Upgrade Your Security: Bump-Proof Locks for Peace of Mind

Since bumping a lock is one of the most effective ways to open a lock, criminals use this technique quite often.

The rise in the use of bump keys in home burglaries was featured in an ABC news segment a while back. 

The ease of getting a set of bump keys has contributed to this rise. A set of bump keys can be purchased online and shipped to your house without any fuss.

Luckily, there are a few ways to improve your lock’s security. There are locks on the market today that address this security flaw.

How Do You Know if Your Door Lock Is Bumpable? 

A simple way to figure this out is to look at your house key. The design and shape of a key can tell us a lot about its security features. 

Does it look like a standard house key? We are looking at the key bitting. Are the peaks and valleys dramatic in height or depth? 

If the valleys are each at the same depth, it will likely be an easy-to-pick lock and bumpable. 

If you said yes to the questions above, your lock, unfortunately, is likely bumpable.

Did you buy your door lock from the local hardware store?

Many hardware stores carry lower-end deadbolt locks for household doors. These locks are not designed or built to withstand a bump attack. 

Don’t stress, though. We have a list of bump-proof locks that will give you peace of mind. 

What are the Best Bump Proof Locks?

There are a few high-quality door locks that are bump-proof. They come at a high price, but they may be just what you are looking for.

With many bumpable home door locks, addressing this issue now will save you and your family a lot of stress and grief.

Original Bowley Lock

The Bowley Lock Company makes excellent deadbolt locks. We highly recommend the Original Bowley.

This lock was designed to be bump and pick-proof specifically. The intricate design removes easy access to the pins.

The lock is extremely difficult to pick by shielding the pins and even tougher to bump. Someone trying to pick or bump this lock would need specialized picks or homemade bump keys to even attempt to attack this lock. 

The shielding in the cylinder makes it impossible to bump. The latest reports from Bowley say only five people worldwide have picked this lock open. They had to design their own specialized tools to accomplish it.

Kwikset 980 SmartKeys

Another lock whose design has been improved over time against bumping in recent years is the Kwikset 980 SmartKey. 

The lock is designed with additional security features. It has a sidebar slider that makes it challenging to pick and resistant to bumping attacks. 

Without the correct key, the sidebar remains unmoved and thus prevents the cylinder of the lock from rotating open. 

Here is a video of Kwikset’s SmartKey Deadbolt lock picking and bumping challenge. These “experts” struggled to try to pick and bump the lock.

This lock is an affordable option that provides high security for your home.

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Mul-T-Lock MT5+ Hercular Single Cylinder Deadbolt

One of the best ways to prevent your lock from bump attacks is to own a unique lock. To bump a lock, the correct bump key is required. 

This lock from Mul-T-Lock is unique as it is a dimple-style lock. 

The lock and key are designed with several security features making it pick and bump-resistant. These features include:

• Counter-milled pins and plug
• Unique sidebar
• Sidebar pins
• Alpha spring patented technology 

The legend himself, Bosnian Bill, has not been able to pick this top-of-the-line MT5+ lock himself.

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Smart Lock Technology

Another way to combat lock bumping is to get a lock without a keyway. If your lock doesn’t have a keyhole for a physical key, then bumping simply isn’t an option.

A few reliable smart locks on the market today meet this criteria. We recommend either the Google Smart by Yale or this keyless smart lock from Schlage. 

There have been rumors that some newly released smart locks can detect bump attacks. 

These smart locks reportedly have sensors that detect when an abnormal force has struck the lock. This event would trigger a notification to be sent to the homeowner’s phone. 

That’s a great feature to look for in a smart lock!

Smart locks can provide peace of mind for their owner, and we recommend exploring the different options and choosing the one that best fits your needs.

We made a list of our favorite smart locks a while back. These locks address several scenarios, and we highlight our recommendations. 

Upgrade to Security Pins in Your Existing Lock

If you have experience repinning a lock, replacing the standard pins with security pins is another option for bump-proofing a lock. 

Security pins make it difficult to pick a lock, stalling bump attacks.

It’s not a perfect fix to this potential vulnerability, but it will delay any efforts to break into the lock.

Locks with security pins can still be bumped and picked, but they deter most burglars as they require a high skill level and take longer to breach.

With a security pinning kit, you’d be able to upgrade the security level of your locks. However, it does require knowledge of the mechanics of a lock.

This would also require a lot of effort, so we wouldn’t recommend it. Purchasing one of the high-security locks we discussed above would be an easier option.

Your spouse would also agree, especially after you’ve spilled the springs and pins of the lock all over the dining room table.

Locked Out 

We have to make an important note about bump-proof locks. 

If locked out of your house, you’ll be thankful if your lock isn’t bump-proof.

Wait, what?

Yes, you read that correctly.

Locksmiths are frequently called to assist people in getting into their homes after losing their keys or locking themselves out.

A good number of locksmiths aren’t going to spend the time and energy to pick your door lock nimbly. Most door locks can be challenging to pick and require finesse and patience. 

A locksmith will likely find the bump key for your house’s door lock and go about bumping the lock.

Bumping a lock is such an effective attack on locks that professionals rely on it regularly. You may want to consider that when shopping for a door lock. 

Another solution would be to purchase the bump-proof lock directly from a licensed locksmith. Sometimes they may be able to order a key replacement for you from the lock manufacturer. 

Final Thoughts

Thankfully, more options for bump attacks appear on the market. A high-security lock will protect your house from bump attacks. There are other options to discourage someone from breaking into your home.

You may want to have a motion-activated bright outdoor light in your keyway, or a door cam that records activity in the area, or possibly a loud barking dog is an option.

We also advise you don’t keep up with the Joneses. If you notice all your neighbors have Schlage locks, you will be better off getting a Yale, a Kwikset lock, or a Mul-T-Lock. 

Remember, bump keys are designed to fit specific locks and keyways. A Schlage bump key will fit each of your neighbors’ locks but will be useless against the unique lock on your door.

A bump-proof lock is a sound investment that will provide security and peace of mind for years to come.

We hope you found our article helpful. Feel free to share it with your friends and family!