What is the difference between Kwikset and Schlage?

Both make hardware across the full grade range and are common builder-fitted brands. Kwikset offers a SmartKey self-rekeying feature; Schlage tends to feel heavier at the same price point. Neither difference is a major security factor.

Are Medeco and Mul-T-Lock worth the extra cost?

For their specific benefit, yes: keys cannot be copied without authorisation on file, which solves the problem of an unknown copy existing. They do not improve resistance to forced entry.

What makes Abloy different from other high-security brands?

Abloy uses a sidebar rotating-disc mechanism instead of springs and pins, which removes an entire category of picking technique used against traditional pin tumbler locks.

Does the lock brand matter more than the grade?

The grade matters more for basic security performance. Brand becomes relevant mainly for specific features like patented key control, which the grade rating does not capture.

Lock Brands Explained | Kwikset vs Schlage vs Medeco

The brand stamped on a lock tells you less than the grade does, but it is not meaningless. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Abloy make genuinely pick and drill-resistant high-security cylinders with patented keys that cannot be copied at a kiosk. Kwikset and Schlage are the two brands behind most builder-grade hardware, and their higher tiers are perfectly good residential locks.

People ask about brands the way they ask about car makes — as a shortcut for quality. It is a reasonable shortcut, but it skips a step. The grade printed on the box or stamped on the lock body tells you more than the logo does, and we cover that properly in lock grades explained. This page is about what each brand actually offers once you know what grade you are shopping in.

The brands, compared

Brand	Known for	Typical use	Relative cost
Kwikset	Widely available, SmartKey re-key feature	Builder-grade residential	Lower
Schlage	Solid mid-range, wide product range	Residential and light commercial	Lower to mid
Medeco	Patented keys, pick and drill resistant	High-security residential and commercial	High
Mul-T-Lock	Patented keys, strong pick resistance	High-security residential and commercial	High
Abloy	Sidebar cylinder, no springs to pick	Commercial and high-security residential	High

Kwikset and Schlage: the two you already own

If your house has builder-fitted hardware, it is almost certainly one of these two. Both make hardware across the full grade range, from basic Grade 3 up to Grade 1, so the brand name alone does not tell you what you have — the grade stamp does.

Kwikset’s SmartKey system lets a homeowner re-key the lock themselves with a small tool rather than calling a locksmith, which is convenient but worth knowing: it is a different mechanism from a traditional pin tumbler, and not every locksmith stocks SmartKey pins on the truck. Worth mentioning when you book a rekey.

Schlage tends to run slightly heavier in the hand at the same price point, which is not a meaningful security difference but does affect how a lock feels day to day.

Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Abloy: when they earn their price

These three share one thing that matters more than the brand name: the key cannot be cut at a hardware store kiosk. Copies require going through an authorised locksmith or the manufacturer, with proof of authorisation on file. That single fact solves a specific problem — the ex-employee, the ex-tenant, the contractor who “lost” a key — that rekeying alone does not fully solve, because rekeying only helps once you know a key is out there.

Medeco — angled pin technology that resists picking and drilling, widely used in commercial and government settings.
Mul-T-Lock — telescopic pin design, similar resistance profile, competitively priced against Medeco.
Abloy — a sidebar rotating-disc mechanism rather than springs and pins, which removes an entire category of picking technique.

Full detail on what this buys you is in high security locks.

What the brand does not fix

We say this on most pages and it applies here too: none of these brands stop a boot to the door. Forced entry defeats the strike plate and frame, not the cylinder, regardless of what is stamped on it. A Medeco cylinder in a frame held by half-inch screws is an expensive way to protect against an attack method almost nobody uses on houses. Fit a reinforced strike first.

Choosing between them

If you want…	Consider
The cheapest sensible upgrade from builder-grade	Grade 2 Kwikset or Schlage
A lock nobody can get a key copied for without authorisation	Medeco or Mul-T-Lock
Maximum pick resistance, commercial-grade mechanism	Abloy
To keep your existing keyway but upgrade security	Check which brands are compatible with your current cylinder’s keyway before switching

Salt air and brand finish

Near the lake and along Laketown, finish quality matters as much as brand. A plated Kwikset finish will pit faster than a solid brass Medeco housing in the same spot. If you are near the lakefront, ask about finish material specifically, not just brand or grade. More on the climate side in why locks fail faster in Louisiana humidity.

Not sure what you already have?

Tell us the brand stamped on the lock, or send a photo, and we can tell you roughly what grade and generation you are dealing with before recommending anything. Ranges are on the prices page.