I want a small safe to store passports, birth certificates, etc. What I really want is something that is fireproof, can be bolted down and its somewhat small. The size found in hotels would be great.
Anyone know of any that they would recommend?
The ones I find on Amazon are either way too big or have dubious claims when it comes to being fire proof.
Thanks
The best bang for the buck I found, when looking for something to just put documents in, is the fire safes at HD, Lowes, etc. Anything will bolt down if you drill holes in it. We went a different route to get something pretty on a Utah promotion, but if I was spending my money I was going to HD.
I bought mine from a local, real locksmith shop who largely specializes in commercial accounts. Its "the real deal" and I think I paid $500 ten years ago. He carried used stuff too but didn't have a used for my wants at the time.
I have a Hollon Brand, and I think specifically this model
Buy as big as you can. I really like having mine but like many things, I wish it were larger. In the store, it looked huge. In reality, it barely is deep enough to fit a 3-ring binder. I have an old family photo album that does not fit inside, sadly.
This thread is relevant to my interests.
What's wrong with a safety deposit box at a bank? Just out of curiosity.
If you need you passports and/or birth certificates at a moments notice.............maybe I don't want to know anymore. 
Thieves broke into my sisters house on Thanksgiving day. Took the safe not bolted down. Really upset my parents that evening.
They come back on Easter and take the safe. Alarm was off cause it was windy and was getting set off until they can fix the issue. My parents were upset again - how could this be?
Third time they walk by my brother in laws cash filled wallet on the dresser and take the safe. Cops comment not one house in the 'hood has been hit but hers.
In the end it was my nephew (the son) and his drug addicted buddies. Inside job as his dad did cash work and he knew there was a lot of cash kept in the safe.
Be sure to bolt that baby down.
In reply to z31maniac :
Nothing wrong with a bank safe deposit box, I really had not thought of that.
This came up because my brother's neighbor had his house go up in flames. They lost quite a bit of stuff. And the kicker is that the guy is a firefighter, so it can happen to anyone.
Not really concerned about theft really.
In reply to John Welsh :
That's a good idea. I had not considered a local locksmith. Will check that option.
We have this for important documents. Not bolted anywhere but its so well hidden I know where it is and don't see it. We have the larger gun safe that is bolted to the floor for, well, guns and other less important things.
Personally, I'd rather have a home fire safe than a safety deposit box. Probably not quite as 'safe', but... Access (both for pulling things out and putting things in) after-hours, weekends, and holidays when and where it's by-far the most convenient and timely, while the recurring annual fee paid for the inconvenience of storing off-site is like the gift that keeps on taking. On top of that, the branches around here seem to gradually be moving away from even offering safety deposit boxes.
If you're just storing documents and not something that a thief is likely to want to steal, I would consider a "fireproof document storage" box, rather than a safe. They're cheaper, smaller, lighter, and if a thief runs across one while rummaging through a closet then it doesn't scream "I've got cash inside me" the way that something that looks like a safe does.
In general, home security "safes" are not very secure, the doors and bolts may look impressive, but the sides are thin sheet metal. The weight and thickness come from the fireproofing material, which is not very strong. Most people on this forum could probably (destructively) open one in about 3-5 minutes just using the tools in the garage.
If you're storing cash, jewelry, firearms, etc then the answer is different. Understand your threat model.
I have a small safe in the master bedroom for important documents and handguns. I find it more convenient than having to go out to the shop to get in the big safe for this stuff. 24/7 hr access to it is a big win for me as well
One thing to watch out for is that the typical "certified" rating (like UL) is at 350*F, which means at the rated time and temp the inside of the safe does not exceed 350*F for the time and temp of exterior exposure. This is a "document" rating and would damage or destroy digital media, photos, film, magnetic strips, and other physically sensitive materials at that temperature. The best ratings for this stuff is UL-125 or UL-150, but those safes are certainly more expensive. ETL also has a 'digital media' protection rating that I haven't seen an internal temperature limit, to know if it'll also protect photos/film.
