The best grating security chains, compared.
Top pick: Yarlung 2 ft hardened chain Best value: Not awarded – Not awarded. The three light sets cost about £6.99 to about £7.99 and none states a security grade, so a gap of about £1 is not a ranking. The cheapest pair has no keyed lock and a one-week rust review. The hardened chain is about £14.99 with no lock, and the UK reviews describe bikes. Updated October 2026.
A grating security chain is a short link chain for a garden gate, a grille door or a cage, closed with a small padlock or with carabiners. You use one on a side gate, a bin store or a pet enclosure when wind, a pet or a casual opening is the problem. A path to the back of the house needs sound posts, hinges that cannot be lifted off, and a hasp or a proper gate lock. About 10 mm of welded, hardened link is where trade guidance starts to talk about security value, so these sets hold a gate shut. Length, section and the lock are set out in the [grating security chain buying guide](/hub/door-and-window-security/grating-security-chain/sub/grating-security-chain-buying-guide). The four amazon.co.uk listings are light-duty sets for a garden gate, a bin store or a pet enclosure. ProtectUK wants a close-shackle padlock or a shroud on a security-fence gate.
A grating security chain is a short link chain for a garden gate, a grille door or a cage, closed with a small padlock or with carabiners.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you closing?
Yarlung is about £14.99 with a 4.6 from 137 reviews. It is the only listing in this set that says hardened steel, at 3/8 inch (9.5 mm), with a nylon sleeve and a weight of 1.41 kg. There is no lock in the box and no Sold Secure line. Eight UK reviews talk about bikes or a motorbike and about length, not about a garden gate. The gate and fence uses are on the bullet list only. The 4.6 star line is higher than the top pick. That figure is not a lab score, and it does not make this a gate set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short hardened chain if you already have a padlock and the anchor is close.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a lock in the box, a longer reach, or a chain whose UK reviews describe a gate.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the chain come with a lock?
No. Included components are marked no. A UK review says the chain is pointless unless you buy a separate lock.
How long is it?
The title says 2 feet. The item dimensions are 61 x 3.5 x 1 cm. Reviews call it too short unless whatever you are securing is touching the anchor.
Is it only a bike chain?
The item type is bike chain and the UK reviews read are about bikes and a motorbike. The bullets also name gates, fences, properties and cabinets. The title says square links. The shape field says round.
Maxmoc is the cheapest listing here at about £6.99 and the only two-pack. Each chain is about 50 cm, with welded links of about 7 × 3 × 34 mm and detachable carabiners at both ends, so there is no keyed padlock to fit. The metal is described as electroplated. Item weight is 210 g, while a unit-count line on the same listing says 230 g. The star line is 4.6 from 23 reviews. Two UK review texts are in the notes: one buyer used a chain overnight on a parrot cage, and another reported rust within a week. There is no hardened-steel or Sold Secure claim. Treat the pair as a light clip-on latch, and expect the finish to be the first thing that fails outdoors. The low price does not make it a best-value pick. There is no security grade to set against the dearer sets.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A light latch chain for a cage or a low-risk gate, in a pair, if you accept carabiners rather than a padlock.
Less suitable: An outdoor gate you want locked with a key, or a chain that has to stay bright in the weather.
Specifications
Common questions
Is there a padlock in the box?
The bullets describe detachable carabiners at both ends, not a keyed padlock. Closure is those carabiners.
How many chains are in the pack?
Two. Each is about 50 cm, with a link size of about 7 x 3 x 34 mm. Item weight is 210 g. A unit-count line says 230 g.
Do the reviews mention rust?
One of the two UK texts says it rusted in a week. The other says it kept a parrot in a cage overnight. The listing star line is 4.6 from 23 reviews, which is more reviews than those two texts.
Sterling is the chain-and-padlock in this set with the largest UK review count: 4.4 from 158 on the listing line, at about £7.03. The chain is 60 cm and 4 mm, with a plastic cover, and the box includes an aluminium padlock. Buyers use it on a gate and for lighter jobs. The listing does not give an attack grade. Reviews repeat a colour mismatch, and one buyer swapped the padlock. It is the top pick because that review file is the largest one attached to a chain and a padlock. Yarlung and Maxmoc show a higher star line, 4.6, and those listings are a chain with no lock and a carabiner pair.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short chain and padlock for a light gate or garden item, if you can accept a 4 mm link and check the colour on arrival.
