Last Updated on June 10, 2026
The best combination padlock is the Abus 190CS/60. Most combination locks are easy to bypass, but the Abus 190CS fixes the usual weak points with a tough body, a protected dial, and a hardened shackle, making it the rare combination padlock that holds up for more than short-term use. For a gym locker or luggage a cheap combination lock is fine, but for anything you actually care about, get the Abus.
Buy the right combination padlock for which job
Gym locker or school: any basic combination lock works, since it only needs to deter a casual grab.
Travel and luggage: use a small TSA-approved combination lock.
Storage units, gates, and sheds: step up to the Abus 190CS/60 or a keyed high-security padlock, because those see real breakage attempts.
Outdoors, keep any padlock turning smoothly with a dry lock lubricant.
Our Favorite Combination Lock
Combination padlocks are notorious for being less secure than other types of padlocks, but for locking up bikes and such for short periods of time, the combination padlock is really one of the best and easiest options.
But most combination padlocks fail to deliver on security because they can be bypassed using a variety of techniques…undetected.
Our previous favorite combination padlock was compromised. So we went on the hunt for a combination padlock that really could secure what it was protecting.
The best combination padlock available today is the ABUS 190cs with a 60mm armored steel body. It’s designed to withstand numerous bypass techniques, including shimming. The shielded wheels prevent bypassing the combination, and it is made from armored steel. Search for the new model, labeled “Series 2”
The ABUS 190cs/60 is excellent in both commercial and residential application. You can find it well priced on Amazon ABUS Padlocks.
Security Features of the ABUS 190CS/60
And this led us to the ABUS 190CS/60. This is not an inexpensive lock, but the new security features of this combination lock more than justify the price. For a combination padlock, you will not do better than the ABUS 190CS.
It is important that you look for the lock labeled “Series 2” to get the security enhancements we discuss below. This ABUS padlock is a 4-wheel lock that results in 10,000 possible combinations. Once of the more interesting features of this lock is that once the combination is entered the shackle must be pushed into the lock before it will release (pop out and open), and there’s a little bit of force necessary to do this.
This results in making it really annoying to try all 10,000 combinations to open the lock. You can’t simply dial in every combination, in a relatively short amount of time, and wait for the lock to open. You need try one, push the shackle, then try another. This greatly slows down the process of going through every possible combination.
The table below highlights the common security flaws found in combination locks. It provides a brief explanation of how the lock can be bypassed using that technique and what ABUS has done with his lock to prevent this type of technique from being used to open this padlock.
ABUS 190CS/60 Best-in-Class Security Solutions
| Bypass Methods and Features of ABUS 190CS to Prevent Them | ||
|---|---|---|
| Security Flaw | What It Is | How ABUS Fixed It |
| Shimming | Sliding a shim into the hole where the hasp closes to unlatch the locking mechanism. | An oversized shackle creates a lip so that a shim cannot be inserted. |
| Trip the actuator | Sliding a shim between a combination wheel and pushing up to release the actuator allowing the shackle to come out. | All wheels are shielded so a shim cannot be inserted. |
| Decode via shim | Using a shim to find the flat service of the wheels and decode the combination. | All wheels are shielded so a shim cannot be inserted. |
| Decode via reset hole | Shining a light into the reset keyhole to see the gates and decode the lock’s combination. | The hole is blocked by metal when the shackle is inserted. |
General Security Features
- Made of hardened steel 2.4 inch body
- Has a hardened steel shackle cover to prevent cutting of the shackle
- Has a large 7/16 of-an-inch diameter stainless-steel shackle
See Our ABUS 190CS 60 Product Review on YouTube
Video: Is This the Best Combination Padlock Available? We Think So.
The ABUS 190cs/60 Product ReviewDisclosure: As an eBay / Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.
