Safes are invaluable tools. They can not only prevent against burglaries, but they can also protect your valuables against things like fires and water damage.
In this buying guide, you’re going to learn all about how to find the right safe for your home. A safe that keeps everything you hold dear safe and sound and that protects against things like fire and weather damage, and theft.
Now, let’s begin by defining the most popular safes that you can find on the market today.
What Are Some Of The Most Popular Safes?
Standard Safe
A standard safe is a safe that is made of metal – usually steel, but not always – and that has some kind of lock. You can find safes with mechanical locks, and you can also find safes with electronic locks. There are also safes that have both of these locks.
Now, these safes are quite basic, because they usually don’t offer any extra protection against things like fires or water damage. But, they do keep your valuables safe.
Fire-Resistant Safe
This is a safe that has been designed to withstand extreme heat. With a fire-resistant safe, you have a guarantee that if there is some kind of fire, your valuables will stay safe.
Other than that, there aren’t too many differences between these kinds of safes, and that of a standard safe that doesn’t have any extra fire protection.
Water-Resistant Safe
Just as fire-resistant safes have been designed to withstand fire, water-resistant safes are designed to withstand water. These safes can float, and they are designed so that water can’t seep in or damage the external or internal elements of the safe itself.
Smart Safe
Today, more and safer manufacturers are moving towards smart safes. This is mainly because of the advances that have taken place in “smart” technology, and because this technology is quickly becoming very affordable, all while giving you greater protection against theft.
Some of the best smart safes have multiple locks – electronic and mechanical – as well as biometric authentication, such as a fingerprint reader.
However, what they may have in security technology, they may lack in durability. So, if something related to, say, fire, were to take place, your valuables may not be kept safe.
Which Safe Is The Best One For Me?
A Standard Safe
For most people, a standard safe works just fine. They may not be particularly strong or durable, but they have a few key benefits.
First off, they’re affordable. Most safes are standard safes because the technology is very affordable for both manufacturers and customers.
Second, they are very secure. Most of them have more than one lock, and they do offer basic security features such as having to enter a password and needing a key or some kind of combination.
Third, they are durable, and they can keep your items safe, for the most part. If you encounter intense weather conditions, or someone shoots at the safe, then it may not be able to withstand that.
If you need a basic safe that works well, you can’t go wrong with a good standard safe.
A Fire-Resistant Safe
Fire-resistant safes are great, especially if there is a risk of fires taking place in your home. But, if you aren’t at risk of that, it may not be a wise choice.
Or, better yet, you should find one that offers both fire-resistance and water-resistance. Which, of course, brings us to the next safe…
A Water-Resistant Safe
Some people store these kinds of safes on boats, or they live in areas where flooding is common. If that is similar to your situation, then a water-resistant safe can be an exceptional choice.
Due to the strength of their materials, they are very durable, and they will keep your items safe for a very long time.
Ideally, though, you would get a safe that is both water-resistant and fire-resistant, due to the flexibility and peace of mind it can give you.
A Smart Safe
If you want the best in security, then you must purchase a smart safe. So many different advancements have taken place in the field of biometrics, and these advancements have been integrated into smart safes.
With some of the best smart safes, you won’t be able to access your valuables without the right PIN code, fingerprint, retina, and even the right vocal command.
They’re that advanced.
Conclusion
The safe-types we just looked at are the most popular. Make sure you know what you intend to store and what kinds of security and safety features you need, before buying your new safe.