The debate over whether you should choose an electronic safe or a more standard, combination safe really depends on what you feel comfortable with and which features matter to you most. In the past electronic safes have gotten a bad rap, but in recent years the playing field has evened out. The good news is that nearly every type of safe (money safes, fire resistant safes, gun safes etc.) offers both the combination and electronic option, so don’t stress.

Both types of safe serve the same general purpose – to safeguard your personal belongings from any sort of harm. So what are the differences between the two?

Combination Safes

The combination safe is what you’ve seen in countless heist movies. These safes have a numerical dial that must be turned to a series of specific numbers in order to unlock the bolts and open the safe’s door. These safes are known for their dependability and endurance, as combo locks rarely ever stick of break. Some may complain that they’re a hassle to open, but the extra time it takes to open is a fair trade-off for reliability.

The downside to combination locks is that there’s only one combination code and that’s it. If someone were to find out about the code, there’s no way you can change it to something new, so guard your combo and don’t leave the combination lying around where someone can find it. And don’t worry, no matter what it looks like in the movies, the average person will need more than just a stethoscope to crack the combination.

Electronic Safes

There are two huge assets to owning an electronic safe: the ease of use and the ability to change your code on the fly. Electronic safes use a numerical keypad to open the safe rather than a combination dial. When you first get an electronic safe, you’ll choose a pin number and enter it into the keypad. Voila! That’s your new code. If you ever want to change your pin number, you’ll be asked to enter your old code and then punch in the new one.

When you choose a code, make sure that it’s something you remember, but not something that just anyone can guess. Choose something familiar but not obvious. Avoid using telephone numbers, addresses, birthdays, names – anything that someone could guess if you gave them five minutes.

Another form of electronic safe is the biometric safe. These safes actually scan your thumbprint, which then releases the bolts and opens the door. The downside to these safes is there’s a limited amount of thumbprints that can be scanned.

Fire Resistant Safes, Money Safes and More

As stated before, the best part of these safes is that you can choose for yourself which type of safe you want.