Small home safe: The 4 Best Home Safes in 2023

AMSEC BF1512 – Best Small Home Safe

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SPECIFICATIONS

  • Exterior Dimensions : 20-1/4″ H x 17-1/4″ W x 18-3/4 D”
    • Add 2″ for handle
  • Interior Dimensions : 15″ H x 12″ W x 13 D”
  • Interior Cubic Feet : 1.4
  • Weight : 288
  • Burglary Rating : RSC +
  • Fire Rating : 60 Minutes

Price : $2,017.50

Lock:

Mechanical Dial UL Approved Lock – Included Key Locking Dial (+$112.50)ESL10XL UL Approved Electronic Lock – No Cost Upgrade LP Rotobolt Redundant Lock (+$213.75)

Exterior Color:

NoneTextured Satin Black Textured Granite Textured Sandstone Pearl Essence Metallic Gloss ($1,733.00)Platinum Metallic Gloss ($1,733.00)Onyx Gloss ($1,733.00)Charcoal Metallic Gloss ($1,733. 00)Lazer Red Gloss ($1,733.00)Sapphire Blue Gloss ($1,733.00)

Hardware:

Chrome Brass Black Nickel

Door Swing:

Hinges on Right Hinges on Left

Moisture Protection:

NoneNone Eva-dry Dehumidifier E-333 ($30.00)Eva-dry Dehumidifier E-500 ($40.00)

AMSEC BF1512 – Best Small Home Safe – Fireproof quantity

We are prepared to arrange your preferred freight and delivery option whether it is the less costly curbside freight or in-home “white glove” delivery service. Please call us, email us or initiate a purchase and we will be in touch with you.

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SKU: BF1512

Categories: AMSEC Burglar & Fire Safes, BF Dial Locks, Burglar & Fire Safes, Fire Safes, Small Fire Safes
Tags: Burglar Safes, Business Safes, Fire Safe, Home Safe, RSC

  • Features

  • Description

BF® Standard Features
• U. L. Listed 1-Hr. 350°F fire rating. Tested at temperatures up to 1700°F
• U.L. Listed Residential Security Container burglary rating
• “B” rated heavy duty construction
• Durable and attractive textured or gloss finish
• Lifetime fire replacement and one year parts and labor

Door
• 3½” total thickness
• ½” plate steel with a unique proprietary fire and burglary resistant material
• Three 1″ diameter solid steel chrome-plated locking bolts
• Dual seal design, silicone foam seal with heat-expanding intumescent seal

Body
• 2-5/8″ total thickness
• 1/8″ outer and inner steel plates
• Unique proprietary fire resistant material
• Full length dead bar
• Plush velour interior

Lock
• U.L. listed Group II lock with spring-loaded auxiliary relock device
• ¼” heavy duty carburized hardplate
• Heavy duty steel hinges
• One recessed anchor bolt hole and mounting hardware

Manufacturer’s Warranty
• 1 Year Parts and Labor
• Lifetime Free Replacement of Safe due to Fire Damage

Proudly Made in the USA

The AMSEC BF1512 is the best in class with a solid ½” steel plate door and nearly ¼” combined steel in the body. It’s a winner when it comes to fire protection as well with it’s 1 hr fire label from Underwriter’s Laboratories. If you are looking for excellent burglar and fire protection in a small safe the BF1512 is one you need to consider.

The door is the most frequently attacked part of a safe. All together BF1512 door is 3-1/2” thick including the ½” steel plate and the unique proprietary fire resistant material. The dual seal design combines a silicone foam seal with a heat-expanding intumescent seal that does an excellent job protection the interior of the safe from heat, smoke and water.

If an attacker goes after the side of the safe, if they get through the first layer of steel and fire resistant material they will be again slowed down by another 11-gauge layer of steel. Most burglars don’t have anywhere near enough time to work this long to get into a safe.

We stock the BF1512 safe with the convenient and easy to use ESL10XL digital lock. This lock has proved to be significantly more reliable and secure than most locks on the market today. UL has awarded it the Type 1 High Security rating required by safes used by jewelry stores and coin dealers. You easily set your own 6 digit code and can change that code any time you desire with a simple procedure.

