Customer Reviews

Safety 1st Magnetic Tot Lok Deluxe Starter Set

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I was excited to try these out, from what I'd heard they are the best. I had read other reviews saying that the installation was difficult, however our only problem was that because our cupboards have a little silicon bumper pad in the corner, the foam on the sticky installation guide wasn't thick enought to hit the cupboard...we just doubled two of them up and it was fine.
As for the function of these locks...they are awesome! The traditional cabinet locks allow you to open them a finger width in order to push down the plastic piece to open them all the way...with Tot Lok you can't open the cupboard even a little bit, which eliminates any finger smashing for your little one. Admittedly, it was a hard habit to get into, using the key every time...however I soon got the hang of remembering to grab it, and I also make great use of the "permanent unlock" bar, which you can flip to keep the cabinet unlocked if you like. This way, if I am cleaning up and need to throw paper towels, old toast, leftovers, etc into the garbage under the sink, I can just keep that cupboard unlocked while I'm doing my thing.
These loks are completely invisible on the outside, and not bad looking on the inside. The hardest part was introducing our new cherry cabinets to the drill bit!
I would buy these again and again and recommend them to all parents!

My husband installed 4 of these locks on my sewing table. It took him approximately 45 minutes to install all 4 (Including time for me to empty out the overfull drawers!). My sewing cabinet has 3 drawers and 1 cabinet.

They come with a sticky template that he thought was wonderful. My drawers are over 3/4 inches thick and with the extensions the locks worked great! They came with a drill bit marker to make sure you stop before you drill through the front of the drawer.

I have heard that the older packages did not include the drill marker or the templates. I guess they have corrected the issues people have been complaining about.

Pros: Drill bit marker, sticky templates, ease of use, the drawer does not open at all (keeps curious little fingers out of my pins!), little red latch to keep drawer in open position if you are going to use it a lot, and super strong!

Cons: Pricey and instruction sheet had a lot of acronyms but if you read through it before installing it is okay.

Now we know they work great and are fairly easy to install we are getting more.

My son's first reaction to his new 'big boy' furniture was to open the drawers and climb up. We tried the lesser expensive spring locks, but he can still open the drawers a little bit and climb up. That's when I found the tot locks and the drawers do not budge unless you have the key. I love the option where he can't pry the drawer open to climb. Spring locks are good in our kitchen for easy frequent access, but for a bedroom tot locks are perfect! I've read reviews where they are difficult to install, I had no issues at all with directions or install.

I bought this from Lowe's and not from Amazon but want to share my experience in case it helps someone else.
Test this thing about ten times before you close the cabinet or drawer to lock it!!!
If I had not experimented with this by sliding the key over the area where the lock is I would have returned it because following the instructions-- "placing the key" over the area where the lock is--does not work consistently. If I "Place the Key" over the area where the lock is, it opens about two out of ten times. If I slide the key over the area where the lock is(much like using a magnetic stud finder,stopping after I hear the lock open)it opens ten out of ten times. Like another reviewer I had to use the extension before I could get the locking mechanism to open with the key consistently.
Thanks to the warning of the reviewer who accidentally drilled through their cabinet door I did NOT drill deep enough so that the lock mechanism was flush with the cabinet door--if I had it probably would have gone through the cabinet door. The magnetic "key" seemed really strong until I tried to use it to use it, even though I drilled the hole for the locking mechanism to specs AND used the extension. Although I finally got this thing to work consistently I gave it only two stars because the instructions did not include the modifications I had to do in the use of the key and in the mounting of the locking mechanism.

I feel bad that some people have had such a poor experience with this lock. We on the other hand love these locks. We bought our first set 7 years ago to use with our first child. One set of Grandparents use them and an aunt too. I am just about to get a second set because we have a new crawler and I want to put them on the bathroom cabinets. They are a bit expensive but you will never need to buy locks again. We prefer to leave our on at all times (even when our children don't need the cabinets locked anymore) because they are easy to turn off (just a flip of the red tab inside the cabinet) that way they are there whenever you have little ones visiting your home. We have never split a cabinet and we don't think it takes that much longer to install then any other cabinet locks. You will have to drill in you cupboard doors but your little one(s) will be protected. It leaves no room for fingers to get pinched either. If you do happen to lose your lock you can buy a strong magnet from your home improvement store and still get it open. We like to keep our lock on the metal frame by the kitchen window above the sink. Good luck whatever you decide.

