SkunkLock Carbon Review: A bargain or a liability?

The SkunkLock Carbon is now the lowest-priced angle grinder-resistant bike lock by some margin.

And although it uses the same basic technology to thwart angle grinder discs as the other locks, it employs it in a very different way.

So how secure is it? How easy is it to carry around and lock your bike on a daily basis? And will it be a good choice for you?

Let’s find out…

How secure is the SkunkLock Carbon?

Unfortunately, SkunkLock has chosen not to have the Carbon rated by independent testing organizations such as Sold Secure or ART. This makes it difficult to confidently categorize the overall security level of the lock (beyond the results of my tests below).

And, in the UK at least, it also makes it difficult to get bicycle insurance, as many insurance companies stipulate that you must use a certain level of Sold Secure rated lock to be covered.

All that being said, the main attraction of the SkunkLock Carbon is its angle grinder resistance, and in my tests against a conventional attack, this was pretty impressive, although also hugely variable.

Which may be down to how it’s constructed…

The SkunkLock Carbon is built in a slightly different way from the other angle grinder-resistant bike locks that I’ve tested.

While most of the other locks have a layer of carbon fused to the outside of a regular steel shackle, and the Hiplok 1000 series is entirely made from a graphene composite, the SkunkLock Carbon uses a hollow steel shackle and body that is stuffed with small fragments of silicon carbide.

This design is probably an evolution of the original SkunkLock, which also used a hollow shackle but filled it with a noxious vomit-inducing gas in order to repel any angle grinder wielding scrotes that cut into it.

In the SkunkLock Carbon, these fragments of silicon carbide are designed to disintegrate angle grinder discs as they cut through the lock.

So how well do they do this?

Well, the first SkunkLock Carbon I tested did OK but was not spectacular compared to other locks…

I was able to cut through the first side of the shackle using just 1 disc in 28 seconds. However, the effort took its toll on the disc, and it was completely destroyed cutting through the second side after a further 15 seconds. A second disc was able to get through the second side in another 18 seconds.

So 2 discs to cut through both sides in a total of just over a minute, although remember: that doesn’t include the time to change the discs.

Here's a video comparing the angle grinder resistance of the first SkunkLock Carbon I tested to the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini:

Faulty Lock?

After I published my findings, SkunkLock contacted me to say that I had a faulty lock, and they would send me a new lock with this issue rectified.

This made sense, as when Bennetts tested their SkunkLock Carbon, they needed 6 discs to get through just one side!

When I got the second SkunkLock Carbon several months later, I tested again. And the results were indeed completely different this time. It took me 2:39 min and an incredible 14 discs to cut through just one side of the SkunkLock Carbon!

I didn’t have enough discs to try and get through the second side and stopped when I realized it was going to be just as difficult. But if we extrapolate, it could have taken around 27 discs to cut both sides!

Cutting the Base of the Shackle

However, when I attacked the shackle at the bottom where it meets the crossbar, things were different: I “only” needed 3 discs and 1:16 min to cut through one side.

Why the massive variance?

So why the huge variance between all of my different tests (and also compared to the Bennetts test)?

My theory is that it depends on the size of the carbon pieces and how densely they are packed into the shackle. And that this varies throughout the shackle. In areas where the pieces are small and densely packed, it is more difficult to cut through the shackle. And vice versa.

Which makes it difficult to be really sure how angle grinder resistant the SkunkLock Carbon is. Because it varies.

Cutting the Crossbar

Apart from the shackle, I also cut through the body of the SkunkLock Carbon, which contains the same silicon carbide fragments. It took much longer than the shackle, as the sheer bulk of the body made it difficult for the discs to reach past a certain point as they wore down.

In the end, it took another 2 discs and over 1 minute and 47 seconds, not including disc changes, to cut through the body.

Against Diamond Disc

I also tested the SkunkLock Carbon against a diamond disc. And it didn’t do so well here. It took 45 seconds to cut through one side, which is the quickest time of all the angle grinder-resistant locks I have tested so far.

This is probably because, compared to the other locks, there is less metal (which slows a diamond disc down) and more carbon (which is what a diamond disc is designed to cut) in the SkunkLock Carbon.

2026 Street Style Attack

In all my previous tests, I used a mains-powered angle grinder and taped the lock down to immobilize it. This reduces variables that might make comparing the performance of different locks more difficult (such as the lock moving or the grinder running low on battery).

However, I appreciate that people also want a more realistic idea of how well each lock might perform in a street-style attack where the thief has to use a battery-powered grinder and may have to use one hand to hold the lock still.

So in my 2026 tests, I introduced just such a test. In this test I try to target the weakest point of the lock, which is usually at the base. But with the SkunkLock I had an idea that attacking it in a particular unconventional way might yield better results.

And sure enough, I was able to cut both sides of the SkunkLock Carbon in less than 3 min with just 1 disc.

As I said, this is an unconventional attack, and it’s definitely not an attack the vast majority of thieves in the street are going to try. But it does reveal a significant weakness in this lock that I have to consider in my overall assessment.

Other Types of Attack

Apart from angle grinder resistance, the 20 mm shackle makes bolt cropping impossible, and because it locks on both sides, a leverage attack is unlikely to work (although the hollow construction might be a weakness here).

The SkunkLock Carbon employs a disc detainer core, which provides ample protection from lock picking. However, bike thieves don’t really pick locks in the street, so this isn’t really an issue anyway!

So how secure is the OnGuard RockSolid really?

My tests have produced mixed results.

In one test, I needed an incredible 14 discs to cut through just one side. But it took just 45 seconds to cut with a diamond disc. And at the base of the shackle, it was also much easier to cut, although still impressive compared to some of the other locks.

