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Door chain buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You are in the hall with a caller you did not expect, and the chain is the only thing that keeps the door from swinging fully open. A door chain buying guide for a UK front door starts there, because the amazon.co.uk titles in this set almost all say heavy duty. Shelf prices saved on 19 October 2026 run from about £4.13 to about £12.99. The twelve-row table sits on the [door chain comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/door-chain). Peter F. compared those listings and the UK review notes. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are in the hall with a caller you did not expect, and the chain is the only thing that keeps the door from swinging fully open.

Our top picks

Yale Yale WS6 door chain, polished chrome

Best overall

Yale Yale WS6 door chain, polished chrome
9.2/10about £8.80
View offer
KAFENDA KAFENDA spring-button door chain

Rank 2

KAFENDA KAFENDA spring-button door chain
8.4/10about £12.99
View offer
SOL SOL chrome door chain, pack of two

Best value

SOL SOL chrome door chain, pack of two
8.0/10about £4.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What a door chain is for
  2. 2.Door, length and screws
  3. 3.When TS 003 is on the box
  4. 4.What to ignore on the listing

What a door chain is for

West Yorkshire Police say a door chain will not secure a locked door against burglary, and that you should identify the caller through a window or a door viewer before you open. The chain lets the door move a short way so you can see a face, take a small parcel, or slow a child or a pet. Age UK's doorstep line is Stop, Lock, Chain and Check, then take the chain off if a carer needs to get in. A spring button only changes how you release the chain from the inside.

Door, length and screws

Solid timber is the honest fit. DIY Doctor asks for screws of at least 25 mm into sound timber. A title that says uPVC does not mean the screws will hold. FAST-FX, SOL, XFORT, the Yale WS6 and ZEQUNAFENG put uPVC or PVCu in the title. Whether you may drill is on door chain for a uPVC door. Stated lengths are KAFENDA at 170 mm, the Yale WS6 at 13.5 cm, and about 17 cm on ZEQUNAFENG and LIAMGUS. Yale and SOL reviews both say the photo had more links than the chain. KAFENDA states 20 mm screws. XFORT reviews report snapped heads.
Yale Yale WS6 door chain, polished chrome

Testsieger

Yale Yale WS6 door chain, polished chrome
9.2/10about £8.80
View offer

When TS 003 is on the box

DHF TS 003:2012 is the chain-and-limiter specification. ERA's account is 200 abuse impacts at 100 N, then three attack impacts, after which the gap must not exceed 25 mm at release or 76 mm on guard, and egress must remain. Those are test limits, not BS 3621 or PAS 24. Only the Yale V-WS6-CH, the top pick at about £8.80, prints TS 003. It is 13.5 cm and 4.5 from 659 reviews. A manufacturer table showed a Secured by Design tick for this ASIN on 19 October 2026. That tick is not in the saved listing. The Master Locksmiths Association say a police-approved chain starts at around £10. KAFENDA at about £12.99 does not print the mark.

What to ignore on the listing

FAST-FX is 4.2 from 628 reviews and rank 1 in Door Chains in the saved listing. UK reviews describe bending or a break, including when a child opened the door on the chain, plus rust outdoors. Stainless and heavy duty stay adjectives until a review or a stated grade backs them. A chain, a bar or a handle loop is a different choice on door chain vs door restrictor. One named pick is on best door chain. Take the door, a printed length, screws that reach about 25 mm of sound timber, and a TS 003 line that is actually in the title.

Common questions

Is a door chain the same as a lock?
No. West Yorkshire Police say a chain will not secure a locked door against burglary, and that you should identify the caller through a window or a door viewer first. The chain limits the first opening so you can speak or take a small parcel. The lock, including the multi-point lock on a uPVC door, is what holds the door when you are not standing there. None of these twelve listings is key-operated.
What does TS 003 mean on a Yale chain?
On the Yale V-WS6-CH it means the title prints DHF TS 003. ERA describes that test as 200 abuse impacts at 100 N, then three attack impacts, with gap limits of 25 mm at release and 76 mm on guard, and egress still possible. In this set only that Yale prints the mark. Secured by Design is a live manufacturer-table note dated 19 October 2026, not a line in the saved listing, and it does not transfer to the other Yale.
Does a higher star rating mean a stronger chain?
Not when the count is small. KIPTVO's 5.0 is one review, Ainkou's 4.7 is three, and the silver MOXYOY's 4.8 is 27 short texts. Yale's 4.5 from 659 and XFORT's 4.5 from 2,220 are larger files, and they still include shorter-than-photo chains and snapped screws. Read the failure the reviews repeat, not the star on its own.
How long should the chain be?
Long enough to reach the frame, and short enough that a hand cannot come through. Stated lengths here are KAFENDA 170 mm, Yale WS6 13.5 cm, and about 17 cm on ZEQUNAFENG and LIAMGUS. The other eight do not say. Yale and SOL buyers both found fewer links than the photo, so measure the chain on the table against the gap you need before you drill.
Are the screws in the box good enough?
Often they are not, if you follow DIY Doctor's guide of at least 25 mm into sound timber. KAFENDA states 20 mm and reviews replace them. XFORT reviews report heads that snap. FAST-FX reviews call the screws too short. Yale WS6 reviews say the supplied screws suit solid wood, not a hollow door. Bin a short or brittle screw and use a longer one into the rail, or stop if you cannot find solid timber.
Should I buy a two-pack?
Buy a two-pack when you have two sound timber doors and you accept the same limits twice. The SOL pack is the best value at about £4.99 for two, at 4.3 from 162 reviews, with a brass-instead-of-chrome complaint and a shorter chain than the photo. KIPTVO is about £6.99 for two and has one review, plus a listing that disagrees with itself about whether screws are included. A second chain does not add a test mark or a longer screw.

Related pages

Door viewer

Door chain

Best door chain: Yale WS6 against the narrow XFORT

How to fit a door chain: rail, screws and outside test

Door chain for a uPVC door: warranty and the fixings

Door chain vs door restrictor: which device to buy

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures dated 19 October 2026. TS 003 is not treated as a burglary lock, and Secured by Design is quoted only for the live Yale WS6 table on that date.

  1. West Yorkshire Police: door and window advice (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Avon and Somerset Police: door security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Age UK: doorstep scams (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. ERA: certified solutions and TS 003 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. DHF publications, including TS 003:2012 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. DIY Doctor: fitting a door chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Master Locksmiths Association: door chain security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Yale WS6 on amazon.co.uk (retrieved 19 October 2026)