REASONS TO BUY
Large and strong U-lock
Relatively lightweight
Beefy mount
REASONS TO AVOID
Not the highest security possible
Expensive
ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock Review
If you prefer top-shelf quality, this German-made lock delivers a great product
ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock
Credit: ABUS
RELATED: Best Bike Locks of 2024
Our Verdict
Need a tenacious lock to last you years of biking and commutes? The ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-lock should be on your shortlist. Cliche as it may sound, this German-made product starts and finishes with quality. Bike locks aren't feature-rich, but ABUS made sure to throw in a few user-friendly surprises, including an automatic dust cover and a sturdy-as-heck frame mount. And, when it comes to high security, this is about as lightweight as it gets. Compared to the tough competition in our best bike locks review, it scores well across the board, with its only major drawback being its high price. It's overkill for rural use, but this lock is a great deterrent if you're locking up in a mid to high-crime area.
Editor's Note: We updated this gear review on January 25, 2022, to include helpful information to aid your quest to find the best bike lock for your needs.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best U-lock on a Budget | Best Chain Lock on a Budget |  Best Wearable Design | Best Low Security Lightweight Lock | |
| Price | $119.99 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $53.19 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $70 List $63.13 at Amazon | $99.99 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $17.99 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | High price meets high quality | Above average security in a large, versatile lock that's let down a bit by difficult to use key and annoying mount | Can fit any bike and rack and is remarkably secure though tough to ferry around town | Wear this chain lock around your waist to bring solid security with you whenever you cycle | Among the lightweight, low-security options, this lock is a steal and one of our favorites |
| Rating Categories | ABUS Granit X-Plus... | Kryptonite KryptoLok | Abus Ivera 7210 | Hiplok Original: Su... | ABUS Chain Lock 120... |
| Security (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Transport (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Versatility (15%) | |||||
| Specs | ABUS Granit X-Plus... | Kryptonite KryptoLok | Abus Ivera 7210 | Hiplok Original: Su... | ABUS Chain Lock 120... |
| Type | U-lock | U-Lock + cable | Chain | Wearable chain | Chain |
| Time to Defeat Lock | 26 seconds | 20 seconds | 12 seconds | 13 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Measured Weight | 3.3 lbs | 2.5 lbs | 2.8 lbs | 4.3 lbs | 0.5 lbs |
| Locking Dimension | 4.3" x 9" | U-lock: 4" x 9", cable 5' | 33.7 circumference | 33.5" circumference, 2" width | 43" circumference |
| Primary Materials/Thickness | 13mm hardened steel | 12.7mm hardened steel | 7mm hardened steel square chain | 8mm hardened steel chain, 600D polyester sleeve | 4mm hardened steel |
| Included Keys | 2 keys (one with LED light) | 2 keys | 2 keys | 3 keys | N/A |
| Defeated by Tin Snips | No | No | No | No | Yes, requires two cuts to defeat |
| Defeated by Hammer | No | No | No | No | No |
| Defeated by Hacksaw | No | No | No | No | No |
| Defeated by 36" Bolt Cutters | No | No | No | No | Yes, but not very easily. Requires two cuts |
| Number of Angle Grinder Cuts to Defeat Lock | 2 cuts | 2 cuts | 2 cuts | 1 cut | 2 cuts |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-lock is a high security, high-quality lock, and one you might consider when locking up different biking gear. The 13 mm thick steel bar is specially-hardened, shaped into a parabolic square, and coated with a 3 mm layer of rubberized protection. The lock body houses a double-bolted shackle for increased security. The list price of this model is steep at $150.
Performance Comparison
The included mount bracket on the ABUS Granit X-Plus is the sturdiest of all frame mounts we tested.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Security
ABUS themselves give the Granit X-Plus 540 their highest security rating, 15/15. Independent rating agencies appear to agree with ABUS, with a “Gold” rating from Sold Secure and three out of five stars from the Dutch organization ART.
