The Best Wheel Locks For Cars (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023 | Autance

We’ll kick off our list with this set of gorilla wheel nuts. Gorilla is a brand with a well-earned reputation for producing top quality automotive products. We’re pleased to say they are setting a high bar with this set of quality wheel locks.

They are available in 5 different size ranges, so there should be a model to suit the nut size of your wheel. They boast a 60-degree conical seat and a very attractive, high shine finish. This pack comes as a set of 4 with a locking key. For the price, it’s slightly disappointing to get no spare locking nut. 

The big stand out though is the extremely narrow groove to the locking face. This feature, along with the cold-forged hardened steel construction makes this wheel locks simply some of the toughest around.

Next up is another set of locking wheel nuts, this time from McGard. Just as with the products above though this set of wheel locks is of very high quality.

That quality starts with the material. McGard has employed restricted chemistry steel, made right here in the US and only for McGard – you won’t find this high-quality steel in the products offered by anyone else. The steel has received triple nickel-chrome plating for an attractive shiny finish that will stand up well to corrosion.

The lock itself is another that boasts a highly secure narrow gauge. McGard also employs computer-generated locks and keys to guarantee that each lock is completely unique – there is no danger of key duplication here.

This is a pricey product alright, but it is one that stakes a strong claim to being amongst the best wheel locks on the market.

No folks, don’t adjust your display! You haven’t wandered into a new article for a different style of product. Despite looking very different from what has come before, this is still a wheel lock. This is a clamp style of lock though.

Naturally, these styles of wheel locks operate differently to the type we looked at above. These locks are designed both as a visual and a physical deterrent to the car thieves. To that end, this device is painted bright yellow and has been built of very strong, heavy gauge steel. It is also equipped with a pick resistant lock.

It’s good to see that the device is coated with a strong epoxy powder coat to prevent corrosion too. As with all devices of this kind, it is a bit of pain to lock on and remove and you may resent having to do it daily. Though it is a high-quality item that should provide a high degree of security.

If you are in the market for a quality wheel lock (and we assume you are) and you drive a Toyota or a Lexus, then take a good look at this next product.

This is a high-quality wheel nut boasting a number of features we expect to see on products from the premium end of the market. We have triple-nickel plating with a chrome overlay to provide exceptional corrosion protection. The lock itself has been constructed of high-end hardened steel that has been precision machined.

 The other big benefit is that this is a Toyota product designed to replace Toyota parts. That means that this lock has been weight balanced to the factory issue Toyota nut so you don’t have to worry about wheel rebalancing.

If you don’t drive a Toyota there are cheaper options out there for you. If you do, this is a top quality brand specific locking lug nut that is very well designed and built.

If you were looking at the previous entry and thinking that those wheel locks looked great, but gosh darn it you’d picked the wrong Japanese car maker, then we have you covered.

This next entry is extremely similar to the last set we looked at. Oh, but with the slight difference that these wheel locks are designed with Honda vehicles in mind. But don’t worry, the badge may have changed but the quality is still high.

We have a triple – nickel finish with chrome plating for an attractive design that resists corrosion. The metal beneath that finish is hardened steel for extra toughness. One little bonus is a neat little storage pouch for the key, which hopefully can help you to keep it safe.

The negative for this wheel lock is also the same as the Toyota. If you don’t drive a Honda, there are wheel locks out there of similar or equal quality and a lower price.

If you do drive a Honda, this product could prove a solid investment.

Gorilla is back for their second entry on our list. Just as before, this is a quality item, though it should be noted that this is more of an entry-level lock than the ones we looked at previously.

Does that mean some features are stripped back? Well yes, but one area that remains as strong as before is the construction. The body of this device is made from excellent high-quality steel, exactly what you would expect from Gorilla wheel nuts. Over the top of this, you will find high-end triple nickel plating with a chrome finish.

That chrome finish, by the way, is great – these nuts are designed to look awesome on a car. The entry-level aspect comes from the exposed locking area. On the premium Gorilla models, the locking area is tucked away inside a narrow sleeve for extra protection, but that is omitted here.

For that reason, you may not get quite the same high-quality security from this product as from premium models. But it is still a high-quality item with a very reasonable price tag.

Zonetech are the manufacturers of the next item to make the list, out second clamp style of wheel lock. It is the lowest priced wheel clamp to make the list, but that doesn’t mean that it is missing any features compared to premium models.

On the contrary, there is a lot to like about this product. Firstly it is of a very tough ABS construction to resist forced removal. The handle is a nice design element too. Firstly it makes the product easy to carry and hold. Its secondary function is to prevent the vehicle from being driven away whilst the lock is engaged.

The PVC coating to the arm tips is also very welcome. It will help to protect your alloys from accidental scratches that unprotected metal could cause. They are also bright red, a nice contrast to the bright yellow body. That helps make the device highly visible so it serves as an excellent deterrent to potential thieves.

Next up we have this set of locking wheel nuts from DPAccessories. Terrible, terrible company name but very good product here, with one obvious standout feature – they are black.

Most wheel locks on the market, as we have seen with this very list, come as shiny, chrome-coated locks. That’s fine unless you have dark colored alloys and wheels, in which case the single shiny wheel lock will very much stand out when compared to the rest of the nuts.

On the other hand, if you have light colored wheels, you could go for a darker wheel lock to make it stand out. That way potential thieves sizing up your wheels will see the lock in place.

Aside from its color, this lock has a few other cool features. It made from cold forged and heat treated steel, so you can be sure it is extra tough. It also still has a chrome coating applied, which will help to prevent rust and corrosion. 

Oh – and it’s a five pack too! So you will either have a lock spare or you can add one to your spare wheel and protect it too.

The penultimate product to make our list and the last set of locking lug nut style of products is this set from McGard.

They are in fact near enough identical to the McGard wheel locks we looked at above, with a couple of exceptions. Firstly, they are designed for a 20-Thread size. Second, they come as a pack of five. Which we like, since it gives you either a spare lock or allows you to pop one onto your spare tire to prevent people stealing that too.

Other than that, as we said this has the same high quality you expect from McGard. That means triple nickel chrome plating for a tough and durable finish. It also means chemically treated US steel made bespoke just for McGard.

This is another high-quality product from a renowned manufacturer.

If you are looking for the ultimate in visual deterrents, this next product from COOCHER could fit the bill. It is very big and it is very yellow and any thief is going to be able to see it from a mile away!

If they do try to mess with it, they are going to find this wheel lock is as tough as it looks. Heavy-duty steel construction has been deployed here for a locking device that will be hard to shift. There are other nice features too, like a rubber tip added to the end of the clamp arms/disc. That will help to protect the alloys from scratch damage.

There are two negatives to this lock. The first is the price. Given the size and premium construction it should come as no surprise this is the most expensive lock on the list. The second downside is the sheer weight of the thing! 14 pounds is not to be underestimated, and you may resent lugging this out to lock your car every night.

Still, it is without question one of the toughest locks to make the list.