You may have a few moments to get everyone out and grab something important whilst escaping, but more often than not your most prized or important possessions will be spread across your home and there won’t be enough time to grab everything.
One thing that will make life more difficult after a house fire is not having important documents such as ones regarding home insurance or health insurance as they were quickly engulfed within the fire.
Having a safe will be able to protect important documents and other valuable possessions from the fire for up to 2 hours (depending on the temperature) so you’ll be able to quickly grab it whilst running out the door.
Safes should not only protect your valuables from potential thieves, but they should also be able to shield and preserve your belongings from fire and also water.
We’ve put ourselves through the research and put our expertise to the test to bring you the 9 best fireproof safes around, so you can have the reassurance that your possessions are protected.
The best overall safe is this safe from Sentry Safe. It’s one of the best safes around if you want to get the most bang for your buck as it has loads of additional features as well as quality protection from potential fires in your home.
The safe can also be submerged into 8 inches of water for up to 24 hours, which is great if you have a sprinkler system in your home, or if the fire services have to use hoses to extinguish the fire in your home, as your valuables inside won’t get damaged.
This safe by Sentry Safe is UL classified to endure 1 hour of heat and fire at 1700 degrees Fahrenheit and will keep the internal temperatures safe so that your possessions inside do not get ruined.
As well as having a moderate fireproof rating, the safe is also impact resistant for up to 15 feet so if the floor that the safe sits on happens to fall through then the safe will stay intact.
The safe has a digital keypad to allow you to gain entry to the safe, so you’ll be able to set your combination to something only you would know.
It also comes with a secondary key for extra security, so if you lock the safe with the additional key, you’ll also need to unlock it with the key as well.
A great feature that comes with this SentrySafe safe is the interior light built into the safe that comes on when the door is opened up so you can see and access your contents easily without having to use a flashlight.
The digital keypad is backlit, so you’ll be able to see the numbers and enter your combination even in dimly lit environments like in the back of a closet.
However, the key cannot be used as the primary unlocking system so forgetting your number combination could create problems.
The battery compartment within the safe is easy to access, so you should have no issues replacing the batteries when they die so you’ll always be able to gain access to the safe.
The same comes with a pry-resistant hinge bar which will project against forced entry along with the 4 large 1-inch bolts.
There is an interior locking drawer which adds extra security as it will need the additional key to gain entry which will help keep any super-important things secure if someone manages to gain access to the rest of the safe.
The safe offers the flexibility of being bolted down to the floor or also placed somewhere inconspicuous in your home.
The safe weighs 87lbs without any contents inside so is manageable to carry for someone who has some level of strength or with some additional help. Therefore this safe can be considered portable.
Pros
2 locking systems - Offers extra security for your possessions
Protects against fire for 1 hour at 1700 degrees F - Your safe should stay intact by the time the fire is put out
Pry resistant hinge bar - Protects contents from forced entry
Impact-resistant - Won’t be damaged if a fire burns down the floor that the safe is placed on
Cons
A manual key cannot be used to unlock the safe - Creates problems if you forget the combination
If you’re looking for a more lightweight safe that will be easy to pick up and run out of the house in the event of fire then this fireproof box by SentrySafe will do well for you.
We’d never recommend trying to gather possessions or going back into the home during a fire, but we do know sometimes, having important documents safe on your person will make the aftermath of a house fire a little bit better.
This is why a portable fireproof safe/box is ideal.
The fireproof box is UL classified to last 30 minutes at 1550 degrees F and will protect valuable documents inside at those conditions for that amount of time.
The box is ETL verified to protect documents, USBs, and DVDs from fire damage so will be able to protect any irreplaceable old homemade family videos that you keep in there.
The box is manually opened using a key and will come inclusive of two keys, so if you happen to misplace one then you’ll still have a backup to gain access to the safe.
The box can accommodate passports, birth certificates, and social security numbers organized within the hanging files inside, so everything will be easy to access.
The fireproof box weighs under 30lbs when empty, so you should have no issues being able to pick it up and run out the door when a fire occurs in your home.
However, when it comes to security, this fireproof box doesn’t compare against the rest as it doesn't have any sort of reinforced construction to prevent forced entry from happening.