Less suitable: A side gate you want held with a rated hardened chain, or a buyer who needs the pictured colour.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this set include a padlock?
Yes. The bullets list a 60 cm steel chain with a cover and a 30 mm aluminium padlock. The item-type line instead says a 48 mm weatherproof padlock. Those two sizes are both on the listing and are not reconciled.
Will the colour match the photo?
The title says black. Reviews say a red padlock arrived, and one buyer expected blue from the picture and received red. One buyer did not want a bright red lock on a gate.
Is the chain a heavy security chain?
The listing states 4 mm and does not state a Sold Secure or hardened-steel grade. Reviews use it on a gate, a cupboard, a scooter and for dogs. One buyer found the plastic cover made the chain less flexible and used their own padlock.
ODDerZZii is about £7.99, 51 cm and 3 mm, with carabiners and a keyed lock, at 150 g. The listing claims a 304 stainless steel chain and a lock of PC and stainless steel, with a lock hook about 2 cm high. The star line is 3.6 from 18 reviews, the lowest in this set. Two buyers put it on a garden gate or a back gate, including one who chose it because there was little room for chain, and another used it on a bin lid. A review also calls the set a light-duty deterrent. One buyer found a plastic padlock body already broken on arrival, and another received no key, so the lock could not be used. Check the key and the lock body before you shut the gate. The 304 line is a chain claim. The lock is not treated as stainless as a whole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A compact chain and lock for a small gate or a bin lid, if you check the key and the padlock body on arrival.
Less suitable: A gate where the lock body has to survive a knock, or where you need a spare key from the start.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it fit a tight garden gate?
Two reviews use it on a garden gate or a back gate. One buyer chose it because the gate had little room for chain. Stated length is 51 cm and stated thickness is 3 mm.
What is the padlock made of?
The bullets say PC and stainless steel. A review says the casing is cheap plastic and was already broken on delivery. Treat the 304 line as a claim about the chain, not as proof the lock body is stainless.
How many keys arrive?
The included-components line lists a key. One review says the lock came with one key. Another says no key arrived, so the lock could not be used.
Scores use the four amazon.co.uk listings and the review notes already on the product cards. There is no lab test. A heavy-duty, stainless or hardened line is scored as a claim, not as BS EN 12320, Sold Secure, Secured by Design or LPS 1175. The top pick is the chain-and-padlock listing with the largest UK review file for a light gate job. Star-only scores on the other listings can sit higher. They do not move that award when the box has no lock, or when the closure is a carabiner. No best-value badge is awarded. The three light sets cost about £6.99 to about £7.99 and none states a security grade, so a gap of about £1 is not a ranking. The cheapest pair has no keyed lock. The hardened chain costs about £14.99, includes no lock, and the UK reviews describe bikes. The weights below sum to 100.
Job match
30%Whether the listing and the UK reviews describe a gate, a cage, a bin or garden kit. Bike and motorbike reviews do not count as a garden-gate result. A padlock in the box matters when the job is keyed.
Length and link section
25%A stated length you can compare with the gate shut, and a stated link section in millimetres. Extra chain is slack. A 3 mm or 4 mm line is recorded as printed. It is not scored as a 10 mm hardened chain.
Lock and keys
20%What actually closes the chain: an aluminium padlock, carabiners, or no lock. Conflicting padlock sizes, a plastic body in a review, or a missing key are deducted. A stainless line on the lock is not credited when a review describes plastic.
Finish and review sample
15%A cover, a stated coating, and the size of the amazon.co.uk review file. A one-week rust note and a colour that does not match the title are deducted. A 4.6 from 23 reviews does not outrank a 4.4 from 158 on sample size alone.
Grades left uncredited
10%No listing is scored as BS EN 12320, Sold Secure, Secured by Design or LPS 1175. A hardened-steel line without a grade stays a claim. Shelf price is recorded and is not used to award a best-value badge.
