Are your valuables in safe hands?
Okay, you want a smallish safe to house your valuables securely. But are your important possessions really as safe as houses? Maybe not if you under-invest on a safe that does not provide you with the appropriate security. Remember, insurance companies will determine your payout level based on your safes level of security. So customers considering an entry-level safe can be compromised when prioritising budget over security features. We've compared three popular safes to help you make the right decision.
The Yale budget safe range is unbreakable at the low end of the market.
With a one-year warranty, £1,000 insurance rating and electronic lock, this safe is great value and boasts very positive feedback, with it does exactly what you'd expect for the price as the most repeated mantra. You can set a PIN code with changeable numbers (you can also use keys) and the safe is secured to the floor or wall.
Although it keeps away would-be cons, it does have some real cons as well. There is no cash or fire rating and if you are worried about forgetting pin numbers, there are no backup keys. And despite the bolts working they could do with being more solid. But of greater concern is the fact that this is anyway not a high-security safe. If unwanted visitors had plenty of time on their hands (which hopefully they will have if they get caught) they would be able to open this safe.
So if you have a 50k diamond ring, we'd recommend a more expensive option. But for passports, university degree certificates and your tickets to see Adele, the SS1 is a locked-in winner.
Europes largest safe manufacturer Burg Wachters H1 electronic locking safe is proving to be a winner with thousands of customers.
With a recommended cash rating of £1k and £2k, the electronic lock is powered by batteries with access gained by a six-digit user code, or if you are a person like me who can't remember the wife's birthday then you also have key options. Secured to the wall or a surface, there is a two-year warranty, 30-minute fire protection for paper and options for different size models. But compared to similar safe sizes and capabilities paying out around £200 for the Burg Wachter is a big ask.
Rottner Saturn LE65 - cheap and cheerful but secure
If you are looking for a cheap, secure safe to house important documents then look no further than the Rottner Saturn LE65, a single wall furniture safe which takes an irreverent view of modern-fangled electronically controlled pins, instead favouring good old fashioned keys (which ironically is a plus for some customers). The middle shelf can be removed to accommodate larger items although the very thin metal walls may scupper that idea. The overwhelming feel of this product is that this is a basic; safe with a less than substantial locking mechanism at the front.
Buy the Rottner Saturn LE65!
On this comparison of three safes, we favour the Burg Wachter model, by a distance. There is enough added value to merit the extra cost and you will rest in the knowledge that with around a million opening permutations, this little beauty is not going to crack under pressure and is well worth the money!
