Safety 1st Magnetic Locking System (1 Key and 8 Locks)

This is one of those safety products that actually works but is an absolute PAIN to install. Once in, though, it has held up over almost a year of abuse from a very persistent now four and two year old. Every once in awhile, if you dont shut the door firmly, it wont quite latch all the way into place, but once latched my kids havent been able to pop it open again. The magnet it comes with works every time to open it up, and after a few times finding the right spot comes easy. However, installation... Im not a wimpy female. I use power tools correctly, can improvise with what I have at hand, and even read the directions before installing things. This was still one of the most difficult, annoying items to install to the point that I actually only put two of the six in, despite purchasing two full packs to do my entire kitchen in. Instead, I only did the two most important cabinets (sharp knives and chemicals for cleaning) and trusted in my ability to stop my kids before too much damage was done with the rest. So, in short: a good latch that is difficult to put in, but once done lasts forever.

Best cabinet locks we have found--unlike latches which will eat your wood work, these locks are able to be disabled with a simple click when not needed. The one caveat to this is--of course--ensuring the locks are enabled whenever kiddos are around. If you have a forgetful family member or older child, this could be a problem. The magnet is STRONG. Even though we have a stainless refrigerator, were able to keep the key on it because it adheres to the metal beneath the stainless. Installation is involved and not a quick process, even though fairly straightforward--just takes some time. We did have some issues with placing some of the locks due to the magnets being attracted to the screws of the drawers themselves, not the lock, so locks may have to be placed in an off-center location to avoid interference. In addition, on some cabinets, due to the placement, the magnetic connection, while strong enough to unlock the mechanism, is NOT strong enough to hold the key on the cabinet face while operating it, making one-handed operation (which most parents are reliant upon) impossible. This seems to be an issue on drawer fronts more than cabinet doors. And also--if you think you only need one key, youre nuts. Theyre easy to set to the side and inconspicuous, so make sure you dont get stuck locked out of your own cabinets....

These locks are great for childproofing. We have used them in the kitchen and under the bathroom sink where cleaners and soaps are stored. -There is NO unsightly padlock device on the outside of your cabinets - you cannot tell the locks are there, so your kitchen doesnt look like a nursery -There is an off/on switch! So, if youre cooking and are going to have to open the same drawer ten times, you dont have to keep using the magnet. Just unlock it for cooking and secure it back when youre done. -The magnet sticks to the fridge, so we always know where it is Only downside is that sometimes it can be annoying having to grab the magnet to open whatever drawer I want, especially if the cabinet I want access to is across the kitchen from the magnet. But - Id rather have that inconvenience than have to stare at giant white, plastic locks on the outside of cabinets. You also have to learn where the magnets are, because theres not really any way to see where exactly you should put the key. Install them all in the same basic spot on each door so that the lock is easy to find each time. I just scoot the key until I hear a thunk if I didnt catch the magnet on the first try. Overall - I am very pleased.

GOOD LOCKS FOR A FEW YEARS BUT NOW MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN SOME LOCK SETS.Let me begin by saying that I have purchased from Amazon and installed hundreds of these locks over the past several years.I have a cabinet shop and use them on my products.For the most part I have been happy with the locks,occasionally I would have a lock that would stick or not work properly.I usually order and install at least 30 individual locks each week.About a month ago I had a set of locks that the magnet would not open the lock through a cabinet door. The latch on the lock usually presses in with little effort but on these locks the latch was stiffer than normal.I thought maybe it was just a bad set and returned them to Amazon . Since then I have purchase about another 25 sets of locks.Out of that 20 I had to return 11 of them with the same issue.The problem is with the whole lock set and not individual locks in the pack.On one of my orders for 6 packs only two packs works properly. To see what the problem is I took a good working lock and a defective lock apart.Inside the working lock there is a thin small spring that is wound 4 times.The defective lock the spring is a little thicker and it wound 5 times.With the thicker stronger spring the magnet is not strong enough to open the through cabinet door .Im not sure if the manufacturer has meant to install a stronger spring for some reason but if they did the key will not work through a 3/4 thick cabinet door like they have for years.The problem is not specific to Amazon purchases.I went to a local retailer to purchase two pack of 8 locks while waiting for my Amazon replacements.One of those packs work fine and the other one has the stiff spring and would not work As I am writing this review I just received my 6 replacement packs from Amazon,Four of the packs are good and two of them have the stiffer spring.Hopefully the manufacturer is not in the process of changing to the stiffer springs in all their locks.If so the key will not work through most cabinet doors

The locks seem to hold the doors to my kitchen cabinets securely closed. And the magnetic keys work to unlock the locks through the thickest part of the cabinet doors (probably about 1/2 inch of solid wood). However, even with the provided template, they were not particularly easy to install. Alignment was a little more difficult than I thought it needed to be, resulting in a few extra holes on the (not visible from the outside) inside of the cabinet. I should have measured 3 times, not just twice, before drilling.

