Viper 2 x Door Lock Brass - 12 x stronger than a conventional dead bolt

We’ve used one of these locks on our back door for 20 years and it became second nature to flick the latch when coming in from the garden. Mush easier to use than a conventional bolt and has never needed adjusting, even though the door has cranked down a bit over the years. We bought this two pack for when we buy our next house (which will hopefully be soon).

The screws that came with the lock actually go straight through the holes for the screws so if you do buy it, make sure you buy some screws too! Apart from that they came very quickly and seem to be a really good item. Strong and sturdy. You do need a bit if strength to open them so wouldn't really be suitable for the elderly or frail.

Easy to use once you get to use it

It's impossible to open the door if one of these is latched properly. But despite reminders some of my family don't bother to push it home, in which condition it's useless. I have two fitted on a door in the hopes they'll lock at least one of them properly. The springs can also work loose and fall out so the black pin has to be banged in occasionally. Solidly machined metal, nice shape, so they look good. An imperfect design but I will buy again.

The lock feels very solid and well made. The instructions are rather vague and not that clear. There is a picture showing where it can be fitted along the side of the door and where along the top. We fitted ours along the top of the door as this meant we did not need to chisel out any of our architrave (decorative wooden frame surrounding a door) as there was already a very tiny gap as our door does not fit perfectly inside the frame. Once fitted the lock is very secure and prevents the door opening. However, it is quite frustrating that we cannot leave the lock fully open. As we have fitted it to the top of the door, when the door is open the lock hangs in the way and prevents the door from being closed and so you have to reach up to lift of out of the way. This means when we come in we can no longer quickly close the door, nor if we open it with the chain on to see who is there can we easily close it again. I also find it frustrating that I have to lift it out of the way to be able to close the door when leaving the house. People with a high door, in relation to their height, may want to consider whether they will be able to use the lock comfortably if they fit it high up. I also think it could be quite dangerous if fitted too low as if a child were to close it (it can be closed by pushing it) whilst you were unloading the car, for example, you would not be able to get in; The child would probably not be strong enough to hold the lock in a manner that would allow them to open the lock again as it requires it to be pulled down and swung over itself. When in use it seems as strong as our main lock but you can't use it when you go out as you can only lock it from inside. So it's only useful for added security when you are in the house or if you lock if and leave by another door. To be fair though as it is an alternative to a dead bolt, this is to be expected and it seems much stronger than a dead bolt. I do not think someone elderly could easily open it.

This is a strong additional lock for an internal (bedroom) door. Adds an extra layer to your overall home security. It should buy me extra seconds to steady my aim the next time scum decide to visit at 3am.. and for that reason alone, it's worth the 10 bucks.

This has two advantages - it can (if you are lucky) fit between the frame and the door without cutting required, and it screws into the solid door frame with screws at right angles to the force of the door opening i.e. the screws are in shear - with bolts fixed to the face of the door it depends on the pull out value of the screws which in a hollow door is poor. The one big disadvantage is that it is difficult to operate for anyone young or old without significant strength in their grip which made it unsuitable for the purpose for which I purchased the lock. If you are locking for a high security, easily installed lock and can manage the force to unlatch it then this is an excellent choice. It looks and feels great but the addition of a better means of gripping the polished metal for opening would make it more widely suitable.

I wanted more security on my front door so I decided to purchase one of these. I didn't realize that my front door has a metal frame though, so I had to drill three fixing holes through the metal, and then screwed it to the wood that was behind the metal. Most people won't have to do this though. I would recommend using different screws than the ones that come with it as they seem to be pretty poor quality. I fitted it at roughly the same height as where I think someones boot would come in to contact with the door if they were attempting to kick the door in, and I'm going to get another one and fit it at about shoulder height, in case someone tries to shoulder charge the door. I think even the police would have a tough time getting through your door with a battering ram if you fit a few of these, so I guess these will be a hit with drug dealers.