This is an all too common scenario nowadays: you approach your own drive at night or following a short holiday only to find that something is off. Maybe your locks are suddenly loose, or your living room has been rummaged through. Your possessions are scattered, and your TV or decorations are out of place or completely gone.
As a drop of cold sweat trickles down your spine, you run towards your studio or bedroom or your personal drawer. You call the police, your security company, or your best friend. While help is on their way, you begin to mentally inventory your most valued possessions and crunch figures in your head: what is missing exactly? Have you checked for everything? How much did it cost? How will you replace it? Can it be replaced at all?
Your home is not only supposed to be the place where you feel most comfortable. It should also be the place where you feel absolutely safe. Unfortunately, not even the most advanced security systems can completely eliminate the possibility of losing your most valuable possessions. While appliances or expensive furniture will require a big moving truck and a very well-organized operation, these are rarely among the most valued objects in your home.
Maybe it’s the gold watch you inherited. Maybe it’s a jewelry set that can quickly be pocketed by someone you let inside your home. Maybe it’s your grandfather’s medals, your wedding pictures, or even your birth certificate – they can all quickly be lost through a variety of reasons, ranging from ill-intentioned people to natural disasters or an out of control kitchen fire.
For many people, these valuables are best stored inside a bank vault. However, these can be prohibitive or impractical for many, especially when it concerns the kind of sentimental objects that you would rather keep close to you. In the case of jewelry or accessories, you may want to be able to wear them without an impromptu trip downtown. In such cases, a home safe will offer the perfect balance between availability and safety.
Top 18 Home Safes
Adir Digital Home & Office Safe
With high-grade steel construction and easy to program, Adir’s Home and Office safe is remarkably hard to hack and nearly impossible to pry open. This safe is equipped with two live door bolts, and the steel door has an extra pair of hidden hinges, which will trick even the most experienced burglar into wasting more time than they have, forcing them to walk away empty-handed.
This safe is easy to install and program and is available in three sizes. The 0.5 cubic feet size is large enough for most jewelry, accessories, and even small weapons. The 1.25 and 2.32 cubic feet versions are ideal for securing artworks or larger objects and can be mounted into walls or existing heavy structures easily.
While these safes are not completely stealthy, they do come in a variety of colors and designs (red, black, white, and blue). They will not allow the safe to be completely hidden away but are versatile enough for it to blend in with the existing décor, so they won’t exactly jump out at a ne’er-do-well.
Here are some of the best gun safes on the market, too. Be sure to check them out.
First Alert Fire Chest
Sometimes, those purchasing a home safe are more concerned with having a place to fit it in rather than fitting too many things inside. If your valuables are small and simply need to be hidden away from cleaners or visitors but still remain movable, the First Alert Fire Chest will be a great option to consider. With a full capacity of only 0.17 cubic feet and a total weight of 14 pounds, this safe is ideal to keep your documents, cash, and even weapons from being robbed or destroyed.
That being said, this safe was designed and marketed with fire safety in mind. It will withstand temperatures of over 1500° F (815° C) for up to 30 minutes – more than enough time to ensure your cash and documents reach a new safe location. The carrying handle latches on easily and has an extra layer of thermal protection, which will allow you to quickly grab it during the first few minutes of heat exposure.
Ivation Biometric Fingerprint Safe
Dark, sturdy, and handsome, the Ivation Biometric Safe combines good old security codes with high-tech biometric information and provides top security for jewelry, watches, and firearms. With a total capacity of 0.5 cubic feet, the Ivation Biometric safe comes in three different models: with a shelf, by itself (which can be purchased with the option to install it on the shelf of your choice), and a portable battery-operated version.
The biometric scanner can store up to 32 different fingerprints, depending on how many people need to have access to your valuables. The box itself is made from reinforced steel and a 5-mm-thick door. All exterior welding is entirely seamless, providing no corner in which to attempt to cut it.
It is also equipped with motorized deadbolts and an LED display that will allow you to set an additional password or PIN to restrict access. As an extra layer of safety – this time against yourself – an audible alarm will go off if the safe is accidentally left unlocked.
