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Best Fire Safes

Updated July 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Amazon AmazonBasics Fire Resistant Safe
Amazon Basics
Fire Resistant Safe
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Most Versatile
Bottom Line

This is a heavy-duty steel safe to protect valuables from theft or fire.

Pros

Steel frame for extra durability; emergency key in case you forget the keypad code. Roomy interior. Tested to UL standards (UL 72), adjustable internal shelf, and padded/soft door/interior. Comes with a bolting kit to secure to the floor. Won’t easily be removed.

Cons

Fire-resistant for only 20 minutes. Door doesn’t shut super tight on some safes. Plastic keypad might not be durable over time.

Best Bang for the Buck
Honeywell Fire-Resistant Steel Security Safe Box
Honeywell
Fire Resistant Steel Security Safe Box
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Simple yet Solid
Bottom Line

If you need a simple, small, portable, fire-resistant box to secure valuables, this little safe fits the bill.

Pros

Extremely cost-effective, small, lightweight, and portable. Comes with 2 keys. Ideal for securing prescriptions and passports. Double steel-wall construction makes it sturdier than you'd think given the size. Scratch-resistant. Foam-padded floor for delicate items.

Cons

Not UL-listed for fire or waterproof. Corners can be pried open. Not big enough to hold letter-size documents without folding.

TigerKing Fireproof Safe with Keypad
TigerKing
Fireproof Safe with Keypad
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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

A laboratory-certified fire safe that can withstand extremely high temperatures.

Pros

This large safe is made with thickened steel and has a spacious 3.47 cubic-foot interior. It has 2 external hinges to prevent heat from permeating inside, a digital keypad, and 2 emergency keys to prevent accidental lockouts.

Cons

Installing the batteries and setting up the safe can be challenging.

SentrySafe Fireproof Steel Home Safe
SentrySafe
Fireproof Steel Home Safe
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Durable & Rugged
Bottom Line

A UL-certified safe with a keypad built to keep valuables safe in case of fires and accidental drops.

Pros

It's a small safe with a compact build that is perfect for storing cash, jewelry, and other valuables. It can withstand a fall of 15 feet and up to 1 hour of exposure to temperatures up to 1,700 degrees. The access code can be customized through the keypad.

Cons

It's not waterproof and doesn't include emergency keys.

SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box
SentrySafe
1200 Fireproof Box
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Small yet Tough
Bottom Line

If you are looking for a protective box for documents or a few valuables, this compact model is worth considering.

Pros

Sports a small size that doesn't take up a lot of space in storage. Withstands 30 minutes of fire at up to 1,550 degrees F. Water-resistant. Handle is strong and easy to grip. Comes with a document bag that provides an extra layer of protection for important papers.

Cons

Quite heavy for a small box. Interior space is fairly limited.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

33
Models
Considered
161
Consumers
Consulted
26
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for best fire safes

By design, safes keep valuable items safe and secure, but what happens in the event of a fire? If you use a regular safe, insurance should cover financial losses, but sentimentally valuable items or anything irreplaceable would be lost. That's why you should buy a fire safe — one that's capable of protecting your valuables should fire strike.

There is a lot to think about when selecting a fire safe. How long could the safe effectively protect your items in a blaze? Up to what external temperature could it survive? You'll want to consider these things carefully before choosing a fire safe to protect your valuables.

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If you choose a safe that's heavy, it would be all the harder for a thief to pick it up and walk off with it.

Key considerations

Internal temperature

It's important to know what internal temperature a fire safe can maintain while a fire is raging around it. The majority of fire safes maintain an internal temperature of between 120°F and 340°F.  However, you can find some pricier fire safes that are able to maintain a lower internal temperature.

The reason why the internal temperature is so important is that it needs to be low enough to protect the types of items you want to store.

  • Paper combusts at 350°F, so the internal temperature of your chosen fire safe would need to remain below this in order to protect important paperwork or documents.

  • Digital media, such as USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and SD cards, start to degrade at 248°F. The majority of fire safes rated for digital media maintain internal temperatures of 240°F or below.

