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A high-quality home safe is a must when you want to protect your valuables and other irreplaceable items from the elements and theft. electronic key cabinet
I tested eight of the best home safes under $300 to see how they withstand fire, water, and blunt force attacks. I also talked to four industry experts. I put each safe through several objective tests to determine which models are best for different budgets and protection needs. The Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe is our top choice for the best home safe with two motorized 20-millimeter steel deadbolts that make it the most difficult to pry open. It opens with a passcode or fingerprint scan and has thoughtful features like interior LED lights. If you're looking for a fireproof safe, the SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe (FPW082HTC) kept valuables and documents intact in our fire test.
Find out more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and reviews home products.
Best overall: Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe - See at Walmart
Best budget: Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (25EI) - See at Amazon
Best fireproof: SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe (FPW082HTC) - See at Amazon
Best for documents: SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe - See at Amazon
Best portable: SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box - See at Amazon
The Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe was the hardest for us to bash open and comes with fingerprint access. You can also bolt it down, making it more challenging for thieves to steal.
Several features set the Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe apart from the other models we tested. There are three ways to open the two motorized 20-millimeter steel deadbolts. You can remove the plate on the door to access the keyhole, opened with a four-prong cross key. More simply, you can set a four to eight digit passcode or store up to 32 fingerprints for biometric access. Entering the passcode provided faster access than the fingerprint scan. However, the biometric optical sensor is easier to see in the dark since it lights up.
The Viking Security Safe was the hardest to bash open in our tests. Before breaching it, we pounded on it for about five minutes with a sledgehammer.
The Mini Biometric Safe is relatively light, which could make it easy to steal. Fortunately, it comes with bolts for securing it to the floor or a wall, which we recommend doing. The safe is not fireproof or waterproof, so consider protecting your contents with fireproof bags.
Two unique features of the Viking Security Safe are an LED that illuminates the safe's interior and a beep that lets you know if you left the door unlocked. We found these features helpful and worth the extra cost.
If you're on a budget and want to protect your valuables, the cost-effective Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model 25EI) is an easy-to-use option.
The Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model 25EI) is 70% larger than our top pick and a third of the price. However, it's not as durably constructed and was easier to break into. Also, it doesn't offer fingerprint access, though you can get a biometric version if you want to spend a bit more.
The Amazon Basics safe is easy to open using a three-to-eight-digit PIN or a key. The setup was simple, though it was hard to see the black battery cover and passcode reset button against the black interior.
The thick dual deadbolts made bashing in the door difficult, but we got in using a four-pound sledgehammer within three minutes. Since the safe is so light and you can access its contents with blunt force, we recommend bolting it down in a covert spot with the four provided bolts.
The safe isn't waterproof or fireproof, so you might want to keep your contents in fireproof document bags.
If you're considering another option from Amazon, you can also purchase Amazon Basics Steel Home Security Safe (Model 50SAM). This isn't a big safe, but at 1.64 cubic feet (by our measurement), it's more than twice as big as any other safe we tested. We like that it comes with bolts to mount it securely, and it's relatively affordable for its size. Plus, setting the keycode was straightforward. It isn't one of our top picks because it isn't fireproof, and we broke into it within two minutes using a small sledgehammer.
The SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe is designed to withstand fires and criminals, protecting its contents after 55 minutes in the fire. Plus, the secure three-deadbolt lock is tough to breach.
Of the safes we considered, the SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe (model FPW082HTC) had the best UL-classified fire protection; it's rated to handle temperatures up to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit for up to an hour. In testing we put paper and a flash drive in the safe before putting it in a fire for 55 minutes. The fire destroyed the safe, but the contents were unharmed.
At 55 pounds, the SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe is also the heaviest safe we tested, and it comes with bolts to make it even harder to steal. I was able to lift it by myself, but it wasn't easy, especially since the safe is bulky and lacks handles.
The door is flush to the sides and features three thick deadbolts, making it difficult to bust open the safe. I didn't attempt to break into it because I needed it intact for the fire test, but it felt secure. Even after going through the fire, I couldn't break the door open. I had to bust through the body of the safe to access the contents.
It comes with two keys for manual entry, and you can program up to four five-digit codes. I needed the instructions to figure out how to program the codes, but they were easy to follow. Access to the batteries is inside the safe, which had me concerned about passcode entry if the batteries die. Fortunately, you can use a 9-volt battery to operate the keypad and gain access.
The SentrySafe FPW082HTC has an adjustable shelf inside, and when the door opens, an interior light helps you see the contents. While the safe looks large, it features a thick layer of fire-resistant material around the outside. Still, at 0.81 cubic feet, it's big enough to hold reams of documents, jewelry, money, and other sensitive materials.
I was a little disappointed that the safe failed our water test. It's ETL verified to handle five inches of water for 24 hours. Yet, when I tested this, there was clearly moisture inside the safe, though it wasn't a full-blown breach. The papers I put inside were partially damp, and there were drops of water inside.
The SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe is an excellent option if your primary concern is ensuring your valuables make it through a fire or flood.
The SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe is designed to protect your most important documents. It was the only safe to pass both our water and fire tests. The safe is ETL verified to stay waterproof when submerged for 72 hours. We submerged the safe for 45 hours, and the interior remained dry. It's UL classified as fireproof when exposed to temperatures up to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. We threw the safe in a fire for about 25 minutes, and the paper and digital media we put inside were unharmed.
Before destroying the safe in the fire test, I used it to protect my valuables for about a year. The spacious interior was enough for my important files. Since we put this safe through the fire test, we couldn't test how easy it was to break into, but from personal experience, the locking mechanism feels flimsy.
The SentrySafe comes with two keys. You turn the key, lift the handle, and you're in.
While it's somewhat cumbersome to carry, a motivated burglar could easily remove the safe from your home. There are no bolts for securing it. I kept it hidden in an air fryer box in a hard-to-access spot in my basement to keep it inconspicuous.
Though it isn't the most secure, the SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box is a cheap way to protect small items from fire while on the go.
In general, you don't want a safe that is easy to move because it's easy to steal. If theft of the safe isn't a concern, the SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box is an affordable way to transport small items under lock and key.
The SentrySafe Fireproof Box is UL-classified to handle temperatures up to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. After putting it in a fire for about 25 minutes, the papers, USB drive, and microSD card inside remained unharmed, though we destroyed the safe. It isn't waterproof, but the box's contents stayed dry when we doused it with water to extinguish the fire.
The safe comes with two keys, the only way to open it. You can't remove the key while it's unlocked, ensuring you don't accidentally lock the keys inside. The safe also has a handle for easy transport.
This depends on what you want to safeguard and what you are protecting it from. If you're trying to protect important documents from floods or fires, you can get by with a smaller ETL-verified or UL-rated safe to protect against these hazards.
However, if you have larger valuables, including rifles, that you want to keep safe from burglars, you'll want a heavy-duty safe. John Dean, owner of Dean Safe, who has 50 years of experience in the industry, recommended looking for a UL residential security container (RSC) burglary rating to ensure a safe will keep your valuables secure.
Louis Chavez, the global principal engineer in UL's Built Environment group, outlined how UL tests safes that receive RSC designation. "RSCs are generally used in residential homes and should comply with UL 1037, the Standard for Antitheft Alarms and Devices," he said. UL 1037 involves using hand tools you'd commonly find in the home to attack the safe for up to 10 minutes.
Dean also recommended choosing a heavy safe or at least securely bolting it down because if a burglar can remove a safe from your home, they will get into it.
We put each safe in this guide through several objective tests. Though the most important features will vary based on your situation, experts recommend choosing a fireproof safe that is hard to move and break into.
Here are the main attributes of the best safes and how we tested them:
Portability: If a safe is light enough to steal, a burglar will get into it, says Dean. All safes we tested were relatively light. The heaviest was only about 55 pounds. We gave preference to safes that came with bolts for secure mounting.
Security: UL, the leading safe certification company, rates residential safes (UL Standard 1037) based on five to 10 minutes of attack time using common hand tools, such as a pry bar and hammers. We used a small pry bar and a 4-pound sledgehammer to breach the safes and access the contents. None of the safes we tested took more than five minutes to access. We rated them based on difficulty. Our top pick was the hardest. The Jssmst book safe was the easiest, taking my seven-year-old one minute to open.
Fire: Some safes we tested were UL Class 350 rated. This rating means that when the safe is exposed to temperatures of 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the internal temp won't exceed 350 degrees. This makes the safe suitable for paper products but not digital media. Still, we put paper documents and digital media in the UL-rated safes and put them in a fire for slightly less time than they're rated for. We then removed the safes and inspected the contents. Since fire destroys a safe, we couldn't put the fire-tested safes through the security test above.
Water: Three of the fireproof safes were designated waterproof. We tested these claims by putting paper towels and a magazine in each safe and submerging them in water. After at least 22 hours, we checked the safes to see if the contents were dry. Only the SentrySafe HD4100 remained dry.
Ease of use: We assessed whether we needed instructions to set up the safe and whether any features made it hard or easy to use. We also timed how long it took to open the safes using each available method. None of the safes took more than 10 seconds to open.
Kevin Hall, a safe technician in New York City, said home safes are beneficial because they keep people honest. "If you keep things out of sight and out of the way, then people's hands are not on them," he said. "Secondly, your valuables, documents, birth certificates, and important papers are out of view." Hall and Dean both mentioned that keeping important items in a safe will help you remember where those items are.
For this guide, we couldn't test gun safes.
Hopefully, we can test gun safes soon, but Fort Knox, Liberty Safe, and American Security are well-known brands recommended by experts we talked to.
All the experts we talked to stressed the importance of keeping safes hidden. "Common places to avoid, because they are obvious to burglars, include bedroom closets and bedroom dresser drawers," said Chavez.
Hall recommended covering your safe with a box or disguising it as a bookshelf. He suggested hiding wall safes behind a picture or artwork.
Hall also cautioned against using obvious passcodes. "Avoid codes like 123456," said Hall. "Don't use your birthday, your spouse's birthday, or your child's birthday. I've been changing combinations for 20 years, and you'd be surprised by how many people have their safes set to the same numbers."
If you choose a safe that isn't fireproof or waterproof but still want protection, consider getting a fireproof document bag. These bags are relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
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