These safes are made in the USA and while we stock them with hinges on the right side, we can order you a safe with hinges on the left as well. There is no additional charge.

The BF1512 is a nice looking collection as well. We have them built without any logos or stickers, just a nice clean front. They come in several textured and high gloss colors to accent or blend in with your decor as you prefer.

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Browning Pro Series HS17 Digital Home Safe

$2,565. 00

Browning Pro Series HS13 Home Safe with Electronic Lock

$1,850.00

Hollon 685E-JD 2 Hour Fire & Burglary Jewelry Safe

$1,790.00

Hollon HDS-750E Data Home Safe

$1,200.00

Hollon HDS-750C Data Home Safe

$1,200.00

Browning Pro Series HS9 Electronic Home Safe

$1,595.00

Browning Home Safes Deluxe HSD19 Home Safe

$5,275.00

Browning Home Safes Deluxe HSD13 Home Safe

$4,625.00

Fort Knox Maverick 4024 Biometric Safe

$2,854. 00

Fort Knox Spartan 4026 Biometric Safe

$3,413.00

Fort Knox Legacy 4026 Biometric Safe

$8,798.00

Browning Home Safes Deluxe HSD10 Home Safe

$4,125.00

Browning 1878 13 Home Safe

$3,169.00

Hollon HDS-1000E Data Home Safe

$1,770.00

Hollon HDS-1000C Data Home Safe

$1,770.00

Hollon HDS-500E Data Home Safe

$629.00

Fort Knox Executive 4026 Home Safe

$4,814. 00

Fort Knox Defender 4026 Biometric Safe

$4,051.00

Fort Knox Maverick 4024 Home Safe

$2,508.00

Fort Knox Marquise 4026 Biometric Safe

$7,331.00

Hollon 845C-JD 2 Hour Fire & Burglary Jewelry Safe

$2,105.00

Hollon 845E-JD 2 Hour Fire & Burglary Jewelry Safe

$2,105.00

Hollon 685C-JD 2 Hour Fire & Burglary Jewelry Safe

$1,790.00

Hollon HS-1750E 2 Hour Fireproof Office Safe

$4,171.00

How to choose a home safe | Blog Angstrem

02/22/2022

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0 Comments

In every home there are valuable things that we would like to protect from thieves and emergencies. Of course, you can store them in the old fashioned way in a box, chest of drawers or even a wardrobe, but if finances allow, it is better to buy a safe for this purpose. And certainly such an acquisition will be needed by the owners of firearms.

At the same time, the contents will determine the key characteristics of the future safe. So it is safer to put important papers and documents in a fire-resistant model, and money and jewelry in a burglar-resistant one. It is easier to fit a compact safe in an apartment, and to hide from prying eyes – built-in. Let us dwell on the features of different models in more detail in order to make an informed choice.

Burglar resistance class

This is perhaps one of the main characteristics of the safe. After all, we acquire it to ensure the safety of the property placed in the cell.

All products are divided into 8 classes of burglar resistance: the higher it is, the more difficult it will be for an outsider to open or break into the vault. Typically, a safe up to class 3 is chosen for a home. More protected products are distinguished by a fair weight, because the level of resistance increases with the thickness of the walls. It is also affected by the number and reliability of locks.

Usually the burglary resistance class is marked on the safe with the marking H0-H7.

  • Class H0 safes can only be installed in guarded premises and are intended for storing small amounts of money, weapons and documents. The thickness of their walls is 5 mm, and the lock is in no way protected from knocking out or drilling.
  • The h2 class safes are compact, lightweight models that can be built into furniture. They are often equipped with two locks, an alarm and anchors, and their wall thickness is about 10 mm.
  • Class h3 safes are more massive and have concrete fittings. The thickness of their walls is 10-12 mm. They are equipped with a lock and two different locks. Weigh about 90 kg.
  • Class h4 safes are used even in enterprises and in exchange offices. The thickness of their walls is 50-70 mm with concrete filling between the layers. Products are equipped with a crossbar locking system and two locks that are almost impossible to knock out or drill out.
  • Safes of the fourth class and above are already used in banks and jewelry stores. They are often equipped with additional secret compartments. The thickness of their walls is 100 mm and above, weight – from 200 kg and more.

