A general overview of drawer safe uses
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If the name hasn’t already given it away – drawer safes are ideal for safely storing small and medium-sized valuable items.
They are primarily designed to fit into drawers for safe keeping and staying hidden.
These kinds of safes can be installed in drawers or similarly-sized spaces. They can be fitted, but are also suited for carrying; thus, a drawer safe might also be portable. This versatility offers more options for people who need a safe at home but also need to take it with them to work or wherever.
These safes are created to be relatively compact, weighing around 10-25 pounds (4-12 kilos). Bigger safes are mostly sturdier and more robust, but increased size does come with trade-offs. A larger and heavier drawer safe is much more difficult to carry.
With that being said, it is easy to deduce that a smaller, cheaper unit could be handy on the go. Still, a thief might have few issues trying to open or steal it.
Storage space in drawer safes is not super limited, but you may struggle to find one that can store a large laptop or something similar in size.
Remember, the priority is to be able to be hidden within a drawer and most drawers are not that deep.
You may have a hard time storing anything bigger than an 11” tablet; however some larger drawer safes can be found. Many are designed to hold cash, valuable jewels, wristwatches, maybe a small handgun, passports, valuable papers, and a wallet as well. In short – mostly small stuff.
What would be the best drawer safe for you?
This is an excellent purchase if you have cash, jewelry, important documents or something similar, just lying around at home. Such valuable items need protection, and regular lock boxes or locked drawers aren’t always enough.
A drawer safe is also commonly bought by families who wish to store their shared valuables somewhere safely. This is why you can often find these safes hidden in closets or somewhere inconspicuous around the house.
To sum up – if you have too many valuables for a lock box or are in general, looking for a more robust storage option – definitely look into buying a small, medium-sized or large drawer safe (depending on your needs), rather than a simple lock box.
Proper placement for a desk drawer safe
Drawer safes are very home-friendly, so-to-speak. They are not large or too extravagant, meaning that you can always find a suitable spot for them in any house/apartment/condo, etc.
Nevertheless, an office also has a place or two where such an object might be fitted.
Security experts always recommend fitting a safe in a secluded place, out of plain sight. They say that floor-fitting is the safest option while wall-fitting is not as effective but still heads and shoulders above leaving it out unattached. If the first two options are not a possibility, you could try and bolt/screw the safe to the ground or a particular surface.
PIECE OF ADVICE: Remember that a small drawer safe could be an easy steal for a thief. If you have it in your house, fit it into a hole, wall or a drawer.
How to buy the best possible drawer safe?
Mobility or sturdiness?
We mentioned this earlier, but size dictates the trade-offs and pros and cons of drawer safes and drawer safe boxes. It all begins with and mostly revolves around the size of these safes. Thus, you have to decide whether you are going for maximum mobility or are you looking for a solid, heavy-duty drawer safe.
Expect larger units to be more costly, but to have more sophisticated anti-tampering gear like pry-resistance doors, etc. They are made from steel, instead of aluminum and so on. Consider if you set out on the road or go away from home for a while, carrying a box in your luggage is much simpler than stuffing a much larger safe, weighing 30 pounds, in your backpack.
Pick your poison when it comes to these aspects.
Lock and opening type
Usually, when you are buying a safe, the lock type is a critical feature. This case is no different, but, when it comes to drawer safes – door openings are also crucial.
The door type could very much impact where you decide to place the unit.
There are top-loaders and regular units that open horizontally. If you fit one in a deep drawer, then the top opening desk drawer safe is your only option. On the contrary, if you decide to just hide your safe in a closet or in a cupboard then a regularly opening safe should work fine.
Now let’s talk about locks. Drawer safes usually come with mechanical, electronic or combination locks. Mechanical locks rely on keys and/or twist-turn knobs to be opened. They are the cheapest, but also labeled as the least safe option.
Electronic locks are usually paired with more pricey safes and safe boxes. They are triggered by keypads or even biometric scanners that scan your fingerprint to allow or deny access. Finally – combination locks. These are thought to be the safest.
Insurance rating & other features
To get more bang for your buck, you mustn’t overlook the vast abundance of additional features that are available with most safes. Moreover, you might also need to consider the insurance rating on your potential purchase to be able to insure your valuables.
Among the aforementioned additional features that are worth your attention:
- Fireproofing – allows protecting stored valuables from the dangers of fire.
- Secondary access – in case you lose your keys or forget the combination.
- Pry-resistance – so wrongdoers aren’t able to just pull the doors off.
- False bottoms and similar sections – to hide your cash, jewels or anything else with even more security.
- Handles and straps – if you plan on carrying the box.
- Pre-drilled holes – that make fitting easy.
Viking Security Safe VS-14BL Top Opening Drawer Biometric Fingerprint LCD Keypad Safe
- Upgraded 500 DPI Biometric Fingerprint Optical Sensor and Digital Keypad; LCD displays operations and battery status, Non-volatile memory - Retains memory even if batteries are removed
- HIGHLY SECURE 5" x 15" x 11" 22lbs. It can be used as Narcotics safe, Medicine Cabinet Safe, Narcotic Storage, Medicine storage. Made of steel; Motorized deadbolt locking system opens fast; WARNING: MUST REGISTER AT LEAST 1 FINGERPRINT AND CHANGE THE PIN, SO SAFE IS NO LONGER IN FACTORY DEFAULT MODE!! OR ANYONE CAN OPEN!
