The SentrySafe 500 Fire-Safe Box is a small to medium compact size fire chest that offers basic security and fire resistance for smaller items such as documents, passports, jewelry, keys and digital media. It has 30 minutes certified fire protection and comes with a privacy key lock. A small but fairly tough safe that can be easily hidden anywhere in the home or office.
The SentrySafe 500 Fire-Safe Box offers a modest amount of storage space with its 6 1/8″H x 12 3/16W x 10 1/4″ D exterior dimensions and 3 3/4″H x 9 23/32″W x 7 9/32″D interior dimensions. There is room for A4 and letter size documents as well as passport and ID types of documents too however in order to fit snuggly in the safe legal documents will have to be folded prior to storing them inside. If you have documents that should not be folded then this is not the safe for you. You will need a special firebox for documents.
The small internal storage space offers certified fire protection for CDs and DVDs, USB memory sticks and hard drives and also for keys and cash as well. Other valuable items such as smaller pieces of jewelry can also be stored nicely and safely inside. Weapons and ammunition storage inside of this fire-proof box is NOT advised nor recommended by the manufacturer.
In order for users to avoid any kind of water or humidity damage, it is advised to use a safe desiccant for an added level of protection. The user’s manual comes included in the retail package and provides the necessary instructions for the use of the fire box. The warranty included is valid for 1 year and also has a lifetime after-fire replacement guarantee.
As with most small safes there really isn’t a lot of features that can be added but having fire protection is certainly at the top of the list. This firebox has certified fire protection that includes UL classified fire endurance for 1/2 hour. There is also ETL verification for 30 minutes of fire resistance for the protection of CDs, DVDs, USB drives, and memory sticks and other types of data storage media. The SentrySafe 500 can easily sustain up to 1550 degrees Fahrenheit in the 30-minute time frame. It represents a perfect fire safety precaution for storing anything small but valuable.
The volume capacity of the safe box is exactly 0.16 cubic feet of usable inner space. It is relatively heavy for its size at nearly 12 pounds of weight however it does offer a portability aspect to its use. There are built-in carrying handles that make it easy when you are transporting and moving your valuable items with you. The exterior finish is painted with black color and it looks very good.
Security
The SentrySafe 500 fire-safe box uses a privacy key lock design as its primary security. The locking mechanism is basic with a key for lock/unlock operation. This is primarily a fire chest and not intended for high security storage. For high security, the safes tend to be a lot bigger and are able to offer a lot more features; such as the Stack-On Total Defense range. If you have a large fireproof safe then this smaller safe could be stored in that to add even more security for unreplaceable valuables.
The locking procedure is simple and straight forward. A counterclockwise key turn to the left, (horizontal position), opens and a turn to the right, (vertical position), locks the SentrySafe 500. You also get two opening keys with this safe.
Things to consider
This SentrySafe 500 firesafe is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a bargain price fireproof safe box. It is reasonably heavy for its size and provides confidence with its sturdy outer construction. Due to design, if needed, it can be used on a daily basis.
Security is not great with a privacy lock design however considering that this is a small safe I would be more worried about someone walking off with the whole thing rather than it being broken into. You cannot bolt this safe to anything however you should be able to use a high performance safe security cable to tie it to something solid. Or better still; put it into a larger security safe.
For those users who are looking to buy a small safe box for its fire-proof certification – SentrySafe 500 Fire-Safe Box would be a great choice due to the unbeatable price to performance ratio.
PROS:
Good price.
Portable.
Has good verified fire protection.
Small enough to fit into a larger safe for improved security.
CONS:
Certain parts of the safe look flimsy. Realistically, for the price, you’re not going to find a bullet proof, high Security vault of this size.
Specifications
Exterior Dimensions: 6-1/8″ H x 12-3/16″ W x 10-1/4″ D
Interior Dimensions: 3-3/4″ H x 9-3/4″ W x 7-5/32″D