Weve had a number of foster kids through our home over the years. And many of them need to learn boundaries. Being able to reinforce those boundaries with a physical reminder is a frequent need. These locks work well, are easy to disengage when you need frequent access to a cupboard, and then reengage once youre done. Or just leave it permanently unlocked when you have no kids around. They can be tricky to line up when youre installing them. While they do provide templates for drilling screw holes, theyre not easy to use, or at least I had trouble figuring them out. So for a couple of locks I ended up drilling a couple pair of holes, before I found the ideal positioning of the lock unit. The catch was very straight forward, though you must pay attention to which way round you attach it, or youll need to flip it over to get it to work. It works well on cupboards, but we have found that draws with a separate fascia may be a problem, as theres nowhere to attach the lock such that it will engage with the catch without a lot of pay - and potential that an enthusiastic kid will tear through the catch. Make sure you keep the magnet safe (and out of reach of the children) so that you can open the locked doors - we did lose a magnet for a couple of hours - but fortunately we have 2 sets of these locks, thus 2 magnet keys, so it wasnt a disaster for us.

Im a big fan of this lock system. My main issue is the price, but considering what you get I think its worth it. At first, I went to a local store and got the usual cabinet locks that you push down after opening the door slightly. I was trying to save money, and these were something like 20 latches for $8. Well, I stopped installing them after the first one because I hated it so much. Its flimsy and Im sure itll break, especially because the door can open about 4 before it catches! That surprised me. I figured it would open about 2 at most so I could stick my finger in there and clear the latch, but no, my son could stick his entire arm and shoulder into the cabinet and reach a LOT of stuff. So I bit the bullet and bought my first kit of Safety 1st magnetic locks and Im glad I did. Every complaint I had about the traditional cabinet latches was eliminated by these locks. I wouldnt say their construction is perfect, but its just fine for the purpose. I love that the door cant open more than a couple mm, which should help prolong the life of the locks because my toddler isnt enjoying the experience of opening and slamming the door. I also LOVE the ability to disable the locks easily. When we put our son down and Im planning on doing a lot in the kitchen, Ill unlock the most-used doors and drawers, and Im not slowed down by having to use a key. Its great! Installing the locks is pretty easy, but youll need tools like a drill. If your cabinets have a fairly large inset panel, you might have some trouble installing these locks, especially if your cabinet doors also overlap the opening significantly. I only had that problem a couple of times and worked around it by finding a better placement for the locks. After the first few installs, I found I stopped needing the [excellent] templates for the most part, and could figure it out on my own. The drawers were the trickiest and most difficult, but I eventually got those done too. I cant say enough great things about these locks. Because of our floorplan, we have no way to keep our toddler out of the kitchen, and I wouldnt want to anyway. Its nice to not have to worry about him getting into every single cabinet. NOTE: do not buy the single key. It currently goes for $9 which is absurd. If you need an extra key, buy some strong rare earth magnets for your fridge, and glue one to some sort of handle. The keys are nothing more than a magnet encased in plastic.

The locks were relatively easy to install and work well so far. I bought the 8-lock package for the kitchen, hall bath, and master bath cabinets because it was the best buy. Sadly, I didnt think about the fact that the package only came with one key. I will have to order additional keys. Some notes on installation: -I had to adjust the template positioning because of the overlap of the door to the cabinet frame. Still, the template was a blessing by making sure the holes were spaced apart just perfect. -Pre-drill your screw holes through the template, making sure not to drill through the doors! -Also, one of my cabinet doors had slightly warped so that it wasnt exactly flush with the frame. I put some spacers (small cardboard cutouts) between the lock and the door to help with the offset. It locks but its so tight that I cant just wave the key by the door...I have to push the door in to relieve the pressure on the lock/latch so that it will open correctly. Please know this is not an issue with the lock but rather a problem caused by my kitchen cabinets. -One of my cabinets in the bathroom uses small rubber bumpers so the doors dont slam shut loudly. I had to put spacers between the lock and the door for these as well to make up space created by the rubber bumpers.

These are great if you dont want your child locks to be visible or leave small openings for cabinets to close on little fingers. You do need to drill them in to the cabinet, but everything is done out of sight, so we are able to use them even though we dont own our home. Yes, they are a little bit of a pain to deal with, but I dont think there are child safety locks out there that arent at least somewhat of a pain. Once you get the hang of opening them (you have to hold the magnet in EXACTLY the right spot and open the door while its still positioned there) and remember to grab the key before trying to open the door (it does take a little while), these work perfectly. Theyve made our cabinet doors so uninteresting to our very curious and active 7-month-old that he no longer even bothers trying to open them. I am giving them 4 stars only because one of the locks didnt work properly and we cant use it. Fortunately, we didnt need that one so I let it go.

We have had these locks installed in our kitchen for over a year now. At first we only installed them on the cabinets but then my toddler started opening up drawers with forks and knives so I decided they needed to go everywhere. Overall, it was fairly easy to install in the cabinets, especially if you have a power drill. The drawers were a bit trickier as I had to remove them completely to install. Not impossible, just took a bit more time. Also, in our case, the drawers are not that tall so a right angle screwdriver attachment helped tremendously since I couldnt get the regular screwdriver to fit. The locks work great and its very easy to unlock with the key. The hardest part is remembering where the lock is on the drawers. The kicks do take up a little bit of space in the drawers, so if the drawer is small to begin with, be selective on where you place it. I love the lock/unlocked option. When Im cooking and my daughter is not around, I leave the cabinet or drawer unlocked so I dont have to get the key every few minutes if I need another spoon or pot. And then simply move back to locked position when Im finished. Its not necessary but certainly a nice to have feature. My daughter is 2 now and she still tries to open the drawers occasionally. She pulls them pretty hard sometimes but hasnt broken one yet so I would say they are pretty strong locks. Great product, definitely recommend if you have toddlers running around in the kitchen.