  • Magnetic media will be damaged by temperatures of 125°F or greater. To protect these items — hard drives, cassette tapes, floppy discs — the internal temperature of your safe must stay below this. It's also around this temperature (or slightly higher) that film degrades, so any negatives of microfiches should be kept in a safe rated for magnetic media.

Protection time and temperature

Manufacturers should list the amount of time a particular fire safe could protect your items from a blaze and at what external temperature. In terms of time, fire safes can offer protection for anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. It's possible that your safe could protect your items for slightly longer than the listed time.

The majority of fire safes can keep their contents unharmed up to a maximum external temperature of between 1,000°F and 2,000°F. (Note that a fire safe’s maximum external temperature is a different figure than its internal temperature.) The average temperature in a burning building varies depending on a range of factors including the distance from the ground, the building construction, and any fuel or accelerants present, but it can reach as high as 1,500°F to 2,000°F. As such, the higher the maximum external temperature, the more likely your items are to survive.

Lock type

Fire safes can feature a range of lock types. Key locks are common on smaller safes, such as document-sized fire safes and fireproof lock boxes, but the downside is that they can be opened by anyone who manages to get their hands on your keys.

When you think of safes, you might picture the dial combination that you see people trying to crack in old movies. However, press-button keypad combination locks are much more popular now. Some newer and more high-tech safes feature fingerprint-recognition locks, so your fire safe can only ever be opened by you.

Size

Fire safes come in numerous sizes, from mini document safes that can only hold a small stack of papers to full-size safes that can hold all kinds of belongings: artwork, boxes of old cassettes or CDs, and other sizable items. Choose a fire safe that's the correct size to hold what you want to protect. Think about both the internal and external dimensions of your chosen safe. Bear in mind that, due to its reinforced layers, the exterior of a fire safe is significantly larger than the interior.

Fire safe features

Water resistance

A decent fire safe should be water-resistant. Not only can a water-resistant safe protect your contents from a fire hose soaking, but it can also offer protection in the event of a separate flooding incident.

Drawers and shelves

Many larger fire safes feature drawers or shelves. Shelves provide extra storage space in tall fire safes. Ideally, the shelves would be either movable or removable to accommodate taller items. Drawers are great for containing smaller items or spherical items that could roll around and fall out.

Lockable compartment

Having a separate lockable compartment offers a second line of defense for your most valuable items. Even if someone did manage to get inside your safe, they'd be faced with a second lock that would be tough to open without the key.

Cash rating

A fire safe can have a cash rating, which basically tells you how secure it is. The cash rating refers to how much cash an insurance company would be willing to cover in the event of a burglary if the cash were kept inside your safe. The more secure a safe is, the larger the cash rating, as it's less likely that a burglar could break into it.

Fire safe prices

The main factors that influence price are the size of the safe and how effective it is at protecting items from fire.

Basic fire safes generally cost between $50 and $200. These safes are usually on the smaller side and are generally only rated safe for documents or digital data. Most of these safes would keep your belongings protected for no more than an hour.

Mid-range fire safes cost $200 to $500. These are usually rated for digital data and can withstand external temperatures on the upper end of the spectrum.

High-end fire safes cost between $500 and $1,000. These are usually medium or large safes that can protect magnetic data at a high external temperature for up to two hours.

"Some fire safes have doors that swing shut when you leave them open, meaning you won't accidentally leave your items unprotected."
STAFF
BestReviews
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Choose a fire safe that has been independently tested, preferably by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL-certified fire safes meet the stringent requirements set out by UL, so you can trust they'll keep your items safe should the worst happen.

FAQ

Q. What happens if I forget the combination to my safe?
A.
Some fire safes feature a backup mechanical lock, so you can open it with a key if you forget your combination. If your safe doesn't have this feature, we highly recommend choosing a memorable combination that you won't forget. Alternatively, your safe company may be able to give you an override combination if you can provide proof of ownership.

Q. Will a fire safe really protect my belongings?
A.
As long as you choose a quality fire safe that has been independently tested, you can be almost certain it would protect your items in the event of a fire, but only up to the time limit and maximum temperatures listed.

Q. Should I choose a fire safe with wheels?
A.
A fire safe with wheels is easier to move from place to place; this could prove handy if you need to use it in more than one area. However, it also means a thief could potentially wheel it off, so you must decide if it's worth the risk.