Collection: Security Chains

Why 8mm hardened links

Hardened chrome-alloy carbon steel at 8mm defeats bolt cutters and saws far better than any cable, and the weatherproof nylon sleeve shrugs off saltwater and sun instead of chewing paintwork. It is the difference between slowing a thief down and stopping one.

Cut proof chains vs cut resistant chain

The two phrases get used interchangeably and they should not be. A cut resistant chain slows an attack down; genuinely cut proof chains defeat the tool outright. What decides it is link diameter and steel hardness, not the marketing on the packet. At 8mm hardened chrome-alloy, our links are past the bite capacity of the compact bolt cutters that get carried on foot, which is the tool that takes most gear. We break the whole comparison down in Can Cable Locks Be Cut? What Actually Stops a Thief and in 8mm vs 12mm security chains.

Where a chain beats a cable

Use chain for anything left unattended overnight, anything stored in public, and anything valuable enough to be worth a thief bringing tools for: trailers on a driveway, bikes at a rack, gates, and kayaks on a dock. Use a weatherproof cable lock where you need reach, flexibility and light weight instead, and see our towing cables if you need a trailer safety cable rather than a theft chain.

How long a chain do you need

Pick the shortest length that still loops both the item and the anchor, because slack is what a thief works with. 3ft suits one item locked close to a fixed point: a bike at a rack, a gate latch, a dock cleat. 6ft is the length most people want, and it covers a kayak or SUP to a roof rack or piling, or a trailer coupler to a ground anchor. 10ft is for two items at once or anything wide, like a pair of boards or a trailer tongue plus a wheel.

Chain only, or chain with a U-lock

Both are the same 8mm hardened chrome-alloy chain; the difference is whether a lock comes with it. If you already own something suitable, take the standalone chain. If you do not, take the bundle, and note that the short shackle matters: a long shackle leaves a gap wide enough for a pry bar or a bottle jack, which is how plenty of U-locks get beaten without any cutting at all.

What a chain will not stop

The straight answer is that nothing at any price is proof against a cordless angle grinder. What good hardware does is take the quiet tools off the table and force a thief into something loud, slow and conspicuous. Pair the chain with a fixed anchor point, leave it where it can be seen, and do not be the easiest target on the row.

Choose your chain

Get the ready-to-use anti-theft chain with cut-proof U-lock, or the standalone chain in 3, 6 or 10ft if you already own a lock.