Window locks
Fix it to the frame, or brace it across the opening?
One is fitted permanently and works on the frame; the other clamps into the reveal, needs no fixings and is deliberately visible from outside. Both are made for windows that open inward, which most American windows do not: neither fits a double-hung or sliding window. Neither listing cites a standard; ABUS level 5 is the maker’s own scale. The choice is usually made by whether you are allowed to drill.
| Compared on | FTS3003 | 123837 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Inward-opening only | Inward-opening only |
| Installation | Screwed to the frame | No drilling |
| Cylinder | 4-pin, keyed alike | None |
| Locking | Locks on closing, key to open | Telescopic clamp |
| Opening the window day to day | Unlock with the key | Remove the bar |
| Adjustable | Fixed position | 101–175 cm (39.8 to 68.9 in), vertical, horizontal or diagonal |
| Visible from outside | Not stated | Orange, deliberately visible |
| Maker’s own rating | ABUS level 5, own scale | Not stated |
| Vinyl window | Only with the matching fixing kit | Nothing is screwed in |
| Surface protection | Not stated | Rubberized pads |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | No |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the ABUS bolt for a window you own, where a permanent fitting keyed to match the others is worth the screws.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the bar for a rented apartment, a vacation rental, or any window you may not alter — and check the reveal is solid masonry with a thumb before relying on it.
Only where the reveal it braces against is solid. Masonry is fine; a dry-lined return or a plasterboard reveal is not, and the bar will pull through under load. Press hard with a thumb before you trust it.
That several of these locks can be ordered to open with the same key, so a ground floor does not need six different ones. It is the difference between a set of window locks that gets used and a drawer full of keys nobody can identify.
Only with the matching fixing kit, according to ABUS: the screws have to reach the steel reinforcement inside the profile. In bare vinyl they tear out at the first pry.
Only if the key is within reach. In a bedroom whose window is the second way out, keep the key near the window but out of reach from outside. The bar comes out without a key.
Bolt lock, inward-opening windows · 4-pin cylinder · keyed alike · ABUS level 5 · key to open only
A bolt-action window lock for inward-opening windows and French windows. ABUS states a four-pin cylinder, keyed-alike operation, and a mechanism that locks by pushing — the key is needed only to open it.
Best for: Ground-floor windows that get locked every night, where hunting for a key each time would end the habit.
≈ $60
Telescopic security bar · 101–175 cm (39.8 to 68.9 in) · orange, visible from outside · rubberized pads · no drilling
A telescopic bar clamped into the window reveal rather than screwed to the frame — vertically, horizontally or diagonally. SCHMIDT states 101 to 175 cm (39.8 to 68.9 in) of adjustment, rubberized pressure pads, and a deliberately visible orange finish.
Best for: A rented apartment, a vacation rental, or any window where nothing may be drilled.
