Measure the hasp first
A lock that does not fit the hasp is no use, so start there. Look at the metal loop on your locker door. You need two numbers: how thick the loop is, and how much room the lock needs to swing through it.
The shackle has to pass through the hole in the hasp, and the hasp has to fit inside the shackle's opening. Here is how our two locks measure.
| Gym Locker Lock | Combination Padlock | |
|---|---|---|
| Shackle opening, width | 0.9 in (2.3 cm) | 0.85 in (2.15 cm) |
| Clearance under the shackle | 1.26 in (3.2 cm) | 1.3 in (3.3 cm) |
| Shackle thickness | not listed | 0.2 in (0.5 cm) |
| Overall height | 3.66 in (9.3 cm) | 3.25 in (8.25 cm) |
Most gym and school lockers use a thin steel tab with a round hole. Both locks fit that. A heavy gate hasp or a thick chain link may not, so measure before you buy.
Front dials or side dials
The dials are the part you touch every day. Front dials, like the ones on the Gym Locker Lock, face you while the lock hangs on the door. You can read them in a dim locker room without twisting the lock up to your eyes.
Side dials, like the ones on the Combination Padlock, keep the lock slim. They take a little more practice: you read the code along the arrows on the body. People who grew up with school padlocks find them second nature.
The reset works differently too. The Gym Locker Lock has a switch on the bottom of the body that you slide to SET. The Combination Padlock resets with a turn and a press of the shackle. Both are on our reset page.
Pick a code you will keep
A four-digit lock has 10,000 possible codes. You only lose that advantage if you pick one that others can guess. Skip 0000, 1234 and your birth year.
- Use a number only you connect with, like an old house number or part of a license plate.
- Write it down and keep the note away from the lock: in your phone's notes, or at home.
- Change it when someone has watched you open the lock. Resetting takes under a minute.
Neither of our locks has a key or a backup code. A forgotten code means the lock has to be cut off. That is the one real cost of going keyless, and a written note fixes it.
What a locker lock will not do
A locker lock keeps an honest person out and slows down a casual try. It is not built to stop someone with bolt cutters and time. Nor is any padlock this size.
So leave the jewelry and the spare cash at home. Carry your phone and keys with you if the locker room is busy. The lock is there so your bag and clothes stay where you left them.
One lock or a pair
A pair costs less per lock than two singles. It also makes sense for a family, or one locker at the gym and one at work. Each lock in a pair takes its own code.
| Lock | Color | Pair | Per lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| FortLocks Gym Locker Lock | Black | $20.99 | $10.49 |
| FortLocks Gym Locker Lock | Black & Orange | $20.99 | $10.49 |
| FortLocks Combination Padlock | Orange | $15.99 | $8.00 |
| FortLocks Combination Padlock | Silver | $15.99 | $8.00 |
If you want two colors, buy two singles. Every pair comes in one color.