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These safes protect jewelry, important papers, and more.
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
Number one: Am I going to get robbed?
Number two: Is my house going to catch on fire?
Here are our favorites.
Credit: Amazon
At 86 pounds, this safe is heavy and challenging to move.
When we think of security, our mind often goes to lurid scenes of home invasion.
However, for many folks, protecting against fire and floods should be a greater concern than thievery.
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Eric Brockob
Thankfully, some safes double asfireproofand waterproof vaults.
We found that this SentrySafe safe is designed for all types of security.
The heavy-duty product is made of alloy steel with four locking bolts and a pry-resistant hinge bar.
This durable steel safe from SentrySafe is a great option if youre looking for a fireproof pick.
The safe offers water resistance for up to 24 hours in 8 inches of water.
Beyond water and fire damage, this safe is also designed to keep intruders out.
It uses a digital locking system with programmable codes that can be 18 digits.
It also has a pry-resistant hinge bar, as well as the necessary hardware to bolt it down.
The safe is about 87 pounds, however, so that may not be necessary.
However, just be aware that the lighting is timed and wont stay on for more than 60 seconds.
It isnt fireproof or waterproof.
When youre looking for simple security, this Amazon Basics safe is the right move.
Made of black carbon steel, this lockbox has a programmable keypad as well as key access.
It has a 14-gauge steel body and an 8-gauge steel door.
The door has concealed, pry-resistant hinges and locks with two steel bolts.
The safes keypad runs on four AA batteries.
When wall mounted, that becomes far less likely.
What if your safe could actually look good?
The MyCube Mini Safe has 18-inch steel walls and weighs 35 pounds.
The safe uses a simple keypad for entry and comes with two backup keys.
The keypad and keyhole light up.
The electronics are powered by a battery pack that requires four AA batteries.
Its spacious interior includes a shelf for extra organization.
The safe also comes with a jewelry pouch.
Credit: Amazon
This safe is smaller than many of the other safes on this list.
This heavy-duty steel safe is built for secure storage and quick opening.
Rather than a keypad, the safe uses a fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking.
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Eric Brockob
It holds 40 fingerprints; however, we think the average user will use far fewer.
The safe also features a backup keyhole under its logo.
It also sends out an alert if you forget to exit the safe.
It has a matte black powder coated finish and weighs 21 pounds.
We found the safe to be heavy duty and solidly constructed during testing.
It can only be accessed using a smartphone app.
We found it didnt take up too much room in our suitcase or purse and was very lightweight.
The Trova Go features a biometric reader and smartphone connectivity, both of which functioned great for us.
Paired with a smartphone, its last location can be tracked using the Find My feature.
It can also be opened via the app using a biometric scan.
Its silicone seal also works to contain odors from anything stored within.
Its also inexpensive and could fit smaller documents, harddrives, and jewelry.
We also looked at how and where the safes can be mounted to walls and shelves, if applicable.
Finally, we looked at any additional features of the safes, like storage organizers and lighting.
Weightier safes are heavy because of extra steel, plating, and fireproofing.
Weight can make a difference in how secure your safe is.
An 80-pound safe is much harder to wrench from a wall than a 5-pound safe.
Durability
Durability is the first factor that most people will look for in a safe.
Credit: Saks Fifth Avenue
No safe offers perfect security.
I tell all my clients, if people want in, they’re going to get in.
The trick is to delay that as long as possible, Fahey says.
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Eric Brockob
They can include cement-hardened walls for fireproofing.
Some safes even include climate controls.
Portability
Sometimes youll want a safe to be portable.
Consider this in your choice.
Electrical keypad locks are great … there’s no way to finagle it by pulsing the lock.
That way, you’ve got the option to change the batteries if they should die.
Many safes include backup keys.
We recommend that you hide these away carefully.
Additional Features
The technology has definitely come a long, long way.
Many high-end safes include special features and smart connectivity.
TheTrova Gois a good example of a safe with smart features.
It offers digital notifications, logs its last known location, and opens with a biometric scan.
Your Questions, Answered
What throw in of safe is the most secure?
All safes offer some degree of security.
Where is the safest place to put a safe in your home?
Generally, the basement is the safest part of your home in which to install a safe.
Basements offer a degree of protection in disasters like fires and tornadoes.
Basements are also generally harder to access in the case of home invasion.
For maximum security, Fahey suggests that you consider creating a hidden compartment in your home.
In the case of a home invasion, anyone with malicious intent is unlikely to notice these details.
Will cash and paper burn in a fireproof safe?
Fireproofing is going to keep your paperwork secure, Fahey says.
However, not every fireproof safe is built the same.
TheSentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Safeis designed to withstand fires of 1700F for up to an hour.
Credit: Amazon
Budget-priced safes often wont include details about fire resistance at all.
Fire-resistant document bags can make a difference in less-fire-resistant safes.
What happens if I forget the code to my safe?
Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Eric Brockob
Memory issues can present real problems.
Fahey recommends that you create a code thats based on important dates or a persons name.
Consider basing your code on your wedding date, a birthday, or the name of a loved one.
If you do forget the code to your safe then you have a few options.
Locksmiths are often able to drill into a safe to open it.
However, this will destroy your safe, so this should be a last resort.
Fahey recommends that you keep your safes serial number and documentation outside of the safe.
Many manufacturers have a master code that will unlock their safes.
He is also an active creative writer and artist.
For this article, he consultedMatt Fahey, owner of The Flying Locksmiths in Westchester, New York.
Fahey is a safe expert,SAVTA-registered vault technician, and locksmith.
Credit: Amazon
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
