Best Home Safes of 2022 - The Definitive Guide to Finding the Best Safe For Your Home Or Apartment

Once again, where to place a home safe is largely dependant on what you are protecting, how often you will need access, the size, and type of the safe, and the size and room available in your home or apartment.

For the handgun safe, it might be tucked under the bed or mounted to the bedstand.

A portable safe might be hidden on a shelf in the closet.

A wall-mounted safe could be concealed behind a print or painting.

And a larger safe might be bolted to the floor in an unused closet.

The possibilities are endless, but the common denominators are typically to make it as accessible as you need to for your own access and as difficult to locate or steal for an intruder or anyone else for whom you don’t want to grant access.

The best home safe really depends on individual needs, budget and features required. Some of the most important considerations, aside from budget are:

• Size – How much capacity do you require for storage?
• Type – Are you looking to bolt it to the floor, mount it on the wall or take it with you?
• Locking Mechanism – Do you prefer an old-school key or combination lock or biometric finger scanning?
• Water Resistance – Are you concerned with protecting contents from flooding or water damage?
• Fire Resistance – Do you have important documents to protect against fire?

We have selected a number of home safes that we feel represent the best overall value in a home safe for specific categories, and have selected the SentrySafe SFW123GDC as our #1 pick overall as we feel it offers the best combination for the average person and comes in well under $300.

While most people think of a safe as a means to protect valuable property against burglaries or thieves, fire and water damage can be just as much of a threat if you are planning on storing important documents.

Fire-rated safes can maintain internal temperatures below 350 degrees for a specific period of time when exposed to extreme temperatures. This provides limited protection against documents charring or even igniting.

Water-resistant safes can provide some protection against partial submersion for a period of time.

If it is within the budget, both of these can be important considerations.

Protecting Valuables in Your Home Safe

The items you choose to protect in your home safe will often dictate the size, weight, and capacity of the safe that you choose.  This can vary greatly, but some of the most common items are:

• Guns –  Guns should be secured against unauthorized use.

• Cash – Even in this digital age, having an emergency stash of cash tucked away in a safe can provide some peace of mind in times of trouble.

• Valuables –  For Instance- jewelry, silver, gold, or family heirlooms.

• Computer Backups-  A large capacity flash drive or backup drive can be periodically updated to preserve digital data and photos if you don’t want it on the cloud.

• Keys- A set of spare house or car keys, or keys to a safety deposit box at your bank.

• Identification – Documents such as passports, social security cards, birth certificates, or a marriage license should be kept in a safe place that can withstand fire or flood.

• Important documents- I.E. a property deed,  car title, a will, home and health insurance, bank account information, medical records, etc.

If your safe isn’t fire and water-resistant, you may want to consider a fireproof pouch for added security against these threats.

A Closet Safe for Guns

When most people think of a gun safe, they envision either a small, portable biometric handgun safe by the bedside or a giant 500 lb. behemoth of a safe designed to store an extensive collection of firearms.

Somewhere in the middle of those two extremes resides a closet gun safe designed to be space-efficient, hidden out of the way, wall-mounted safe that can house both hand-guns, a couple of long firearms, and perhaps a few valuables as well.

Many of these closet safes for guns are designed to be flush-mounted, between the wall studs.  However, this greatly reduces the capacity of the safe. Our favorite pick for the best closet gun safe, the V-Line Closet Vault II Gun Safe, created a safe with about 50% more capacity, by allowing for a 2″ protrusion from the wall.  This greatly enhances its usability as a traditional closet safe, without significantly reducing the space efficiency or the aesthetics of the safe.

The additional space affords sufficient capacity for “up to 4 long guns, handguns, documents, jewelry and ammunition.”

Hiding in plain sight…an alternative to our traditional choice for Best Home Safe

Sometimes…less is more.  And depending on your situation, how often you intend to access the safe, and what you are looking to store… a diversion safe might be a cost-effective solution for you.

Essentially, a diversion safe is a common item that can be used to hide and safeguard smaller items in plain sight.  Common examples might be hollowed-out “books” that contain a small lockbox inside or a soda can or water bottle that unscrews to reveal a repository for small items. 

These diversion safes masquerade as common household items that a potential thief would not suspect held a treasure trove of cash, jewelry or other valuables. 

Of course, the diversion safe is not typically waterproof or fireproof.  And if they have locks at all, they are pretty flimsy and are only meant to discourage a curious guest or family member. 

One advantage of a diversion safe is that it can easily be taken with you when traveling.  It will serve the same purpose in a hotel room. It provides storage for items that you wouldn’t want tempting guests or chamber persons.

Of course, it is important to select items that wouldn’t typically be opened inadvertently, discarded or forgotten. (i.e. opening a soda can or water bottle might seem harmless to a thirsty guest)

The most popular might be a book, such as listed in our best home safes list…or one of my personal travel favorites- a hanger. This one even includes a fireproof pouch…ingenious!

