It was in the latter part of the 19th century when the production of safes began in England. The earliest type of safe had the simple function of keeping valuables secure from burglars.
It soon developed to become fire retardant and accident resistant with a special slot for important documents. Nowadays, safes come in various types with plenty of features offering more security and peace of mind.
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Types
Security Safes
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These safes are generally small enough to slide under the bed or behind a piece of furniture but offer enough protection that you can store a number of items in them without worrying.
Many people use them to hold cash, jewelry, or other precious items when they are going out of town and don’t want to worry about someone breaking into their home and stealing their items.
Look for thick doors as well as thick walls and make sure that the safe you buy has a high impact rating, which means that it won’t break apart even if dropped from a high location. A seamless body means that there is no easy way to crack into this deep wall safe.
Media Safes
Source: Hayneedle
Media safes have been designed to protect items such as your laptop, cash, and any important documents that your family needs. IDs, passports, birth certificates, and savings bonds should all be stored in a media safe to ensure that they are not lost, damaged, or stolen.
Most of these safes are relatively smaller than other kinds, since they are designed to hold papers or small electronic equipment, making them a lot easier to access and to move around the home without struggle.
Look for a media safe that is fire and waterproof so you don’t have to worry about papers or memory cards being damaged if there is a flood or the safe is stolen and tossed off of the road.
Gun Safes
Source: Hayneedle
Any family that has a gun in their home needs to make sure that they have a safe place to store it to keep it out of the reach of children and any guests who come over.
Gun safes come in a variety of sizes, from small ones perfect to store a handgun under the bed to stand-up safes that can hold and protect a number of rifles or shotguns. High-quality gun safes will usually come lined on the inside to ensure that the guns can be stored without risking any damage to them.
While you can store a small gun in most any safe, the best way to make sure that your guns are going to be in great condition is to buy a dedicated gun safe, as it will be specially created and manufactured to protect your guns.
Gun Concealment Safes
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Not everyone who owns guns wants to make it obvious to others around them and want to keep their guns accessible but still hidden from plain sight. The best way to do this is to invest in a gun concealment safe that will look exactly like a regular piece of furniture but is a safe place to store your guns.
Rather than having them locked in a safe in the back room where you can’t get to them in an emergency, when you store your guns in this kind of safe, they can be in the living room and nobody will be the wiser.
Look for furniture that matches the style of the rest of the pieces in your room, that has plenty of space for all of your guns, and has a locking compartment to keep guests or children from accidentally accessing the weapons.
Portable Safes
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If you need to bring assets with you when you are traveling, then it’s a good idea to invest in a portable safe that will put your mind at ease. These are a lot smaller than other kinds of safes to ensure that they can easily be lifted and carried even when they are full.
Because they are designed to be portable, they generally have a strong handle that will make them easy to carry and often come with compartment trays so that you can separate the items. From jewelry and old coins to cash or your medication, if you want to keep it safe while on the road then you will need to invest in a portable safe.
Depository Safes
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Different than the deposit safes that banks have, these are a lot smaller and can fit easily into any home. What makes them special is that you can deposit money or other small items into the safe without actually having to open the safe and lift the lid.
If you are trying hard to save money or have a family member who wants to save instead of spend, then this is a great way to start setting aside a little money. The items can be retrieved if you need them, but because the safe has to be opened to do so, it adds extra incentive to the user to save more.
Safe Boxes
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These small boxes come with a variety of lock options and are large enough to store an item like a digital camera or plenty of paperwork.
They can often be bolted to the floor for extra security or even mounted on the wall, which helps to put the owner’s mind at ease about the safety of their stored items, as otherwise, they are usually small enough to be carried away without a lot of hassle.
Drawer Safe
Source: Home Depot
These safes are small enough to fit into a drawer. While they are generally used in stores and restaurants, they are a great way to add some extra security to your home if you have items that you want to store in a safe.
They open with a lock and, while they don’t have a lot of room inside to store big items, they do a great job at keeping their contents safer than if they were kept loose in a drawer.
