The interiors of safes are also becoming more customizable to accommodate your valuables. Some are tailored to keep guns safe, while others focus on smaller items like cash or jewelry. The safe market is growing rapidly today — anything you would need to protect, there is a safe that could do it.

The Safe Experts will take a look at many of the different kinds of safes in order to give you a researched list of the best safes based on various home safe reviews or office safe reviews. From this website, you will be able to answer any questions you may have and buy the very best home safe for you.

Considerations
When in the market for a safe there are many things to consider.

  • Size. You should look foremost at the size of the safe. Will it adequately hold everything that you need to put in it, while not taking up too much space in your home?
  • Contents. What, exactly, do you need to store? For example, your important documents do not require the same type or size of safe as your 22-gun rifle collection would.
  • Type. Also, consider the type of safe that you are looking for. Are you wanting to store your items in plain sight? Or are you most interested in giving your valuables the most security possible? A variety of types of safes are listed below to help you find the best home safe.
  • Material. It is also important to consider the materials the safe is made out of, whether or not it’s waterproof or fireproof, and how it unlocks. These, too, are discussed below to ensure that you are choosing the perfect safe for your needs.

Types of Safes
There are dozens of types of safes that work in different areas and places. Here are a few that we feel are the most important and most popular safe types to help you find a safe that is right for your home.

Gun Safes
A gun safe is exactly what it sounds like, a safe designed to hide your guns and ammo away from the hands they should never fall into. A gun safe is really a must for any firearm owner, as they protect the guns from thieves and children, or even humidity, fire, or water damage. This type of safe comes in many of the different forms of safes we have listed below to offer the best protection for your gun collection.

Brands We Cover: Winchester, Browing 

Diversion Safes

Diversion safes are a completely unique type of safe that offers great protection from theft. They are safes that are disguised to look like ordinary products in order to hide your goods in plain sight. Some of the safes are made to look like books, shaving cream cans, vents, or even shelves.

The idea behind this type of safe is that thieves are often inside of your home for so little time they cannot search every area. They would never to think to look below your bathroom sink at all of your shaving creams, thus perfectly hiding your valuables in plain sight. These safes can be very portable and could be great for someone who travels and needs to protect documents and currency. They can also be very inexpensive, though they are often fairly small.

Portable Safes

Portable safes are almost always very small and can only fit a few items or just one or two firearms. They are perfect for very mobile people that like to travel a lot, or for people who just need to be able to access their valuables at a moment’s notice. They are also a good option for someone who lives in a rental and does not want to cut or drill into the wall to install a safe. These almost always come with a steel cable so that they can be chained down in a car or hotel room or to something sturdy at home.

Wall Safes

These are safes that are meant to be installed in the wall. Wall safes are good for people who know that they want they’re safe to stay there. A more permanent option, these safes come in all shapes and sizes.

Sizes are available to fit nearly anywhere you like, and wall safes are easily concealed with a painting, mirror, or curtain, or they could be fit in a closet behind some clothes. There are even some that fit in between the studs and dedicated mirror safes. Wall safes are good because they can be long and skinny while still being easily concealed, making them perfect for rifles or shotguns. They can also be small and square which is ideal for small valuables, cash or firearms.

Office Safes

Office safes are great for any business. They are important to keep your important documents and information safe from any prying eyes whether that be employees, thieves, or the competition.

An office safe should look professional and be a very high quality — these safes are keeping more than your passport safe and should look that way. A safe in the office can also make a statement to clients: “we mean business and will keep your information safe.”

Home Safes

Home safes are best for your more basic needs, precious memorabilia or passports. Of course, everyone has different needs, and a variety of home safes are available to accommodate those needs. Think carefully about what you are storing. After all, this safe will be holding your most precious memories and belongings.

Home safes come in a broad range of shapes and sizes, some even feature fire and water resistance. Your home safe is one that you will want to personalize to fit exactly what you need. Does it need a shelf or drawer? What sort of finish do you want on your safe? Does it need to be fire and waterproof or is that an added expense that is not worth it in your eyes?

Type of Access:
In any of the best safes, there are one or more of three basic types of access to look at. These are biometric combination and key.

Biometric
Biometric locks are another commonly used type of access. A biometric lock is a lock that opens only to the owner’s fingerprint. The best safes usually have this and another or both other types of access. These safes almost always also have secondary access, whether that is a backup key or combination.

Biometric safes are also commonly known as “fingerprint safes”. This type of lock usually has the capacity to program multiple fingerprints into the system, which allows owners to have multiple people access the safe or to have multiple fingers able to access the safe.

It should be noted with biometric safes that as a person ages their skin becomes much thinner and the ridges less defined. This may be something elderly people in search of a good safe should consider as their fingerprints can be more difficult for the safe to read.

Combination
Combination locks are another very popular option. These are a solid option and another great way to access a safe. Combination safes usually also come with an override key as a backup, in case something goes wrong. The combinations are usually inputted on a keypad or row of buttons that you program. This is a great middle option if you do not need something as pricey as the biometric lock or want something less basic than a key.

Key
The key lock system is the most basic of the three and usually accompanies the other two types of locking systems. When used alone, it is as simple and easy to use. The key offers a tried and true method of accessing your safe and is good for anyone that is using a safe for something basic. However, with the key lock system comes the potential worry of losing the key.

A Good Safe Versus a Bad Safe:  Types of Safe Materials and Designs

  • Lower gauge steel is best. Any safes that you consider should be made of steel, as steel offers the best protection against theft. The lower the gauge of steel, the thicker it is. So if you want a stronger product, lean towards safes with a lower steel gauge.
  • Locking Points. Another thing to consider is the number of locking points the safe has. The more locking points, the harder it would be to break into — especially if the safe features long bolts.
  • Hinges. The direction in which the hinges face makes a big difference. If the safe has interior hinges, then it is less likely to be broken into, as a thief cannot access the hinges to break them.
  • Fire Resistance. Looking for the best fire-resistant safe is where safe hunting becomes tricky, due to the individuality of fires. Overall, you should look for a safe that has a good fire rating, meaning it can withstand high temperatures for long periods of time. We recommend buying a safe with a minimum of one hour of protection. Some safes also offer a heat-activated seal that can protect the contents of the safe against smoke from the fire or the water that firefighters may use to extinguish the fire.

Overall, the best safes are likely going to reflect high ratings on consumer-used sites. The popularity and a high number of consumer reviews on amazon.com, making it a great place to start your safe search. Sort through all of the comments to find the best home safe reviews. Keep in mind that a higher price tag does not always come with higher quality.

Consider feedback on the company’s customer service. In case you have any troubles along the way, a company that truly backs their product is a useful ally. A safe should give you peace of mind.

The decision to buy a safe is ultimately dependent on what you want to secure, and the decision of which safe to buy is based on the same: what are you trying to protect? Becoming familiar with the types of safes, forms of access, and material components will help you choose the best home safe for your circumstances. We’ve developed this site to showcase home safe reviews, along with other safe accessories that will allow you to tailor your safe to your needs.

We’re interested in your thoughts on the best safes out there. Please share your impressions and experiences and . . . stay safe out there! (Sorry, but someone had to say it.)