Ultion ALPS: The Anti-Snap Cylinder Lock Explained

If you are thinking about an Ultion ALPS cylinder, the short answer is this: it is a replacement door cylinder, the part that accepts the key, made by Brisant-Secure and sold under the Ultion name. The maker describes ALPS as "the most secure cylinder lock technology" and states that it defeats drilling, picking, bumping and snapping, and also protects against twisting and thermal manipulation¹. It is certified to the updated PAS24:2022+A1:2024 standard and the Sold Secure Diamond 2024 test, and the maker says ALPS was the first cylinder to pass both².

For a household, the point of it is what happens during and after an emergency. A break-in is more likely when a home is empty, when a door has been damaged by a storm or flood, or when the power is out and alarms and lights are down. A cylinder that stays locked after an attack buys you time and keeps the door usable. The 3 Star PLUS version replaces only the cylinder, so your existing lock body, handles and hardware stay in place³.

This page sets out what the lock is, what it is built to resist, how the versions differ, and how to upgrade without changing your keys. It does not give prices, and it does not rank the lock against other products.

What Ultion ALPS is and what it does for a household

Ultion is a range of 11-pin, anti-snap cylinder locks and door furniture from Brisant-Secure, a UK lock maker⁵. The company launched Ultion in 2015⁶. ALPS is its cylinder lock technology, patented by Brisant-Secure, and the maker states it passed its updated test in March 2024¹.

A euro cylinder is the small barrel in a uPVC or composite door that the key goes into. When a cylinder fails, the door can be opened even though the lock body and handles are intact. That is why the cylinder, rather than the handle, is the part worth upgrading. The maker's own description of the 3 Star PLUS is that it replaces just the cylinder, the part that accepts the key³.

In an emergency, the value is straightforward. Police advice for doors is to fit a lock that meets a recognised standard, and for replacement windows to use a security-accredited product to a standard such as PAS 24:2022⁷. A cylinder that resists snapping and stays locked after an attack keeps the door secure while you wait for a locksmith, and it means a damaged door is less likely to be the way in. The maker states that the lock is designed to stop snapping, which it describes as the most common UK forced-entry method, as well as picking, bumping and drilling³.

The lock is not a substitute for the rest of your home security. It works alongside door and window locks, lighting and an alarm. If you are starting from scratch, the Doors and Locks: Standards, Cylinders and Making Entry Harder guide sets out how the cylinder fits into the whole door.

Certified to the updated PAS24 and Sold Secure Diamond standards

The certifications are the part a household can check, because they are awarded by outside bodies rather than by the maker. The maker lists the 3 Star PLUS as carrying a TS007 3-star rating, which it describes as the highest UK security standard for cylinders, Sold Secure Diamond approval, Secured by Design status and Master Locksmith Association approval³.

The updated standards matter because they were revised. The maker states that when Ultion ALPS launched it was the first cylinder to pass the updated PAS24:2022+A1:2024 standard and the Sold Secure Diamond 2024 test². It also states that ALPS passed the updated test referenced by BSi, DHF, Sold Secure Diamond and Secured by Design¹. The ALPS Plus version is described as fully PAS24:2022+A1:2024 compliant and meeting the updated Sold Secure SS312 2024 standard².

Secured by Design is worth understanding because it is the one a household is most likely to see quoted. It describes itself as the official police security initiative, and states that security products licensed by it have passed police standards and tests⁸. Police Scotland advises buyers to look for products certified by Secure by Design when buying new windows and doors¹⁰. If you want to check a product's claim yourself, the How to Tell If a Security Product Is Police Approved page explains what the schemes mean.

Attacks it is built to resist

The maker lists six break-in methods the 3 Star PLUS is designed to prevent: picking, bumping, drilling, snapping, thermal manipulation and twist attacks⁴. Snapping is the one most households have heard of, and the maker describes it as the most common UK forced-entry method³. The lock is also described as anti-pick, anti-bump and anti-drill³.

The design behind that is a set of sacrificial parts. An earlier Ultion press release describes the cylinder as containing four sacrificial anti-snap sections, twelve hardened steel pins, four anti-drill plates and a unique lockdown¹¹. The idea is that the outer part of the cylinder gives way in a controlled way, while the core stays locked.

The newer attacks are the ones that changed the standard. The maker states that ALPS is the only technology that protects against all known break-in methods, including thermal manipulation and twist attacks¹². It describes thermal manipulation as a new Ultion exclusive⁴. The maker does not set out the technique in detail on its product pages, so treat the claim as the maker's own description of what the lock is tested against rather than a how-to.