AmazonBasics Small Desk Drawer Safe Box
- Safe with a slim size fits conveniently inside of a drawer
- Programmable electronic keypad for easy operation; emergency back-up key included; small handle on door for quick access
- 2 live-door bolts and pry-resistant concealed hinges for superior security
SentrySafe X075 Security Safe with Digital Keypad, 0.7 Cubic Feet (Medium-Wide), Black
- Security safe with digital keypad lock is an ideal solution for your valuables and electronics; This safe is not a fireproof or waterproof safe
- Safe features a set-your-own combination digital lock that uses a programmable 1-8 digit code
Vaultek Essential Series Quick Access Portable Safe Auto Open Lid Quick-Release Security Cable Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (VE10 (Sub-Compact Safe))
- SLIM DESIGN can securely hold 1 handgun, magazine(s), passport, cash, and is easily mountable or tether to a nightstand, desk, or vehicles using the included mounting hardware or security cable. Easily portable to travel in your car, the office, or backpacks and luggage. EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS: 10.5" x 8.5" x 2.125". INTERIOR DIMENSIONS: 9.875" x 5.375" x 1.5".
Honeywell Safes & Door Locks - 6108 Fire Resistant Steel Security Safe Box with Digital Lock, 0.26-Cubic Feet, Black
- FIRE-RESISTANT SECURITY: Honeywell fireproof safe box with advanced insulation to protect important documents, jewelry, and other valuables from potential fire damage, ideal for emergency readiness.
- PERSONALIZED ACCESS: Program your unique entry code with our digital safe box, complete with 2 backup keys for added reliability, securing personal items with easy access and maximum protection.
BARSKA AX11556 Biometric Fingerprint Top Opening Security Drawer Safe Box 0.23 Cubic Ft
- Advanced Biometric Security - Biometric home safes provide advanced protection through 2.5-sec access via fingerprint recognition, ensuring that only authorized individuals can enter.
- Built to Withstand - These safes are meticulously crafted with robust materials, designed not only to safeguard your valuables but also to resist tampering and unauthorized entry attempts effectively.
Drawer Safe FAQ’s
A drawer safe can be easily fitted into a desk drawer, on the bottom of your wardrobe or seemingly anywhere else in the vicinity of your home and office. A regular safe is usually much bigger and so not possible to fit into a drawer. In contrast, a lock box certainly can be taken and carried with you.
Everything depends on how much you want to put in it. Try to stack your belongings in a pile, measure it (roughly) and then you can decide whether you need a small, medium or large drawer safe.
Yes. This is because most locks are made with accordance to a certain standard and are much easier to duplicate. A number combination is much more challenging to crack while your bio metric data is almost unfalsifiable. Put biometric data with a numeric combination, and you have got yourself a fortress of a safe.
- Safes for drawers are primarily used to store firearms and in particular, handguns.
- Jewelry and other valuables can be securely stored inside it.
- It is an ideal place to keep your wallets and purses safe. Alternatively, small stacks of dollars can be stuffed inside it as well.
- You can stock your prescription drugs so that they won’t fall into the wrong hands.
- Other important papers like mortgage papers, tenders, receipts etc. can be piled into it.
- They can also be used as portable safes.
There are several benefits of locking away your stuff inside a top opening drawer safe rather than storing it in a regular drawer. Here are a few.
Advantages Of A Top Opening Drawer Safe:
- Combination Locks: A regular drawer can easily be broken into even if it has been locked. The locks that regular drawers are equipped with do not usually change with the advancement of technology; even a small-time burglar can pick those. On the other hand, the safes for drawers have the best combination locks that technology has to offer. The high-end top opening safes are so secure that only a handful of veteran burglars would be able to break into those. They can always be given extra protection, though it is not needed…just place the safe inside a drawer and lock the drawer!
- Portability: They are not only versatile, but highly portable as well. You can carry these safes anywhere without having to worry about thieves catching a glimpse. A small safe will easily fit inside your laptop bag or office briefcase, leaving enough space to cram your other belongings.
- Protection from the Elements: What if your house catches fire when you are not at home? All your important documents and valuables would be destroyed. Many drawer safes are fireproof and can withstand very high temperatures if the need arises. Some of the more sophisticated ones are also water resistant. Thus, even if your house is obliterated by a hurricane or washed up by a tsunami, the safe will still endure!
There are many more advantages of these exceptional safes for drawers, but a lone disadvantage – the limited space available. The largest safe could be as big as a small shoe cabinet. Portability does allow you to secure your valuables on the go, but you can take only a few of those along. Also, larger firearms cannot be squeezed inside. You can’t have everything in life after all!
As the name suggests, a drawer safe is essentially one which is built to fit inside a regular drawer. Thus, it is relatively small in size and quite compact. Since not all drawers have the same dimensions, the sizes of the safes vary.
If you do not wish to place your safe in a drawer or a cabinet, you can as easily hang it on a wall or store it in a wardrobe. It can also be hermetically concealed in a secure place inside the wall separating two rooms. Due to its inimitable versatility, it boasts of several uses. Let us take a look at a few of those.
