Safe size and capacity

Always start with how much space you want inside your safe (aka capacity) and how much room you have in your home for a safe (shelf, closet, stairwell and so on). As an easy starting place, think about what you’ll be keeping inside your safe.

When you’re considering size, factor in weight as well. Many average-size safes are heavy (easily over 50 pounds) and you’ll probably need at least two people to move them around comfortably. If you plan on using a safe on a shelf, try an option like my Motorola pick, which is below 20 pounds when empty.

Biometrics

Would you prefer to unlock your safe with a finger or thumb? Then make sure you find a safe with fingerprint scanning technology. Otherwise, keypads are a common feature on home safes, and they all have backup keys to use.

Anti-tampering

App-connected home safes can send you alerts about tampering, such as someone entering numerous wrong codes, and they can lock down and wait for you to deal with the problem directly. Along with access history, this is a very informative feature to have.

Fireproofing and waterproofing

A fireproof safe can withstand high heat for an hour or so while protecting materials inside, and is ideal for house fires. Waterproofing is important if pipes burst or a flood comes your way (and the safe is placed on the ground).

Durable, saw-resistant bolts

The best home safes have multiple durable bolts that can resist attempts to saw through them.

Installation and mounting

You might want a safe to be portable, like if you need to take it on business trips. But you might not, to prevent a burglar from walking off with it. In that latter case, look for a safe that has a mounting kit so you can screw it directly to a floor or wall.

Smart home compatibility

We wouldn’t call this a priority for a safe, but if you want yours connected to a home security platform, look for the proper support, like our Yale pick has. It can be useful to get tampering alerts or set fingerprints using an app, especially if you’re worried about someone messing with the safe while you’re away.