25 Door Lock Types with Uses

Door locks are essential for keeping your space, no matter if it’s your home or workplace, safe, secure, and they ensure privacy. So, it’s critical that you pick out the best door lock type for your home to help reduce the chances of theft or property damage. From elegant to simple, there is a huge range of door lock types available online or in your local home improvement store. They’re functional, but they can also be decorative, and we’re going to outline 25 door lock types for you to consider below.

There are dozens of door lock types available, and some are better suited for residential use than others.

25 Types of Door Locks

There are various types of door locks that are meant to work in specific areas of your home, including offices, cabinets, appliances, interior doors, sliding doors, or your front or back exterior doors.

1. Barrel Bolt Locks

The barrel bolt door lock type is one that uses a sliding bold that falls under the traditional lock category. You can find it in a range of materials and sizes. The sliding bolt mechanism on this lock helps you unlock or lock the door, and it has two components that are fixed to the door and the door frame. The barrel bolt lock can lend extra security to interior doors, and you find them used a lot in public and residential bathroom doors.

2. Bluetooth Locks

Bluetooth is the most common type of connection used for smart locks today. This smart door lock type will connect right to the smartphone, so you don’t really need a hub in between to help you make the connection. Bluetooth offers some fantastic features like allowing the lock to automatically sense your Bluetooth device when you get in range and automatically unlock the door for when you get home. However, one drawback is once you get out of range, you can’t control the lock.

3. Cabinet Locks

You can install cabinet door lock types on either the inside portion of the door or around the handles to prevent them from opening easily. They’re very common on bathroom and kitchen cabinets, and the most popular type is the inner-door lock. This lock attaches to the inner top portion of the cabinet and hooks to a piece that you install on the door. The door opens slightly to allow you to push down on the lock to free the hook from the receiving part and open the door.

4. Cam Locks

Cam door lock types get their name from their appearance. You’ll usually find them around cabinets, lockers, mailboxes, deposit boxes, and more. This is a very simplified version of the door lock, and it only needs a key to turn on a cam to rotate the lock to lock or unlock the door. The lock comes in a tubular or flat shape, and you’ll need the same key shape to open or close it.

5. Chain Locks

Chain locks are typically put on terrace doors, hotel doors, store rooms, and more. This door lock type gives you the advantage of opening the door slightly to see who is on the outside before you open the entire door. Chain locks are very similar to barrel bolt locks, and they come with a chain that you attach to the door, as the name hints at. You can slide the chain to lock or unlock the door.

7. Child-Proof Locks

Child-proof or child safety locks are another door lock type you can use to keep children from opening doors. The best locks in this category come in the form of a door knob cover. With this lock type, children won’t be able to open doors because they lack the power and their hands are too small to master the complicated opening method. If you have a patio door you want to keep closed, a childproof lock made just for these doors is the perfect choice. This is where the security bar equipped with the childproof locks comes in. You can install them right in the middle of the door and keep your kids from sliding the doors open.

Child proof locks are very common to put on cupboards that contain potentially hazardous materials like cleaners. Childproof Lock by Larry Koester / CC BY 2.0

8. Cylinder Locks

The cylinder part of the lock is where you put your key. The key has to fit into the cylinder correctly, and this permits you to open the lock. If you have a slightly misshapen key, it’ll prevent the cylinder from unlocking. The cylinder comes with several spring-loaded pins that move when you slide the key in. If you insert the right key, the pins will move as the key goes further into the cylinder, and this will prompt the lock to unlock by opening the bolt using an electronic door lock. In some instances, you can replace a damaged cylinder. This is a great choice for a full door lock mechanism if it’s expensive to replace. But, it’s usually easier and more cost-effective to buy a new lock.

Single cylinder door lock types have a space for a key on one side. The other side of the lock has a twist knob on the other side. The key side goes on the external side of the door, and the internal portion has the knob so you can lock the door from the inside without using a key. Double cylinder door lock types don’t come with the twist knob type and require a key for either side. These are good locks for places where you don’t want anyone to go in and lock the door without a key, like in a public restroom.

9. Deadbolt Locks

The deadbolt door lock type gives you stronger protection against burglaries or break-ins. Also, they come with a lock bolt that moves when you turn the key without a spring or turning the knob. This is a very unique locking mechanism that is more sturdy when it comes to facing battering, boring, attacks, and attempts to break in using a hand tool.

Deadbolt door lock types come in three primary designs, including a single deadbolt lock, a double deadbolt lock, and a vertical deadbolt lock. The single cylinder lock has the most simple design to it, and you can activate it on one side with a key. The double cylinder lock allows you to use a key on both sides, and the vertical deadbolt operates very similarly to a single and double deadbolt lock.

10. Disc Locks

A disc or circular padlock is a type of padlock that lends slightly more protection for people who want to secure a storage unit or shed. They are also designed to be detached from the doors they lock, but they’re thicker and much more challenging to break than a traditional padlock. A circular padlock comes with a curved bar on it that protrudes from one side of the lock that goes through your door’s handle and locks back in on itself to prevent the door from opening.