Twisting is handled by a part the maker calls the ALPS TwistTrap. The maker states that the rotator is instantly fired into the ALPS TwistTrap when the lock is twisted, keeping the always locked status⁴.

Snap stop and exhaust ports: the patented parts inside

Two named parts do most of the work after an attack begins. The maker lists the Snap Stop as patented and the Exhaust Ports as patent pending⁴. The Snap Stop is fired after a snapping attack, and the maker states that it prevents access to and manipulation of the core⁴.

The always locked behaviour is the other half of the design. The maker states that as soon as you remove your key, the ALPS system activates, locking a pin to secure the operating cam⁴. That means the lock is secure whenever the door is shut and the key is out, without you having to do anything extra.

The core is where the protection concentrates. The 3 Star PLUS has a molybdenum core that forms its independent central cylinder shield¹³. The maker states that molybdenum is 25% denser than iron, extremely ductile, resistant to corrosion, and has one of the highest melting points of all pure elements³. In plain terms, it is a hard, heat-resistant centre that is difficult to drill through and does not soften easily.

ALPS, ALPS Plus and the 3 Star PLUS cylinder compared

There are three names a household will meet, and they are not the same thing. ALPS is the technology. The 3 Star PLUS is the cylinder that carries it. ALPS Plus is the maker's most secure cylinder, built on the foundation of ALPS².

The differences that matter are the key and the key control. ALPS Plus features a thick dimple key for added resistance to snapping². It comes with KeyControl as standard to block unauthorised key copies, and it is available in keyed alike sets so one key can open every Ultion lock on a property². The 3 Star PLUS keys are described as precision-cut and 60% thicker than the rest of the market, offering more resistance to snapping and bending¹³.

If you already have an Ultion lock, the upgrade path is the part that decides it. The maker states that the key is both back and forward compatible, so existing Ultion customers can upgrade their security without having to change their keys¹. That means a new cylinder can be ordered to your existing key, and old keys will still work in the new lock.

Upgrading keeps your existing Ultion keys

The key compatibility is the reason many households choose to stay with Ultion rather than switch brands. Because the key is back and forward compatible, an existing Ultion customer can upgrade the cylinder without changing keys or reissuing keys to family members¹. If you rent out a property or have a carer with a key, that matters: nobody has to be given a new set.

The order codes change as stock turns over. Brisant-Secure describes a rolling upgrade in which, when stock of existing DCBSX locks expires, orders automatically switch to the new DCUAW product codes, so customers do not have to do anything¹. If you order a replacement and the code you receive differs from the one you expected, that is the reason.

Keyed alike sets are worth considering if you have more than one Ultion lock. ALPS Plus is available in keyed alike sets so one key can open every Ultion lock on a property². For a household preparing for an emergency, one key that works on the front and back doors is simpler to manage when you are leaving in a hurry or handing a set to a neighbour.

Fitting a 3 Star PLUS replaces only the cylinder

The fitting is the practical question for most households. The maker states that Ultion 3 Star PLUS replaces just the cylinder, the part that accepts the key, and that the existing lock body, handles and hardware stay in place³. It is designed for DIY installation, and any locksmith can fit it professionally³.

The measurement is the step that decides whether the new cylinder fits. The maker's instruction is to measure from the centre of the screw hole to each end of your existing cylinder, which gives you two measurements, for example 35mm/35mm or 40mm/35mm³. Get that wrong and the cylinder will either protrude or sit too far back, which is a security problem in itself. The How to Measure a Euro Cylinder page walks through it.

The maker reports that one customer changed both external doors themselves and that the whole job took less than five minutes, with only a Phillips screwdriver needed³. That is a single customer's experience reported by the maker, not a guarantee, but it shows the job is within reach of a careful householder.

Where it fits a household emergency plan

A cylinder lock is one part of a plan, not the whole of it. The moments when a home is most exposed are the ones an emergency creates: a storm that damages a door, a flood that forces you out, a power cut that takes out alarms and lighting, or a long absence. The Home Security: A Household Guide sets out the full picture, and the Leaving Your Home Locked When You Have to Evacuate page covers what to do when you have to go.

The lock also has a role after damage. If a door has been forced or damaged, the cylinder is often the part that has to be replaced before the door can be secured again. Because the 3 Star PLUS replaces only the cylinder, a household that keeps the measurement of its doors on file can order the right part quickly. The Making a Damaged Home Safe From Intruders After a Storm, Fire or Flood page covers the wider steps.

For households in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the reporting and support routes differ. The Scotland and Northern Ireland: Reporting Crime and Getting Support page sets out where to go¹⁰.