Fireproof safe

The second important indicator of storage is its ability to resist fire. The fire resistance class is reflected by the marking: 30B, 90B, 120B, etc., where the number is the time in minutes during which the contents of the safe will be protected from fire. The level of fire resistance depends on the amount of heat-insulating material and seals in the walls of the safe. Given the simple marking, it is not difficult to choose a model that would fully meet the requirements of the future owner.

Please note that fire resistance and burglar resistance are different parameters. If both characteristics are equally important to you, immediately pay attention to fire-resistant models.

Size

After you have decided on the main characteristics of the future safe, you should pay attention to the size. For an apartment, it is better to choose the most compact model, taking into account the size of the future contents. It is easier to hide a small safe from prying eyes in a niche or furniture, to fix it on a wall or floor.

In a private house, a larger structure can be installed if a separate niche or room for it is foreseen in advance. Moreover, you can use several safes for separate storage of securities, money, documents and weapons. Opening each of them will take a lot of time for attackers.

Mounting method

Depending on the size of the room and its characteristics, you can purchase a safe:

  • built-in;
  • furniture;
  • freestanding.

Built-in safe

The first option is optimal for the home. The built-in design will not take up much space and will be hidden from prying eyes. In addition, the attacker will have to try hard to pull out a well-installed safe from the wall. You can hide it with a picture, a mirror, a shelf with books or another decorative element.

However, when installing a built-in structure, difficulties can arise. First, the wall must be at least 10 cm thicker than the safe. That is, in a thirty-centimeter wall, you can build a safe no more than 20 cm deep.
Secondly, the installation of an embedded structure is not easy and is associated with noise and dust. Therefore, it is better to carry it out at the stage of rough finishing.

Furniture safe

If there is no way to build a storage cell into the wall, it is advisable to pay attention to furniture models. In this case, the safe is built into any piece of furniture: a wardrobe, bedside table, table. At the same time, the structure is often screwed not to the furniture itself, but to the wall or floor, and it is quite difficult to tear it off.

Free-standing safes

Usually this option is chosen out of desperation, for example, if the product is not suitable in size to be built-in. Naturally, such a safe is striking, but you can put more things in it, including large ones. By the way, manufacturers offer safes decorated to look like ordinary furniture. Fitting such a design into the interior is much easier than an iron box.

Safe type

In order to organize the contents compactly and conveniently, it is advisable to immediately select the appropriate type of storage room. Manufacturers currently offer:

  • document safes with several compartments and shelves for storing papers;
  • jewelry storage items fitted with drawers with dividers and fabric upholstery;
  • deposit safes with a slot for money and a compartment with a key;
  • weapon variants with holders for weapons and separate shelves for cartridges and other equipment;
  • combined products with different compartments;
  • data-safes for magnetic media with special heat- and waterproof chambers for storing flash drives and disks;
  • mini-safes with one or two compartments for the essentials.

Type of lock

This feature is closely related to burglary resistance. Manufacturers produce products with different types of locks, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:

  • the key lock opens fairly quickly, does not depend on external conditions, but requires the storage of the key itself;
  • code mechanical block is very reliable, but it takes a long time to open and requires good memory, since it is often not equipped with a code reset mechanism;
  • coded electronic lock opens faster than a mechanical one and allows you to reset the code using a master key, but depends on power sources and is more sensitive to environmental conditions;
  • biometric lock allows you to open the safe in a matter of seconds, but is also very sensitive to water and heat, and besides it is very expensive.

Thus, you can choose the best lock by weighing the pros and cons of different options. For example, if the owner looks into the safe several times a day, he will definitely get bored with a mechanical combination lock very quickly. And if only from time to time, it may be the best option.

What else to look for when buying?

Once you have finally decided which safe you need, carefully study the conditions that the seller announces. After all, you are purchasing a storage box for your valuables, not just an iron box on the market.

