Addalock Portable Door Lock Review

Review Video:

One of the few nightmares of a long road trip is the possibility of having to stop at a gas station with a restroom that is not properly kept. Worse still, we’ve even encountered ones where none of the doors locked properly. Yes, the jokes of having to hold the door like a Game of Thrones character while you did your business are more than just jests.

We like to think this experience is something the Addalock Portable Door Lock makers share with us. As the name suggests, it’s a portable gadget you use to add a lock to a door. Clever wordplay, but that’s probably not as valuable as the usefulness and the peace of mind the Addalock brings.

Materials & Aesthetic

Right out of the pouch, the Addalock looks like something you’d find in an emergency kit or a heavy-duty tool inside a firetruck. The metal plate is thick and rigid, as you’d expect, while the metal insert housed in bright red plastic looks like the pin online maps use.

Why red? Well, Rishon Enterprises—the company behind Addalock—says on their website that it’s red to indicate safety. True enough, even in the dark, the Addalock is noticeable sticking out of the door—really important if you’re traveling with a kid that might bump their precious head against the lock at night.

The metal plate is made out of an exotic-sounding alloy of chrome-plated carbon steel. On the other hand, we’re not quite sure what type of plastic they used for the lock’s bright red housing. We’re assuming it’s ABS plastic because of how tough and sturdy it feels. It’s not on the same level as carbon steel, but it’s no Fisher-Price toy either.

As a nice bonus, they’ve even thrown in a free pouch in matching red. It has a big “Addalock” logo printed across, which gives it a hardware store vibe. The Addalock fits in snuggly once the velcro is secured. In our previous review of the Howsarlock Metal Portable Lock, we noted how it jingles a lot when it’s inside our bag. That’s not a problem with the Addalock, thanks to this nice little pouch.

Usage

But what’s the use case for a little gadget like this? Across our many adventures to many places, we sometimes found a little wanting for more than just the standard locking doorknob when we’re staying at an AirBnB or local hotel. It’s not that the place was particularly dangerous, but having that extra bit of personal security feels satisfying. It’s like traveling with your favorite teddy bear despite how comfy hotel complimentary pillows are—in three words: peace of mind.

Despite the complicated look of the Addalock, it’s fairly simple to install, especially after a few uses. You can even check whether the Addalock will fit your door before you decide to purchase one. Take a coin and slip it between the door and the door jamb. If it fits, then the Addalock will too. Of course, this isn’t very helpful if you’re using it on a hotel door on a future trip. You can check with the hotel or host in advance, but in our experience, we’ve yet to encounter a door that doesn’t have the clearance to fit the Addalock. You can also use the tree trunk-shaped end of the Addalock’s metal plate to test fit.

Once the fit is sorted, you simply insert the prongs of the endmost hole of the metal plate into the doorjamb’s strike plate. Because of where the chain is attached to the metal plate, it sometimes gets in the way of installation. Holding it back with the rest of your fingers keeps it away, however. When the prongs are in, closing the door will hold the entire metal plate in place.

Addalock Portable Door Lock | Installation takes just a few seconds.

To complete the lock, take the red piece and insert its metal button into the triangular hole on the metal plate. You then push it down to wedge it in tightly, and that’s it; you’re now Addalock-ed.

Once the Addalock is in, the door will not budge an inch. Not even using the doorknob from the inside will open it since the Addalock relies only on the door’s strike plate. The only probable cause of concern would be the jingling that depends on how big the gap is between the door and door jamb. On the other hand, the jingling could count as a safety feature that alarms the user of someone trying to enter.

During the testing period, the Addalock raised some eyebrows when we were going through airport security. The TSA agent couldn’t quite determine what they were looking at when it was going through the scanner. We had to explain what it was and how it worked, and after a brief moment pulled aside, we were let through without a fuss.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to zoom through the airport without an issue, it’s worth keeping in mind that the odd shape of this device can stall you at security. That said, each airport is different, and out of our two flights, we were only stopped once.

Apart from the hassle of explaining ourselves at TSA, the Addalock was a convenient and reassuring item to have around. It’s a piece of personal security you can take with you. It’s not as compact as the Howsarlock Metal Portable Lock, but it works just as well and comes with an anti-jingle pouch.