Therefore, as security is not the best, we’d recommend only using this fireproof box for personal documents or anything that is only valuable to your family and not worth any sort of money.
The box will be primarily used for fireproof purposes, rather than securing it away from intruders, although the box will remain protected from the prying eyes of any children in the home when it’s locked.
Pros
2 keys included - Gain still gain entry to the box if you happen to lose one key
Weighs under 30lbs - Easily portable out the home during a fire
Will stay protected for 30 minutes at 1550 degrees F - Provides enough time to grab it and go
ETL verified - Will protect documents inside from damage
Cons
Security is not the best - Forced entry could occur
This flexible and durable helmet is one of the best in today’s market. Built for a range of water sports, this piece of headwear is equipped to keep you looking great and feeling safe.
Whether you’re a beginner tackling your first wave or a professional looking to play hard, this helmet will provide you with the reliable protection you need.
From a brand known for their recognizable and unique style, this model comes in four finishes, including a ‘satin orange’ which will not only ensure you stand out but can be extremely useful in terms of lifeguard visibility with there are ultra-crowded line-ups.
With its high-density injection-molded ABS shell and its soft, quick-absorbing EVA liner, the helmet provides not only effective protection but comfort around the top of the neck and the ears.
For further comfort, the straps of the helmet are made of a soft, nylon, webbed material rather than the harsh plastic that many manufactures tend to use.
This helmet with its durability, ventilation, and practical composition is one that is known for its mass appeal amongst surfers and water enthusiasts worldwide. If you are looking for a high-standard, substantial value for money model, you will not regret choosing the Pro-Tec Ace Water helmet.
This Kascoo is one of the best budget-friendly fireproof safes around, and there are not too many to pick from as well!
The construction is made from strong solid steel that has a tamper-proof door that won’t be able to be pried open by thieves.
The safe has a 0.8 cubic feet storage capacity and will be able to hold a handful of your most valuable possessions such as cash, jewelry, passports, secret documents, and some small electronic products.
There are two shelves inside, so you’ll be able to separate your belongings into categories if needed, for easy removal during a fire.
It’s designed with a digital lock code and comes with 2 emergency keys which can be used if the battery in the safe dies or you happen to forget your password.
When the incorrect password is entered 3 times into the safe, a 60-second alarm should beep until the correct password is then entered, this should help deter any thieves who have gained access into your home and have managed to find the safe.
The safe is an ideal size for putting on a high shelf in your closet out of sight, or even if you intend to cut a hole in your wall to hide behind a bookcase or picture frame.
The safe weighs under 16lbs so will be light enough to be carried out of the home if you choose not to permanently drill it down into the floor or the walls.
Unfortunately, there is no certified fireproof rating on this safe as with the other safes we’ve come across, although, from reading numerous reviews of customers who have experienced mild to moderate fires, the safe has held up well and their contents have remained intact.
Pros
Budget-friendly - No need to break the bank to protect valuables
Good capacity - Will be able to store a good amount of possessions
Small enough to be hidden away - Thieves may not be able to find it
Two entry methods - Can use the other entry method if the other fails
Cons
No certified fireproof rating - Unable to detect how fireproof it is
Up next on our list of best fireproof safes, is this model by Steelwater that boasts a 2-hour fire rating at 1850 degrees F, which is one of the best ones we’re recommending today.
The rectangular-shaped safe comes with an adjustable shelf inside, which can be removed if you’d rather have one big capacity space. You should be able to fit an adequate amount of smaller possessions like wallets, cash, small guns, and small documents inside.
There is also an anchoring hole at the bottom of the safe, so you can drill it into the ground in your home for extra security. There are two layers of steel to the construction of the safe, so it would take a lot of impact from someone trying to break into it.
The safe is opened using one of the 4 preset non-changeable combinations and the key. If one of these combinations gets compromised then that person will still not be able to access the safe without the key.
The safe comes with 2 keys, so you’ll be able to give them to members of your family if necessary and even a close family friend in the event of an emergency.
This feels like an old-school style safe and doesn’t come with additional thrills that some of the newer models do like with built-in interior lights or digital keypads. However, it is built to be secure and to protect the contents inside from fire, which it executes well.
