Back to School Guide: Appropriate Locks & Security Products for All Ages

As a member of Master Lock’s Live Secure Safety Squad, I have been compensated for my time in writing this post and receive samples for review.

When heading out to go back to school shopping for clothes, school supplies, and dorm room furnishings, don’t forget to get devices to secure your kids’ belongings. Bike locks for elementary ages to use to secure their rides, to padlocks for a middle or high school student’s locker, to dorm room essentials like a laptop lock or portable safe, should also be on your shopping list. I’ve rounded up some of the best security products from Master Lock for each age based on their needs and ease of use.

Preschoolers

Get them acquainted with the idea of them taking pride in keeping their belongings safe. A great lock that’s easy for small hands to operate but doesn’t require the knowledge of letters or numbers is the 1500iD Speed Dial Combination Lock ($13.39) because it’s fast to unlock using up/down/left/right directional movements. No more having to remember a sequence of two digit numbers and twisting the dial of a traditional combination lock!

Early Elementary Ages

Kids in grades K-2 can use a more sophisticated lock but might not be ready for a full combination lock yet. A lock like the Master Lock 1535 D Combination Padlock ($10.40) features letters to create a customized word as your combination. Early elementary ages will love personalizing their lock with a favorite word that’s unique to them. Just remind them that it’s always a good idea to keep combinations and passwords to themselves, rather than sharing with a friend!

Upper Elementary Ages

More independent third through fifth graders who may be starting to bike to school or around the neighborhoods to meet friends could use a cable lock like the Master Lock 8220D to safeguard their ride. With the ability to set the word combination to one of their choosing, 6’ braided steel cable, and an included mounting bracket, they’ll never be without their cable lock to secure their bike.

Middle School

Ah, the age of lockers! One source of anxiety for tweens who transition from elementary to middle school is lockers. Troublesome locks on and the short amount of time between classes can make some kids dread having to store their belongings in lockers. Help ease your soon-to-be middle schooler’s locker anxiety by helping them choose a lock and then giving them some time to practice using it so they won’t have to fumble with the worry of being late to class during the first week of school. Directional combination locks like the 1500iD Speed Dial Combination Lock ($13.39) is a great choice for a hallway or a gym locker. If you already have a combination padlock, this video from Master Lock can provide some helpful tips.

High School

High school students are traveling the school building more than ever which can increase their risk of lost or stolen items. Help them secure their items in their hallway or gym locker with the 1500eXD dialSpeed Digital Combination Padlock that features an electronic interface that’s fast, easy to use, and allows for digital storage of their lock combination and other documents through the free Master Lock Vault app. Your student athlete may also benefit from a lightweight and portable lock like the 1550DAST Backpack Lock that is designed to secure items inside a duffel bag from would-be thefts.

College

Tablets and lightweight laptops may be great for students who want to study anywhere and at any time but they’re also items that thieves look for because they’re easy to grab and stash without drawing a lot of attention to themselves. Protect your college student’s laptop with a Safe Space Laptop Lock that come in alpha or numeric options. Also consider getting a Safe Space Portable Mini Safe (available in black, white, or pink) to store valuables like cash, credit cards, and jewelry in a dorm room.

In addition to my post, my fellow Master Lock Live Secure Safety Squad (#LSSS) members are blogging about back to school topics too. Take a look at their posts!

• Nicole’s Nickel’s: Back to School with Master Lock
• Susan Heim on Parenting:  Join Master Lock for Back to School
• 5 Minutes for Mom: Planning Back to School
• Mocha Dad: First Day of School Memories
• Mommy Kat and Kids: Back to School with Master Lock
• Leslie Loves Veggies: Master Lock Back to School Shopping
• Three Different Directions: Getting Ready for Back to School with Master Lock

Just in time for back to school, Master Lock is conducting a Photo Hunt Challenge. Now through September 7^th, visit www.MasterLockPhotoHunt.com for the chance to win great prizes like the grand prize Samsung Smart Media Center Package that includes a 60” HD 1080p Smart LED HDTV. It’s fun and easy to play. Participants will be shown two similar back-to-school images and your task is to find and click on the five differences in the photos before time runs out. Finding the differences will unlock the next photo board with the potential to earn up to two sweepstakes entries for each play. Share the Master Lock Photo Hunt Challenge on Twitter and earn an additional entry per day! There are 65 total chances to win, which includes 1 grand prize, 8 weekly prizes, and 56 daily instant win prizes.

Also be sure to Master Lock and Resourceful Mommy for a Master Lock Back-to-School Twitter Party on August 5. Participants will have the chance to win both Master Lock and other back-to-school prizes so be sure to RSVP on Resourceful Mommy to win when the RSVP form becomes available!