For some affordable options, be sure to check out our guide on the top gun safes under $1000.
SentrySafe SFW082CTB Accident Proof Safe
Nothing spells out attention to a customer’s needs like the opportunity to customize and choose the ideal size and an eagerness to meet the client’s preferences. SentrySafe knows this, which is why their SentrySafe box comes in three different sizes (from 0.82 to 2.05 cubic feet). Also, each size is available with a digital or dial combination lock.
This safe is completely hermetic and, therefore, waterproof. It will also endure up to 1700° F for up to one hour. This turns it into an ideal option for homeowners who need to secure their valuables from burglars, hurricanes, floods, and fires alike. The sturdy steel construction is equipped with three massive live-locking door bolts and a pry-resistant hinge bar. The inside of the safe, on the other hand, is spacious and comfortable. Lined with felt and equipped with a holding tray, it will stay organized easily.
Liberty HDX-250 Smart Vault
Short of cutting off a person’s finger or poking out their eye, biometric scans offer the highest degree of security and customization available right now – at least on paper. That being said, entrusting your valuables to a fingerprint reader requires investing in something that’s more difficult to hack and more shock-resistant than your smartphone.
The Liberty HDX-250 Smart Vault has risen to this challenge with FBI-worthy scanners and a very user-friendly interface. After all, just because you need state-of-the-art standards to protect your family’s jewels, you shouldn’t need an I.T. certificate to handle it. But, just in case, this sturdy and thick box also comes with a key backup.
The ease of recovery will not jeopardize the safety offered by this Smart Vault. The automatic-open door has well-hidden bolts, and the steel construction is thick and shock-resistant. And should you be afraid of accidentally misplacing a diamond or two inside, the safe’s interior is lined and lighted.
You may also be interested in some of the most popular biometric gun safes from our list. Check them out.
AmazonsBasic Security Safe
No frills, budget-friendly, but efficient and reliable – these words apply to Amazon as a company, and most AmazonBasic products tend to follow the same philosophy. Every once in a while, however, AmazonBasics manages to offer a top-of-the-line option as part of its house brand catalog.
Surely, if you are an Amazon Prime member, this safe will also count as a steal, but it is not cheaply made by any standard. The electronic keypad is responsive, reliable, and easy to program. The two emergency override keys will ensure nothing is lost forever while a set of solid bolts and thick stainless steel will keep all prying eyes and hands away from your small valuables.
The full capacity is only 0.5 cubic feet, just enough to store some small valuables and important documents.
Combination Book Safe
On the other side of the “affordable basics” spectrum are the home safes for those who require an extra layer of discretion or simply like to play detective. If you need to secure jewels or a small handgun discreetly and securely, nothing is as effective or as fun as a secret-bookcase safe.
After all, few things paint a target on your back as much as openly keeping a safe where everyone can see it, screaming that you have things that you can’t afford to lose. In addition to the Sherlock Holmes appeal, the stealth offered by this inconspicuous “New English Dictionary” will let you sleep more soundly at night.
Behind an unassuming book cover hides a surprisingly spacious metal box protected by a 3-digit combination. The massive and heavy bolts offered by most boxes may not be there, but any burglars would have to know the safe is there in the first place. The Book Safe is available in three different colors and two sizes, depending on how much you need to hide and the size of your book collection.
Our guide to the top-rated under bed gun safes features more quality options you may be interested in. Don´t miss them.
Sky163 Electronic Digital Home Safe
A good value option for those who prize efficiency, the Sky163 allows you to hide up to 0.3 cubic feet worth of irreplaceable documents or valuables behind thick steel and an 8-digit PIN. Those of us who are good at math can certainly try to calculate how many possible combinations this offers, but, fortunately for us, most home burglars do not have STEM degrees yet.
It includes an extra set of emergency override keys, which makes sense when the PIN is longer than a phone number. The tamper-proof hinges are well-hidden on the inside of the safe, which will make them nearly impossible to pry open. Rather than relying on only a flimsy latch, the door also has ¾’’ steel bolts providing extra security.
