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Internal door latch: when a tubular latch is enough

Updated: October 2026

The bedroom door swings open whenever someone walks past, and the bolt no longer meets the keep. An internal door latch, in the ordinary case, is the tubular mortice latch a lever turns so the door stays shut. It is not a lock, and on some internal doors it is the wrong class of fitting entirely. This page is which doors only need to latch, and when a bathroom, a fire door, or a final exit is a different part. Prices are on the [door fitting comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/door-fitting). Peter F. used UK fire-door guidance and those listings, updated in October 2026. A qualifying purchase through an amazon.co.uk link can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The bedroom door swings open whenever someone walks past, and the bolt no longer meets the keep. An internal door latch, in the ordinary case, is the tubular mortice latch a lever turns so the door stays shut.

Our top picks

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch

Best overall

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch
8.0/10about £5.49
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Yale Yale PM888 tubular mortice latch

Rank 2

Yale Yale PM888 tubular mortice latch
8.8/10about £5.99
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Chliinl Chliinl 45 mm tubular latch

Rank 3

Chliinl Chliinl 45 mm tubular latch
7.6/10about £5.29
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Doors that only need to latch
  2. 2.Bathrooms
  3. 3.Fire doors and front doors
  4. 4.If the door only has to stay shut

Doors that only need to latch

A passage door, a bedroom door, and a cupboard door often need nothing more than a bolt that springs out and holds the leaf against the stop. The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers describes a tubular latch as the fitting for internal doors that do not lock. There is no key. If that is all the room requires, a tubular latch is the right class. The three listings are examples of that class, not a security set. Yale's bullets say locking is not required. MOXYOY names bedrooms and storage rooms and lists no key. Chliinl is listed for internal doors. Which of them matches a measured door is on the best tubular latch page. None shows BS 3621 or a fire rating. Heavy unsprung levers will droop, which Wickes already says of the brass PM888 pattern. Measuring the backset stays on the tubular mortice latch buying guide.

Bathrooms

A bathroom door that only needs to stay shut can use the same tubular latch as a bedroom. MOXYOY's listing names bathrooms, with sprung lever handles. One Chliinl review used that latch on a bathroom door and said the size matched. Privacy is a different product. A thumb-turn on the inside and an emergency release on the outside is what lets you open the door if someone inside cannot. None of these three listings describes a turn, a coin slot, or a release. Chliinl's title says internal door lock, and the bullets still describe a latch with four screws and no key. If the old rose has a small turn, replace it with another privacy set. The same refusal applies to a WC on a landing. A store cupboard next to the bathroom can still take the plain latch.
MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch

Testsieger

MOXYOY MOXYOY 45 mm tubular latch
8.0/10about £5.49
View offer

Fire doors and front doors

Some internal doors are fire doors. A fire doorset, in the Approved Document B FAQ, is the door, the frame, and the ironmongery together. GOV.UK fire-door guidance for flats and common parts looks for gaps of about 4 mm or less except at the bottom, intact intumescent strips, and a closer that shuts the door from about 15 degrees. A self-closer, a fire-door sign, intumescent strips, or a flat entrance are the signs to stop. None of these listings states FD30, FD60, or a fire test. A front door and any leaf an insurer treats as the way in are the other refusal. BS 3621 is the thief-resistant lock standard many policies name. The AA's home-insurance note states that expectation. nidirect, for Northern Ireland, points to a mortice deadlock to BS 3621 or BS EN 12209. These listings do not show those marks. Once you know the door only needs to latch, the sequence is on how to fit a tubular latch.

If the door only has to stay shut

If the door has none of those signs, and all it must do is stay shut, measure before you order. A key means a sashlock or a BS 3621 deadlock, not a second latch from this set.

Common questions

Is a bathroom door the same part?
Only if the bathroom door merely needs to latch. MOXYOY names bathrooms, and one Chliinl review fitted that latch on a bathroom door. If the old set has a thumb-turn and an outside release, these listings do not replace it. None of them describes an emergency release, so a coin slot is not something you can assume is in the box.
What should I look for before I unscrew a fire door?
Look for a closer, a fire-door sign, intumescent strips, and gaps of about 4 mm or less, which is the GOV.UK check apart from the bottom of the door. If those are present, do not swap the latch for one of these three. The closer should shut the door from fully open and from about 15 degrees. A latch change on that door is for someone working to the doorset evidence.
Does my insurer accept a tubular latch on the front door?
Many policies expect BS 3621 on the locks they require. The AA states that expectation in its home-insurance lock advice. None of these three listings shows BS 3621 or BS EN 12209. A tubular latch is for an internal door that does not lock. It is not a substitute for the deadlock on a final exit.
The title says internal door lock. Is there a key?
Not on the evidence of the bullets. Chliinl's title uses those words, and the listing is a tubular latch with four screws and no key named. Yale has a Key Unlock attribute and still says locking is not required. If you need a key, these are the wrong listings, however the title is written.
Where do I go if I need a key?
You need a lock, not another tubular latch. A sashlock or a BS 3621 deadlock is the family insurers and security guidance name for a door that must resist entry. A slide bolt is a different product again, for a door you brace rather than latch. Measure the internal door for a tubular latch only after you have decided that a key is not the requirement.

Related pages

64 mm or 76 mm latch

Door fitting

Best tubular latch UK: three listings for three jobs

Tubular mortice latch: what to measure before buying

How to fit a tubular latch on an ordinary internal door

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison, not a live check on 21 October 2026. None of these listings was treated as BS 3621 or fire-door ironmongery.

  1. ERA 189-33 tubular mortice latch fitting instructions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Yale tubular latch fitting instructions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. More Handles tubular latch guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Home Secure internal door latch measuring guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GAI specifiers' guide: ironmongery and security, September 2024 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK fire safety (England) regulations 2022: fire door guidance (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Approved Document B: fire safety frequently asked questions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 11 and 22 (retrieved 21 October 2026)