Best Value home safe - UK

[liverladylocksmith]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on what the best all round safe for the home would be in your opinions?

In terms of value, security (obviously), size and concealability (something that can be hidden as opposed to 'oh look there's the safe!')

Also, something that's not electronic so it can be accessed in the event of a power outage.

Thanks in advance

[MacGyver101]

Also, something that's not electronic so it can be accessed in the event of a power outage.

I'm not familiar with the makes/models that might be easily available in your area... but (just to make sure you're considering all of your options) I've never seen a home safe with an electronic lock that plugs into the wall (if that's what you meant by "power outage"). There are several models of electronic safe lock that range from "very good" to "excellent" in their quality: they models I'm thinking of do have an internal battery (typically a 9V or a pack of AA's), but they also have a way of applying power from outside the safe in the event that the internal batteries die. (I have a LaGard model, for example, that lets you hold a 9V battery up to the keypad to power it in an emergency.) Almost every modern safe lock (not counting cheap hotel safes, fireproof Sentry "safes", etc.) uses a standard footprint; it can't always be done -- but, in many cases, it would be an easy operation for a locksmith that does safe work to swap out a mechanical lock with an electronic one (or vice versa).

[Pickmequick]

It isn't so much the security you need to be aware of.

I would go for concealment 1st.

If you have a concrete floor or cavity walls, get one installed and hidden.

You could have a £10000 free standing safe but if someone knows it is there, they can come equipped to remove it and spens all week breaking it open.

Churchill do a good range of wall and floor safes so may be worth a look. Depending on the size you want, expect to pay from £170 upwards.

[mhole]

As a counter point, for a home safe, if they find it - great. An opportunistic burglar won't be able to open it, or remove it in a timescale which they'll be happy with, and any time they waste trying to do so is time they don't spend finding any other valuables. Also, floor and wall safes, and most well concealed safes are inconvenient to use, which is very counter productive. A safe which isn't convenient won't get used, which makes it a pointless item. wall and floor safes also tend to be pretty limited size wise, which means they're of little use unless you're storing cash or other very high value, small size items.

[liverladylocksmith]

Thanks for your replies, all are very helpful I have both concrete floors downstair and cavity walls, but don't fancy undertaking any major construction in fitting the safe due to the extra time, cost and inconvenience, and I like the points made by mhole especially. I'm definitely looking for a free standing model that isn't so huge it takes up alot of space but equally would cause burglars difficulty in getting it out of the house.

[lunchb0x]

A couple of important things that will help out with what safe you should get,

Do you need to have one with a fire rating?
Do you need a specific insurance rating?
What size items are you planning on putting in it, is it just paper work and jewellery or do you need to be able to put a couple of laptops and a camera in there? Also try get one that is a bit bigger than what you need, you will always find more stuff to go in there.

personally I would be going with something that uses a good quality digital lock, LaGard, S and G etc. the problem with a combo lock is a lot of users have difficulty with using them, therefore they don't use the safe, also it isn't that easy for them to change the combo if need be. With a key this is something that you can loose or someone can make a copy of but easiest to use. A digital will cost you a bit more but are a lot easier to use and change the combo on if needed.

I don't know what safes you have over there but cost wise here in Australia you would be spending from $800 - $1,000 for a decent size safe that will have a 2 hour fire rating, fit in a laptop and have an insurance rating of $10,000. And ALWAYS get them bolted in, it is easy to move around a 300kg safe by yourself with the right gear, if it's bolted to the ground it's a lot harder to move

[liverladylocksmith]

Thanks lunchbox, great advice - I think I am going to go larger, I don't think I need a fire rating etc - but can't hurt can it?

Re. combination vs digital I'm not fussed on ease of access, as I don't want it to be easy for anyone in the household to have too much ease of access - people have a habit of leaving things open as it is

[Capt_Tom]

A couple of important things that will help out with what safe you should get,

Do you need to have one with a fire rating?
Do you need a specific insurance rating?
What size items are you planning on putting in it, is it just paper work and jewellery or do you need to be able to put a couple of laptops and a camera in there? Also try get one that is a bit bigger than what you need, you will always find more stuff to go in there.

personally I would be going with something that uses a good quality digital lock, LaGard, S and G etc. the problem with a combo lock is a lot of users have difficulty with using them, therefore they don't use the safe, also it isn't that easy for them to change the combo if need be. With a key this is something that you can loose or someone can make a copy of but easiest to use. A digital will cost you a bit more but are a lot easier to use and change the combo on if needed.

