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Why should kids have a safe or lock box?
Safes seem like products that are only targeted towards grown-ups. However, in recent years children’s lockable money boxes and other styles of kids safe banks have become quite the trend.
It is easy to think that these kids’ safes are just toys to be played with and this is especially so when you look at the colorful designs many of these models have. So you may wonder…are these toys or real working products?
To be honest, it is a little bit of both, because safes for kids are more colorful in their fun designs. It can be hard to distinguish features which represent seriousness and sturdiness of real adult safes.When it comes to this product category, there is a vast diversity in place. Some kids safes are more toy-like; others are closer to the grown-ups version of the product.
That being said, most of them do have a more meaningful purpose other than mere pleasure for playing and/or fooling around. They can be a useful tool in helping your offspring learn about safety or security of property and money. Think of safes and lock boxes for kids as the first step towards financial responsibility and independence.
If we dive down to the specifics, most kids’ safes are either upgraded piggy banks or small lock boxes. They can also be described as cabinet safes and money safe banks, designed to appeal to children.
So, you see? There is a point for them, after all.
What standard features will you find on a kids safe box?
Most safes for kids are quite small, although there are a handful of units that are large. Many of these models have the capacity to store anywhere between 400 to 1000 coins and between 80 and 250 paper bills or banknotes.
Most lock boxes for kids weigh less than 2.5 pounds (1kg) and thus are very safe to use; so if a child drops this on their foot it may hurt but won’t cause much damage. Durability might be an area of concern since cheaper models are composed of plastic. This is a strong argument for a more costly lock box or money safe which are made from iron, steel or aluminum.
Without a doubt, each model is unique and different. Still, in general, safes for kids have features that fall into two categories: gimmicks and genuine features. Gimmicks are visual-only features that look nice and appealing but aren’t very practical. These include fake fingerprint scanners, motorized bill feeders, (to make it seem like using an ATM) and vault-like locks.
Practical and functional features include various locks which range from combination style all the way to genuine digital electronic keypad locks. Most of these kids safe banks, however, will come with either a combination style or key lock.
Some also have a special money slot specifically designed to fit cash or coins. Designated tray areas for keys and other valuables can be found as well. More expensive units might also even be fireproof and/or waterproof; however I would personally consider these more fire resistant than fireproof.
What’s the difference between a toy safe and a real safe for kids?
Toy safes and kids’ safes differ in various areas. A toy is meant to be played with and does not serve any other purpose. Sure, it can be educational, but educational toys are rarely fun.
A metal safe for kids, on the other hand, is a tool which helps protect property by also looking appealing to children. Usefulness comes first and playing – second.
Most toy safes will not have proper locks and instead be filled with gimmicks that resemble vault locks or electronic keypads. More reasonable and practical safe boxes meant for kids are quite affordable. They are equipped with mechanical locks and on rarer occasions – a proper digital keypad.
The difference between gimmick and real safety measures is important. Toys are fun, but a motorized bill feeder only does so much good and won’t serve a practical purpose. The same goes for “Fake fingerprint scanners”, meant to imitate bio-metric locks which are usually found on more expensive adult sized safes. Those are also not real and do not improve security one bit.
Frankly, no features found on toy safes do much protection work. Breaking into them is a piece of cake even though motorized feeders or keypads are fun to play with.
Instead of just buying a toy safe or an upgraded version of a piggybank, opt for a more practical safe for kids. Especially if your child has savings or valuable personal belongings that they wish to protect.
So what are the best safes for kids?
Look at their age
When it comes to any kind of product targeting kids, age is one of the most critical factors that can impact and alter a choice. There is a huge gap between children aged 4 or 5 and children at the age of 11.
Depending on how old the youngster is, the right solution should vary as well. For those that are only playing and are in their pre-school years – a toy safe might be the best option.
However, if your child has already become at least moderately self-sufficient, a proper kid’s safe box or a real safe is most likely the best way to go.
Also, do not go buying massive military-grade, pry-resistant, almost vault-like stainless steel safes for your kids. Keep it simple at the beginning, and if he or she enjoys it, you can upgrade to more serious hardware along the way.
Think about the values you want them to learn
Keep in mind that the values you wish to teach your kids also matter. If you want kids to play and have a good time only – gimmicky toy safes are the way to go.
However, if you want them to learn more and be ready for challenges waiting in adulthood, you may want to consider a colorful steel lockbox with a digital lock. It’s not as flashy from the outside, but it definitely does the job. It should even educate your kids about saving money and how to properly keep valuables, etc.
Your budget
Generally speaking, a kid’s safe box or any toy safe should set you back no more than 40 USD. This is not a large purchase, but still – it is better to buy something that is of value and not just visually appealing. Hence think about money safes or smaller steel safes which are usually under 80-90 USD in price, yet provide so much more security and have genuine value as well. They should appeal to kids too.
