The 6 Best Laptop Locks of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: Three slot tips in one lock make it the low-risk buy.

Kensington builds this lock around three swappable heads, Standard, Nano and Wedge, tethered so a spare never gets lost. The cable runs 6 ft in cut-resistant carbon steel, and Register and Retrieve online code recovery rounds out the package. It sells for $25 to $50. Tip coverage matters because the three slot shapes do not interchange, and a wrong tip means a cable that never seats.

It tops the list because it works in homes and offices with mixed hardware, where the other locks each cover one slot. The cost is a higher price than the under $25 single-slot picks. Against the T-Bar keyed lock, it adds slot choice and a recovery service.

It suits anyone who is unsure about their slot or may replace the laptop soon. The caveat is that it will not help with a laptop that has no slot. Skip it if your laptop lacks one.

Slot tips

Standard, Nano, Wedge

Cable

6 ft cut-resistant

Recovery

Register and Retrieve

Price

$25-50

Our verdict: Skip the code dial and use a real key.

This Kensington swaps the dial for a 10mm pivoting anti-pick tubular lock head. The cable joins the head with a hinge, and the listing mentions 8-year warranty terms plus lifetime technical support. It sells for $25 to $50. A tubular key resists casual picking better than a basic wafer lock, and a hinge reduces the strain on the slot when the cable is pulled at an angle.

It ranks under the universal pick because it fits only Standard slots, but it beats it for people who dislike memorizing codes. A key opens it instantly, with no dial to spin in a hurry. Against the K64673AM, it trades the resettable dial for a physical key.

It fits Standard-slot owners who want quick open-and-close. The caveat is the key itself: lose it and you are stuck. Skip it if you often misplace keys.

Lock

Keyed tubular

Head

10mm pivoting anti-pick

Slot

Standard T-bar

Price

$25-50

Our verdict: A resettable four-wheel dial for HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus.

The K64673AM has a resettable four-wheel dial with 10,000 combinations and a 6 ft cut-resistant cable that the maker says was independently torque and pull tested. It is meant for confirmed Standard T-bar slots and sells for $25 to $50. Ten thousand combinations is the same count as a four-digit PIN, so a casual thief cannot guess it quickly.

It places third because it offers no extra slot tips and no recovery service, which the universal model does. In exchange, the design is simple and the cable is the same length. Against the keyed Kensington, it removes the key but adds a code you must remember.

Choose it for HP, Lenovo, Acer or Asus laptops with a confirmed Standard slot. The caveat is no Nano or Wedge support. Skip it if you are not sure your slot is Standard.

Combinations

10,000

Cable

6 ft cut-resistant

Slot

Standard T-bar only

Price

$25-50

Our verdict: Anchors through the 3.5mm jack when there is no slot.

Instead of a security slot, the Multplx uses your laptop's 3.5mm audio port as its anchor. It pairs that with a 1.7m cut-resistant steel cable and a resettable four-digit combination lock, and sells for $25 to $50. Many thin laptops dropped the security slot to save thickness, which leaves owners with no standard way to tether.

It ranks fourth because anchoring through an audio port is a workaround, not the same as a purpose-built slot, and the 1.7m cable is shorter than the 6 ft Kensington options. It earns its place because it is the only pick that works on laptops with no slot at all.

It suits MacBook and thin-laptop owners who have nothing else to attach to. The caveat is that the jack must be present. Skip it if your laptop has no 3.5mm audio port.

Anchor

3.5mm audio port

Cable

1.7m steel

Lock

Resettable 4-digit

Price

$25-50

Our verdict: Two keyed locks for the price bracket of one.

This AOMGD set gives you two 6 ft locks made from galvanized wire rope and hardened stainless steel, with two keys per lock for four total. It fits a 3x7mm keyhole and costs under $25. A pair means one lock for each laptop at a shared desk, with a spare key to leave with someone else.

It ranks below the Kensington locks because the listing points you to an incompatibility list and says less about independent testing. Its edge is value: two locks in the under $25 range. Against the Kensington Universal, it covers one keyhole shape only.

Buy it for a shared desk, a classroom, or a couple that wants to lock both laptops. The caveat is compatibility, so check that your model is not on the list before ordering. Skip it if your laptop appears on the incompatibility list.

Quantity

2 locks

Cable

6 ft wire rope

Keys

2 per lock

Price

Under $25

Our verdict: A tapered Wedge head built for Dell and Alienware.

The Kensington N17 uses a tapered wedge engagement that tightens under tension, with a resettable four-wheel dial and 10,000 combinations. It is made for Dell and Alienware laptops from 2016 onward, and costs under $25. Wedge slots are thin, and the head tightens when someone pulls on the cable, which is why a Wedge lock holds well when it fits.

It ranks last because only one family of laptops can use it, while the universal pick also covers Wedge slots. But in the under $25 range it is the cheapest route for a Dell fleet. Against the AOMGD set, it is purpose-built for one slot instead of a generic keyhole.

Buy it if you are certain your laptop has a Wedge-type slot. The caveat is brand lock-in. Skip it for any other brand.

Slot

Wedge, Dell/Alienware

Combinations

10,000

Lock

Resettable dial

Price

Under $25