I don't know what safes you have over there but cost wise here in Australia you would be spending from $800 - $1,000 for a decent size safe that will have a 2 hour fire rating, fit in a laptop and have an insurance rating of $10,000. And ALWAYS get them bolted in, it is easy to move around a 300kg safe by yourself with the right gear, if it's bolted to the ground it's a lot harder to move

Right on the mark!! There are many safes out there, but make sure that it is UL labeled, and has good locks (electronic or mechanical). I personally own, and have sold a brand of safe that is Both Fire and tool rated. Now to be fire rated, understand that it has a lot of insulation or concrete inside it, and the steel plates are not what a money chest would be, but it is the best of the two worlds. There is enough steel plate and hard plate to keep a amateur burglar busy and most likely keep him from opening it It provides good fire protection (2 hour rating), and if it is well bolted down, he is not going to take it without a tractor or wrecker. Put it right in the corner of the living room, with just a little camo, so that it is not readily visible... but someone searching will easily find it. When it is discovered, most of their interests will turn to it, rather than the rest of the house.

[liverladylocksmith]

Great advice Capt Tom. They're going to have to be some determined burglars to firstly get in and get past the dogs - but I'd rather them waste time faffing with a safe they have no chance with than detaching my flatscreen off the wall

[Raymond]

One compromise is to get a burgular rated safe and then put fire rated portable boxes in it to hold your valuable papers, cameras, cash, jewels, medicine,computer backups, guns, etc. Also, gun safes are extremely useful for everything you want to keep safe. With the tall size you can keep your golf clubs safe. I have several customers that use them exclusively for their jewelry. Once you start securing your good stuff, you can't have enough room.
And, by all means have it anchored down to the floor.

[liverladylocksmith]

I'd never even considered a gun safe thanks Raymond (probs due to not owning a gun)

Great stuff

[Yomama]

If you are looking for a gunsafe for storing valuables then I would recommend getting a Liberty Safe, Steelwater Gunsafe, or Cannon Safe, The brands that I would not recommend using are Sentry Safe and first alert

http://www.libertysafe.com/

http://steelwatergunsafes.com/

http://www.cannonsafe.com/

[cledry]

A few things, firstly they don't use UL listings in the UK. Secondly the brands being mentioned aren't available in the UK.

You mentioned fire safes "can't hurt can it"? Well, yes it can. Most residential fire safes aren't very safe. The door might be protected but the rest of the safe is basically sheet metal, same goes for gun safes. A small burglary safe would be best with a fire box inside this.

For a small home safe look at a Chubb Cobra Pro.

Best advice would be visit a local locksmith and tell them what you want.

[taylorgdl]

A few pointers for anyone after buying advice in the UK

* speak to your insurance company, there is no point in getting any safe that they will not cover you for

* Any safe that weighs less than 1000kg MUST be fixed in position (bolted down normally). If you are buying your safe from a reputable company, they can probably do this for you

* when it comes to safes, you get what you pay for, going cheap is not a good idea HOWEVER -
there are several companys the sell second hand refurbished safes, which can be excellent value for money

* If you want fire protection, get a fire safe

* If you want burglary protection, get a security safe

* there are different regulations for gun safes, don't get one if you don't need one

[dll932]

Note: Safes that have been drilled are no longer UL rated. I wouldn't buy more safe than you need, but in general stay away from cheaper brands as they have limited serviceability (example: I have a Sentry that uses a keypad AND a key-the reason is, all of that model have the same comb which can't be changed). The big question is, what is your level of threat/risk? If you keep large amounts of money or valuables, I would suggest a safe deposit box at the bank. If all you want to do is keep nosy relatives out of your papers, nearly any safe will do.