Pros
Dual-locking system - More secure and incredibly difficult for someone to gain entry
2-hour fire rating at 1850 degrees F - Will be able to protect your valuables in moderate house fires
Adjustable shelf - It can be removed if you want to insert larger objects inside the safe
Durable steel construction - Can withstand high impact
Cons
Combination code cannot be changed - Provides good security but slightly inconvenient
If you’re looking for an ultra-compact sage to hide somewhere in your home, then this First Alert model will be the way to go.
It offers 0.94 cubic feet of storage capacity inside, which will be enough to keep small amounts of cash, passports, jewelry, and even small electronics.
The First Alert safe is fire-resistant and can withstand temperatures of up to 1700 degrees F for up to 1 hour, so you should have enough time to quickly grab your stuff before evacuating your home (obviously if it is safe to do so) in the event of a fire.
The design is also waterproof to keep contents inside even when the safe is submerged, so will be able to protect everything if the sprinkler system in your home is activated or the fire service has to use water systems to control the fire in the home.
There are also pry-proof concealed hinges that deter thieves and will be able to prevent crowbar entry in case of a break-in.
The safe is implemented with a combination lock which allows you to set your own code for access. You are supplied with 2 emergency override keys so you’ll still be able to access the safe if you happen to forget the combination.
The user manual included is detailed but simple to understand, so you’ll be able to quickly come to terms with how to work safely to keep your possessions inside.
Pros
Pry-proof concealed hinges - Deters thieves and prevents crowbar entry
Withstands temperatures of 1700 degrees F for 1 hour - Safe should stay intact by the time emergency services arrive
Waterproof design - Keeps contents dry when sprinklers are activated
Cons
Some customers have reported the safe arrived damaged - Lack of customer care
Not everyone needs a full-on safe to keep their valuables stored and protected away from any potential harm, that’s why a fireproof box will come in handy as they have adequate storage but without being overly large.
You’ll be able to keep your most important hard drives, photos, and legal documents safely tucked away inside the box that’s opened and closed with a personal key.
The safe is considered idiot-proof and perfect for someone who doesn’t like the idea of a techy electronic safe as it is manually opened and closed with a key.
This SureSeal fireproof box by FireKing is an ideal choice if you’re looking for something you can quickly grab to carry out the house if a fire occurred as it has a carry handle.
However, if you can’t get to the SureSeal box then the UL Class 350 fire rating material will keep it safe for up to 1 hour when the external temperatures are around 1700 degrees F.
The box will also remain waterproof with the contents inside staying dry for up to 2 hours when submerged in water
The box has a soft close feature that’ll stop your fingers from getting caught or jammed when you’re closing and locking the box up.
One of the cons about this safe is that it wasn't built to be an anti-theft safe as it could easily be carried off by an intruder who found it in your home.
It also wouldn’t be too difficult for a thief to pry the seals open to see what’s inside as there are no dead or active locking bolts like you would find in a traditional safe.
For that reason, we’d recommend only using this fireproof box for storing documents and personal mementos that would not be worth anything to a potential thief.
Try to hide the box somewhere not obvious in your home to reduce and prevent the risk of a thief finding it if they broke in.
Pros
Comes with a carry handle - Easy portable
Waterproof for up to 2 hours - Won’t get damaged if the sprinkler system goes off
Fireproof for 1 hour at 1770 degrees F - Will be able to protect belongings for longer at lower fire temperatures
Cons
Construction isn’t theft-proof - Any thief could carry it out of the home if they found it
This Jolitac biometric cabinet safe is compact but still offers high security. It’s constructed with sturdy carbon steel for long-lasting protection and uses seamlessly welded technology to seal the safe so it cannot be pried or forced open.
The biometric technology allows you to register your fingerprint to open up the safe and also register up to 32 other fingerprints of any other family members you wish to grant access to the safe to.
It comes with a motion-sensitive alarm that will be triggered if the safe is being tampered with or if five incorrect fingerprint entries have been used. The alarm will go off for 1 minute and then automatically lock the safe.
This is a great deterrent for thieves, but also for nosey children in your home who like to look through possessions.
