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Ultion vs Avocet vs Yale Platinum Locks
Date: 4th February 2024
Updated: 20th April 2024
What is a door cylinder lock?
A door cylinder lock, often just called a cylinder lock, is a lock mechanism that revolves around a cylinder. This cylinder is the main part of the lock, interacting directly with your key. When you insert and turn your key, the cylinder activates, either locking or unlocking the door, allowing you to secure your home or enter it.
Most effective door security upgrade
Upgrading the lock on your composite door is an easy, effective and relatively cheap way to increase security. A typical 3-star lock will cost around £50 and gives you full peace of mind that you have the best possible security in terms of locks out there protecting your home.
What is the best lock?
There are several standout brands that promise the best security. Here’s a detailed look at three popular choices: Avocet ABS, Ultion Plus lock, and Yale Platinum. Each of these locks has its unique features and benefits, ensuring you can find the perfect fit for your home security needs.
Avocet ABS Lock
Certification: Holds the TS007 3-star rating, alongside the superior SS312 Diamond grade, marking it as exceptionally secure.
Design: Available in Polished Silver or Polished Gold finishes.
Features: Anti-pick, anti-drill, anti-snap, anti-bump. Can come with a thumbturn. Flat magnetic dimple keys.
Size Range: Offers compatibility with a wide range of door thicknesses, making it a versatile choice for various types of doors.
Ultion Plus Lock
Certification: Boasts the TS007 3-star certification, ensuring high security.
Design: Comes in either Silver or Gold, with the UK’s thickest key design for added strength and security.
Features: Anti-pick, anti-drill, anti-snap, anti-bump. Can come with a thumbturn. Flat dimple keys.
Size Range: Not quite as good as the Avocet ABS as it’s more limited on sizes.
Yale Platinum
Certification: Also features the TS007 3-star rating.
Design: Available in Silver or Gold.
Features: Anti-pick, anti-drill, anti-snap, anti-bump. Can come with a thumbturn. Flat dimple keys.
Size Range: Very good size options, compatability with most doors should not be an issue.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Avocet ABS, Ultion Plus lock, and Yale Platinum represent the top tier of door security, each boasting the TS007 3-star certification.
Avocet ABS distinguishes itself further with an SS312 Diamond grade certification, marking it as the premium option for enhanced security. All three brands offer designs in Silver or Gold and feature internal thumb turns for ease of use, with key designs that cater to different security needs.
The Avocet ABS and Yale Platinum offer the best compatability with various door thicknesses and Ultion Plus lock's specific enhancements in key security and user convenience demonstrate their unique appeal.
Ultimately, the choice between these locks will depend on individual security needs and aesthetic preferences. The Avocet ABS is a likely winner due to it being easier to buy, has a wider compatability with doors and priced in the middle.
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What makes a lock so secure?
Modern high-security door cylinders, such as the Avocet ABS, Ultion Lock, and Yale Platinum, are designed using cutting-edge technology and robust materials to provide an elevated level of home security.
Here are some key features that make these locks so secure:
Anti-Pick Technology: These locks are engineered with intricate pin configurations and unique anti-pick features that make it extremely difficult to pick.
Increased Number of Pins: Most locks have 5 or 6 pins, but with a higher pin count, these locks offer a vast number of key combinations, making them incredibly difficult to pick or bump. The Ultion lock has 11 pins.
Multiple Sacrificial Layers: Some cylinders have multiple sacrificial layers rather than just one. In the event of an attack, these layers break off to protect the core of the cylinder, ensuring the lock remains secure even under duress.
Internal Strength: The internal mechanisms of these locks, crafted from robust materials, provide a level of strength that resists forceful attacks
Anti-Drill and Anti-Snap Features: Specialised hardened steel elements and reinforced bars make these cylinders resistant to drilling and snapping.
Magnetic and Dimple Key Technology: Modern keys often incorporate magnetic and dimple technology, providing a higher level of key control and making the locks harder to pick as well as much harder to copy.
Key Control: High-security cylinders often have patented key systems, ensuring keys can only be copied with the proper authorisation.
Visual Deterrence: The mere presence of high-security locks, identifiable by their distinct branding, can act as a deterrent to potential intruders.
Investing in a high-security door cylinder like the Avocet ABS, Ultion Lock, or Yale Platinum is a prudent choice for those seeking to significantly enhance their home security.
How to measure a door cylinder lock?
Most locks on doors are very easy to take out and measure. On most UPVC and composite doors there will be a screw on the side of the door that screws into the cylinder.
With a tape measure, measure from the external side of the cylinder to the centre of the screw hole and do the same from the internal side of the cylinder.
You will end up with two numbers that may or may not be the same, i.e 45mm (internal) and 55mm (external), so this means your cylinder is 100mm in length but is offset, so you need to get a cylinder that is 45mm internal and 55m external.
