Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 U-Lock with FlexFrame Bracket

Apple AirTag (with hidden bike mount)

Best for: iPhone owners · Urban and suburban parking · Pairing with a good lock

Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini U-Lock

This is the lock to buy when the bike costs more than the rent. The Fahgettaboudit Mini uses an 18 mm hardened steel shackle with a double-deadbolt crossbar, which puts it in the small group of locks that shrug off bolt cutters and force attackers to use a grinder and time. The mini shackle is deliberately small so there is little room to fit a jack or pry bar. The trade-off is that small opening: you will not lock both frame and wheel to a fat pole with it, and it is heavy enough that many owners leave it at the office rack and carry something lighter for quick stops.

Best for: High-value e-bikes locked outdoors · Urban and campus parking with theft pressure · Riders who leave the bike in one spot all day

Foldylock Compact Folding Lock

The Foldylock Compact is a lighter, less expensive folding lock that still earned a Sold Secure rating and comes with a tidy frame case. It is a good match for riders who stop at shops and cafes several times a day and want something they will actually reach for instead of rolling the dice on a cable. The links open wide enough for most e-bike frames plus a wheel and a rack, and the keyed cylinder is better than the bargain folding locks flooding the market. It is not in the same class as the ABUS 6500 for serious theft pressure, so treat it as a mid-risk lock.

Best for: Quick stops and errands · Suburban and campus parking · Riders who want light weight over maximum security

ABUS Bordo Granit XPlus 6500 Folding Lock

Folding locks solve the problem U-locks have on e-bikes: fat tubes, rear racks and awkward parking posts. The Bordo 6500 uses thick hardened-steel links with protected rivets, packs into a holster that bolts to bottle bosses or straps to the frame, and opens wide enough to wrap a wheel, frame and pole together. It is among the strongest folding locks tested, though any folding design still gives up some security to a good 18 mm U-lock at the rivets. For e-bikes parked during the workday or at a campus rack, the combination of reach and carry convenience is why it sells so well.

Best for: E-bikes with fat tubes that U-locks cannot reach around · Commuters who want a lock that lives on the frame · Locking to odd-shaped racks and posts