People ask us all the time about the different types of home safes. In this post we hope to answer this question and provide some guidance about what home safe is right for you. Some people question all together whether they need any home safe at all. The answer to that is quite simple: It depends! It really depends on the purpose and function of the safe. So let’s go through the four different types of sages, which will help answer this bigger question of why get a safe at all.
Fire Safe
- A fire safe keeps its contents safe during a fire. If the house burns down, the safe and its contents will be safe. These safes are built with strong materials that withstand extreme temperatures. Also, their locking mechanism and hinges are constructed to withstand both fire and water damage. In a different post we will write more extensively about the rating system for these sages and how to pick out a good one which meets your needs, but check out this for now.
Burglary Safe
- Burglary Safe – This type of safe is means to protect valuable items from theft. If a burglar breaks into your home and encounters this safe, he will not be able to access its contents. In addition to choosing a burglary safe that is hard to crack, there is another significant thing to consider. That is, the placement of the safe. the best way to avoid burglary is to conceal the safe in a place where it will not be easily found. If the burglar has to spend a lot of time just finding the safe, he will most likely give up and find an easier target. So keeping the safe in walk in closet of the master bedroom, for example, is a bad idea. That’s one of the first places that at thief would check. Also, in addition to concealing the safe, it needs to be installed properly. If the thief can just pick up the safe and carry it out of the house, then not much has been accomplished either. As such, before deciding which specific safe to buy, give thought about (1) location, and (2) installation. Once you answer these two questions, you are ready to pick out a specific model. In a different post we will write more extensively about how to find a good burglary safe.
Gun Safe
- These safes are uniquely designed for the shape and size of handguns and rifles. Some are fire resistant and some have stronger locking mechanism to better prevent burglary. Two critical factors to take into consideration when purchasing a gun safe are (1) size and (2) accessibility. In terms of size, does it need to only be able to fit the guns you currently own, or do you plan on expanding your gun ownership. If you”ll be buying more guns in the future, then you need something large enough for your future acquisitions. In terms of accessibility, how rapidly do you need to access the safe? In a home intruder situation, you don’t want to be fiddling with a combination lock for 10 minutes to access your gun. Something that unlocks quicker and easier would be recommended.
Jewelry Safe
- Many of the above considerations apply to this type of safe. Of all the different types of home safes, the jewelry safe is the most standard type of safe on the market. Even if you don’t need advanced features like fire resistance and bio metrics, it is very important when buying a jewelry safe to get something that is actually secure. When you purchase a cheap safe that a thief can crack or steal, it does more harm than good. A bad safe will provide a false sense of security, and leave you more vulnerable in the long run. We”ll also write a future post on our top safe recommendation as well.
So to answer the question we began with, should you get a safe? The answer still is that it depends on the intended use and function. There are a good number of types of home safes, and we’re happy to help you find the perfect one. But the bottom line is that you do buy a safe, make sure that it is high quality and you have the right safe, and the right installation for your needs.
Stay Safe!