Check Amazon Pricing

Diversion Hanger Fireproof Safe | Hidden Compartment for Valuables | Hide Personal Items for Home or Travel | Water Resistant Secret Document Holder Zipper Pouch | Includes Small Bag & Hanger

• 💖 WORRY FREE TRAVEL: When on the road, it can be concerning to handle the safe keeping of your money, passport, credit cards, electronics, jewelry and other valuables. Keeping your personal possessions in a 16.5” x 17.5” Diversion Safe Holder will hide them from curious eyes and dangers abroad.
• 👌 NON-ITCHY SILICONE PROTECTION: This water-resistant money bag not only shields your items with a tested fiberglass layer but also features a high quality outer silicone protective layer that is safe for you to touch. This provides an easy hands-on method to handle this travel document organizer and zippered pouch. Whether you are at home, in your office, or on-the-go, this hanger hideaway bag can remain in your closet or suitcase unnoticed.
• ✔️ BIGGER SIZE: This high quality spacious document organizer is designed with two inner pockets for easy organization. Don’t settle for small — go for this updated large 16.5 inches x 17.5 inches; a size that easily provides ample storage space for your jewelry, gun, cash, important documents or folders, electronics, photos, tablets, and more without sacrificing the quality you deserve.
• 🔥 FIREPROOF: Made from high quality multilayered fiberglass materials — our stealthy safe document pouch can bear temperatures up to 1200°F (approximately 648.9°C). This means you will be better prepared for looming accidents or disasters from unpredictable elements. It brings matchless mental satisfaction in case of burglary and fire and keeps your priceless stash spot safeguarded. Travah hanger diversion safe can also minimize the worry of leaving your home in an extreme weather emergency.
• 💯 BACKED BY LIFETIME SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: We pride ourselves in delivering a top quality diversion safe with a FREE HANGER, SMELL PROOF BAG, and MONEY-BACK LIFETIME GUARANTEE. We do everything to make you 100% satisfied with your purchase! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us so we can help. Click add to cart now and look forward to using the best diversion hanger safe!

Check Amazon Pricing

Just make sure you don’t leave them behind!

Best Home Safes for Jewelry… Closet Jewelry Safe or Wall-Mounted Jewelry Armoire?

If you are concerned with protecting that Audemars Piguet watch, a family heirloom set of pearls, or a Tiffany necklace from thieves, a lockable jewelry armoire is not going to do the trick.

Jewelry armoires are better suited for organizing, storing, and protecting everyday jewelry from more common threats such as roommates, babysitters, and housekeepers.

While they aren’t designed to protect against an intruder whose intent on robbing you, they are secure enough to eliminate temptations for most of the more common scenarios.

More expensive jewelry, which is typically worn less frequently, should reside in a closet safe, home safe, or jewelry safe box.

Why the Best Home Safes are UL or ETL Listed

Most of us are familiar with the term UL Listed.  UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories.  They create safety tests and develop standards for about 1500 classes of products.

ETL stands for Electrical Testing Laboratories, which is the testing and certification division of Intertek…a UK-based corporation.  While they do not develop the tests and standards, they perform the same tests to ensure that products meet UL standards.

Either label is a good indicator that the product exceeds common industry standards of safety and performance.

The Safest Lock Mechanism Used on the Best Home Safes

There really is no best answer to this question. 

There are pros and cons to any type.  The real question is…which lock type are you going to find most convenient to use on a consistent basis. If you have difficulties accessing the safe, you are far less likely to use it. 

It is a good idea to make sure that there there is a backup way of accessing the safe in the event that you have difficulty opening the safe.  For instance, if you injured a finger and the biometric lock won’t recognize the print, (Hint:  It is best to enter multiple prints into the storage history) it is best to make sure that you have a secondary option – a backup set of keys.

Some of the best home safes may require the use of a key in conjunction with a code. 

Should a Home Safe Be Bolted Down?

It is considered a best practice to bolt a safe to the floor.  If intruders break into your home and locate your safe,  they may very well just remove it from the property if they can. 

Taking extra steps to secure your safe will help prevent this from happening. 

Additionally, it can increase stability. A taller shallow safe designed for firearms could tip over with the weight of the door when opened if it is not properly secured. 

Many of the best home safes have pre-drilled holes and come with the necessary hardware to secure them to a wall, the floor…or both. 

Best Home Safe FAQs – Live vs Dead Bolts

When researching home safes, you may come across the terms live and dead bolts.

Live bolts are the retractable bolts that are engaged by the safe’s mechanical handle or electronic locking mechanism.  They are typically located on the left side (the side that opens) and top of the safe.

Dead bolts are stationary bolts located behind the door that enhance the security of the hinge side of the door.  They do not retract but fortify the door by making it more pry-resistant

Best Home Safes Maintenance Tips

Home safes don’t really require much maintenance. However, if it has an electronic keypad, you do want to make sure that the batteries are charged.

Also, if you have a fireproof or waterproof safe that is sealed, it is a good idea to use some sort of desiccant to prevent moisture build-up and keep things from smelling musty. 

Top 5 Tips to Keep the Best Home Safes Secure

• Keep it Locked – If the safe isn’t locked, it is nothing more than a centralized display case for your most valuable items.  You never know when you might be unexpectedly distracted or called away suddenly.  Don’t take a chance of forgetting to lock the safe and make sure to develop the habit of always locking it immediately.

• Use a Complex Code – Year of birth, birth dates, last 4 of social….all should be avoided. Make sure you use a code that can’t be easily guessed or that you commonly use.

• Bolt it Down – While 100 lbs. might seem heavy to you, thieves that are intent on stealing your most valuable treasures might find it less challenging to remove the safe entirely. By taking the extra step of bolting it to the wall or floor, it will be far more difficult to remove.

• Select Strategic Location – Where you decide to put the safe depends on the size, type, and your need to access the safe.  However, it is typically best to try and keep it hidden out of view and secure it to the floor or wall unless it is a portable safe that you wish to take with you.

• Conceal Contents – Keep the contents and the location of your safe to yourself. Never advertise the whereabouts of your safe or what you are keeping in it to others.  If you need to access the safe while others are around, ask that they remain in another area of your home.

Bonus Tip –  While a home safe adds a layer of protection and better secures important documents and valuables, don’t let it create a false sense of security.  There are countless YouTube videos on how to defeat common safes. At a minimum, one should monitor the safe location with security cameras.

For a higher level of protection, a top-rated monitored home security system will provide more comprehensive overall home security.  Even the best home safes can be compromised- but adding multiple layers of protection will serve as a more effective deterrent and provide greater peace of mind.