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Cockspur vs espag window handle

Updated: October 2026

Two white levers can look the same in an amazon.co.uk photo, and only one will lock the window you unscrewed. Cockspur vs espag window handle is the family test before you measure anything else. A square spindle means espag. A nose sitting on a wedge means cockspur. They do not interchange. The [locking window handle comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/locking-window-handle) still lists both among the 17 listings Peter F. read on 19 October 2026. This page ends in a fork, not a star rating. There was no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Once you can see a square hole, the measurements move to the [espag window handle](/hub/door-and-window-security/locking-window-handle/sub/locking-window-handle-upvc-espag) page.

Two white levers can look the same in an amazon.co.uk photo, and only one will lock the window you unscrewed. Cockspur vs espag window handle is the family test before you measure anything else.

Our top picks

Home Secure Home Secure universal locking uPVC window handle, white, multi-spindle

Best overall

Home Secure Home Secure universal locking uPVC window handle, white, multi-spindle
9.1/10about £7.99
View offer
Yale Yale YES-WINH-WH Essentials inline window handle, white, 40 mm

Best value

Yale Yale YES-WINH-WH Essentials inline window handle, white, 40 mm
8.7/10about £5.97
View offer
YAOSHENGUP YAOSHENGUP 4-pack window handles, cockspur

Rank 3

YAOSHENGUP YAOSHENGUP 4-pack window handles, cockspur
5.0/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The two-second test
  2. 2.What you measure next
  3. 3.Why the families are not a security tie
  4. 4.The cockspur listing in this comparison

The two-second test

Take the old handle off, or look at the back if it is already in your hand. An espag has a square spindle that turns an espagnolette or a shootbolt inside the sash. A cockspur holds the sash with a nose that drops onto a wedge, and it has no spindle. ERA's window-handle guide and Home Secure's identification table use that split. A tilt-in handle is tilt-and-turn, which is not part of this comparison. Handle Store says espag is now the majority on UK uPVC, and that the two cannot be treated as the same replacement. Universal, on an espag listing, means several spindle lengths or a non-handed body. It does not mean the handle will also lock a cockspur wedge. The locking window handle buying guide puts this family check first.

What you measure next

The family decides the tape. On an espag you measure the square rod and the screw centres. Trade guides put the spindle at about 10 mm to 55 mm, and they treat 43 mm as the usual distance between the two fixing holes. On a cockspur you measure step and hand, and the hole pitch on the handle you removed. Home Secure's identification guide gives step heights of about 9 mm, about 15 mm to 17 mm, and about 21 mm to 22 mm. Those are trade bands, not a size printed on the cockspur in this set. Cockspur handles are handed, because the spur points to one side. A cranked lever with a square hole is still an espag. The ERA Maxim in this set is that case, a right-hand crank at about £7.59 with a 40 mm spindle.
Home Secure Home Secure universal locking uPVC window handle, white, multi-spindle

Testsieger

Home Secure Home Secure universal locking uPVC window handle, white, multi-spindle
9.1/10about £7.99
View offer

Why the families are not a security tie

The National Protective Security Authority prefers a lockable multi-point espagnolette to a single-point cockspur, and only when the handle cannot be beaten without leaving damage. A poor window may need replacing rather than a new lever. That is not a claim that every cockspur is weak and every espag is strong. A new espag handle on a sash that has no bar does not create multi-point locking. A new cockspur on a healthy wedge only restores the single point you already had. PAS 24:2022+A1:2024 tests a complete window or doorset, not the lever in your hand. None of the 17 listings cites a BS EN 13126 part number.

The cockspur listing in this comparison

YAOSHENGUP is the cockspur in this set, at about £9.99. It is the listing you should not shortlist against the espag kits. The product table prints 10 mm centres. Reviews talk about hole spacing of about 60 mm to 62 mm. One review says it is not key locking, against a title that presents a lock. The listing does not give a step height, so this page will not invent one. Read the old handle, not a bullet that says universal. Measure the hole pitch and the step, then compare those figures with a cockspur listing that states them. The Home Secure top pick still will not lock this window. Square pins do not become a nose.

Common questions

How do I tell espag from cockspur without a manual?
Look at the back of the handle. A square rod, or a square hole where that rod sat, is an espag. A hooked nose that drops onto a wedge on the frame is a cockspur. ERA and Home Secure both use that split, and Handle Store says the two are not the same replacement. You do not need the window's paperwork. Tilt-and-turn is the extra pattern, and it is not either of these.
Can I put an espag handle on a cockspur window?
No. The espag spindle has to enter a gearbox and turn a bar or shootbolts. A cockspur has a wedge and a nose, and no socket for that square pin. Screwing an espag body over a cockspur's holes does not create a gearbox. Order the family that matches the part you removed, and return the other one unfitted.
What is step height?
Step height is how far the cockspur nose has to travel to meet the wedge. Home Secure's identification guide groups the common steps at about 9 mm, about 15 mm to 17 mm, and about 21 mm to 22 mm. Measure the old handle against the wedge on your frame. Those bands are a trade guide, not a size we can assign to YAOSHENGUP, because that listing does not state a step.
My lever is cranked but there is a square spindle. Which family?
Espag. The square spindle is the family test. The crank only means the handle is handed, so you buy the hand that clears the frame. A cockspur is the nose and the wedge, not a bent lever. Match the hand, then the spindle length, on an espag listing.
Does cockspur mean less secure?
The National Protective Security Authority prefers lockable multi-point espagnolettes over a single cockspur, with conditions: the handle should not be overcome without damage, and the gaps and the frame material still count. A cockspur that meets its wedge is the lock that window was built with. An espag lever fitted where there is no bar is not an upgrade. A failed mechanism needs more than a new handle.
Where do I go once I know the family?
A square hole goes to the spindle length and the usual 43 mm centres, then to the comparison for the listing that states that length. A wedge goes no further into espag kits. Measure step and hole pitch, and use the main comparison only for a cockspur row that agrees with those measurements. Fitting steps come after the part in your hand matches.

Related pages

How to replace a uPVC window handle

Locking window handle

Best locking window handle: unknown spindle or 40 mm

Locking window handle buying guide: what to measure

Espag window handle: spindle length and 43 mm holes

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures checked on 19 October 2026, not a live re-check. No listing here was treated as PAS 24.

  1. NPSA: security of domestic windows (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BSI: PAS 24:2022+A1:2024 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. GAI ironmongery and security guide (September 2023) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Approved Document B volume 1, dwellings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. ERA: window handles (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Handle Store: how to measure uPVC window handles (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Lockshop Direct: espag and handle measurement (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. BSI: BS EN 13126-5 window restrictors (retrieved 19 October 2026)