After more than 40 hours of reporting, considering scores of deadbolts, and interviewing eight different locksmiths, security experts, and lock manufacturers, we’re confident the Schlage B60N single-cylinder deadbolt is the best lock for most people’s front doors. It has the highest certification available for resistance to forced entry, is extremely difficult to lockpick, and it’s affordable, easy to find, simple to install, and widely recommended.
Our pick
Resistant to forced and stealth entry, easy to buy, and widely recommended, the Schlage B60N is like a residential version of a high-security deadbolt.
The Schlage B60N is essentially a residential version of a high-security deadbolt lock. It’s rated Grade 1 by ANSI/BHMA,1 meaning it has passed the same hammering, prying, sawing, picking, and kicking tests as the toughest high-security locks that Schlage produces. Experts told us it’s extremely difficult to lockpick the B60N—which, honestly, is not much of a concern anyway, because a Grade 1 lock like this is secure enough that a determined thief would be more likely to bypass it and find another way into the home. We asked four locksmiths to choose between this Schlage model and a similarly qualified deadbolt lock from Kwikset. They unanimously voted for Schlage.
Also great
Everyone we spoke to—locksmiths, security experts, lockmakers—said a reinforced strike is the most cost-effective security upgrade, and the Battalion is a winner.
The strike plate is the metal opening where the deadbolt engages with the doorframe—and strikes are not all the same. The better kind is known as a reinforced strike, and installing one is a cost-effective security upgrade that experts consider nearly as important as the deadbolt lock itself. After considering about a dozen, we settled on the Battalion Strike Plate: It’s affordable, simple, tough, and very similar to the robust strikes many high-security deadbolts come with. That’s because, like them, it features an integral metal-lined bolt-hole, which adds strength against kicking and other forms of forced entry. It also mounts to the doorframe with four screws; many standard strike plates use only two.
One complaint: The screws it comes with are just 2 inches long, when 3 inches or even 4 inches is much better—you may want to find longer screws for a stronger attachment to the doorframe. If the Battalion isn’t available, the Prime-Line U 9539, which we also looked at, is virtually identical.
If you’re looking for a guide to deadbolts that can be controlled via app or smart-home integration, read The Best Smart Lock.