11. Electronic Locks

Electronic locks have new-age locking mechanisms on them, and it doesn’t require any keys or mechanisms to lock or unlock it. Instead, you use a card or keypad with a unique code or bar to unlock or lock the door automatically. You’ll find these door lock types used for hotel rooms, offices, residential properties, or restaurants, and one of the biggest advantages of them is that they have a log feature that allows you to record every time someone uses the lock.

12. French Door Locks

Keeping your French doors locked when you don’t want to be disturbed is all depends on the round bore holes where you install the lock. French doors that don’t have any of these rounded holes will require that you get a non-turning door lock type or levers on the interior side. If the doors come with one hole, you can get lockable Schlage Georgian knobs. If you have two bore holes in the door, a single-cylinder mechanical deadbolt will work for you. Some French doors come with three bore holes in them, and you can get a handle set with a deadbolt on one side to lock them.

13. Furniture Locks

As the name suggests, furniture locks are devices that are great for locking things like your desk or cabinets. If you look at the local market, there are two types of furniture locks you can get, namely a push-style furniture lock and a bolt-style furniture lock. These locks are flat metal, and they come from the side of the lock to close and secure. The push-style door lock types have a rod that comes from the back of the lock to secure it in place. When you push the inside lock button, it locks. This works well for filling cabinets and sliding doors.

Furniture locks are very common on desks and filing cabinets to help keep paperwork secure.

14. Keypad Locks

You can open keypad door lock types using the attached numerical keypad instead of a traditional key. They can be mechanical or battery-powered, and they typically come outfitted with knob locks, deadbolt locks, or mortise locks for the locking mechanism. This type of lock gives you enhanced versatility as you can enter without a key, but many of them do come outfitted with keyholes and alternative unlocking mechanisms. Some keypad locks allow you to set several custom codes to allow building managers to restrict access.

15. Knob Locks

Knob door lock types are very popular and commonly used in residential buildings or apartments, and you attach them to the exterior side of the entrance door. Beside having deadbolts fit for safety and security purposes, this lock has the advantage of this setup is that your lock attaches to the door, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything.

These door lock types have a locking mechanism with single and double cylinders. However, they aren’t the most secure option you can get because you can break off the knobs with a heavy tool like a hammer or rod. So, they’re better suited for interior doors like in bedrooms or bathrooms. If you want them on exterior doors, it’s common to pair them with a deadbolt to make them more secure.

16. Latch Locks

The key to this door lock type fits into the cylinder, and the interior components move to engage the bolt or latch inside the door. The latch will move inside and outside the door frame to unlock or lock it. These locks come with a very similar locking component as you’d get with a deadbolt, so they’re nice for both interior or exterior doors.

17. Lever Handle Locks

Lever handle locks are a door lock type that is a very popular choice for interior doors in residences or offices. They are commonly used in commercial places like shops, offices, and shop cabinets. This is a larger pushdown style handle with this design that will work to open and close the locking mechanisms. The drawback of this lock is that it’s not suitable for the exterior doors, but it works well on bathroom or bedroom doors.

18. Mortise Locks

Mortise locks are commonly found installed on larger commercial doors, glass doors, or fancy buildings, and they’re also called Rim locks. Mortise locks get mounted and attached to the door’s interior side, and they look like a longer metal piece extended outside. It gives you a very high privacy level, and it comes in various materials and patterns.

Mortise locks are very common in office settings as they make it very easy to open the door while looking stylish.

19. Multipoint Locks

Multipoint door lock types are rather new to the market, and they’re quickly gaining in popularity due to the additional security and safety they offer on bigger gates or doors. They work very well for French doors, composite doors, UPVC doors, and patio doors. As the name suggests, they work as a multi-point locking system.

20. Oven Door Locks

Many parents use this door lock type to keep younger kids from pulling themselves up on the oven door or opening it out of curiosity as a safety measure to prevent injuries or burns from the hot racks and interior. The most popular lock type for this door is the no-drill lock that comes with dual adhesive pieces. One piece is attached to the locking piece and one is detached. One part connects straight to the oven door and the other attaches to the exterior side of the oven. A small lock attaches to the button-like portion of the lock and flips up to unlock it. It also works well for refrigerators and cabinets.

21. Padlocks

Padlocks are very popular door lock types, and they’re available in a large range of sizes, but the shape of this lock is rectangular or square with a u-shaped bar. One end of this lock bar stays in place inside of the lock and the other end of the bar is free to position. You move the bar up and down to unlock or lock it.

There are two main varieties you can get with this type of door lock, including a combination padlock with a keypad lock and the key lock. The combination one allows you to set a three number code to open it, and you won’t need to carry a key with you to use it. The key padlock has a keyhole in the bottom of the lock to release the u-shaped bar. They work well on cabinets, house doors, shed doors, or office doors.