A lot of people buy safes that seem to largely rely on hope/luck that the fire intensity around the safe to be far enough below the rated time/temp that the internal temp (and humidity) remains low enough that the photos and digital media are not ruined.
Driven5 said:A lot of people buy safes that seem to largely rely on hope/luck that the fire intensity around the safe to be far enough below the rated time/temp that the internal temp (and humidity) remains low enough that the photos and digital media are not ruined.
Note that "data grade" fire safe ratings were designed for floppy disks. Modern storage technologies have different (sometimes better) temperature ranges at which they function.
Can you still get safety deposit boxes in the US?
The banks here withdrew them some five years or so ago as they didn't comply with the supposedly global new laws surrounding money laundering and financing terrorism ...
Safe deposit boxes still hang around some places. My local branch has them. They fell out of favor with the public as things became more digital so it's not really profitable for banks to use up the real estate for something with such a small ROI. I don't use bank deposit boxes mostly because they are too "public." Mom and dad had their box raided because of a mistake. They suspected someone of doing something illegal so a judge issued a warrant to snoop around safe deposit boxes. They only had some coupon bonds in theirs, but the warrant allowed them to seize the box belonging to the bad person, plus the few boxes around it in case they didn't grab the right one. Complete BS. Mom and dad's box was kept in evidence for 9 months during the investigation and then returned to them after a bunch of BS redtape.
If it had been stored in their home safe, it would have been a non-issue since they weren't under investigation. The only reason it was seized was because it was beside the box of some guy who robbed a convenience store and they thought maybe he was storing the gun at the bank.
I don't think it's common and I don't do anything illegal, nor do I worry about it happening to me, I just like the idea of having it under my control. That way it's also available 24/7 instead of M-F 9-5. The other thing these days is that banks seem to get bought up and change names every couple years. I would rather drop $400 now to have it at home instead of $20/mo for someone else to keep it.
I have had a few smaller safes over the years, most of them Bunker Hill brand from HF. Never had a problem with them. The go-to name for home safes seems to be Sentry. I have a briefcase-sized fire safe in my house for passports and my grandmother's engagement ring. It's a Sentry. Not high security or anything, but the contents are insured. Our safe at work is a Sentry floor model ; about 2' x 2' x 2' external. It's fire rated and has either key or code entry.
Slippery said:In reply to z31maniac :
Nothing wrong with a bank safe deposit box, I really had not thought of that.
This came up because my brother's neighbor had his house go up in flames. They lost quite a bit of stuff. And the kicker is that the guy is a firefighter, so it can happen to anyone.
Not really concerned about theft really.
I was just razzing you a bit, I hope that was obvious.
I have 2 safety deposit boxes, one in Tulsa, that has some cash my dad's Will and the POA agreement and other documents regarding the house their, burial plot, etc.
I have one here in OKC for mortgage docs, birth certificates, etc. My passport is now expired, but I always kept it at home in a drawer. You're more likely to get your CC info stolen at gas pump than anyone being able to do anything with your passport.
At 40 years old, I've never run into a situation where I need any of these documents RIGHT NOW. So the $50/yr has been worth it.
I don't know what your budget it but a fire proof gun safe could be worth looking in to.
You may want to look in to fire protected storage boxes instead of safes. Less secure but arguably better fire protection.
Another thing to consider is water damage from the fire. Things may survive the fire but get destroyed by the water used to put out the fire. Many safes are not waterproof. Many fire proof storage box's are water proof.
Get two safes...
#1 A super cheap one that's unbolted and located in a fairly conspicuous location to serve as a decoy.
#2 A decent quality one that's bolted and difficult to access to hold your valuables.
Whatever you do, don't place rocks from your backyard that you've spray painted gold and an insultingly crude stick figure pirates map (arg) in the cheap safe. 
You'll need to log in to post.