While the electronic system requires a set of AAA batteries to operate, the energy is well-employed. An alarm system will keep anyone from trying to open the box secretly or peeking into its contents. Meanwhile, the internal felt lining will prevent scratches and dents.
Stalwart Digital Home Safe
Small but well-fortified, the Stalwart Digital Home Safe provides an efficient and reliable option to secure sentimental or jeweled knickknacks close to your heart – or stashed discreetly beneath your show rack.
The LED keypad and digital passcode system of this safe will allow you to set separate passcodes and profiles for different people, as well as a master code to edit the list of those who are allowed near your prized possessions. This also doubles as a visitor registry, which will allow you to check who last opened it should you find that its contents were not as neatly arranged as they should be.
It also possesses an automatic alarm, which will dissuade any prospective burglars for 20 minutes after 3 invalid password entries and make a 5-minute long ruckus after three more attempts.
Viking Home VS-25BL Safe
This home safe not only honors its brand name but also serves as a perfect example of the TARDIS syndrome: it’s astonishingly roomier on the inside than it appears on the outside.
Despite being only 10” x 14” x 10” on the outside, it still manages to provide enough space for documents, watches, and a handgun, all neatly arranged – or not – according to your preference. This is all thanks to its removable tray. It can be opened with both an electronic PIN or through its highly sensitive 500-dpi fingerprint reader.
Small enough to fit underneath a bed, its solid half an inch worth of steel casing makes it nearly 20 pounds, which is more than any burglar can comfortably walk away with. As an added bonus, its rugged military appeal makes it look like something best not to mess with. Add an efficient alarm system and a memory capacity that can store up to 32 fingerprints, and what you have is more like a small strongbox than a simple cash drawer.
Vaultek Handgun Safe
This heavy-duty handgun vault is blessed with one of the most futuristic designs available – and if you are fond of sleek lines and high-tech finishes, this alone should push this model up on your shortlist.
Rather than being a classical safe for generic valuables, this was designed specifically for those who need to keep weapons safe and out of the hands of criminals, even when transporting them. For this reason, Vaultek opted for a 16-grade carbon steel material rather than the standard stainless steel. Lighter and heat-resistant, carbon is still one of the most resilient materials out there.
Furthermore, the lid cover has bolts in addition to latches, providing you with something that no crowbar can break. A responsive LED luminous screen will keep this portable vault visible even under low-light conditions. A separate internal light will also allow you to identify its contents quickly as nobody likes to rummage through the dark when reaching for their gun.
Verifi Biometric Smart Safe
If your biometric scanners are truly dependable, then there is no need to waste extra resources and battery with an override option. And since the Verifi Smart Safe offers a super, FBI-certified fingerprint scan, they have chosen to stick with only that. This is a full-on 3D silicon fingerprint scanner that doesn’t deserve to have the same name as your smartphone’s lock screen. It’s also in a completely different range than that provided by most home safes.
This has allowed Verifi to keep their CPU very energy-friendly, and, therefore, to divert some of its precious energy to other useful functions: access logs, tampering notifications, and increased memory, to start with. Thanks to that and its intuitive interface, this safe will run for years on end with only a single set of AAA batteries.
Naturally, at this price range, you can assume a solid steel construction and solid, nearly unbreakable bolts.
Honeywell Portable Fire Safe
Honeywell has a well-earned reputation among law enforcement and security experts for their high-grade professional safety solutions. This 7-liter (0.2 cubic feet) portable safe is a great example of that.
This is a full-on molded chest rather than simply a fancy briefcase, even if its unassuming appearance may cause confusion. That is until you try to lift it as its high-grade fireproof steel weighs well over 25 pounds. Certified to be fire-resistant for up to 30 minutes under temperatures of up to 1550° F and waterproof for 100 hours, this safe will keep valuables, sensitive documents, weapons, and USB flash drives safe from both natural disasters and disastrous people.
The safe itself is not mountable, but the handle is resilient, durable, and fire-resistant. The inside is well-organized and spacious enough to hold letter-sized documents lying flat or deceptively hidden beneath other small objects.