Choose the job, the loop with the gate shut, and whether a keyed padlock is in the box. A 3 mm or 4 mm chain on these listings holds a gate, a cage or a bin. It does not carry a security grade. The notes below follow the four amazon.co.uk listings and the public UK sources named at the end of this page. There was no laboratory test.
A grating security chain is a short link chain that holds a gate, a grille door or a cage. Some sets close with a small padlock. Some close with carabiners and no key. The four amazon.co.uk listings on this page are light-duty sets for a garden gate, a bin store or a pet enclosure. A path to the back of the house needs a hasp or a proper gate lock, sound posts, and hinges that cannot be lifted off. ProtectUK wants a close-shackle padlock or a shroud on a security-fence gate.
A heavy-duty line on a set near £7 does not change a stated 3 mm or 4 mm link. ACE Security’s guide treats about 10 mm of welded, hardened link as the start of security value. That guide is not a test of these listings.
Extra chain becomes slack once the gate is shut, and slack lets two leaves be pushed apart. Signet Locks says a double-gate chain must be too short to open a gap. Measure the loop first.
ODDerZZii describes the chain as 304 and the lock as PC and stainless steel. A review reports a plastic body already broken on arrival. The chain claim and the lock body are different facts.
Measure the loop with the leaf closed, then compare it with the stated length. Sterling is 60 cm. ODDerZZii is 51 cm. Each Maxmoc chain is about 50 cm. Yarlung is listed as 2 ft, with item dimensions of 61 cm, and UK reviews call it short unless the anchor is touching. Extra links become slack. On two leaves, that slack is a gap you can push open. A chain that is shorter than the frame will not reach, which is the other failure, so the measurement comes before the finish and the price.
Sterling states 4 mm and includes an aluminium padlock, with a plastic cover and a listing that says both 30 mm and 48 mm. ODDerZZii states 3 mm and includes a keyed lock that one review found plastic and broken, and another found without a key. Maxmoc’s thin dimension is 3 mm, the closure is carabiners, and one review reported rust within a week. Yarlung states 3/8 inch hardened steel, which is 9.5 mm, with a nylon sleeve and no lock.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a short chain and a padlock for a light garden gate, and you can accept a 4 mm link. The Sterling set is the top pick at about £7.03, with 4.4 from 158 reviews, 60 cm and a plastic cover. The listing disagrees on a 30 mm and a 48 mm padlock, and reviews report red hardware against a black title.
You want a clip-on latch for a cage or a low-risk gate, in a pair, and a key is not the point. The Maxmoc two-pack is about £6.99, about 50 cm each, with carabiners and 4.6 from 23 reviews. One review reports rust within a week. There is no keyed padlock.
You have a small gate or a bin lid with little room for chain, and you will check the key and the padlock body on arrival. The ODDerZZii is about £7.99, 51 cm and 3 mm, with 3.6 from 18 reviews. A review reports a plastic body broken on arrival, and another reports no key.
The Sterling 60 cm chain and padlock is the top pick. It is the chain-and-padlock in this set with the largest UK review file, 4.4 from 158, at about £7.03, with a stated 4 mm link, a plastic cover and an aluminium padlock in the box. A padlock-size conflict and red hardware against a black title are already in the notes. Yarlung and Maxmoc show 4.6, against 4.4 here. They do not take the award: the Yarlung has no lock and the UK reviews describe bikes, and the Maxmoc closes with carabiners. No best-value badge is awarded. The three light sets cost about £6.99 to about £7.99 and none states a security grade. None of the four is a graded delay against a determined attack.
Not awarded
Not awarded. The three light sets cost about £6.99 to about £7.99 and none states a security grade, so a gap of about £1 is not a ranking. The cheapest pair has no keyed lock and a one-week rust review. The hardened chain is about £14.99 with no lock, and the UK reviews describe bikes.
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 used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures on the four listings. No listing is treated as BS EN 12320, Sold Secure, Secured by Design or LPS 1175. The 10 mm line is ACE Security’s guide, not a test of these chains.
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 with the 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 the UK listing lines in this comparison. We did not run a lab test.
