OK, you just identified two of the many factors I was talking about: lock's ability to protect and "functional portability". There are more, and the two you mentioned might benefit from more detailed definition. Even so, you now have to decide which of the two is more important to find out "the best" lock. How much portability are you willing to sacrifice to gain more protection, or vice versa?

Once you come up with an answer to that, you will hopefully realize someone else might have a different, yet equally correct answer. Again, there are many good lock makers out there. In the end it boils down to personal preferences and opinions rather than objective facts. You said it earlier yourself: you're looking for opinions in this thread (which is why I find the title somewhat ambitious and misleading).

--J