You’re a cautious person, so you have you and your family’s passports, social security cards, birth certificates, and some family heirlooms in a safe. These items may be safe from intruders, but are they completely secure from damage? If the items are valuable enough to lock in a safe, they are valuable enough to protect in a fire. That’s why we’ve chosen the best small, medium, and large fireproof safes for you to consider during your decision-making process.
Best Fireproof Safes: SentrySafe vs Paragon vs First Alert vs Honeywell

Already know what size you’re looking for? Jump ahead to see our recommendations!
How we chose the best fireproof safes
This means a product has met certain design and performance standards set by Intertek, an independent testing organization.
Impact resistant
If the safe is located on a floor above ground and it falls, you don’t want it to crumble apart. Impact resistance helps keep the safe intact when floors give out in fires.
Most of the safes in this article are certified for one hour of fire protection up to 1700°F; however, this time and temperature can vary.
Waterproof
Where there’s fire, there’s most likely going to be water. I once had a car fire, and by the time the firefighters were done extinguishing it, my entire car was flooded. As a result, I had just as many items ruined with water damage as there were from the fire itself. Don’t stop at just getting a safe that’s fire resistant—be sure to get one that is also waterproof for when the firefighters put the fire out.
Best large fireproof safe: SentrySafe SFW205CWB review
Tech Specs
- Exterior dimensions: 18.6”W x 23.8”H x 19.3”D
- Interior dimensions: 14.8”W x 19.6”H x 11.9”D
- 2.0 cubic feet
- Weight: 124.8 pounds
- If damaged in a fire, SentrySafe will replace it for free
Fire protection guarantee
Fire resistant for up to 1 hour up to 1700u00b0F
Water resistant up to 8 inches for up to 24 hours
Impact resistant
Can be bolted down
Pry-resistant hinge bar
Trays arenu2019t made of the highest quality material
The SentrySafe SFW205CWB ranked as the best large fireproof safe because it has six large one-inch bolts to keep your belongings secure. It is UL Classified for one hour of fire protection and water resistant as well. Inside the safe are compartments and trays for your items to keep your things organized.
What sets this safe apart from the competition is that SentrySafe offers $50,000 in fire damages with its fire protection guarantee, something you won’t find with other safe companies. SentrySafe will also replace your safe after a fire, so this is a one-time purchase for life. (Hopefully you don’t have any fires in your lifetime, though!)
Runner up large fireproof safe: Paragon 7800 review
Tech Specs
- Exterior dimensions: 16.75″W x 19″H x 16.25″D
- Interior dimensions: 13″W x 17″H x 14″D
- 1.79 cubic feet
- Weight: 77 pounds
- 10-year limited warranty
Fire resistant for up to 30 minutes up to 1700u00b0F
Can be bolted to the floor
Key and touchpad opening
Not water resistant
The Paragon 7800 is our runner up for large fireproof safe. It opens with either a key or a pin code. It comes with two keys, and you can program up to two pin codes that you can change whenever you want. Users have stated in reviews they like that the safe can be opened both ways. The hinges on the safe are concealed so they’re tamperproof. This safe is our second pick because it’s only fire resistant for 30 minutes and it’s not water resistant.
Fire resistant for up to 1 hour up to 1700u00b0F
Maintains an internal temperature less than 350u00b0F
Waterproof when fully submerged
Floats so it is easy to find in a flood
Pry-resistant hinges
Digital keypad with key override
1 removable/adjustable shelf
Complaints about the digital lock not working (If this happens, contact the company)
Does not bolt down
The best medium fireproof safe is this First Alert 2092DF. The four locking bolts and programmable three- to eight-digit passcode help secure your belongings. What makes it stand apart from other safes is that it is waterproof when fully submerged. Unlike some of our other recommendations, this safe cannot be bolted to the floor, which makes it easier for an intruder to carry away. However, the safe floats,so your valuables will withstand the waters in case there is flooding when firefighters extinguish a fire.
Runner up medium fireproof safe: SentrySafe SFW123DSB review
Tech Specs
- Exterior dimensions: 16.3″W x 17.8″H x 19.3″D
- Interior dimensions: 12.6″W x 13.8″H x 11.9″D
- 1.23 cubic feet
- Weight: 90 pounds
- If damaged in a fire, SentrySafe will replace it for free
Fire protection guarantee
Fire resistant for up to 1 hour up to 1700u00b0F
Water resistant up to 8 inches for up to 24 hours
Impact resistant
Can be bolted down
Pry-resistant hinge bar
Condensation inside safe
Plastic handle doesnu2019t feel sturdy
Similar to the SentrySafe SFW205CWB, the SFW123DSB is UL Classified for one hour of fire protection and is water resistant for up to 24 hours in eight inches of water. It has four large one-inch bolts to help secure your belongings. This safe also includes $50,000 in fire damages with the fire protection guarantee. What kept it from being our winner for best medium fireproof safe? Condensation occurs on the inside, so if you want to store cassettes, photographs, or other susceptible items, you’ll need an air-tight container.
After fire replacement guarantee
Fire resistant for up to 30 minutes up to 1550u00b0F
ETL verified for water submersion
Only weighs 27 pounds, so a thief could carry it away easily
Cannot fit unfolded documents inside
The SentrySafe H2300CG is described as a “lock chest,” but we could also classify it as a safe since it has a keyed entry. It is ETL verified for CD, DVD, USB drive, and hard drive protection. This safe is easy to conceal since it’s a small 0.4 cubic feet in size. We chose this safe as the best for small-sized fireproof safes because there are few safes this size that are both fireproof and waterproof.
Runner up small fireproof safe: Honeywell 2201 review
Tech Specs
- Exterior dimensions: 14.2”W x 17.5”H x 15.7”D
- Interior dimensions: 9.4”W x 13.2”H x 9.4”D
- Weight: 88 pounds
- 0.73 cubic feet
- 7-year limited warranty with a lifetime after fire guarantee
Fire resistant for up to 1 hour up to 1700u00b0F
Can be bolted down
Only the door is water resistant
Plastic handle
The Honeywell 2201 is probably what you picture in your head when you hear the word safe. It has a four-number combination lock, while the other safes in this article have a key lock or a digital lock. Why wasn’t this the best small fireproof safe? Only the door is water resistant, so we didn’t feel it was better than the SentrySafe safe above. Additionally, some customer reviews say the handle breaks easily.
Best gun safes
Best home safes
Are you looking for a safe to use at home and aren’t worried about it being fireproof? Check out our Best Home Safes article to learn about the best.
Choose your safe wisely
If you’re the victim of a fire, you don’t want to spend hours trying to obtain new birth certificates, passports, and social security cards from the government. (You know how long the DMV takes? Imagine that times 100.) Not to mention, Grandma’s wedding ring or the medal Grandpa received for serving in war could be lost forever. Spending the extra money on a fireproof safe could save you hours of trying to piece your life back together.