Only the Kryptonite New York Standard U-lock and Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock Mini surpass it with a 4 of 5 stars from ART. But wait, how is it so strong with only a 13 mm steel U bar? The Granit X-Plus gets its strength from a patented, temper-hardened steel bar in a square shape. The deviation from classic U-lock designs (thicker bars with cylindrical shapes) creates a more lightweight yet still structurally sound lock. Less-for-more engineering is what we expect from top German companies like ABUS.
Our testers felt confident leaving their bikes secured with this ABUS lock.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
A thief will need power tools to steal your bike when using this lock correctly. Hand tools like wire and bolt cutters, hammers, and hacksaws proved futile when we attacked the Granit X-Plus. The angle grinder took about 35-40 seconds to cut through the curved bar.
While inferior locks fell victim to hand tools, we had to use an electric angle grinder to defeat the ABUS Granit X-PLus U-lock.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
This lock has a dual locking mechanism, meaning that both ends of the “U” lock into place in the crossbar. After making the first cut, the U bar opened 3/4 of an inch. This might be enough for a thief to pry the lock and bike away from a thin bike rack spindle. For most bike racks, though, it will take two cuts to free the bike.
After one cut from the angle grinder, a thief will need to make another before making off with your wheels.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ease of Transport
Ease of transport is the most lightweight, high-security U-lock. It still weighs 3 lbs 4.5 oz, though. Due to its weight, it's easier to transport than the Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock and Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock Mini.
You have two choices of mounts when you purchase the Granit X-Plus. We bought the version with the USH 540 Bracket, which is significant and robust. It's the only mount that required locking the U-lock into the bracket and unlocking it when removing it. While this might seem like an extra step, you need to unlock your lock anyhow to attach it to a structure, so this didn't bother us. The mount allows for a few options when attaching it to your bike and comes with rubber tube adapters to fit a broad range of circumferences. Connected to the mount, we never lost confidence that the lock would arrive with us. We also experienced zero rattling, and it didn't interfere with our pedaling.
Note that this lock is quite large and might not fit within a small frame. If that's the case, you can install the mount facing back toward the rear wheel. When we tried this, the lock remained very stable, and it didn't impede leg movement.
Ease of Use
The Granit X-Plus 540 is straightforward with a few extras to increase its ease of use. It comes with two keys, one of which has an LED light for better visibility when unlocking in the dark.
The Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock and Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain and Disc Lock also have keys with lights, but they are much bulkier on a key ring. The lock operates smoother than Kryptonite locks, which sometimes takes some finagling to get the key into the lock.
We dig the automatic keyhole cover of the Granit X-Plus.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
This lock has an automatic rain and dirt cover that slides out of the way when the key is inserted and snaps back into place after the key is withdrawn. A small detail, but we sometimes forget to slide shut the dust covers on other locks manually. Making this feature automatic is a nice touch that protects the locking mechanism for, hopefully, a longer life.
Versatility
As one of the larger U-locks in this review, it's a bit easier to secure two wheels (with one removed, of course) and the frame to an immovable structure than with the Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock.
It's more versatile than the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 U-Lock.
Locking up the wheel and frame to a standard bike rack on urban streets.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock?
The ABUS Granit X-Plus 450 is an effective deterrent, and we felt confident with this U and crossbar hugging our frame and wheels in urban environments, where bike theft is more frequent. Its price tag is intimidating, but ABUS backs the price with quality construction and design. This lock lasts a long time.
This ABUS model weighs less than most high-security U-locks, which means it's less noticeable mounted on our frames or stuffed in our backpacks.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
What Other Bike Locks Should You Consider?
The price of this model is its biggest downfall. It's tough to drop $150 on a lock, no matter how high its construction integrity and level of security. We expect this lock to last a very long time, perhaps longer than all the other U-locks we have tested over the years. For this price, though, we would appreciate a theft insurance policy similar to that of some Kryptonite locks. We think you should check out the Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock or the OnGuard Brute STD to save even more money.
—
Ross Robinson
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