The 8 Best Door Locks of 2023 - Tested High-Security - LockJudge (2023)

We all want the most secure lock for our doors right? The problem is how do you know which one is the best?

You would think that just looking at the packaging would be the best way to go with this, or paying more for a lock will mean it’s more secure right… Unfortunately, companies like to make a profit so a lot of the time they will overstate the security of their products in order to sell as many as they can.

Also surprisingly some cheaper locks are quite secure whereas some of the more expensive options don’t hold up.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if there were some experts that test locks and rate them on how secure they are… Well, there is!

We have leaned on these experts, organizations, lockpicking community, and others to put together this list of the best door locks.

If you are looking for the best deadbolt, or the most secure door lock for your home, office, or anywhere else then we have you covered.

We have gathered this list of the most secure door locks not just from the top sellers as many other websites will show you. We found locks that have been tested by lockpickers like the LockPickingLawyer or lock rating services like SoldSecure, as well as our own analysis, so rest assured they are the best you will get your hands on.

While some other product comparison sites will tell you that the Schlage B60N is the most secure deadbolt available we strongly disagree with that. While the B60N is a good option and we do have it on our list, it is not the most secure door lock out there. The first lock we have here, the Medeco Maximum is what we would say is the best door lock for home security.

The cheapest deadbolt we have here is the Kwikset SmartKey. While it is a cheap option it makes this list because of its surprisingly high security for the price of the lock.

Not only does the Smartkey core make this one easy to re-key making it perfect for a rental property or AirBnB but its unique design gives it a surprisingly good level of security.

If you are looking for an inexpensive deadbolt for your home, rental or other residential property then this could be the perfect option.

For its price, this one would be considered a mid-range lock but it’s also one with some of the best build quality that you will find at this price point. With very well-manufactured parts all made from high-quality materials, this lock is one that will last you for many years.

It contains all ball bearings throughout the lock and has a very interesting design allowing for easy locking by simply turning the knob. It also has a night latch feature.

While it doesn’t have a large amount of drill protection and the pick resistance is not amazing it does have a unique keyway meaning that it will stop most lockpickers anyway.

For an easy-to-use long-lasting mid-level security lock you can’t go past this option.

While this deadbolt doesn’t look overly special for its price it’s quite a good performer. It has decent resistance to picking and has no major security flaws that are known.

It is not the strongest or most secure door lock but for the price, it cant be argued that this is a good option. If you are looking for something a bit more secure and are willing to pay a bit more for something higher security then keep reading to look at some of the others on this list.

If you want to take your security to the next level then this is a great option for you. With the high pick resistance of a Mul-T-Lock but the lower price of being the entry-level model, this lock is great for the average house.

You are most likely to have the most secure lock on your street with this one even if it’s not the highest level lock you can get your hands on.

The LockPickingLawyer has reviewed this lock and it’s not one that the average lock picker will be getting into any time soon.

The MT5+ also includes higher-level security features that you will not find in many other lower security locks like hardened steel anti-drill elements in the core of the lock. As well as

Medeco is a subsidiary of ASSA ABLOY one of the leading high-security lock manufacturers in the world.

This deadbolt is nothing less than one of the most secure residential locks you can get your hands on. This is the residential version of the commercial one that only differs in the shroud around the outside of the lock.

Note: We have seen these locks used in military applications so that should give some indication of their level of security.

Constructed with a hardened stainless steel bolt and inserts inside the lock, combined with the very high-security lock core tested and certified with the UL 437 anti-lockpick rating this deadlock really does stand apart from the rest on this list.

The beauty of this Yale deadlock is that it’s a vintage-style lock that will confuse most thieves so they will simply move on.

The key and keyhole on this one look like a lock from the early 1900s and if that’s what you think then you would be right. While the technology in this lock is old that’s fine because they are quite rare these days especially new ones so they will still catch your typical thief off guard.

Also for a lever lock, this one has good pick protection.

Finally the cool thing about this lock is that if you have a vintage house or just want a cool looking key then this is the one to go for. While it is a bit bigger it is an awesome-looking key that looks like you actually live in a castle.

ERA has created a great lock here for keeping your home secure. This is one of the best-engineered lever-type deadbolts we have seen. With a solid hardened steel plate body, this lock is resistant to drilling. If that’s not enough there are 4 hardened steel rollers in the latch to prevent cutting.

On top of this, it has built-in security in the core so that even if someone does know how to pick it, they will have a hard time doing so.

If you are looking for something that can be used by the whole family then keypad locks are a great option. If you have kids that are likely to lose their keys or you misplace them yourself then a keypad lock is a great option.

Another great use for keypad locks is for Airbnb properties where it’s much easier to give people access simply with a code rather than having to deal with exchanging keys all the time.

If you are looking for a smart lock that you can control remotely then see our list of the best smart locks.

With an elegant design, this door lock is a great option for those that want some flexibility in the lock for their home. This push-button lock allows you to open the door with a code and if that fails you can just use the key.

While this lock is not going to win any medals for its overall security level it’s not doing bad in general and we included it on this list because it is one of the best keypad locks on the market right now.

It has decent pick resistance that will keep out all but an experienced lockpicker, it also has drill resistance for the lock core and the keypad is good enough that with a complex code someone is not going to find the code in any reasonable amount of time.

All in all a perfect option for a family home, Airbnb, or other places where you want the convenience of a code for ease of access rather than needing to rely on a key.

If you want something high-security that will not easily be picked or opened with brute force then you will need a deadlock. Additionally, a multi-point locking deadlock is even better against brute force.

This should be combined with a good-quality handle lock. this is the one you will use when the deadlock is unlocked.

Alternatively, there are combination locks that incorporate both a deadlock and a normal latch with a handle.

Unfortunately lock ratings are a thing that anyone can assign sometimes they are very helpful, other times they are pure marketing and make some very wild claims about a product that really isn’t true.

There are different types of ratings some mean a lot more than others when it comes to finding the best lock for your needs.

Here are some of the most common lock ratings that you will see and how much faith you should have in them.

You should take all manufacturer’s ratings with a grain of salt. This is because they are mostly for marketing purposes and only tell you if locks are higher or lower security than other locks from that manufacturer.

The problem is that even a highly rated lock from one company will be less secure than an entry-level lock from a premium lock company.

A real test and compare multiple models of locks from different manufacturers you need a test and rating system from a third party.

This allows unbiased comparison between manufacturers that rates lock and security products on a level playing field so you can directly compare one product to another. That is where the below lock-rating organizations come in.

The only issue with independent lock rating organizations is that they have limited resources to test locks so there are not that many that can do it.

Sold Secure is owned and controlled by the Master Locksmiths Association in the UK. It is a not-for-profit organization that tests locks and security devices provided to them by product manufacturers.

This is all for the benefit of the lock companies that get accreditation of their locks, insurance companies, and most of all customers that are looking for the best locks.

All the tests completed by Sold Secure are independent and done by experienced locksmiths and security experts so it’s as good as it gets as far as testing goes.

We here at Lock Judge hold Sold Secure in very high regard and refer to their expert testing a lot for our own rating and recommendations.

Their rating system goes as follows,

This is exactly what it sounds like, Lockpickers and other hobbyist penetration and security testing can and does get undertaken by the lockpicking community. this is a very valuable resource and one that we try to tap into to inform our ratings on the locks we recommend on this site.

Some of the people that do this are the LockPickingLawyer, LockNoob, and formerly BosnianBill. These are all YouTubers but they all test the security of locks for the benefit of others. Some specifically for the lockpicking community but others like the LockPickingLawyer evaluate locks to expose the bad practices of the lock industry to push them forward.