Side by Side Comparison of: Master Lock vs YYST vs Ceptics

We recently purchased these product for our trip to Italy to lock our backpack and my wife's purse. After hearing so many stories about pickpocket, we thought it'd be best to get a lock. Easy to setup and place your preferred pass-code. The numbers aren't too small as some comments have mentioned - IMO. Well after unlocking and relocking this several times during our trip it hasn't broke on us yet. It was useful since it was a peace of mind going into crowded train stations and buses.

Used this the past six months with traveling and have not been disappointed. The lock works great, I like that the handle can loop around, making it easier to attach through zippers, etc. Easy to take off for airport security, light and gives you that extra sense of security. I am happy with this purchase. We got one blue and one red.

This is a great lock. I use it to lock a small bag I have for medications.Only issue I had were the directions a backwards so it took me a few minutes to figure out why i could not open the side it was telling me to. Once I did, it opens and closes very easily.

this is the 4th TSA master lock I have purchased for my luggage. I travel often and want to keep my stuff mine. These locks work perfectly for that. TSA has special keys that allow them access to these locks while keeping the general public out. Of course... if a thief wants in... they will be able to get in... but it keeps honest people honest.

Arrived on time, in order, and as expected/described. Very simple to use, likewise for the changing of the combination code and durable. This is not the lock used at Fort Knox, so don't expect it to perform in that manner, it is to dissuade those without true criminal tendencies...do not use on back packs or similar luggage because the wire allows for movement and with backpacks etc., a person could open the bag a bit. Otherwise, I use it on my tool boxes etc., and its great.

I traveled to China with this lock on my luggage and it worked exactly how I expected it to. If you are like me, you want to lock you luggage to know that it was not tampered with when you leave it with the flight crew, or leave it all day in a hotel when the cleaners come in. This lock is perfect for those reasons, and it opens and closes quickly and easily.No one expects to buy a luggage lock that cannot be broken, right? Anyone who wants to get into your luggage will just as easily brake the zipper before breaking the lock. I really want a simple way of knowing if someone went into my luggage without permission. That way I can hold the airport or the hotel accountable if it occurred while in their possession. And this lock is perfect for those needs. Plus it was very easy to lock and unlock with no need for holding onto a key. Very good lock.Also it is TSA certified which if you do not know what that means I suggest visiting their site by googling tsa locks; and it is the link that says - TSA: AIR TRAVELPlease let me know if this was a helpful review for you!

One has to have a cable padlock to hold the 2 halves of the Sportube together in transit but the TSA in the USA always want to open one's ski box to check for contraband so this product fills the bill. The cable is very strong and the only criticism I have is that over 3-4 years use the plastic covering the steel cable has deformed and progressively worn so that it jams in the holes of the sportube box and makes it hard to disengage the cable. I have eventually had to cut away all the plastic and just leave the steel cable.

Mine happened to be RED not BLUE, but that does not matter to me. Just as expected. Small lock for luggage. I'm actually going to use this for locking a tent door at a campsite (locking the zippers together) as it is a wire mesh lock that is flexible. Works great for that, but certainly would work good for luggage as intended.

Very nice little lock. Metal construction, and quite sturdy. My deceased father once told me that locks are for keeping honest people honest. This lock will work for that purpose. The cable is thin and covered in plastic, and will fit nicely in a luggage zipper. I plan to use these to close the two latches on a small handgun case. Understand that the cable could easily be snipped by bolt cutters (or maybe heavy duty scissors).Changing the combination seems to be a little bit tricky, so I have not yet done so. Those who want serious protection might not like this small lock. Those who just want a small deterrent at very modest cost should be pleased.

This lock is not especially secure. One look at the cable and you can tell that almost any wire cutters could probably demolish it. HOWEVER, you have to think of what a lock really is. A lock like this is merely a deterrent for those that may want to mess with your stuff, the security it provides is hardly a physical barrier, but a psychological hindrance. Any thief worth his salt would be able to break into any lock in this price range, or even above this price range.The purpose of a lock like this is to prevent casual criminals from messing with your stuff. Period.Personally, I backpacked all throughout Southeast Asia for three months without any problem. I love that the cable is flexible and can fit into almost anything. It certainly helps with thousands of different locking situations you could possibly find yourself in. The code is easy to set and change and it's TSA approved. All in all this is a great lock to pick up for around 5 bucks.