While the unconventional attack I employed in my street style test is unlikely to be used by the average thief, it does expose a fundamental flaw in the design of the SkunkLock. This is not a manufacturing fault that can be rectified (like the one with the Kryptonite or Abus).

It is inherent to the design.

And if this flaw became widely known, it would make the SunkLock Carbon pretty useless as an angle grinder-resistant bike lock.

So I’m not going to publish my method here.

But it does contribute to my overall assessment that the security of the SkunkLock Carbon is just too variable to wholeheartedly recommend it over the other grinder-resistant locks, when purely judged on the protection it offers.

I really wish they had submitted it for testing by Sold Secure as well.

Having said all that, the SkunkLock Carbon offers far more protection from angle grinder attacks than a regular lock, and, as we’ll see, it has several other things going for it that might make it a better choice over other angle grinder-resistant bike locks.

Is the SkunkLock Carbon easy to carry?

The SkunkLock Carbon is a heavy, bulky lock. It weighs 4.34 lb (1.97 kg), which is about the same as 5.5 cans of Coke. And it’s 11.6" (29.5 cm) long and 7.0" (17.9 cm) wide, which makes it the longest and nearly the widest of all the angle grinder resistant locks.

This bulk and weight makes it a challenge to carry around on a bicycle. And like most heavy-duty bike locks, it doesn’t come with a frame mount.

So you’re pretty much limited to throwing it in a backpack or a pannier. Or strapping it to a luggage rack. Or buying one of the third party frame mounts. Read more on where to put your bike lock when riding.

This is not such a big deal, as to be honest, most of the frame mounts for heavy locks don’t do a great job and I usually end up carrying the lock in a bag anyway. You will feel the weight of 5.5 cans of Coke, but there are much heavier bike locks around.

With the SkunkLock Carbon, it’s probably more about the bulk than the weight, as it’s so big. I was easily able to fit it in my saddlebag, so I had no worries there. However, you should consider how you will carry yours before you commit to buying it.

Is the SkunkLock Carbon easy to use?

While the SkunkLock is undeniably big and heavy, compared to some of the other angle grinder resistant bike locks it has a unique and really attractive weight to size ratio.

The internal locking space is 4” x 8.9” (10.5 x 22.7 cm) which is possibly the biggest of all these angle grinder resistant locks. It’s certainly the longest. And this means it gives you more locking opportunities, being especially suitable for bulky ebikes, cargo bikes, motorbikes etc.

And despite this, it’s not that heavy. The closest lock in terms of size is probably the Hiplok DX1000, with an internal locking space of 4.4 x 8.07” (11.2 x 20.5 cm). But that weighs 5.73 lb (2.6 kg), which is 32% heavier than the SkunkLock Carbon.

My point is: if you need a lock with a lot of internal space to use on a bulky bike or in unusual locking scenarios, but you don’t fancy carrying around a huge amount of weight, then the SkunkLock Carbon will be an attractive option.

In terms of daily use, I found the SkunkLock Carbon pretty good. The shackle is covered in nice soft silicone. The body is covered in a smooth plastic. And there is very little rattling noise when they are both joined together.

The generous internal dimensions meant I had no problems locking my bike wherever I wanted. I was even able to secure it to a lamppost, which I am not able to do for most of the u-locks I test.

One word of warning though: make sure you lock your bike in a way that prevents one of the wheels turning. Otherwise, a thief could cut through whatever the bike is secured to and ride away on it (as in the photo above).

One thing I don’t like is the lack of keyhole cover. There is just a roughly cut hole in the plastic casing, which looks a bit cheap. More importantly, it means there is nothing to stop street dirt and grime getting in and potentially clogging up the mechanism.

But while there is no keyhole cover, you do get the fairly standard 3 keys and a code card for ordering more!

Conclusion: Is the SkunkLock Carbon worth it?

The SkunkLock Carbon is the cheapest angle grinder-resistant bike lock you can currently buy (check price on Amazon).

But it’s still expensive compared to a regular lock. And many people just won’t be able to afford it.

And that’s why the “Skunk Your Bike” program was so refreshing to learn about when the SkunkLock Carbon was first released. This was basically a program created by SkunkLock to give people that need bike security the most (but are often the least able to afford it) a discount on SkunkLock products.

This included students, seniors, frontline workers, low-income households, the unemployed, and many more: you can read the full list in the Skunk Your Bike Terms and Conditions document.

However, several readers have contacted me to say that SkunkLock doesn’t respond to inquiries about this program, and I can only assume that it’s been canceled. Which is a shame because it was a great idea!

So whoever you are, you're going to have to pay full price for the SkunkLock Carbon. But that full price is significantly lower than all the other anti-angle grinder bike locks. So the question is: is it worth it?

If you’ve got a big, bulky ebike or trike and you’re on a really tight budget that means you just can’t afford one of the other locks, then I’d say yes. The SkunkLock Carbon will provide far more protection from an angle grinder than a regular high-security lock.

Otherwise, I’d probably look at the Litelok X1 or the OnGuard RockSolid, which also tend to be lower priced (although definitely not as cheap as the SkunkLock) and offer better all-round security.

Alternatives to the SkunkLock Carbon

Looking for something more consistent?

I do prefer the silicone shackle cover of the SkunkLock Carbon to the sticky eco cover of the X1 though. And the bigger internal dimensions of the SunkLock Carbon will give you more locking options.

But there are no fundamental weaknesses with the Litelok X1, and if you can afford the extra cost, I think for most people it will be a better choice.

SkunkLock Specs

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