Folding bicycle locks are fairly new, and have been designed to solve some of the inherent problems with more traditional u-locks and chains.
Folding locks made from a series of connected steel plates that can be moved around to give you loads of locking options, and then folded down into a compact package that's really easy to carry around.
Firstly, let's take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of folding bicycle locks.
And then I'll recommend the best folding bike lock for different risk levels, based on my user tests and the current security ratings!
Folding bike locks tend to be slightly heavier than u-locks that offer the same internal locking space and the same level of protection (although they're much lighter than the equivalent chains).
But because of the way they can be shaped (by folding the plates in one direction or the other), they'll give you loads more locking opportunities than any u-lock.
For example, you'll never be able to lock your bike to a bulky lamppost (or any other large street furniture) with a u-lock. And it's difficult (if not impossible) to secure two bikes with one standard size u-lock.
But these things are easy with a folding bike lock, because of the way you can shape them. In fact, folding bike locks are probably the best type of lock for securing two bikes together, or securing one bike away from standard bike racks.