Safes & Security

The most common way a home safe fails is not being cut open — it is being carried out of the house and opened elsewhere at leisure. That makes weight and a proper anchor into a slab or joist worth more than a thicker door, and it is why a modest safe bolted down beats a heavy one standing free.

Judge the body, not the door. Manufacturers advertise door thickness because the sides and back are usually much thinner sheet steel, and that is where a pry bar goes. Then check the lock: an electronic keypad is faster than a dial and eventually needs a battery, so look for a mechanical override. In a humid climate a desiccant or a low-watt rod inside is not optional — a sealed steel box is a condensation chamber.