed padlocks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Insight Security, ten factors when choosing a padlock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Sold Secure, padlocks and fittings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Sold Secure 2024 approved product catalogue (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Lichfield District Council, protect your home (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Kelvedon Parish Council, garage and shed security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Squire, CP50 combination padlock (retrieved 19 October 2026)