Best steering wheel locks of 2025

Some throw backs to the 1980s and 1990s are harmless fashion, but we could all do without returning to the bad old days of car theft. Car crime is on the rise, but now it is the professional crooks who are after your motor rather than joyriders.

These criminals will target vulnerabilities in your car’s high tech security systems to bypass alarms and immobilisers, allowing them to drive away without a key frighteningly easily, if they have the correct equipment.

This electronic crime epidemic is making motorists look for analogue ways to stop the thieves, and they are finding the old ways are often the best. Steering wheel locks can be fitted in a few seconds and should prevent anyone without the key from driving off, as they mean the wheel can’t be turned. Many locks also cover the airbag, making it difficult or impossible to steal.

How to fit a steering wheel lock

There are several different types of steering wheel lock, and they all vary in the way they fit. The most common type is a simple bar which fits across the face of the wheel, fixing around the spokes and rim. An extended arm makes it impossible to steer properly. Others are smaller and fix to the rim only, offering less protection to the airbag but still stopping the wheel from being turned.

Other types encase the entire steering wheel in a steel case, or fix the steering wheel to another part of the car, such as the brake pedal.

Before choosing a lock, think about how you will use it. If you want to secure a vehicle such as a classic or motorhome for a longer period, then you might be happy handling a cumbersome lock which offers extra security. However, you are unlikely to want to do this every time you park up at the shops for a few minutes, so might think a smaller product is more suitable.

What should I look for in a steering wheel lock?

No steering wheel lock will offer complete protection, but most will slow a thief down and hopefully make them look elsewhere. As with most things, you get what you pay for, but some cheaper locks can offer a decent level of protection. To look for the devices which will cause a crook the most problems, look for official testing results from independent bodies such as Sold Secure and Thatcham.

You may need to check the lock is compatible with your car too, especially if it has an unusually shaped rim or airbag. We also would favour locks which can fit either side of a steering wheel’s spoke, meaning a thief would have to make two cuts to remove it.

As many locks are heavy, consider if they will damage the trim, particularly if you have leather, Alcantara or wood finishes on the steering wheel. Some locks come with protective coverings, but adding them is inconvenient.

Check the key type and make sure you would be happy to carry them around with you all the time, as some are large and ugly. And make sure you keep a spare in a safe place – preferably not in the car! Some locks will be supplied with three spares, and it’s also worth making a note of the key number.

We would say it’s a good idea to use a lock which is a bright colour, as it will have a deterrent effect even if the windows are misty or it’s dark. They don’t look as stylish, but neither does an empty space on your driveway.

Disklok Diamond Edition – Best for long term protection

There are two different versions of the Disklok, and either will make a thief groan.

The tough steel case covers the entire steering wheel, while an arm locks the two halves together and prevents it being turned. There are clever protective design features too, such as collars covering the hinge pins which simply spin if you try to attack them with a saw or grinding disc. The lock is resistant to drilling and picking too.

The Gold Edition and Diamond Editions are named after their protection levels in the independent Sold Secure testing, with the more expensive Diamond featuring thicker armour around the lock and a substance called Diamonite in the metal which destroys the abrasive discs used in angle grinders. We wore through two discs in testing, creating dust, noise and taking at least five minutes before we surrendered. Most thieves simply won’t bother.

But the Disklok is not something you’ll want to use every day unless you are seriously worried about your car. It is heavy and awkward to use, and is so big you will need to keep it in the boot. It’s also expensive, with the Gold costing around £150 and the Diamond being nearer £300.

Stoplock Pro Elite – Best overall lock

We think the Stoplock could be the best combination of protection, deterrent and ease-of-use. There’s no doubt that a committed thief could remove it faster than the Disklok using powertools, but you’d have to make a lot of noise and it would take a good few minutes too.

The Stoplock is hardly something you could keep in your pocket, but it can be stashed in a footwell without causing too much inconvenience, which means you are more likely to reach for it when parked up.

Fitting is easy too – the curve of the highly-visible yellow arm slides through the steering wheel while two hoops swing to loop around the opposite side of the rim. In an ideal world, you’d place these either side of a spoke so any crook would have to make two cuts to remove it. Securing and releasing them takes just a simple key twist of the pick-resistant lock.

The design makes it unlikely the airbag could be stolen too, or the steering wheel unbolted and replaced. There are different Stoplock variants to fit different shapes of wheel, with a deeper curve in the arm suitable for cars with larger airbags.

While the Stoplock is not the cheapest, it offers the best combination or price and performance.

Milenco steering wheel lock – Best for looks

Style might not be the first consideration when looking for a steering wheel lock, but the neat, 54.5cm long tube of the Milenco is certainly a little easier on the eye than most of the other steering wheel locks we’ve tried. The silver finish would fit in with a modern interior too, although the bright yellow option will be better as an easy-to-spot deterrent.

