It is 6.45 on a Monday morning in the staff room. A new starter has been given locker 14, the last person to use it left in March with both keys, and nobody can find the master. Someone goes looking for bolt cutters. That outcome is settled when the locker locks are chosen: who holds the key or code, who can override it, and what happens when a battery goes flat.
This guide compares the lock types in the locks and locker accessories range, from padlock fittings to RFID. It then covers the stands, seats, sloping tops and number plates that finish a locker bank.
Keyed locks and padlock fittings
The keyed cam lock is the starting point. In the steel lockers range, the GO Steel 2 door locker lists a cam lock with 2 keys as one of its lock options. A key is familiar, but every lost key becomes the site's job, so somebody has to hold spares.
A padlock fitting hands that job to the user. The Butterfly Lock ($17) fits GO Steel lockers and lets each person lock up with their own padlock instead of a key. It takes padlocks with a 6mm to 8mm shaft and a 25mm to 30mm shackle and carries a 10 year warranty. The padlock is not included.
If the site supplies the padlocks, a combination model removes keys altogether. The Superior Locker Combination Padlock ($32) opens with a 4 digit code and suits lockers fitted with a padlatch. It measures 32mm x 15mm x 74mm and is sold on its own.
Schools often take the padlock route, because students bring their own. The guide to classroom furniture for schools covers the lockers themselves. The trade-off is control: with personal padlocks the site has no override, so a forgotten code ends with a cut shackle.
Built-in combination locker locks
A built-in combination lock replaces the key cylinder with four dials on the door, so there is nothing to carry. The 4 Digit Combination Lock - 10000 Combinations ($67) is a mechanical lock that needs no batteries. Its page describes it as ideal for retrofitting lockers that use conventional key operated cam locks. It measures 79.8mm high by 59.8mm wide.
It is built specifically for private use: one person, one locker. That suits an assigned staff locker, not one a different visitor uses each day. A master override key is available separately for forgotten codes, and the warranty is 1 year.
Digital keypad and RFID locks
The digital locks in this guide switch between private and public mode. Private mode suits a locker assigned to one person. Public mode suits shared lockers that a different person uses each day, as in gyms and hot-desk offices.
The Electronic Keypad Lock ($95) has three levels of code: master, sub master and user. That settles who opens a locker when a user forgets their code. It runs on one CR2450 coin cell, which is not included, and has a low battery indicator, an in-use light and a timer function.
Read its compatibility table before ordering a bank's worth. The page lists steel, laminate, HDPE plastic, carousel and heavy duty school lockers as compatible. It lists ABS plastic, HDPE waterproof, mobile phone and laptop lockers as not compatible. The lock is IP65 rated and fits vertically or horizontally.
The RFID Digital Lock ($118) swaps the code for a card. It uses Mifare-1 RFID, has three management levels (main admin, admin and user), and lets more than one card open the same locker. It needs two AA batteries, which are not included. Admin cards, user cards, master keys and reset pins are all sold separately.
Coin-return locks, and which lock suits which site
Public lockers have a different problem: the key has to come back. The Coin Return Lock ($67) accepts a one-dollar coin and is recommended on its page for public use in gyms, changing rooms and supermarkets. A coin-return lock holds the coin while the locker is in use and gives it back afterwards, so the dollar is a deposit. A master key is available separately.
| Lock | Opens with | Batteries | Override | Lockers named on its page | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly Lock | Own padlock | None | None | GO Steel | $17 |
| Superior Combination Padlock | 4 digit code | None | None listed | Any with a padlatch | $32 |
| 4 Digit Combination Lock | 4 digit dials | None | Master override key | Key operated cam lock lockers | $67 |
| Coin Return Lock | One-dollar coin deposit | None listed | Master key | None named | $67 |
| Electronic Keypad Lock | Keypad code | 1 x CR2450 | Master and sub master codes; override key sold separately | Steel, laminate, HDPE plastic, carousel, heavy duty school | $95 |
| RFID Digital Lock | RFID card | 2 x AA | Main admin and admin levels; master key sold separately | None named | $118 |
Match the lock to who uses the locker and for how long.
- Schools: padlock fittings where students bring padlocks, or keypad locks with a master code.
- Gyms and pools: coin-return locks, or digital locks in public mode.
- Staff rooms: keys, combination padlocks or built-in combination locks.
- Hot-desk offices: keypad or RFID locks in public mode.
Lockers in Australian schools, depots and end-of-trip rooms
Australian workplaces lean on lockers in particular places: the depot where staff change into hi-vis, the end-of-trip room under a city office, the school corridor. Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice on managing the work environment and facilities says lockers provided with change rooms should be well ventilated, accessible and secure. A lock that works every day is the secure part.
Pool, beach and wash-down change rooms are hard on electronics. A stated ingress rating such as the keypad lock's IP65 is the spec to look for, although its own table rules out the HDPE waterproof locker.
Schools want lockers ready for Term 1, and many businesses plan fit-outs around 30 June. Order the locks with the lockers so the two are matched. Each page also has a Delivery line naming the metro cities it covers; the combination padlock's lists Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Stands, seats, sloping tops and number plates
Accessories decide how a locker bank is used and cleaned. A stand lifts lockers off the floor so it can be mopped underneath, while a plinth gives the bank a solid steel base. A sloping top stops the top of the bank becoming a shelf for boots and lunch boxes. Number plates make lockers easy to allocate and find, and an extra shelf keeps clean clothes away from footwear.
The Locker Seat & Stand (from $389) does two of those jobs at once. It is a 450mm high stand with teak coloured timber slats on a black powder-coated frame, with adjustable levelling feet and a bolt-down provision. It is sized for a bank of two lockers at 610mm wide overall or three at 915mm, which works out at 305mm per locker. The warranty is 3 years.
Accessories are range-specific. Most accessory pages name the lockers they suit, such as Steelco, GO Steel, Superior, ABS plastic or heavy duty plastic, so match that name to the lockers you own.
Locker locks — frequently asked questions
What is the best lock for a gym locker?
A lock that resets for each visitor is the best fit for a gym. That means a coin-return lock, or a keypad or RFID lock set to public mode.
What happens when the battery goes flat in a digital locker lock?
The locker is opened with an override and the battery is replaced. The Electronic Keypad Lock has a low battery indicator to warn you first, and a master override key is available separately.
Can you replace a locker key lock with a combination lock?
Yes, in many cases. The 4 Digit Combination Lock in this guide is described as ideal for retrofitting lockers that use conventional key operated cam locks.
What size padlock fits a locker?
It depends on the fitting, so measure it before buying padlocks in bulk. The Butterfly Lock for GO Steel lockers takes a padlock with a 6mm to 8mm shaft and a 25mm to 30mm shackle.
Shop the range
Browse the locks and locker accessories collection for every lock and fitting, or start with the lockers themselves in the office lockers range.
- Butterfly Lock ($17): a padlock fitting for GO Steel lockers where people bring padlocks
- Superior Locker Combination Padlock ($32): a keyless 4 digit padlock for lockers fitted with a padlatch
- 4 Digit Combination Lock - 10000 Combinations ($67): a battery-free built-in lock for assigned lockers and cam lock retrofits
- Electronic Keypad Lock ($95): master, sub master and user codes for shared or assigned lockers
- RFID Digital Lock ($118): card access with three management levels for offices and gyms
- Coin Return Lock ($67): a one-dollar deposit lock for public lockers in gyms and changing rooms
- Locker Seat & Stand (from $389): a slatted bench and locker base for banks of two or three
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
