The Best Home Safes to Protect Your Valuables

Overview
Home security systems help keep your home safe day to day. But home safes can be your last line of defense against burglars (or nosy kids). These safes are a secure place to keep irreplaceable items like sensitive documents, expensive jewelry, and firearms in case of theft, fire, or flood.

Ahead, we’re looking at the best home safes for different needs, from fireproof safes to hidden safes.

Home safes comparison

Best home safes overall

Best home safe: First Alert Combination Safe

The First Alert Combination Safe is a compact, solid house safe that’s small enough to bolt down in your closet or the corner of your office. It’s also waterproof and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certified to withstand external temperatures of up to 1700°F for up to one hour. And in case of emergency, you can use the included override barrel keys to open the safe.

Customers have two main gripes: The first is that the combination isn’t customizable. The second is that while the rest of the safe is made of metal, the handle is made of plastic.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The First Alert Combination Lock is a sturdy, no-fuss safe. Bolt it down to the floor in a spare closet and use it to keep sensitive documents and jewelry safe.

>>Buy the First Alert Combination Safe

Runner-up best home safe: Tigerking Security Home Safe

The Tigerking Security Home Safe is really good looking, as far as home safes go. And with a capacity of 1 cubic foot, a cushy inner layer, and a removable shelf, it’s a good place to store valuables without worrying about things getting scratched. It’s not waterproof or fire resistant, but you can get a fireproof bag to keep your heirlooms safe before you put them in your, um, safe.

The Tigerking is secure too, and you can open your safe with either the master key with the digital lock or the master key and the emergency key. And if anyone tries to force it open or if you get your passcode wrong three times, an alarm will sound for 60 seconds.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Tigerking Home Safe isn’t UL classified, and it isn’t as heavy duty as our top pick. But it’s still a solid safe. Use it to keep your most valued items from the prying eyes of kids (or burglars.)

>>Buy the Tigerking Security Home Safe

Best gun safes

Best gun safe: Fort Knox Handgun Safe 

The Fort Knox Handgun Safe is a highly rated gun safe that you can stow under the seat of your car or bolt inside of a desk drawer. It has a Simplex mechanical lock with a gas strut, which is a fancy way of saying it’s easy to open quickly. And with 1,081 different combinations, you can customize the Fort Knox to your heart’s desire.

It’s spacey too. You’ll be able to fit a large revolver, two compact semiautomatics, or a semiautomatic and a couple of spare clips. Just remember the code you choose since the Fort Knox Handgun Safe doesn’t come with a backup key.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Fort Knox is a high-quality, compact gun safe that’ll keep your weapons in a safe place. Store it in a high cabinet to keep your weapons away from children, or use it in your car.

>>Buy the Fort Knox Handgun Safe

Runner-up gun safe: Billconch Biometric Gun Safe 

The Billconch Biometric Safe is a highly rated gun safe that has enough storage space for two handguns. It’s also pretty rugged, with 16-gauge carbon steel construction.

You can get into it a variety of ways: the backlit keypad, the biometric fingerprint scanner, or in an emergency, the spare key. You can unlock the safe and manage your fingerprint and password from an app, which makes the Billconch super convenient. It’s our runner-up because a few customers had issues with the scanner, but that may be an uncommon issue.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want a convenient gun security safe, try the Billconch Biometric Gun Safe. It’s roomy and tough enough to keep your handguns safe, but you can use it for valuables and documents too.

>>Get the Billconch Biometric Gun Safe

Best hidden money safes

Best hidden safe: Paragon Lock and Safe Wall Safe

If you want to go full old-timey movie with a wall safe that can be covered with a swinging portrait, consider the Paragon Lock and Safe Wall Safe. It fits between the studs in your wall and comes fitted with predrilled holes and anchor bolts for easy installation.

It’s ideal for locking away valuables, trinkets, and heirlooms. It can be opened with a pin code, or you can use a back-up key in emergencies. The digital lock is battery-operated, but customers say they’ve gone three or four years without having to replace them. The main issue with the Paragon seems to be quality control: some customers report crooked keypads or chipped paint.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Paragon Lock and Safe Wall Safe will keep your most valued items secure, whether you install it in the back of a closet or behind a poster. Use it to secure money, valued tchotchkes, and even guns.

>>Buy the Paragon Lock and Safe

Runner-up hidden safe: Viking Biometric Hidden Wall Safe

The Viking Biometric Hidden Wall Safe doesn’t have as robust of a warranty as our top pick, but it has some decent features. It has three adjustable shelves, a built-in LED light, and a fully carpeted interior to avoid damaging your valuables. You can unlock it with a PIN number or fingerprint, and you can allow access for up to 32 fingerprints, which should be plenty for you and a couple of people you trust.

