British company Litelok is best known for its flexible textile/cable-based lightweight bike locks. It's now venturing into the world of rigid U locks, tough, with a model that is claimed to be more resistant to angle grinder attacks than anything else on the market.
Known as the Litelok X, the new lock is actually being offered in two models – the X1 and the X3.
Both incorporate a hardened fine-grain high-tensile steel core, which offers protection against lock-cutting implements such as hammers, bolt croppers, long bars, cable cutters and chisels. That core also incorporates "a unique anti-rotation feature," designed to thwart lock-twisting attacks.
The angle grinder protection is provided by a coating made of a patented ceramic composite material called Barronium (named after Litelok CEO Neil Barron). Applied to the steel core, this "super hard" coating is reportedly tougher than the angle grinder discs themselves, causing them – and possibly even the grinder's battery or motor – to wear out before they can cut through the lock.
There's also an outer coating of plant-based rubber to reduce rattling, protect the bike's paint, and add extra cut-resistance.
As a result, the X3 is claimed to be 15 times more angle-grinder-resistant than the current best-selling, best-performing U locks. It weighs 1.9 kg (4.2 lb), has internal dimensions of 99 by 194 mm (3.9 by 7.6 in) and features a highly pick-resistant Abloy Sentry key-lock cylinder. Litelok says it should be available starting in November, priced at US$299.99.
The already-available X1 is said to be five times more grinder-resistant than others, weighs 1.7 kg (3.7 lb), has internal dimensions of 101 by 196 mm (3.9 by 7.7 in), and utilizes an ART4-accredited lock mechanism. It sells for $179.99.
Both models have been awarded a top-place Diamond certificate by Sold Secure, which is an independent company that assesses and rates security products.