File Safes
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File safes offer a great way to secure hanging files full of information and important documents. They are generally very portable as well as sturdy, so when you opt for a safe made out of steel, you won’t have to worry about it being damaged when you are on the move.
They are usually designed to hold file folders and papers that are letter-sized and use a hook as well as a key lock to ensure that your documents are as safe as possible.
No matter what papers or files you need to take with you, from tax documents to loans information, it will be safe when you store and carry them in this safe.
Diversion Safes
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These safes are a great way to keep small items around your home safe from prying eyes. They are most commonly used to keep a house key safe in case the homeowner were to accidentally lock themselves out of the home.
Outdoor diversion safes are usually shaped like a rock so that they will blend in with the garden and not attract any unwanted attention, but there are diversion safes that you can buy that will blend in with the décor of the home.
Sometimes, the best way to hide something is in plain sight, and with a safe that looks exactly like a hardcover book that you can store on your bookshelf, you won’t have to worry about intruders looking for the safe and finding it in a typical location.
These safes lock to keep the contents protected but are small enough that you can lift and move them in your home without any problems. Because of their size, they are not ideal for storing large items but are great for thumb drives, USB cards, money, and any important documents that you can fold and put inside.
Wall Safes
Source: Hayneedle
When you want a hidden safe that is easily accessible, then you will want to consider a wall safe. These fit easily on the wall without taking up a lot of space or sticking out and being too obvious and can easily and quickly be covered up by a painting or other piece of art.
They’re a great idea for slim belongings, such as paperwork or small jewelry, but aren’t ideal for guns or other large items because of their size.
Lock Type
Combination Dial Lock
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Safes with a combination dial require the person opening the safe to turn the dial to the right numbers in the correct order in order to open the door. If the wrong number is entered or the lock is turned too many times in one direction, then the lock will not release and the door can’t be opened.
Some combination dial safes also require a key to be able to open them, while some rely simply on the combination lock.
Having one that needs only the combination lock means that you don’t have to worry about how you will gain entry to the safe if you accidentally lose the key. Combination dial safes generally have the code already entered before the safe is purchased, and it cannot be changed later.
Electronic Lock
Source: Home Depot
These safes rely on a keypad for the user to punch in a code that will then unlock the safe and allow him to open the door. The codes can be changed by using a series of buttons that will allow the user to set a unique code if he desires.
This is important if you want to allow a third party entry to the safe but then want to keep them out in the future and ensures that if someone else overhears the code that you are using that you can quickly change it without having to worry about them accessing your private items.
Key Lock
Source: Houzz
Safes that rely on a key to open and close the safe make it really easy to control who is able to access the items inside. In addition, using a key ensures that you don’t have to try to remember the access code, as it can be almost impossible to access the safe if you happen to forget the code.
The problem with using a safe that relies only on a key is if you accidentally misplace or lose the key, you will not be able to get into the safe.
One of the benefits of using a safe that requires a key for opening it is that you can allow anyone one-time access without having to worry about them knowing the code in the future.
Biometric Lock
Source: Houzz
For the ultimate safe that will only open when an authorized person is trying to get inside, you will want to buy a biometric safe. Instead of relying on keys, codes, or punching in numbers, these safes can be programmed to open with the touch of a fingerprint.
They will store numerous fingerprint information in them so that they will then easily be opened by the correct person. This removes all of the fear that some people have over others finding the key or the combination to their safe and then being able to get inside.
When the fingerprint is required, an authorized person must be present in order to open the safe, and the chance of someone getting in without authorization is almost non-existent.
Dual-Lock
Source: Home Depot
Nobody wants to have to worry about someone getting into their safe, no matter what they have stored inside, and relying on a dual-lock safe is a great way to protect all belongings. These safes require both a key and a combination, making it even more difficult for someone unauthorized to get inside the safe.
Even if you accidentally misplace your safe key, you won’t have to worry about someone breaking into your safe, as they will need to have the correct combination, as well.