It’s also worth noting that if your cylinder sticks out or is proud from the external handle, you can go for a smaller external sized cylinder, i.e if it sticks out 10mm from the external handle and the external size to the screw hole is 55mm, you can get a 45mm external cylinder and this will then sit a lot flusher with your handle, increasing security.
How to remove a Lock?
Ensure the door is unlocked and opened.
Locate the screw on the side of the door, usually a phillips type. With the correct screwdriver, undo and remove the screw, keeping it in a safe place.
Insert your key into the lock, turn it to 10 o'clock or 2 o’clock and pull the cylinder out.
How to install a Lock?
Ensure the anti-snap side faces externally; if dual anti-snap, look for 'EXT’ marking on the cylinder.
Insert the key into the cylinder and turn it to align the black centre cam flush within the cylinder.
Insert the cylinder into the door and position the cylinder centrally, reinsert and tighten the screw securely to hold the cylinder in place.
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Get A Quote
Get in touch with us today and let us know your requirements and we can send you a free no obligation quotation for your new project and a 100% accurate price.
Euro Cylinder Frequently Asked Questions
A Euro cylinder, also known as a barrel is a popular lock profile in Europe. It’s used in both internal and external doors, and its ability to be replaced without removing other fittings makes it simple and easy to fit. Euro cylinders come in different types: Full or double euro cylinder, full thumb-turn euro cylinder, half or single euro cylinder, and half thumb-turn euro cylinder.
It depends on the cylinder, but you can typically buy a 3 star TS007 cylinder like the Avocet ABS for about £50.
Anti-Snap is a feature in Euro Cylinder locks designed to prevent “lock snapping”, a common method used by burglars to break into properties. Anti-Snap locks have a sacrificial snap line that breaks off when an attempt is made to snap the lock, leaving the main locking mechanism intact and the door secure. This feature significantly enhances the security of the lock and the property it protects.
Anti-Drill is a security feature in Euro Cylinder locks designed to resist drilling attacks. These locks incorporate hardened steel pins and other components that can dull or break drill bits, making it extremely difficult for burglars to drill through the lock. This significantly enhances the lock’s resistance to forced entry methods.
Anti-Pick is a security feature in Euro Cylinder locks designed to resist lock picking, a method of manipulating the internal pins of the lock to align the mechanism and open the lock without a key. Anti-Pick locks are designed with pins that resist this manipulation, making it much more difficult for unauthorised access.
Anti-Bump is a security feature in Euro Cylinder locks designed to resist lock bumping, a technique where a specially designed key is used to align the lock pins, allowing the lock to be opened. Anti-Bump locks have more pins and specially made keys, with shallow pin stacks to prevent the pins from ‘jumping’ up, making it much more difficult for unauthorised access.
TS007 is a standard developed to improve the security of Euro Cylinder locks. It is characterised by a 3-star rating system. The standard measures the cylinder’s resistance to various attack methods using a set of defined tools and procedures.
Sold Secure Diamond is a high-security standard for lock cylinders. It indicates that a lock has undergone rigorous testing and demonstrated high resistance to various forms of attack. This standard is recognised as one of the highest security ratings a lock cylinder can achieve and is often recognised by insurance companies as evidence of high security. It’s a valuable standard to look for when choosing a lock for your home or business.
SS312 Diamond Grade is a test specification for lock cylinders developed by Sold Secure. It has two main grades: Diamond and Gold. SS312 Diamond is the highest grade a lock cylinder can achieve and is deemed equivalent to a British Standard Kitemark 3 Star cylinder in terms of building regulations. This standard was the first developed to counter lock snapping, providing the highest level of approval for cylinders. Having a SS312 Diamond approved cylinder ensures the highest level of protection for your lock.
TS007 and SS312 Diamond Grade are different standards for lock cylinders. TS007 3-Star Cylinders and SS312 Diamond Approved Standard Cylinders both provide high security against lock snapping, but they are tested differently. Some cylinders meet both standards for maximum security. The difference between a TS007 3 Star and SS312 diamond lock cylinder is in how the cylinders are tested to pass the required standard. The time and tools used differ, for example SS312 Diamond uses a much heavier tool list to attack the cylinders although the time allowed is slightly shorter, but this is deemed as a tougher test to pass.
A 1-Star Cylinder is a lock that has been certified to meet the British Kitemark standard. However, it’s not anti-snap when fitted to a door by itself. It only becomes anti-snap if it’s fitted with 2-Star Door Furniture such as a handle or escutcheon. So, while a 1-Star Cylinder should resist drilling, picking, and bumping, it does not pass snapping tests on its own. For a lock to be considered anti-snap, it should meet standards like SS312 Diamond or TS007 3 Star.
Keyed alike refers to a setup where one key fits all locks, such as front and back door locks in a home. This is convenient and cost-effective but poses a security risk if the key is lost as all the keyed alike cylinders need to be replaced. It’s commonly used with euro lock cylinders and other lock types, provided they are the same type. Different lock types cannot be keyed alike.