Anti-Snap Euro Cylinders: What 1-Star and 3-Star Ratings Mean

Many front doors in W2 use a euro cylinder. It is the small barrel that your key slides into. Because it is the part a burglar can reach from outside, it is also the part most worth upgrading.

This guide explains the star ratings you see on boxes and in shop listings. You will learn what they test, how they combine, and what to ask for when you book a locksmith.

Why standard euro cylinders fail

A basic euro cylinder has a weak point. If it sticks out past the door handle or the lock plate, an attacker can grab it and apply force. The cylinder then breaks in two and the lock mechanism lies open. This is called lock snapping.

The Met Police advise a 3-star rated euro cylinder that meets TS 007. They say these protect against common break-in methods, including snapping, drilling and bumping. They also suggest that if a cylinder protrudes from the frame, a locksmith can fit a shorter one that cannot be snapped off.

We will not go into attack methods here, because the detail helps no one. What matters is the fix, and the fix is a cylinder that has passed tests against these attacks.

What TS 007 stars mean

TS 007 is a test standard for replacement cylinders and the hardware around them. The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) wrote it with the Glass and Glazing Federation, and Secured by Design lists it in its guide to locks. The BSI Kitemark shows that an independent body tested the product.

The standard covers five types of attack, specifically picking, drilling, snapping, bumping and plug extraction. The star rating tells you how much of that protection sits in each part.

1-star cylinders

A 1-star cylinder passes part of the test. It does not reach full protection by itself. Therefore you must fit it with 2-star door furniture to get the full result.

3-star cylinders

A 3-star cylinder carries the whole protection inside the barrel. The DHF says it must show the TS 007 Kitemark together with three stars. You do not need special handles for it to count.

2-star door furniture

Door furniture means the handle and the plate behind it. A 2-star handle or security escutcheon shields the cylinder, while the cylinder does the rest. A 1-star cylinder plus 2-star furniture gives a 3-star door.

Sold Secure Diamond (SS312)

Sold Secure SS312 Diamond is a second standard for cylinders. Secured by Design lists it, and it builds on BS EN 1303:2015. West Yorkshire Police advise a cylinder with either a TS 007 3-star rating or Sold Secure Diamond.

In practice, you can treat Diamond and 3-star as equal choices. Pick the one your locksmith can supply and mark clearly. For more on what we fit, see our page on anti-snap euro cylinders.

How to check a cylinder before you buy

Shop listings can be vague, so look for the marks themselves. A 3-star cylinder should show the TS 007 Kitemark with three stars, as the DHF notes. A Diamond cylinder should appear in the Sold Secure product listings, since that body publishes the products it has tested.

Be wary of words like “anti-snap” with no mark behind them. Although the phrase sounds reassuring, it is not a standard. As a result, a cylinder can carry the label and still have no test behind it.

Fit matters as well as the rating. While a good cylinder resists attack, it must also sit flush with the handle. Therefore a locksmith checks the length when they fit it, and not just the box.

Which option suits your door

Your door type changes the best answer. Here is a simple guide:

• A uPVC or composite door with good handles: a 3-star or Diamond cylinder is the tidy swap.
• A door with worn or weak handles: a 1-star cylinder plus 2-star handles may suit, since you replace both.
• A door where the cylinder sticks out: the length is the first thing to fix, whatever the rating.

Cylinder length matters because the cylinder must sit close to the handle. The Met Police point out that a cylinder which protrudes is the one that can be snapped off. A locksmith measures from the centre of the lock to each face of the door. The two sides often differ, so one number is not enough.

If the lock itself fails, a new cylinder may not cure it. In that case, read our post on why a uPVC door won’t lock and see our uPVC door lock repair page.

Doors in Westbourne Park and Paddington

Since many homes here were converted, the doors vary a lot. Flats in converted terraces and newer blocks across W2 often have a uPVC or composite front door with a euro cylinder. Period doors may use other locks instead, and our post on a smart lock on a period door covers that case. If you want an idea of cost, see our guide to locksmith prices in London.

We cover a locksmith in Westbourne Park and a locksmith in Paddington among other W2 streets. The work is the same in each. We check the door, measure the cylinder and fit a rated one.

Sometimes the cylinder is fine, yet the lock body is tired. Our post on whether to repair or replace a lock helps you decide.

Sources

• Met Police: door and window lock advice
• Door and Hardware Federation: TS 007
• Secured by Design: locks and associated hardware
• West Yorkshire Police: euro cylinder advice

Ready to upgrade? Send us your details through the enquiry form and say which door you have. We will reply about the right cylinder for it.