Hiplok Z Lok Combo | Luggage / helmet lock review

Date reviewed: March 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £19.99| Weight: 76g | hiplok.com

Make no mistake, the Hiplok Z Lok Combo on review here is not suitable for high-value items in high-risk areas, but that’s not what Hiplok – the maker of the toughest motorcycle D-lock – has designed it for.

This lightweight lock can be used to secure your helmet while away from the bike, a jacket through the sleeve, or your soft luggage. It’s not going to defeat a determined thief, but it’s a great way to keep something safer than it otherwise would be while you pop away. It’s also handy for locking bicycles to racks on the car, for instance, as it prevents the opportunist thief from snatching it while you’re stuck in traffic or paying for fuel.

Pros & Cons

Size and weight

Weighing just 76g with an approximately 14cm internal diameter, the Hiplok Z Lok Combo is secured by simply passing it through itself like a locking zip-tie.

The three-digit combination code can be set to whatever you want when it’s open by pressing in the flush button on the end with a pen or other small object.

Once the tongue is passed through the slot, jumble up the combination and it’s locked.

The lock body is cast metal with blanked screws holding it together, while the rest is plastic over a stainless steel core.

The Z Lok Combo can be tucked into a pocket easily when not in use, and for bicycle use it comes with a holder to attach to a water bottle mounting point. However, you will need to use screws with a shallow head, as the ones on my bike got in the way of the lock, so wouldn’t let me pass it through. The holder can also be zip-tied to the frame or stem (or a motorcycle subframe), but ties aren’t supplied, and you’d be best putting a small piece of rubber (or section of innertube) behind the bracket to stop it spinning around.

Resistance to attack: lock picking

There are 1,000 possible combinations to the Hiplok Z Lok Combo, so it could be opened by trial and error given enough time. In my testing I managed to get through every combination in 7 minutes and 56 seconds, so depending where the thief starts and what your code is, they will likely take an average of 3 minutes 58 seconds.

Again, this isn’t likely to be a problem for its intended use, but if you’re locking something valuable to your bike while it’s parked in a secluded area, it might be a risk. For when you’re popping for a wee, or securing your kit while parked in a public place, it’s less of a concern, but an extra digit would mean an average defeat time of over half an hour thanks to 10,000 possible combinations.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: side-cutters

I was unable to cut the Hiplok Z Lok Combo with standard-sized side-cutters, meaning it offers good resistance to an opportunistic theft. A knife also can’t get through it.

Using long-handled side-cutters did – with significant effort – defeat the lock.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: hacksaw

Cutting the Hiplok Z Lok Combo with a hacksaw is limited by the space available and being able to keep it pulled tight, but it is possible.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Resistance to attack: angle-grinder

Unsurprisingly, an angle-grinder will cut through the Hiplok Z Lok Combo extremely quickly and easily.

To see how this compares with the other locks we’ve tested, check out our best motorcycle locks for home and away.

Bennetts BikeSocial test results

Product: Hiplok Z Lok Combo

Weight as tested: 76g

Side-cutter attack: ACCEPTABLE

Hacksaw attack: FAIL

Angle grinder attack: POOR

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Hiplok Z Lok Combo review: Verdict

The Hiplok Z Lok Combo is of course relatively easy to defeat, but as long as it’s used as intended – for temporarily securing your kit in low-risk circumstances – it’s surprisingly useful.

Soft luggage is a good use case when popping in to pay for fuel or to use the loo, as is securing your helmet or even a jacket while parked up at a bike meet. Personally, I wouldn’t lock anything of high value with it in a secluded area as it can be defeated silently quite quickly – without looking too much like you’re up to no good – but keep in mind its limitations and the Z Lok Combo is a good value and handy way to keep your possessions out of reach of opportunistic thieves.

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