A safe is a lockable box that’s used to protect your valuable things against theft and damage. While the design and features often change, the main function is always the same - to keep your possessions secure and safe from harm. Whether you’re storing money, valuable documents or something personal like photographs or letters, a safe is a convenient place to keep them. Whether it’s for your home or for the office, there’s no better way to safeguard your things.

Before you buy a safe, you should know the different types available to you, their strengths and weakness, where you should store the safe and more.

Where to Keep Your Safe

Where you plan to keep your safe is important. On one hand, you want to keep it fairly close by so that it’s not an inconvenience every time you want to check it. On the other, you don’t want to keep it out in the open so every person in the world knows where it is. Find a balance between discretion and convenience.

For certain safes, like wall safes or floor safes, installation of the safe may be required. For bigger, heavier safes, make sure that you place them on a surface that is capable of supporting the weight.

Safe Types

So you’ve decided to buy a safe, but what kind? If you’re only looking to store petty cash, then a money safe or cash box is all you need. These small storage boxes won’t keep out a determined criminal, but they’re the perfect thing for events like dances, bake sales, office raffles etc.

Your standard safe will feature a combination lock and will deter all but the most persistent thieves. Combination safes are known for their longevity, and the combo lock rarely ever sticks or breaks.

Electronic safes bring security storage into the digital age. Electronic safes have a digital keypad that requires a pin number to open the safe. Electronic safes have come a long way in the last few years and now are nearly as dependable as combination safes. A biometric safe takes identification to the next level, requiring an individual thumbprint to open up the safe.

A fire resistant safe prevents your belongings from taking any damage from a fire. It insulates the inside of the safe from extreme temperatures for hours at a time. These fire resistant safes are generally more expensive than your standard safe, but you’re also getting a higher level of protection.

Gun safes are a necessity if you’re a firearms collector. These safes are designed to fit and store all of your guns and ammunition. Gun safes keep your weapons out of hands that don’t have the training or experience to handle them.