The manufacturer must provide laboratory test certificates indicating the burglary and fire resistance class. If there is no corresponding paper, then the safe did not pass the tests or they were not carried out at all. It is also very important that the manufacturer announce acceptable conditions for warranty and post-warranty service in case the key is lost or you forget the code.

Responsible approach to purchasing a safe from a reputable seller, unwillingness to save money and a clear understanding of the required parameters of a storage cell are the main guarantors of the safety of your valuables, documents and media.

How to Choose a Safe for Your Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you search the Internet for “home safe”, the results can be overwhelming. Special for weapons, protecting against fire, burglary or water. There are variations of locking devices and systems that also need to be considered.

Decide which look suits you:

  • for flooring;
  • wall mounted;
  • bedside.

Find the lock that suits your needs and budget.

Types of safes

When buying, consider whether you want to hide relics or important documents. Need quick access to a gun for emergencies? The answer will affect cost and storage space.

Wall-mounted

If you have a small layout of the apartment, house, and you can make changes, the wall-mounted version will suit you. Wall-mounted ones are hidden behind doors or portraits, without taking up too much space on the floor. When choosing one, make sure it is placed between the posts in the wall.

Floor standing

If you don’t want to change your layout, a metal floor cabinet is a great alternative to a hole in the wall. They are fixed to the floor for enhanced protection against thieves. They come in a variety of shapes to fit tight spaces. If you want a secure hold, hard concrete surfaces meet these criteria.

Biometric

Bedside – biometric guns are safer than just keeping a weapon on the nightstand. Manufacturers guarantee that the gun will not fall into the wrong hands. Instant opening, if you urgently need a weapon.

Hidden

Hidden are hidden home boxes. Usually disguised as books. Ideal for keeping in plain sight, discreet, lightweight, making them portable for travel. Doesn’t fit a lot of things, but big enough to put away: passports, birth certificates, etc.

Lock types

The lock lock is powered by batteries, Wi-Fi or AC adapter. Be sure to check for a low battery warning or backup key if you’re staying at a safe that requires a power source.

  • Biometric scanner lock scans, reads your fingerprint and opens when it matches the stored scan in memory. Some contain multiple fingerprints for other people. Make sure the model you choose matches the number of people using it.
  • The electronic lock provides security and accessibility for you (or other authorized users) thanks to PIN code authentication.
  • Combination mechanical lock. Turn the dial to your code and voila. Without power supply, so you can count on uninterrupted operation. But it requires periodic maintenance. To prevent sticking, you need to disassemble it, clean and lubricate. Your local safety specialist or locksmith can tell you more about costs and features.
  • With spare key. Regardless of the locking system, the backup key saves: in case of a low battery, power loss or if you simply forgot it.

Protect your valuables

Before you buy, find out what threats your valuables may face.

Fire Safes

Fire Safes have been tested for how much heat they can withstand. These tests measure the temperature inside and out, ensuring that the contents and walls reject heat.

Water resistant

If you live in an area with frequent floods, buy a safe that floats or is waterproof. We recommend placing it in a small elevated area to avoid exposure to water.

Size

Size affects where and how much it can store and hold. Consider different sizes when buying. Most, calculate the capacity in cubic decimeters.

Portability

Although lightweight safes are more portable, it is also easier for a burglar to open the door. When choosing it, keep it secret or under surveillance.

Contents

Think about what items you want to place. The size and number of values ​​will determine how much the volume will be increased. Larger items such as binders, weapons or laptops will require more space than documents, jewelry, flash drives.

Proper etiquette

Tips on how to make the most of your new safe in the presence of strangers.

Keep locked up

Whatever is in the safe, always close it. Perhaps someone will look after the apartment, be careful and lock him up.

Create a complex passcode

As tempting as it is to have a passcode or backup key in an accessible place, it won’t protect your valuables. It is not known who will discover an additional set of keys or guess a simple password, so keep them secret from others.

Do not reveal location

Take precautions, as you would with any expensive product. Do not advertise or compromise the location of the safe. The less people know about him, the calmer.

Bolt on and hide

Good for floor or wall mounting. If housing has become a victim of intruders, and it is light enough to carry, then the incident may happen again.