Noteworthy features & perks
When it comes to adult safes, you can find a plethora of unique and useful features, such as alarms, AC ports for charging gadgets stored inside the safe, etc. When you consider a small safe for kids, the options are not as extensive and diverse. Features are mostly restricted by the small size of these storage boxes.
Useful options are overwhelmed and replaced by gimmicks and playful attributes. All in all, a safe which resembles a toy has very little features or perks that are worth your money. Kids safe boxes, on the other hand, might be made of solid steel and could have sturdy locks to avoid any kind of damage.
Kids Money Bank Deals!
Teach your children to save their money! Teach them to appreciate their pocket money and not squander it. Make saving money a fun experience. There are a ton of different money banks for kids on the market today and these are what will encourage a child to save.
Primarily we will be looking at safes for kids. These don’t necessarily have to be the metal box variety however if you want better security then a proper kids money safe would be the way to go.
The thing is it may be better to get a quality small safe from a reputable security safe company rather than go to a toys store to purchase a less secure version.
Some of these high quality small safes may cost a little more but they are built to for security and many are even water and fire protected.
Now what kid isn’t going to want a quality money safe for storing their pocket money and other items?
Some FAQ’s about kids safes
Most safes for kids are in the small category, so there will be a number of models top choose from. The easiest way to decide which safe is best for your child is to focus on whether you want a manual key opening safe or a digital type safe. Which of those do you think your child would prefer?
These come in various shapes and sizes and usually have a digital keypad locking mechanism. To open the safe you need to type in the correct pass code and then turn a handle to pull the door open.
This is pretty much the same as the digital safe, (explained above). It is essentially a battery operated small safe that can only be opened via the keypad using a special PIN code.
These small safes tend to be a little more practical when it comes to actually keeping money/valuables secure. Mostly made with durable steel and have a manual key locking system for easy access. They usually come with two keys.
As with the kids locking safes, (above), these are designed to be a tougher, sturdier safe for kids to keep their valuables. They wont break easily if dropped and are a perfect size for storing cash savings.
A kids safe bank is a term used to describe all manner of safes for kids. That includes the tougher metal lock boxes, the ATM style safes, the colorful bank vault style safes and even the ones that look like a treasure chest.
This is yet another term used for kids money safes. They are mainly used for storing cash only and that includes coins and notes. Many have a small slot for dropping money in, some wider than others. There are even those that look like the old fashioned kid’s piggy banks from back in the day.
Looking for a money safe box for kids?
Here are more top quality small safes that would be ideal as a kid’s bank safe
The SentrySafe H2300 Fire safe is also fire protected for up to an hour, has a key lock mechanism and is just under $55.
Both would be great money banks for kids and would be a perfect gift. This next small safe is ideal for a teenager or a college student.
The SentrySafe 1100 Fire safe is just the right size for a youngster to store away a number of items and is also fire protected for up to an hour. Not bad for a fireproof safe just over $30.
It is the DormVault DV450 and has been specifically designed for students who are off to college or university; hence the name, Dormvault. It is a roomy storage safe that has a number of cool features.
It is portable and lightweight making it easy to transfer to and from a dorm room, it can be bolted to a bed or other furniture and it comes with a secure combination lock. This is a bigger safe than the other two but is still reasonably priced at just under $40.
So there you go, just three examples of some of the safes for kids that are available. But let’s say you didn’t want to spend that much. Let’s say you just wanted an even smaller safe for your kid just so he or she can stash some money away.
In this case you would be looking at a diversion safe. Any one of these stash safes would also be ideal for hiding money and they are also kind of fun too. Many of these hidden compartment safes are under $20 and most are under $15. Not a bad price to pay for encouraging your kid to save and appreciate their money.
Children’s Lockable Money Box
There are many lockable money box designs, shapes, colors and sizes, however the main purpose for all of them is the same; to keep small items stored safely.
These items can include mobile phones, small documents, small toys, loose change and cash notes. The most common version is the mini cash box which is basically a small, but tough, metal lock box that is the perfect size for any kid wanting to store their savings.
They come in a variety of colors and are usually flat and wide in shape which is perfect for hiding in drawers or under a bed. They have a small metal carry handle on the lid making this a portable mini safe.
The other designs available tend to be more upright and instead of having a key lock they have a combination lock. Now, this may be more gimmicky than anything else but the lock will work like any other dial combination lock…it does the job but may not be as practical as the standard key lock safes.
There is another variety growing in popularity and that is the treasure chest style design. These are either actually made from real wood or they are made from another material but keeping with the overall “chest” type of design.
Some even have a little padlock on the front used fro locking the top opening. Most have the standard key lock system with a very basic lock. Are they very secure? Not really. These really are a cross between a gimmick and a real small safe; but are closer to being a gimmick. Nice to look at, but not very secure.