I bought these locks because the loop would fit through the zippers on my backpack and carryon bag. After opening and closing these locks over the course of two weeks, though, I discovered these locks showing signs of wear on the metal latch that hooks into the base. The wear didn't affect the integrity of the lock although it was a little surprising. At first, I was disappointed that these weren't what I considered to be "prison grade" but no lock is impenetrable. For the needed functionality of securing zippers and deterring thieves, however, these locks were perfect. I would recommend this item if you need a TSA approved, light duty lock that will secure zippers on your backpacks and carry on bags. If you need a lock for checked luggage, I would recommend a different lock that alerts you when the TSA had used their key to open your bags.

Seems to be a nice sturdy lock and the combination is easy to set. I've used two of them once so far, but will be using the 4 I bought on a longer trip soon. Even with TSA locks sometimes they get cut off anyway so I like having extras. (Actually I have had luggage opened with cut off locks and no TSA sticker or message. I contacted the TSA and they said they always leave a notification of some sort and it may have been airline workers snooping around, so be careful what you pack in checked luggage!)I took off one star because you can't choose your colors. It says assorted colors. I ordered 4 and they are all black. Boring. But not important really.

OK, but a bit awkward to use., Print on numbers is small and difficult to see and it is not possible to set or undo in limited light.

Too easy to open. See post in an earlier review about looking through the crack above the numbers and finding the "notch." It works! Also, there is a video on You Tube that shows how to open with a paper clip. Now with this said, I use these locks for when my bag is left in a hotel for the day, not for air travel. TSA doesn't use their key to open these types of locks, they just break the locks; there are plenty of posts across the Internet about this. Using the lock in a hotel room is a deterrent for the casual maid that may go through your things.

My first impression was that the lock itself was a bit flimsy, and in reality it could probably be picked or removed with little effort. Despite this it does at least serve as a deterant if a potential thief wanted to make a quick grab for an iPod, iPad, etc.That being said, my chief complaint is that this lock was removed from my bag and promptly discarded by the airline (TSA) the first time I tried to use it. No notice or note was left. Previous locks that I have used (that were admittedly the wrong type) were at least returned in a small bag attached to the outside of my luggage. I will be trying to get compensated for the lost lock, but this may serve as a warning to others who plan on traveling with this lock attached to their luggage.

Own more than one o these. Majority of the time no complaints. However, last one bought has an issue. I noticed this when after reLocking it I could not turn the numbers from the opening combination. Upon inspection, there is a metal flap that you must depress down when opening this lock. I noticed my metal flap got stuck in the down position. In this position, you can make the lock appear to be locked, however, unless that flap flips back up, the lock is not locked.Solution, when unlocking view metal flap. If in the downward position, and not up as it should be, a few hits of the lock and the flap springs back up, you can lock the lock and turn the numbers. Not attempted to oil it or any other fix, just figured it was a glitch specific to this lock, not all of them.

Its ok. The cable lock mechanism releases by pushing it inward onto itself, thereby unlatching it. This is simple and cheap to make I am sure, but if you have it snugged up on a luggage item with little extra room to spare (and since its on a piece of luggage its likely to be upside down and tough to access) that unlatching can be a lot more difficult to do than when you first tried it out holding it in your hand.

We ordered 6 of these to use on our suitcases for our trip to Thailand. We had heard the horror stories of items being placed in your bags and being detained and we didn't want to risk our bags being open.TSA locks are approved by airlines & security so I knew they would be okay at the airport. When we first left for our trip we found it was simple to set with our passcode and hook onto the suitcase zippers. I selected these due to their cheap price (cheapest available on amazon) and the long handle which I thought would make it easier to loop through the zippers on our duffle bags.Initially they worked. However when we arrived in Thailand we then had to transfer from Bangkok to Koh Samui and when we retrieved our bags with the new locks we found that they were already scuffed. So the airline obviously threw our bags and didn't handle them properly but I will admit the locks held up through that offense. Our next stage was a longtail boat to Koh Phangan and when we arrived we found that our locks had sand which collected somehow inside the locking mechanism.So we put wear & tear on the locks; we had a tough trip. They got banged around. On the bright side they worked and didn't directly break. However out of 6, only 2 stayed fully functional. 4 of the locks are definitely challenging to use now. They have scuff marks and difficulty locking now and even turning the dials to input our combination is challenging due to the sand which got trapped inside the lock likely from when our bags were tossed out of the boat and onto the sand of the beach at arrival and departure.