The Viking is also pretty secure. It locks with a motorized deadbolt, and it will lock out after five incorrect PIN attempts or 10 incorrect fingerprint attempts. Customers mostly complain about quality control issues, like the safe getting damaged during shipping.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Viking Biometric Hidden Wall Safe is a decent safe that you can install between studs for a seamless security boost. Get it if you like a bit of extra technology—unlocking with a fingerprint will give you some extra edge. And since it can accept so many fingerprints, it’s perfect for storing important documents for your whole family.

>>Buy the Viking Biometric Hidden Wall Safe

>>Check our more of our recommendations for hidden safes.

Best fireproof safes

Best fireproof safe: AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Box Safe

The AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Safe is a good value: You’ll get a heavy-duty 14-gauge steel door and body with 1.2 cubic feet of storage for important documents or items. Plus, it’s UL compliant and will withstand up to 1200°F for up to 20 minutes.

It also has decent reviews. Customers say it’s a good deal for the price and that they’d buy it again. A few customers report issues with the electronic lock—if the same thing happens to you, contact Amazon for a replacement.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Box Safe is a straightforward fireproof safe at a decent value. It’s a good solution for protecting your valuables, whether there’s a fire or not.

>>Buy the AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Box Safe

Runner-up fireproof safe: Steelwater Fireproof Home Safe

At 143 pounds, the Steelwater Fireproof Home Safe is super heavy duty. It’s constructed with steel inner walls, a steel door, two active locking bolts, and a digital keypad for added security. Plus, it can withstand temperatures up to 1850°F for up to two hours and has a capacity of 1.44 cubic feet.

Still, it doesn’t have as good of reviews as the AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Box Safe. And it doesn’t come with a backup key, so if you ever lose your codes, you’ll have to call a locksmith.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Steelwater Fireproof Home Safe is super sturdy and can withstand high temperatures for at least two hours. It makes a decent fireproof safe for your garage or office.

>>Buy the Steelwater Fireproof Home Safe

>>See our full list of recommendations for more fireproof safes.

Other brands we considered

The American Security Fire Safe is more expensive than any of the other safes we looked at, but it’s a worthy investment. It has a UL Class 350 two-hour fire rating, so it can be exposed to external temperatures of over 1700°F, but the inside of the safe will not exceed 350°F for at least two hours. And it can survive a 30-foot drop—that’s equivalent to about two stories.

Also, we looked only at safes for handguns, so if you need a larger safe for rifles or shotguns, there’s the Stack-On Long Gun Fire-Resistant Safe. For about $800, you can store up to 24 guns in a steel constructed safe that can withstand temperatures up to 1400°F for up to 30 minutes.

The SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Safe is UL Classified to withstand up to one hour of temperatures up to 1700°F and can be submerged in up to eight inches of water for 24 hours without sustaining damage. The SentrySafe doesn’t have as high of a customer rating as our above picks, but it’s still a solid safe that can keep your valuables secure.

Types of safes

Quality safes can offer protection and a secure place for your valuables, and there is a wide variety to choose from.

Floor mounted safes

Floor safes can be bolted to the floor of a closet, the corner of your bedroom, or somewhere else hidden. Floor safes are typically fire-resistant in case of emergency.

Wall-mounted safes

These safes are designed so you can mount them on your walls. They include hidden safes, which are installed between studs, and can be covered with objects, like a curtain or a poster.

Portable safes

While floor safes can weigh up to 200 pounds, portable safes are often lightweight and designed to be taken with you, stored in a drawer on your bedside table, or kept under your car seat.

If you’re looking to buy a safe, there are a few factors to consider.

Frequently asked questions

How do you secure a safe in your home?

The best way to secure a floor safe is to bolt it to the floor. Bolting makes it harder for burglars to take it with them during a theft. Fortunately, most safes come with tools and instructions to make the job a bit easier.

Where should I put my home safe?

If your safe has jewelry, documents, or anything else you’ll access frequently, put it in a spot that’s easy to get to, like a reinforced shelf in your closet. If your safe will hold items you use infrequently, like firearms or heirlooms, install your safe in a rarely used room, like the basement or garage.

Our recommendation

Safes can keep your most treasured items secure from theft, fire, or water damage. Overall, we think the First Alert Combination Safe does that best. It’s a sturdy UL-classified floor safe that’s resistant to fire and water. Plus, it’s compact but still big enough to stow important documents, heirlooms, and jewelry.

>> Sturdy. Secure. Safe. Buy the First Alert Combination Safe.