The capacity of the cabinet safe will be enough for passports, jewelry, small documents, and small electronics to be stored on the two shelves. You can also choose to remove the interior shelf if you'd rather store larger possessions inside within just one compartment.
The biometric safe is fireproof but doesn’t give a UL fireproof rating anywhere within the product description to show how long the safe will protect contents.
Upon further research and inspection, the safe is said to protect the internal contents from fire but partial damage to the exterior of the safe may occur during the event of a moderate house fire.
Pros
Biometric fingerprint entry - More secure access and even allows access to allocated people
Carbon steel construction - Durable and long-lasting, will protect against impact
Vibration sensitive alarm - Goes off if someone tries to tamper with the safe
Compact but good storage capacity - Can easily hide in your home but manages to store a lot inside
Cons
No UL certified fireproof rating - No given time of how long it’ll protect contents inside
Another excellent fireproof chest is this carry handle one from Honeywell. The box offers 1 hour of protection at temperatures of up to 1550 degrees F according to the UL certified fireproof rating.
Most house fires will burn at temperatures of around 1100 degrees F when they’re moderately bad, so this Honeywell safe should survive just fine given its UL fireproof rating.
The box is an ideal candidate for someone who wants to store important legal documents and personal mementos that have no worth to anyone else but themselves as it’s built for water and fire protection and not the most reliable for protection against thieves.
The box is waterproof and will even keep contents dry when submerged 39 inches underwater so if your home flooded or the sprinkler system was activated when fire triggered it, it’ll remain safe.
This Honeywell safe comes with 2 keys, so if you accidentally misplace one you should keep the other in a safe place that you’ll remember. However, you could get extra keys cut at a locksmith so other people in your family have one.
It comes with silica gel sachets to help absorb moisture within the box, although it is still recommended to air out the box every 2 weeks to prevent any moisture from building up inside.
So unless you want to laminate your important documents or put your valuables in a ziplock bag, then you won’t be able to store everything and not think about it for years as some customers have noted scenarios where moisture has ruined their possessions inside.
Pros
Protected for 1 hour for temperatures of up to 1550 degrees F - Will keep contents inside safe
Can be submerged in 39 inches of water - Won’t be affected by sprinkler system or fire service hose
Carry handle on construction - Easy portability
Cons
Moisture does build up inside - Needs to be aired out every 2-3 weeks to protect contents
What To Look For When Buying A Fireproof Safe
Independent Fireproof Rating
It’s important to look out for products that claim to be fire-resistant or fireproof on their product descriptions.
Whilst they both have similar definitions, most people would associate fireproof safes with being more reliable and protective during the event of fire compared to fire-resistant safes.
However, manufacturers will label and market their safes as fireproof or fire-resistant, but the truth is, that any safe will eventually burn and be ruined in the right conditions.
To find out how protective your safe will be of your possessions in a fire, you’ll have to look at the UL fireproof rating (an independent certifier) on the product to find out.
A UL Class 350 - 1 hour fireproof rating means that your safe and the possessions inside will be safe and the interior temperature will not exceed 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least one hour when they are exposed to an external temperature of over 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is considered to be a high rating.
A medium rating fireproof safe will stay protective for 30 minutes at an external temperature of 1550 degrees Fahrenheit whilst a low fireproof rating will entail a safe staying protective for at least 20 minutes at external temperatures of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Realistically, you should have a safe that is fireproof for at least 30 minutes as it normally takes around 20 minutes for a fire to burn through one room before the flames start spreading into the room above or the next room.
Portability
If you intend to grab your safe and run in the event of a fire, you’ll need to buy a portable safe. However, due to the durable fireproof materials that are used to construct the safe, it will still be heavy so you may need the help of someone else.
If you intend for your safe to be portable so you can take it if there’s a home occurring in your home, then you’ll want to make sure that you don’t bolt or drill it down into the floor or the wall, as it’ll be unlikely that you’ll have the time or the fearlessness to get a drill out to rescue it when a fire is burning in your home.
Some fireproof safes (or boxes) are built to be portable and come with carrying handles and have more compact designs so they can be picked up and carried out of the house.
