

Now, this safe is not large enough to store rifles (there is one on this list that is), but you can store just about anything else. Ultimately, we decided to go with the Phoenix Datacare 2 Hour Key Lock Fireproof Safe. The safes on this list range from under $50 to over $2,000, but if you’re only protecting Social Security cards and passports, you don’t need to drop a few thousand dollars. Do you just want to protect a few documents, or do you want to protect other items as well? Additionally, do you want it to be hefty so it can’t be stolen, or is that not a concern? There is much to consider when picking out the right safe because you’re not only talking about protective features you’re also talking about a price tag. The right safe for you is going to depend on exactly what you want to protect. If you just want something that protects against fires you can go with something lighter. But these safes can be picked up and stolen without any problem.Īre you looking to protect your documents just from fire, or do you want to protect your documents from theft as well? If you want both, you’ll go for something that’s too heavy for anyone to easily lift it and take it out of the house. There are smaller safes that are fireproof and have enough room to store your documents. The weight is another important point of concern. The amount of space is something to consider. How much room do you need to store your valuables and important documents? Do you just need room for a folder, or are you storing every draft of the latest novel you’ve been working on? If your safe isn’t waterproof the fire may not damage the internal documents, but the water might. The fire department will also use high powered hoses. If where you live has a sprinkler system, these may kick on at any time during a fire. It might sound like a strange feature to consider when shopping around for fireproof safes, but a waterproof safe is a must. So a burn temperature of 1,100 and length of time of 30 minutes are minimums for your safe. This is especially the case if the fire lasts longer, or if the safe is in a lower area of the house and burning debris might collapse on it. Due to this, you need a safe that is good for at least 30 minutes, although more is better. It can burn hotter in some areas and cooler in others, but that’s the average temperature to keep in mind.Īdditionally, during a house fire, one room will burn, on average, for 20 minutes, before the flames spread to the next room and the fire dies down in the current room.

The average house fire burns at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Naturally the hotter the temperature and the longer the time the better. With fireproofing, the safe is fireproof for a certain time and at a certain temperature. It’s similar to “waterproof,” where a device is waterproof up to a certain depth and for a certain length of time. Yes, the safe will likely say “Fireproof” in the title, but just how fireproof is it?įireproof isn’t one size fits all. There are a handful of other fireproof safe specific features you need to consider, but the price of your safe can be all over the place, so know this before moving forward with your purchase. Price shouldn’t be your only determining factor. However, more expensive usually means larger and heavier. Now, more expensive doesn’t always mean better. And you can find other safes for well over $1,000. You can find entry level safes for well under $100. There is an incredible range of costs when it comes to fireproof safes. Instead, before you buy anything, here is what you need to consider. If you’re going to invest in a safe, you want to know the safe will actually work.īecause there are plenty of safes out there that are nothing more than boxes or cabinets with a simple lock. But there’s much more to consider than whether a safe locks or not. These have locks, and you’ll have it the same day. If you just wanted any old safe you could head out to the local big chain grocery store and buy a safe.