I bought this lock after reading all the good reviews. I will say that it's pretty sturdy and the flexible cable makes things convenient. The issue I had with this lock is when I wanted to reset the combination. The instructions stated that the lock could be opened using the preset lock combination. After struggling with it for about half an hour, I found another review here about how to break into this lock using a flashlight and the cracks above the numbers. Turns out the preset combination was wrong on the instructions and I found it unsettling that I opened this lock without the combo in less than 30 seconds. It's too late for me to get another lock, but if you want something a little more secure, look somewhere else.

The locking mechanism of this Master Lock 4688D is not firm enough. You have to wiggle in the steel wire (covered with plastic) in and out of the lock. Just not sturdy enough.I bought 4. when setting the new code for one it didn't set to the right #. Became useless to me. Would not buy again.

Bought six of these..based on reviews. Read instructions carefully, First lock, the button would not reset at all. Set the combo as described, would not close. Worseless. Opened the second, thinking it was just defective. This one EXTREMELY difficult to set combination. Once set, again would not close. Very difficult to hold button down and set three numbers, who are difficult to move anyway. Afraid to try the rest. Will never buy again. Based on reviews, it seems 1 out of four never work. It's sad because the thing looked good, but no quality whatsoever. Be warned. EDIT,,opened the next 4 got three to work, the fourth works but I do not trust it. So out of 6, 3 failed. It's not hard to set up when they are GOOD, they work well when they work, but that the reason for the rating. Some just don't.

Negative experience for me. Planned use was a visual deterrence for bag pickpockets on a day pack I use, and it worked as such for a brief period.After three months (4-6 open/locks per day, simple city use, no vigorous activity) of use in such a manner, I noticed the cable fibers 80-90% broken on the end that you connect. Only a few more days until only one fiber was left, and it was no longer safe to use. Out of sheer curiosity, I bent the other end (that stays connected to the lock's body) back and forth to see how long the cable fatigue would last. About 15-20 seconds.In my opinion, not fitting of the Master brand name.

not happy with the design.- the flexible cable slips out of the zipper pull from its own weight when I unlock it, and it ends up on the floor!- you have to slide the cable to the side in the slot when you lock/unlock it, which I find awkward and fumbly (and I'm fairly dextrous.)- the dial has to be on the code both to unlock AND LOCK it. But the dial can move when it's unlocked w/ cable out, so you must set the code before you can put the cable back in - very annoying, and I don't remember this with other locks.On the plus side, the quality was fine, it stayed locked, and I didn't have any problems setting the code. I just find regular metal shank locks much easier, and would never buy this style again.

I didn't realize I could be getting any color when I ordered these, so be careful.Also - just worth noting. On the first trip I used these on, the TSA just cut them off rather than unlocking and relocking them - which basically means I threw my money out. I talked to the airline about it, and though I don't trust them either, they told me that it's common for the TSA to just cut off these types of locks because it takes less time then opening the locks.I'm going to look for something that can't be easily cut off - force them to take the time and to follow procedure in the future... TSA sucks!

This was a total waste of my money! Worked one time and wouldn't function. I cut it off with pliers, what a joke! I have a hard time believing Master Lock would sell such trash!

it is very hard to set or reset....After trying too many times to set I could not and throw my in the closet to collect dust

The numbers are small. The combination wheel is small and hard to turn to the correct number without affecting the adjacent wheel. You need to get the numbers in precisely the correct position. The numbers are very low contrast foreground to background. The number font is poor. It is difficult to tell numbers apart. For instance, 6's and 8's are very hard to tell apart. Overall it is very difficult to use for something so simple. The lock itself is useful. Just don't expect to open it in 15 seconds or less. At least I can't.

If I could give this lock a "0" I would! From the time I opened it, we could not get it to work. We followed the directions and it would not open so we obviously couldn't put our own code in. After trying several times we decided it didn't matter if we did get it open to put on our luggage because if we put it on, we may not be able to get the lock open!We were out of town when it arrived and then did't try it for about a month. By that time it was too late to return. Just Junk!

Followed the instructions to change the combination as soon as I got it. It did not work and now it's essentially useless. I just spent an hour going through every combination/permutation of the 3 numbers I chose and it still doesn't work. Worst part is that there is no serial number (new Master Lock policy), so I can't the universal combination from the company.

Bought this lock, set my combo, used it for a few weeks, all was well, and then......it refused to open. At all. No matter what I did. It had opened and closed fine probably 20 times between when I first got it and that point.So I smashed it with a hammer to break it open. A waste of 7 dollars, but seeing such a cheap piece of garbage get smashed is it's own reward.Won't be buying this again.