Ideally, a portable fireproof safe is something you should prioritize for your home. Even the highest UL fireproof rating means that your safe will be protected for 1 hour in your home if the fire and temperature are around 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.
So unless it’s a small fire that can be easily controlled in your home, then you’ll want a safe you can pick up and transfer out of the house otherwise your important documents and possessions inside the safe could be damaged from the fire if it spreads all over your home and burns the house down.
Size & Storage Capacity
The size and storage capacity will impact what kind of fireproof you buy. Every safe has different dimensions and will be suitable for different storage purposes.
For example, some people may store jewelry or other family heirloom items, whereas some may find storing important documents such as birth, marriage, or degree certificates is what they use their safe for.
If you’re planning on using your safe to store important documents, then make sure you measure the dimensions of the largest document so it will safely fit inside the safe without having to bend it in half.
Remember an A4-sized document is a different size from a legal document, so always measure up what you’ll be storing before buying your safe.
The larger the capacity of the safe, the more expensive it tends to be, this is because the overall sizing of the safe also has to be bigger to allocate for the internal capacity.
If you’ll only be storing documents and small objects, then there may not be a need for you to buy the biggest safe around.
As we said, the bigger the capacity, the bigger the safe, which means it’ll require more room in your home to be stored. Consider where you’ll be putting your fireproof safe before you buy it so you know it will fit.
If you’re going to be bolting the safe down hidden at the back of your closet, then do consider that the safe will take up some valuable storage space.
Fireproof Box or Safe
There are also two kinds of fireproof storage you can have for your possessions, a fireproof box, and a fireproof safe.
Both look relatively the same, however, a fireproof box tends to only open via a small key whereas a fireproof safe may have 3 methods of entry such as a key, number pad, or a combination lock which makes it more difficult to break into.
Fireproof boxes tend to be less expensive as they’re commonly used just for documents and are not as heavily constructed as a fireproof safe.
A fireproof box normally has a more compact design which is ideal for people who don’t have a lot of space in their homes.
Some people don’t use a fireproof box for its security features but more so for the protective case, so it’s not uncommon for people who have them to just keep them stored in a home office or even in professional offices.
Security Features
Safes can also be built with security features within their construction to keep them extra secure. For example, they might have anti-pry doors and hinges which can’t be forced open by intruders with a crowbar.
They may also have drill-resistant plates that are unable to be removed when used with a drill by someone trying to break into the safe.
If you’ve got valuables such as expensive jewelry or cash that you want to keep extra secure, then some safes come with another compartment within the safe that is unlockable using a key.
This means if someone did gain access to the safe through an electronic locking system, then they’d also need to find the keys to open the inner compartment.
One great feature to have on a fireproof safe is an alarm that is activated when someone tries to tamper with the safe such as by trying to open it another way other than the locking system.
This alarm could also be activated if you enter an electronic code wrong too many times and will deter a potential thief from progressing further into the burglary.
Locking Mechanisms
What kind of locking mechanism you’d like on your safe will also be something you’ll need to consider.
A safe has an electronic key code that you have to enter into the pin pad to be able to open the safe, but they will also come with cut keys that you can use to manually open up the safe.
Some safes will also allow you to have multiple pin codes for all your family members so you can all have access to the safe in the event of an emergency.
As good as electronic code locks are there is one main issue and that’s that they rely on batteries to be powered. So one day you may come to open it and the battery will have died and you’ll have to use the key to manually open it anyway.
This may not be a huge problem in normal circumstances, but during a fire, you may not have the time to try and locate the cut key to go and open up the safe manually.
Some safes will have a traditional combination dial that you have to turn to your specific combination to unlock the safe. They are very reliable and are often cheaper than electronic code safes.
Some safes have a biometric locking system that requires you to use your fingerprint to open the safe each time. These are great as you can quickly unlock in the case of an emergency and are more reliable as you won’t have to worry about forgetting any codes, or losing keys.
This also means that you and other allocated fingerprints will be the only ones who will have access to the safe, so there is no chance of a burglar breaking in and gaining access to the safe without your knowledge.
However, regardless of what type of locking mechanism your safe has, you should ensure that it can be manually opened using a set of keys just in case of emergencies.
