Keys, codes or cards: choosing locker locks

Locker locks are easy to overlook until they go wrong: lost keys at reception, members who leave a locker locked for weeks, broken padlocks and staff with bolt cutters. The lock you choose decides how smoothly the change room runs, and how much time staff spend dealing with it.

The main options

Keyed locks. Simple and familiar, but keys get lost, copied and taken home. Every lost key means admin, and sometimes a new lock.

Mechanical combination locks. No keys to lose. The user sets or uses a code. Good value for low-traffic lockers, but codes get forgotten and shared.

Electronic keypad locks. The user picks a code each visit, and a manager's master code or key opens any lock. Ojmar's OGS 10, for example, takes a 4 to 6 digit PIN and runs on small batteries for up to 6 years.

RFID locks. Members tap a card, wristband or fob. In a gym that can be the same credential they use at reception, so there's nothing extra to carry. Ojmar's OTS range is built around RFID.

Bluetooth and connected locks. The lock is opened from a phone app, and managers can see occupancy, open lockers remotely and pull reports from cloud software.

Free use or dedicated?

This is the most important decision after the lock type.

• Free use. Any empty locker can be used for the visit and is released when the member leaves. This suits gyms, pools and leisure centres where people come and go all day. You need fewer lockers than members.
• Dedicated. Each person has their own locker for a term, a season or a contract. This suits staff rooms, schools and sporting clubs.

Many Ojmar electronic locks can run in either mode, and some sites run a mix.

Questions to ask before you choose

• How many people use the lockers at peak times?
• Do members already carry a card, wristband or fob? Could the locks use the same one?
• Who will manage the locks, and how much time do they have?
• Do you need audit trails, for example to settle disputes or meet a client's security requirements?
• Are you fitting new lockers or upgrading existing ones?

Upgrading existing lockers

You don't need new lockers to go electronic. Ojmar locks are designed to replace mechanical locks without changing the locker doors. Locksmart Australia describes most upgrades as "a straight swap", with no new doors or electrical work, because every Ojmar lock is wireless at the door.

Who we work with

LUXGYM supplies and installs Ojmar locks through our sister company, Locksmart Australia, Ojmar's partner for Australia and New Zealand. The team has delivered hundreds of locker lock projects for Australia's largest fitness groups and corporates.

Choosing locker locks? LUXGYM specifies, supplies and installs Ojmar locks on new or existing lockers. See lockers and locker locks or get in touch.