Stealth Tactical Original Handgun Safe
Another definite upgrade over standard combination lockers, the Stealth Tactical Original Handgun Safe still manages to remain portable, practical, and affordable.
The fact that it also looks like an old-school radio transmitter only adds to its odd charm. Plus, the looks combines perfectly with its branding and model name. Most of us will be using the Stealth Tactical Original Handgun Safe to guard watches and documents, not secret explosives, but what’s wrong with making it look like you were a diamond smuggler in a past life?
Thanks to its five-variable combination key, the safe will provide you with 1,081 unique combinations to protect your things and 24 pounds of 10-gauge steel to ensure that these combinations are respected. Also, a pair of 3/8’’ steel lugs, dead bars, and welded hinges keep the package neatly hermetic.
BARSKA AX116200 Mini Biometric Safe
Mounted wall safes are made precisely for those who don’t need to transport their valuables, and, in fact, may be more interested in keeping them rooted to their hardwood floors. The whole point, after all, is to ensure the box can never be carried off by an impatient burglar.
Unfortunately, mounted safes tend to be expensive, hard to mount, and impractical to fit in a standard home. Not the BARSKA AX116200, though. It is one of the most compact mounted safes available right now. It can be concealed behind a bookshelf easily or hidden inside your closet.
Its dual-security system provides both a fingerprint reader and a set of backup keys. Its fortified steel is remarkably resilient but manages to keep the safe’s total weight just under 15 pounds. While too small to hold a handgun, you should have no problem hiding a few shiny items beneath your deeds and documents.
Paragon 7775
We’ve all seen these scenes in action or mystery movies: the “tech expert” of the gang, be it a sexy spy or a lovable rogue, attempts to crack a safe armed with a stethoscope, a keen ear, and inhumanly nimble fingers. In reality, most burglars are likely to try to smash your safe with a wrench or to simply shoot at the lock a couple of times to access your cash.
Thanks to the Paragon 7775’s 11-gauge steel structure and superbly welded edges, any miscreants will have a nearly impossible time trying to accomplish this. This safe also offers a mounting rack and a 10-year warranty in addition to 1.8 cubic feet worth of storage space.
Protex PWS-1814E Electronic Wall Safe
Discreet and compact, the Protex Electronic Wall Safe offers a surprising amount of space despite its shallow build.
The electronic PIN lock is protected by two sets of steel bolts. The wall safe itself is made from industrial grade carbon steel, the kind that even The Mountain that Rides can’t simply smash and break. Also, an extra pair of studs will allow you to secure this safe to your walls or can be refashioned into a clever way to conceal it.
This unique feature has been met with rave reviews and is more than you would hope for a product in this price range. As nothing can truly ever be completely perfect, though, the PROTEX PWS-1814E is not fireproof.
Doit Power Black Box
At a 2.0 cubic feet capacity, this sturdy safe offers more storage space than most people need. Still, Doit manages to offer it at a very competitive price, which places it firmly in the realm of things you could hope to own.
With a total weight of 55 pounds, the Doit Power Black Box was designed to be as indestructible as an airplane’s black box, and while that may sound like an impossible goal, they have managed to come very close. Secured by both a fingerprint reader and a passcode, the Black Box’s CPU requires four AA-Batteries to function, which are included in the package. Isn’t that always a nice touch?
What Makes the Best Home Safe?
The best home safe is not necessarily the most expensive one. It will be the one that best adapts to your needs and values.
If you need to store away relatively large objects or those that have a high market value, then you would do well to invest in a full wall safe, ideally one that has a two-step security function, such as a key and a combination or PIN. On the other hand, heirlooms with sentimental value or important documents are best kept in a small, portable, but airtight and fireproof safe. You want to be able to grab them and run for it should disaster strike.
Naturally, any home safe worth the name should be made from a thick, resilient material. The lock should be lock pick-safe and hard to break. Otherwise, it becomes nothing more than a piece of the décor. A good warranty never goes amiss, either, and extra points are given for something that can easily blend in within its surroundings.