The Milenco isn’t just pretty either. The tough steel body is resistant to sawing and freezing, while the sturdy lock mechanism made it impossible for us to remove without hardcore powertools. Other testing organisations came to the same conclusion, as the Milenco has a collection of official certificates on the packaging, including a Sold Secure Gold rating for protection.

It’s not all good news though. The unusual locking mechanism takes some practise, as the loop which fits over the back of the wheel rotates, bringing two thick chrome pins to slide in between the rim and spokes of the wheel. As it’s heavy, the lock can be difficult to handle and we found it can also leave dents in delicate steering wheel trims. But our biggest concern is the lack of protection for the airbag.

Streetwize Urban X Steering Wheel Lock – Best deterrent

There is no missing the Streetwize lock – it is bright yellow and large enough to be seen from across the street, so there is no better deterrent. If the crooks still decide to have a go, they will be faced with a device which covers the entire wheel, like the much more expensive Disklok.

The way it works is different, however. The bright steel case is complete rather than being in two halves and is placed over the steering wheel. A foam lining is designed to protect your precious trim. Then a separate blocker bar slides behind it and locks into place to prevent the case being removed.

The Urban X was able to resist attack from our hand tools and stood up valiantly to the power tools too. But like the Disklok, the size and clumsy action mean the Streetwize is more suitable for longer term protection for motorhomes, classics and vans parked overnight, as you’d not want to be wrestling with it after every journey.

It offers great protection at a more affordable price though.

Halfords T-Bar steering wheel lock – Easiest to use

If you don’t like the idea of a huge steering wheel lock rolling around in your footwell or having to go around to the boot every time you park up, then we can see why the Halfords T-Bar lock might seem attractive.

It is far smaller and easier to use than any of the other locks listed here, meaning it will easily fit in a footwell without causing too much disruption, even if you have a car full of passengers.

Once you’ve stopped and want to secure the car, the lock simply clips over the top of the steering wheel, leaving a bright yellow steel bar resting on top of the dashboard. It can clamp either side of a spoke too, making it more difficult to remove by cutting through the rim.

As well as stopping anyone from being able to move the car any distance, the bright yellow bar is highly visible through the windscreen to discourage thieves. We liked the foam lining to protect your steering wheel trim too, and that the T-Bar will work with most cars, regardless of the rim size.

But there is no protection for the airbag, and we managed to overcome the lock in just a few seconds.

Tevlaphee Twin Bar steering wheel lock – Best for value

There’s a distinctly retro look and feel about the Tevlaphee Twin Bar. The ratcheting chrome bars and hi-vis hooks resemble the devices used in the 1990s.

There have been improvements since that time though, especially to the lock tumbler which is now made of solid-looking brass and much more resistant to drilling and picking. The plastic-topped keys look smart enough to look acceptable on your keyring too, and the Tevlaphee is supplied with two spares.

The twin hooks on each end should mean you can secure the Tevlaphee either side of a spoke to make a simple steering wheel cut trickier, although this might not work on modern cars which tend to have thicker sections with buttons built into the wheel.

It’s reasonably compact too, with a length of 474mm when the extendable chrome shafts are retracted, making it easy enough to store in the passenger footwell. Although other colours are available, we’d always recommend the bright yellow as it will have a deterrent effect.

Sadly though, the Tevlaphee could be removed in just a few seconds using a basic tool, which makes it hard to recommend, even though it seems reasonable value.

Armaplate Resolute Gold – Best for double protection

The Armaplate revives an old idea but improves it. Like the old-fashioned Krooklocks from the 1980s, it hooks around the brake pedal as well as the steering wheel to make sure a potential thief would be unable to stop or steer.

The design is far more advanced and secure than the old Krooklock though. Double hooks twist to secure around the brake pedal arm, while a CD-sized steel disc welded to a shaft slides from the top to secure the wheel. A soft foam backing keeps your trim safe, while the Sold Secure Gold rating proves the lock itself is very difficult to remove completely, with tough steel and locks which resist attack be tools. Even if someone manages to cut the shaft, they will still have to deal with the discs.

That double disc also means an airbag would be difficult to remove, and you’d need to cut a big chunk of the steering wheel to get the lock off.

We also liked the small keys – although only two are supplied – and the entire unit’s relatively compact dimensions, especially compared to the larger wheel-encasing rivals.

But the Armaplate isn’t going to work for every car. At one end the scale, classics with wide gaps between the spokes won’t be secure. At the other end, luxury cars with ‘comfort settings’ which automatically move the steering wheel out of the way could cause chaos.