Waterproof
A waterproof construction on a safe may not be one of the first things you look for when shopping around, but it’s certainly something to bear in mind, especially if you have a sprinkler system in your home which is activated when there is a fire.
The fire department will also use high-powered water hoses which could damage the possessions in your safe if it’s not waterproof and properly sealed.
Humidity can also cause damage to your documents and possessions inside the safe, especially if your safe is kept in a room or closet that holds a lot of moisture.
Why do many fireproof safes have bad reviews?
Whilst many safes online boast great reviews, there is still an inherent number of fireproof safes that have negative reviews from customers.
This is normally down to a handful of recurring issues such as the safe is easy to break into, moisture has occurred within the safe and any manual keys have broken.
Some customers expect top-of-the-line safes but don’t expect to pay the premium for them, therefore, manufacturers will skimp on certain aspects of constructing their safes, such as not making the material as non-penetrable as possible to keep their prices more budget-friendly to attract customers.
However, there are precautions of your own that you can take to make your safe better and more protective of your possessions.
Moisture
If moisture is going to be a problem, you should try to air out your safe every 2 weeks to prevent moisture from building up inside, if you live in a humid climate then you may want to consider putting a dehumidifier next to it to speed up the drying process.
Alternatively, you could try to laminate any documents you have to protect them from moisture or put some silica gel absorber balls inside the safe to reduce the internal moisture.
The Physical Keys Broke
The keys that come included with a safe are often not of the highest quality. This paired with plastic locks inside the safe will never have a good outcome and will result in them breaking.
As soon as you get your safe, you should aim to get a quality key cut by a locksmith the prevent them
from breaking or being locked out of your safe again.
Easy To Get Into
As we said, unless you’re willing to pay the premium for a safe then it’s highly unlikely that it won’t be made of high-grade impenetrable material that thieves cannot get into.
One way to avoid any thieves getting to your safe is by keeping it out of sight and in inconspicuous places where someone would not think to find it.
So maybe consider having it hidden in a wall behind a bookcase or a picture, where a thief may not think to look, in comparison to keeping it under the bed or in your closet.
Also having a safe with a security alarm that is activated when someone tries to tamper with the safe or enters the incorrect combination numerous times will scare off a potential thief and keep your possessions in the safe locked away.
Fireproof Safe FAQs
Are fireproof safes really fireproof?
There is no such thing as a completely fireproof safe, as at some point a safe will succumb to the blazing heat and flames of a fire and eventually be destroyed along with everything inside.
A safe will be able to protect your possessions inside for a couple of hours depending on the UL fire rating of the sage and also the external temperatures around the safe.
However, there is such a thing as spontaneous combustion which entails paper, fabric, and electronics igniting within the safe even if there are no flames outside around the safe. So some objects could begin to ignite, melt or diminish at temperatures as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
What are fireproof safes made of?
Fireproof safes are often made from steel walls and a special cement mix that is fire resistant that is poured into the wall cavity. The most common materials you’ll find in fireproof safes are gypsum, perlite, and vermiculite.
How long should a fireproof safe last?
Depending on the UL fire rating of a safe and also the external temperatures around the safe from a fire, it could last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in intense conditions.
Where is the best place to put a fireproof safe in your house?
You should try to keep your safe hidden somewhere inconspicuous in your home but also on the ground floor where it will be cooler and where there is a sprinkler system that could eliminate any nearby fire.
However, if your home is also prone to flooding, then you’ll want to avoid putting your safe on the ground floor.
Avoid putting your safe in the master bedroom as this is the first place thieves will normally look in a burglary. Do not put your safe in the garage either as this is the least secure area in your home and you may not even be able to hear your garage being entered by an intruder.
Final Thoughts On The Best Fireproof Safes
Choosing a fireproof safe will come down to preference in the end and also how much you’re willing to spend for the security and protection of your possessions.
You may need a relatively small fireproof safe just to keep family heirlooms or a bundle of emergency cash, whereas others may need to keep large documents and even big objects which will require a large capacity safe.
We’ve shared an array of small and large capacity safes with you that will suit a variety of needs, but it’s important to do your research to understand what you’ll need from your safe before buying.
We hope this review has been helpful for you and given you some insight for when you buy your safe.
