Buying a locked safe has many benefits. Whether you are a homeowner or a small business owner, the peace of mind that owning a safe supplies is invaluable. Safes are perfect for protecting sensitive documents like passports, IDs & birth certificates to storing firearms or high-value items. But what kind of safe is best? Well, there are many factors to consider when buying a safe including cost, purpose, and level of security. Depending on your home or business’ needs a safe that works for one location might not work for another. That is why we have written this guide to the most common safe types, as well as their values and drawbacks.

The Stand Alone Safe

Stand-alone safes are relatively lightweight, cheaper, small cube-shaped safes that are very common among homeowners. The benefits are the relatively low cost and the fact that they do not need to be installed. Many of these safes are fire resistant which makes them perfect for storing money, important paperwork, and other high-value items. For some small business owners, the mobility of the safe is a benefit if they need to take the safe home. However, that mobility is obviously their greatest weakness. Although small safes are easy to hide and can provide relative protection against burglary. Their greatest protection is from fire and other natural damage and not against burglary. If a home or business is broken into, these safes can be easily stolen because they are lightweight.

Wall & Floor Safes

Wall and floor safes are installed into homes or businesses by carving out a hole in the existing walls and floors. Because they are attached to the property they cannot be moved. They are also easy to conceal behind furniture, under a carpet, and provide stronger security than stand-alone safes. They are more expensive to install and they may not offer as much space as other safes because they need to be built into the property.

Bolted Safes & Deposit Safes

Bolted down safes are the most common safe choice for businesses. They come in a large variety of shapes and sizes and provide excellent security. One drawback for this safe is that room that it will take up on your property. Some businesses purchase safes with custom dimensions however that can be expensive. It is recommended to purchase a safe with standard dimensions because on top of buying the safe, the safe will also need to be installed professionally. For businesses, many bolted safes come with deposit slots making it convenient for employees to make deposits into the safe without them needing to know the code.

No matter what kind of safe you buy, owning a safe is highly recommended. The security that safes provide is invaluable. If you are looking to buy a safe, have it installed, have it removed, or have locks changed or reprogrammed contact Bedford Lock & Key.