The downside to this is that if you misplace the key or forget the combination, you will not be able to get into the safe either, but for many people, the extra peace of mind that they get with a dual-lock safe is worth that small risk.
Card-Swipe
Source: Wayfair
Using a safe that operates with a card-swipe function makes it very difficult for someone to break into the safe without you knowing. The cards that come with these safes can be programmed with different combinations for the lock, and it takes swiping the card as well as punching in the code to get the lock to open.
This means that the person who has the card will also need to know the code or they will be unable to get inside the safe. Not only does this ensure that the safe is very secure, but it makes it easy to reprogram it if you need to change the code.
Gone are the days of worrying about past employees coming back because they know the code or worrying about someone overhearing you saying the code, as a quick reprogram is all it takes to ensure total security with this safe.
Features
Waterproof
Source: Home Depot
While nobody wants to think that they will ever have water damage in their home, it’s best to prepare for this possibility and make sure that the items in your safe will be safe in case of a flood.
This is especially important if you live in an area that is prone to flooding or hurricanes, as any amount of water can easily damage your safe, get inside, and ruin the items that you have stored there. When looking for a waterproof safe, you will want to compare how long it can last in water and how much water it is rated to survive.
Some safes are rated up to 8 inches of water and can last without damage for up to 24 hours, while others will be rated for longer or shorter periods of time. If there is even the chance of water damage in your home, then you will want to opt for a safe that can resist this problem.
Drop Slot
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Businesses that are in the market for a safe where employees can drop their money at the end of a shift will need to buy one that has a built-in drop slot. This allows people to deposit items into the safe but unless they have the access code or key, they are not able to get the money back out.
The last thing that you will want to do as a business owner is give the combination of your safe to employees. Even though this will allow them to make necessary deposits, it will also give them the perfect opportunity to take money from the company.
Make sure that the safe you are considering has a drop slot that is large enough to accommodate any of the bags that your employees are going to be using so there isn’t any problem with them getting hung-up inside of the unit.
Fire-Resistant
Source: Hayneedle
Depending on what you are going to be storing in your safe, you may want to make sure that it can stand up to a fire. While some people store important documents or photographs in lock boxes at the bank, if you want to keep these items at your home, then you need to protect them in case of a fire.
These safes will be rated up to certain degrees, which shows that they can withstand fires for a certain period of time. Before buying a fire-resistant safe, you will want to make sure that it can last through a hot fire for long enough for the firefighters to arrive.
This will ensure that your valuables, CDs, hard drives, and other electronic items will be safe during the inferno.
Impact-Resistant
Source: Houzz
Nobody wants to think about someone stealing their safe from their home or business and trying to break it open, but one of the most popular ways for thieves to try to gain access to the items in the safe is to drop it off of a high building or overpass.
When the safe hits the ground, there is a very good chance that it will break open and the contents will come spilling out. It’s up to you to make sure that the safe you buy will not break open, and that’s why buying an impact-resistant safe is so important.
Look for one that can withstand falling at least from the second floor of a building, as it’s easy to throw the safe out of a bedroom window to try to get it to break open.
Bolt-Down
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Bolting your safe to the floor of your home or business is one of the best ways to ensure that nobody is able to take it. Safes that can be bolted to the floor are specially designed for this purpose and is included in the warranty so there isn’t any concern about damaging the safe by trying to make it more secure.
Humidity Control
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Depending on what you are going to be storing in your safe, you may want to opt for one that has humidity control. This will ensure that nothing in your safe will grow mold or mildew and will allow you to have peace of mind over the condition of the items you have stored.
Interior Light
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It can be very difficult to see inside your safe, especially if you have it stored in a dark closet or under the bed.
Instead of having to use a flashlight each time you want to look in your safe, when you buy one that has an interior light, it will be easy to see everything you have stored. This light makes it easy to quickly find what you are looking for.
False Bottom
Source: Wayfair
For added security that will allow you to hide extra items in your safe out of sight, you will benefit from one that has a false bottom. While this space won’t be very large, it will generally be deep enough to store papers or a thumb drive that you want to keep out of sight of others.