22. Refrigerator Door Locks

There are several door lock types that work well for the refrigerator, but the most common one you can get is the button lock. This lock has one side with a button mounted on the refrigerator door, and it connects to a hook on the other side of the door. You can press the button to release the hook, and this opens the door.

23. T-Locks

T-handle locks are a very popular choice to put on your vending machines. To use it, you’ll insert the key into the lock, pull up the handle, and twist it to unlock the door. While it’s very secure, it’s also very time-consuming to replace. Most vending machines use a door lock type called a pin tubular lock or a barrel lock. You can also find these types of locks installed on a range of equipment, including ATM matches, expensive bike locks, and ATM machines. At one point, they were also common on pay phones.

T-locks are very secure, but they require a professional to install due to how complicated they can be. T-Lock by Jason Scheide / CC BY-NC 2.0

24. Top Locks

As the name suggests, top locks for doors are high enough that they’re out of the young kid’s reach. These are great locks for parents who have kids who have figured out how to open baby gates or childproofing systems. You can install them at the top of your door and pull on a hanging latch to get it to unlock. You can also use them to unlock the door from either side.

25. Z-Wave Connection Locks

The final door lock type on the list is the Z-wave connection lock that requires you to have a hub to connect to. This allows you to connect the lock to the internet using a mobile device. If you don’t have a hub within range when you need to lock or unlock the door, you can take steps to strengthen the signal so you can use it.

Door Lock Details to Consider

There are a few very important details you should consider before you settle on a door lock type for your home or office. These things include but are not limited to:

Door Handing

When you talk about door handing, you’re simply referring to the way the door opens. This is vital to know before you purchase a new lock because it will impact the type of lock you need since the bolt has to go in the right direction. Look at the hinges on your door. Doors that have hinges on the left side of the door will need a left-handed lock. This is spelled out on the package as LH. If you have right-sided hinges on the door, you’ll need a right-handed (RH) lock.

Lock Grades

The lock grade gets assigned from the American National Standards Institute, and they grade to reflect how well you can expect your specific lock to perform as time goes on. The grades start at three and go to one, and a grade of three will indicate basic security and one is for top-level security. You can reasonably expect more low-grade locks to wear out much quicker. They may be less expensive upfront, but you’ll also have to replace them more often. Also, grade three locks won’t give you as much security for your home as grade two or one will.

Measuring for Your Door Lock

Finding the best door lock type for your door will depend on getting the correct measurements. You’ll need to focus on the backrest, and this is the measurement from the edge of the door to the center of the locking mechanism’s hole. The most common  measurement for this space are 2 ¾ inches and 2 ⅜ inches.

You also want to measure the lock spacing and lock bore. The lock bore is the diameter of the hole where the lock sits, and this is the same hole you measured to get the backrest specs. The lock spacing measurement is the distance between the two holes of the locks you have on your door. If you have only a single lock on your door, you can skip this measurement.

Getting the measurements right helps to ensure that your new lock will fit correctly in your door. Locks by Justin Shearer / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Popular Brands of Door Locks

No matter where you are in the world, door locks are something you want in your home. Since they play such a critical role for security and safety, the brand you choose is essential. There’s no use in getting an expensive and sturdy door if you don’t use a trusted and reputable brand for your lock. We’ve picked out four great lock manufacturers to consider the next time you shop for your door lock type below.

1. Baldwin

When you go to virtually any home improvement store, you’ll typically find Baldwin door locks as one of the most widely-available choices. Baldwin offers solid construction, and it’s in the middle for quality. The lock cylinder can be bumped, and it’s easy for professionals to pick. However, the average criminal will struggle with this lock, so it’s good enough for essential residential protection.

2. Evva

Generally speaking, Evva isn’t going to be a widely known brand in the United States. But, it’s highly trusted in the security world due to the MCS model, and this is a very complicated key system that hasn’t been picked. Along with offering highly efficient door lock types, this brand also offers door security products which feature magnetic pins in the entryway. As a direct result, within the lock-picking and locksmith communities, there is a huge amount of brand trust.

3. RR Brink

RR Brink is one of the very few trusted companies that produces and designs prison locks inside of the United States. These locks were originally created to keep dangerous criminals securely locked up. So, if you want to keep the wrong people from coming up and opening your door, RR Brink is a great brand. The locks this brand produces are extremely complicated and very challenging to pick.

4. Yale

Yale has a very solid reputation inside of the locksmith community since there are also the inventors of the modern pin tumbler lock. So, thi means that many of today’s brands use Yale’s invention to create their own solid door lock types.

Bottom Line

We’ve outlined 25 solid door lock types you can consider adding to the interior or exterior of your home to secure it. We also touched on reputable brands and considerations to keep in mind when you shop to help ensure that you get the best lock for your needs.