Where to hide?

The harder it is to find, the better. But it depends on whether you can make changes in the room. If you own a home, pay attention to the wall. It will hide with a work of art, a false wall or a fixture.

How heavy should it be?

Even lighter metal cabinets must be difficult to open. The heavier, the better and more durable. They are not easy to crack and open quietly. If you need with less weight, be sure to choose with multiple locking systems.

Safe to save?

The bodies are perfectly movable. They are easy to hide and move if they are found. They come with a master key and a backup key, and that’s not a bad thing in terms of security.

An example of choosing the best home safe

What would you like to put in it? Eliminate fragile key and weapon boxes so that the safes you choose will fit most needs.

Look for backup key vaults, biometric locks to avoid blocking. Check out the top rated offers and compare prices and features.

Some people have outgrown their safes and would like to invest in something more. They are surprised to find that they can buy it in larger heights and widths for very little money.

As for the burglary resistance class – tamper resistance, a safe of the second and third class is sufficient for using at home. If you need to secure important documents and amounts of money, then it is preferable to pay attention to the fourth, and for jewelry the fifth.

It must have a certificate issued at the end of testing in the laboratory and confirm the protection characteristics declared by the manufacturer. If there is no certificate, then there was no testing or the results do not match. Then you need to think twice about the necessary risk.

Some safes may have another metal box inside, locked with a key. It’s called a trailer. The locking system and the door have no special protection. Suitable for owners of weapons: by law, you need to keep weapons and ammunition at home separately.

Helpful Hints

Do not use the floor stand for fire protection.
In the past, floor safes provided tamper-proof and fire protection (provided it was installed in a concrete environment). Floor mounted perfectly designed for gold, silver, coins and other valuables, designed to prevent burglary. Most people believe that they will provide fire protection because five sides of it are surrounded by concrete. When the door is open and made of metal, the heat quickly gets inside. Manufactured from 1⁄2” to 11⁄2” thick sheet steel and unfortunately almost all floor safes do NOT contain fire retardant material.

Fire resistance is 1-2 hours. During this time, in almost all cases, paper documents or money survive. If you need to protect securities, it is much more profitable to purchase a free-standing fire and burglary-resistant cabinet to increase reliability, which has a degree of stability of 1-2 hours and is fixed in a concrete base.

When should I use wall-mounted?
They are popular in James Bond films and spy series. We are shown large sums of money stored in the wall in Hollywood films. This is not a good idea! Great little hidden drawers but have serious limitations when it comes to burglary and fire resistance.

Made of thin metal and not the best storage for large amounts of cash, expensive items made of gold, silver and coins. Why? No need to hack with tools, just see the wall to extract it. The question arises: “But it can be hidden, while other safes are right in front of you.” The problem with this reasoning is that we tend to underestimate the intelligence of robbers. Keep in mind that such people are already planning to look in similar places (wardrobes, refrigerators, mattresses and ovens).

A good use of a closet is for prescription medicines away from co-workers, children, family members. High-end jewelry can be put into it, provided that a controlled burglar alarm is installed in the house or office.

DON’T store digital family photos in a fireproof safe. .. and here’s why.
Some customers assume that a fireproof safe will protect everything. Photo, CD/DVD and computer disks/tapes etc. are sensitive to heat and humidity. The standard fireproof cabinet is not designed specifically for these items. Flame retardant structures are designed and built to protect the paper and keep the internal temperature below 350 degrees, at which the paper will start to catch fire. Their method is to create steam (moisture) inside. Any other sensitive media will be severely damaged or destroyed at 135 degrees or higher.

If there are any special media that need to be protected from fire, consider purchasing the appropriate storage. It will keep the internal temperature less than 135 degrees and humidity below 85%. Please be aware that metal digital data cabinets do not include tamper-evident protection, but if this is a concern, we can help find a suitable one.

These safes protect:

  • Hard drives
  • CD and DVD
  • Negatives and photographs
  • Flash drives
  • Diskettes
  • Cassettes
  • Microfiche
  • Zip and Jazz discs

Where to place?

One of the toughest decisions is where to place it safely.