Keep your valuables safe and securely out of sight by installing a wall safe. If you're a homeowner or business owner looking to not only protect but also hide your valuables, a wall safe is an excellent home or business safety solution.
With advances in safe technology and an increase in robberies both residential and commercial, choosing the right safe might feel overwhelming. So we've broken down some features you might want to consider when deciding which wall safe best fit your needs.
1.What to consider when buying a wall safe
2. What is burglary resistance?
3. Where should I install my wall safe?
4. What size wall safe should I buy?
5. Biometric or electronic?
6. What about fire resistance?
7. How much should you spend on a wall safe?
8. What should I consider when I buy a wall safe?
A wall safe is a small metal box that mounts directly into the wall or floor of your home or office. Some models are designed to be placed inside of a closet or cabinet, while others work well as freestanding units that can be hidden away in any room of your house or office building. Wall safes are designed to blend in seamlessly with your home's decor so they don't attract attention or appear out of place.
Note: To counter the disadvantage of someone being able to cut the safe from the wall; keep in mind that a wall safe can be hidden behind anything, such as; artwork, mirrors, bookshelves, headboards, and it can be installed deep in any closet. Your security increases by where you choose to install the safe, the more stealth the better.
When you're shopping for a wall safe, there are a few things that you should consider.
Size of the safe: This is important because it's not always easy to find an empty space in your house where you can fit a sizeable wall safe. Also, wall safes can only be as deep as the wall they are in. If your walls are made with 2 by 4 studs like many American homes, your safe will be just under 4 inches deep.
Strength of the safe: The sturdiness of the structure can prevent burglars from using tools to break through the walls and access what's inside. Remember, most wall studs are made of wood, so if a burglar finds the safe they can saw or pry the safe away from the wall. Unlike a floor safe, or a safe bolted to the foundation of a home.
Fire resistance: Your items will not always be protected from prolonged fire damage inside this type of safe! Some wall safes do offer fire protection.
Burglary resistance: These types of safes are burglary rated, they are meant to withstand attacks by criminals who want access to whatever valuable possessions are kept within them. Because of the nature of wall safes, they will not be as resistant to sawing, crowbar and other tool attacks as a floor safe or other large safes.
Fire rated safes are a great way to protect your valuables in the unfortunate event of a fire. The following is an explanation of Underwriter’s Laboratories’ fire resistant container testing standards.
30 minute fire rating — Class 350: Protects valuables for up to 30 minutes.
1 hour fire rating — Class 350: Protects valuables for up to 1 hour.
If fire is a concern for you, then it's important to choose a wall safe that can withstand fire for at least 30 minutes.
Best fire resistance in a wall safe
Here are the standout picks for best fire rating in a wall safe.
WHY: These safes feature a good Fire Rating that will protect your belongings for 30 minutes or greater.
The first and most important step to ensuring that your wall safe will protect your valuables is to install your safe where it won't be found. Because, if the burglar can't find the wall safe they can't break into it.
Burglary resistance is determined by how long it would take for someone with tools or brute force (such as a crowbar) to break into the safe. Some wall safes carry a B-rating which tells you the safe has at minimum a 1/8" steel body, 1/2 inch door. The B-rating is an industry rating, which means it is not verified nor are there any formal written standards to which manufacturers must adhere to.
Best Burglary Resistance in a wall safe
Here are the standout picks for best bulglary rating in a wall safe. These safes do require at least 10" of depth behind your wall.
WHY: These safes feature 1/2 inch steel door or greater.
This is a popular type of lock for safes, and is also the least expensive. This type of lock uses a key to open the safe, which you can use to lock and unlock the safe at any time.
This type of lock is more secure and advanced than key lock. The technology for this lock has been around for over 100 years and is one of the most reliable locks on the market. It does not require any batteries or keys that could get lost. You do need a locksmith to change the combination if you ever would like it to be different in the future.
This type of lock allows you to choose your own combination so that no one else will know what it is. Simply program your own personal code. It also give you quick access to your contents when you need them. These locks do require that you change the batteries about once a year.
Biometric safes have a fingerprint scanner so that only those who have registered their fingerprints with the lock can access them. These are very secure, but they are also more expensive compared to other types of safe locks available today.
Some of the most popular and highly reputable manufacturers of wall safes include: American Security (AMSEC), BlumSafe, Barska, Gardall, Hayman, Hollon, Mesa Safe, Perma-Vault, Protex, SnapSafe, Stealth Safes, Tactical Walls, Viking & V-Line.
The size of your safe is an important consideration. It should be proportional to the amount of valuables that you wish to store in it. If you are storing documents and small valuables, a small safe will do. However, if you are storing a lot of jewelry, firearms, or other items that take up more room, then it might be best to invest in a larger model such as one that can hold larger or more items. Make sure to measure the depth behind your wall to see which wall safe will fit. If you have a place with more depth behind your wall, you will have more room to fit more valuables inside.
There are a few other things to consider before you buy a wall safe.
Questions? Our safe professionals have decades of experience and they are ready to help answer any questions you may have. So please reach out to us by; phone, chat or email if you need assistance!
As of January 1, 2002, no firearm may be sold, transferred, or manufactured within California unless that firearm is accompanied by a DOJ-approved firearms safety device (California Penal Code section 23620, et seq).
Here are the standout picks for California shoppers.
WHY: These are California-approved firearms safety devices that meets the requirements of California Penal Code Section 12088 and the regulations issued thereunder.
You should install your wall safe in a place that is not easily accessible to children or burglars. You should also consider the possibility of fires if you live in an area with high winds and lots of lightning.
Walls are typically made from drywall, which will burn if exposed to excessive heat. The same goes for cabinets where you might keep emergency supplies like food and water—these can be damaged by fire just as easily as your wall safes can be destroyed.
Make sure you have the right tools.
Make sure you have the right space.
Make sure you have the right wall.
Make sure you have the right size wall safe.
Make sure you have the right wall safe installation kit.
And finally, make sure you have all of your instructions in one place and follow them carefully!
Tools needed to install a wall safe:
Most storeage area in a wall safe.
Here are the standout picks for most room in a wall safe.
WHY: These safes feature an adjustable back or a fixed deep back making them far deeper than your typical wall safes*
*Note: this means you will need a deep wall or the back of the safe will appear in the ajasent room!
With these considerations in mind, we hope it helps you make an informed decision about which wall safe is right for you. If you still have questions or would like to talk to a safe professional, we are here! The team at Safe and Vault Store can help you through the decision making process!