My 18 mo old learned to unlock the standard latch style locks so I researched till I found these. My dh installed them (it looked pretty complicated at 1st, but wasn't really hard). It's really neat and they work great. She can't get in! ADDED 7/23/10: Still have these on the cabinets, as we had another little one. I've had one lock "stick" so that it can't be placed in the permanently unlocked postion. Otherwise, still good. No regrets on this purchase. I have total confidence that the hazardous items that are locked behind these are safely out of my children's reach.

yes - these where very hard to install - I spent almost an entire Sunday drilling holes into all the cabinets in the house. However, now that it is done, it was worth the trouble. These are awesome.

I was excited to try these out, from what I'd heard they are the best. I had read other reviews saying that the installation was difficult, however our only problem was that because our cupboards have a little silicon bumper pad in the corner, the foam on the sticky installation guide wasn't thick enought to hit the cupboard...we just doubled two of them up and it was fine.
As for the function of these locks...they are awesome! The traditional cabinet locks allow you to open them a finger width in order to push down the plastic piece to open them all the way...with Tot Lok you can't open the cupboard even a little bit, which eliminates any finger smashing for your little one. Admittedly, it was a hard habit to get into, using the key every time...however I soon got the hang of remembering to grab it, and I also make great use of the "permanent unlock" bar, which you can flip to keep the cabinet unlocked if you like. This way, if I am cleaning up and need to throw paper towels, old toast, leftovers, etc into the garbage under the sink, I can just keep that cupboard unlocked while I'm doing my thing.
These loks are completely invisible on the outside, and not bad looking on the inside. The hardest part was introducing our new cherry cabinets to the drill bit!
I would buy these again and again and recommend them to all parents!

First, let me say that I LOVE these locks. Also, I have a new home (less than 2 yrs old) and had no issues with the depth or thickness of my cupboards. I also have the little plastic pads in the corners - just move the smaller pieces forward (not the larger latch unit) the drill holes allow for "slide". But be careful not to drill too close to the edge! Also, I have a corner cupboard with a hinge in the middle. DON'T PUT THE LATCH ON THE TOP OF THE DOOR! I can actually slide the door to the side and it pops right open. I now have a beautiful set of holes inside my new cupboard where I had to take the thing out to relocate. On the side of the door seems to work ok, but it's more cumbersome for opening. This is actually the second set of these we have installed - we had them for our older kids at our old house. In over 5 years, we have never had one break. Oh - word for the wise - I recommend having 3-4 keys on hand, including one "super-secret spare" in another location, like a hall closet, in case you find yourself "locked out". The keys are so easy to pocket and walk away with. Also, I put painters tape (easy to remove) over the spots where the key should go. It helps prevent permanent marring of your woodwork - AND helps save time finding the right spot!
Pros - These locks don't give even a tiny bit. Little fingers get absolutely NO room to try to wiggle open. This totally outweighs all the cons in my mind. The "unlock" feature is really nice, too. Even after my older kids had outgrown them, I left them in for visiting friends with younger kids.
Cons - They are tedious to install. Not mind-boggling hard, but it does take time. Again, I think they were worth the time. However, the instruction sheet was not exactly detailed (Think Ikea, with lots of arrows and little explanation). And they do cost more than other, less-effective options. But, again, I think they are worth it.

It would have been really nice for the manufacturer to MENTION that these locks are completely incompatible with hollow doors.

Like another reviewer, I ripped the microscopic directions while removing the product from the nuclear blast-proof packaging.

The instructions LITERALLY required a magnifying glass to read.

That's just lovely that there are two sets of holes on the mechanism, thoughtfully mentioned in the instructions as "alternate holes". Why? And WHICH ONES are the alternates? They'll never tell. I suppose if you get as far as actually flipping a coin and drilling, you'll find out that you guessed wrong.

Stupid, stupid, stupid instructions. I ruined two of the templates before the light came on and I realized the system was brilliant, just poorly explained and illustrated, to say the least.

Encouraged, I marked and drilled. Alas, my closet door is hollow. But nooooooo, I just HAD to try it anyway. I held the lock in place, applied the magnet, and listened to the little plunger extension thing-y tumble down into the depths of the interior of my door.

Oh well, having ruined two templates, half of everything was spare parts anyway.

Two hours of internet searching later, I couldn't find an adaptation, but I did FINALLY, FINALLY discover what that little clear plastic tube was for - a drill bit stop. I don't know what use it would be, being only about half an inch long and it didn't seem to stop lots of people from drilling through the fronts of their doors.