The Best Home Safes To Keep Your Valuables Securely Stored

Size: 19.3 x 16.3 x 17.8 inches | Capacity: 1.2 cubic feet | Weight: 87 pounds | Material: Alloy steel

What you’ll love:

• Fireproof up to an hour
• Waterproof
• Digital and key lock

Keep in mind:

• It’s heavy
• Digital keypad requires batteries

SentrySafe is a big name in the home safe world, providing a range of options for homeowners. But this 1.2 cubic feet option is a popular choice, thanks to its moderate storage space and protective elements. The safe is fireproof for up to an hour at 1700 degrees. It’s also certified to survive a 15-foot fall—in case you need to throw it out a window during an emergency—and still stay closed. The safe is waterproof and provides 24 hours of protection in up to eight inches of water in case of flooding.

Users have two options to get inside: A digital combination, which uses four live-locking bolts, and a secondary locking key. The whole safe is made from tough alloy steel and has a pry-resistant hinge bar. An internal locking drawer is the right size for smaller items, like jewelry, while key hooks inside the door help with organization. An interior light illuminates what’s inside when you open the safe.

Size: 11.1 x 13.9 x 6.1 inches | Capacity: 0.2 cubic feet | Weight: 15 pounds | Material: Steel

What you’ll love:

• Waterproof seal
• Relatively lightweight

Keep in mind:

• Limited capacity
• Fire resistant for up to 30 minutes

Many safes are heavy and difficult to transport in case of an emergency. The First Alert Water and Fire Protector File Chest is a mere 15 pounds—lightweight in comparison to many standard safes—making it portable by home safe standards. This chest offers 0.2 cubic feet of interior storage space, so it’s a good choice for smaller items like documents and jewelry. It’s also verified to protect electronics. The safe is fire resistant in temperatures of up to 1,550 degrees for up to 30 minutes, and it’s waterproof even when submerged. The safe features a clamping style lock and comes with two keys, so you can keep a spare in a secondary location. The flip-up handle allows you to carry this safe around briefcase-style if needed as well.

Size: 17.8 x 16.3 x 19.3 inches | Capacity: 1.2 cubic feet | Weight: 128 pounds | Material: Alloy steel

What you’ll love:

• Fireproof up to two hours
• Verified to protect electronics

Keep in mind:

• Very heavy
• Batteries will need to be replaced on locking system

Most quality home safes will have some level of fireproofing, but the temperatures they can withstand and the time they can be exposed to flames varies. As the name implies, the SentrySafe Two-Hour Fireproof And Waterproof Home Safe offers protection for two hours at temperatures up to 1,850 degrees, making it one of the more flame-resistant home safes on the market. This safe is made from alloy steel and features a backlit digital keypad that unlocks four bolts for entry. A secondary locking key provides added protection. The keypad is battery operated, but has very clear indicators to let you know when the battery is low. Like our top pick, this SentrySafe device has a pry-resistant hinge bar and internal key hooks. If flooding is a concern, the safe is certified to resist damage in up to eight inches of water for 24 hours.

Size: 7.5 x 20.9 x 18.3 inches | Capacity: 0.4 cubic feet | Weight: 42 pounds | Material: Steel

What you’ll love:

• Fireproof up to an hour
• Waterproof seal

Keep in mind:

• Slightly heavy
• Needs to be aired out weekly

Documents require different consideration than other items you want to secure, given that you often need a certain amount of space to store them without bending. The Honeywell Lightweight Waterproof & Fire Safe Chest has an interior that’s large enough to store legal-sized papers flat. With a storage capacity of 0.4 cubic feet, it’s not the biggest home safe you’ll find, but it offers enough space to stash plenty of important papers, including your passport, birth certificate, bank statements and more. The chest features a waterproof seal and two side latches to keep contents dry for up to 24 hours. It can also withstand heat of up to 1,700 degrees for an hour. The safe locks with a key, and comes with a spare for your convenience. There’s also a carry handle in case you need to move your valuables around or grab them in the event of an emergency.

Size: 13.8 x 9.8 x 9.8 inches | Capacity: 0.5 cubic feet | Weight: 18.3 pounds | Material: Alloy steel

What you’ll love:

• Inexpensive
• Steel construction

Keep in mind:

• Not waterproof
• Safe beeps loudly when it unlocks

If you want a standard safe at a rock bottom price, look no further than Amazon. The brand’s Amazon Basics steel security safe is well under $100 but offers up to 0.5 cubic feet of interior space for your valuables. The safe is made from alloy steel and has a digital keypad for your quick access as well. Two emergency override keys help you get inside if you happen to forget your passcode or change the battery in time. It features a carpeted floor to protect your valuables from scratches and damage, along with concealed hinges to lower the risk of someone prying their way inside. The interior shelving is also adjustable and removable to work with your needs. This safe can be mounted on the wall with included expansion bolts or simply perched on the floor or atop a shelf. If you’re looking for a bargain safe with even more storage space, this option comes in several sizes up to 1.2 cubic feet.

Size: 20.4 x 9.3 x 11.8 inches | Capacity: 1 cubic feet | Weight: 16 pounds | Material: Metal

What you’ll love:

• Safe can be opened with phone
• Fingerprint sensor

Keep in mind:

• It’s expensive
• Interior capacity is limited

The Motorola XL Smart Safe is packed with high-tech features that make it easy for you—and you alone—to access the contents of your safe. This Wi-Fi–connected device can be operated from your phone, so you can open the safe from anywhere and set or turn off the onboard alarm system easily. You can even remotely change your user code as needed. The safe contains a fingerprint sensor, along with an interior USB charger and LED lighting to make it simple to get inside and see your stuff. For added security, the safe is equipped with audible and visual alarms, and there’s a motion, shock and tamper detection system that sends alerts to your phone. The safe features a humidity and odor control system to protect the life of your valuables. While you’re unlikely to buy a safe based on looks, it doesn’t hurt that this one has a sleek exterior. Mount it with the included installation hardware or just perch it on a shelf.

Size: 4 x 16.3 x 22 inches | Capacity: 0.8 cubic feet | Weight: 39 pounds | Material: Alloy steel

What you’ll love:

• Discreet appearance
• Built-in alarm

Keep in mind:

• May need to purchase additional item to hide it
• Locking mechanism takes up interior space

Hidden home safes fall into two major categories: Gimmicky products that look like other objects, like a flower pot or book, and sturdy security systems that recess into your wall, where they can be covered by a picture, clothes or a cabinet. The Paragon Digital Wall Safe falls into the latter camp. This hidden safe is mounted between studs with a facade that sits flush with your wall. The electronic safe is opened with the help of an LED backlit digital keypad, although if you need to have someone else open your keypad, you can share a guest passcode. Two manual override keys give you easy access in case you forget either password. This safe features a built-in alarm that goes off for 20 seconds if the code is incorrectly entered three times. And, if it’s entered incorrectly three more times, the alarm will go off again for five minutes. Choose from gray, cream and light gray shades.