Keyed padlock vs combination padlock
Updated: October 2026
You are tired of keys, and a combination padlock looks simpler: one code for the shed, nothing to lose down the side of the sofa. A keyed padlock vs combination padlock choice is really a choice about what you would rather recover from. A lost key on a keyed-alike suite opens every hasp until you replace the locks. A code that has been seen, or left on a sticker, stays open until you change it, if the lock lets you change it. The keyed packs in this comparison are on the [padlocks keyed alike comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/padlocks-keyed-alike). Products Compared is the editorial team. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are tired of keys, and a combination padlock looks simpler: one code for the shed, nothing to lose down the side of the sofa.
You are tired of keys, and a combination padlock looks simpler: one code for the shed, nothing to lose down the side of the sofa. A keyed padlock vs combination padlock choice is really a choice about what you would rather recover from. A lost key on a keyed-alike suite opens every hasp until you replace the locks. A code that has been seen, or left on a sticker, stays open until you change it, if the lock lets you change it. The keyed packs in this comparison are on the padlocks keyed alike comparison. Products Compared is the editorial team. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Keys | Shackle | Security mark | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  ABUS ABUS 64TI/40 4-pack | 5 keys for this 4-pack | 6.5 mm, 23 mm clear height, 22 mm clear width | ABUS level 5, maker's scale, not CEN | 9.4 | about £31.01 | View offer |
 KAWAHA KAWAHA 41/50 stainless pair | 6 keys for this pair | Shrouded, 50 mm body | None printed | 9.0 | about £27.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  SEPOX SEPOX long-shackle 4-pack | Not stated; a review mentions two | Long, title says 58 mm | None printed | 8.8 | about £18.96 | View offer |
On this page
A key suite and a shared code are different promises
A keyed padlock opens with a key. Keyed alike means several of those locks open with the same key, so a household can share one ring for the gate, the shed and a locker. A combination padlock opens with a dial or a set of wheels. Some combination sets are sold so that several locks share one code, which is the code version of keyed alike.
Anyone who copies the key has quiet access. Anyone who watches you spin the code, or who tries the obvious dates, may not need a tool. Locks Direct treat build quality as the larger question, and still point keyed locks towards higher CEN grades and combination locks towards a code you can reset. That is their framing, not a law. A cheap keyed lock with a thin open shackle is not the stronger lock merely because it has a key. How a suite differs from a reorderable key number is on the keyed alike padlock buying guide.
Lost key, forgotten code
Lose the key to a keyed-alike suite and you have lost the gate, the shed and the locker together. Squire's practical point, comparing keyed alike with keyed to differ, is that you replace the suite. Keytek say the same: a lost key compromises the set. Most of the packs in this comparison are not rekeyable, so you buy another carton rather than pinning them to a new key. Admiral's shed page, as one insurer's example, says a theft claim may need proof of forced entry. A copy does not leave that proof.
If the lock can be reset, you set a new code and you tell the people who should have it. You do not buy four new bodies. Resetting only helps after you know the code has spread. A code left as the factory 0-0-0-0 has already failed.
Shed at night, or a locker at school
Security Guides note that combination locks are convenient and generally weaker at the cheap end, and awkward in the dark with cold fingers. Stand at the shed in January, with gloves on, and see whether you will spin three wheels or leave the lock off. The same article prefers keyed alike when several people need a shed key. That assumes the key holders stay. It is a poor fit for a lodger whose key you cannot get back.
A school or gym locker is the other way round. A lost key is a porter's afternoon with bolt croppers. Cheap dials that can be walked round by feel are the ones to refuse. The mechanism name is not the grade. Rain, a street gate and a shed door are on padlock for a shed and a gate.
Grades, without a fake winner
Keyed padlocks can be graded. BS EN 12320:2021 runs from 1 to 6, and Sold Secure's 2025 catalogue maps padlock Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond to CEN 3, 4, 5 and 6. This comparison's eight keyed packs do not print a CEN grade or a Sold Secure mark. Choosing keyed alike from this set is choosing one key for ungraded bodies. ABUS security level 5 on the 64TI/40 four-pack is the maker's 1-to-10 scale, not CEN 5.
Insight Security write that no combination padlock has a Sold Secure or CEN rating. That absolute is their article, not a fact repeated here. Sold Secure's catalogue lists products they have tested. It is not proof that no code lock has ever passed. If you need a mark, read the listing. Do not infer it from the words keyed or combination.
The choice
Choose keyed alike when you have several hasps, the people who need access are a stable household, and you will replace the whole suite if a key is lost or copied. Choose a combination lock when the risk and the contents are low, the people change, and you would rather reset a code than collect keys back. A cheap dial on a shed full of tools is the choice this page does not support. Neither choice, inside the ungraded packs on the main comparison, satisfies a policy that names Sold Secure or a CEN grade. Which of these cartons is worth a key at all is on best keyed alike padlocks. Peter F. checked the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. There is no laboratory test.
Common questions
Which is better for a shed?
Keyed alike, if more than one person needs the shed and you will open it in the dark with cold hands, and if you will replace the suite when a key goes. A combination lock is the better shed lock when the contents are low value and a code is easier to share than a key you might not get back. A cheap dial is still a weak lock. The hasp and the timber decide a lot of real break-ins either way.
Which is better for a school locker?
A resettable code, if the locker changes hands and a lost key means cutting the lock off. A keyed lock is reasonable when the locker is yours for a long stretch and you already carry that key. The shackle still has to fit the hole. A 58 mm bow is a fit, not a reason to prefer a key.
What happens if I lose the key?
On a keyed-alike suite, every lock in that suite is open to anyone who has the key, and you usually replace the set. Most packs in this comparison are not rekeyable. If the key may have been copied, assume the suite is compromised even though the locks still look shut.
What happens if someone learns the code?
They can open the lock without a tool until you reset the code, if the lock allows a reset. If you cannot reset it, you are in the same position as a lost key: replace the lock. A code on a sticker, or a factory code you never changed, has already been shared.
Is keyed alike a good idea for a tradesperson who leaves?
It is a poor idea if you may not get the key back. A copied or retained key opens the whole suite, and these packs are generally not rekeyable. A resettable code, or a lock you are willing to throw away at the end of the job, matches a person who leaves. A household that stays is the case keyed alike is built for.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources for padlock grades and shed security, plus the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. Last checked 21 October 2026.
- BSI, BS EN 12320:2021, padlocks and padlock fittings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Sold Secure approved product catalogue 2025 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ProtectUK, fences and gates (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ProtectUK, home security advice (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ABUS UK padlock catalogue (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Locks Direct, keyed alike padlocks explained (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- The AA, sheds, granny flats and outbuildings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Admiral, shed insurance and keeping a shed safe (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Security Guides, which padlock for a shed (retrieved 21 October 2026)