Safes Buying Guide

Buying an Electric Safe: Go Electronic

What’s the difference between a manual locking safe and an electronic safe? While both safes use a metal bolt to lock the safe, a manual safe uses a series of pins and wheels to engage the bolt, while electronic safes use a digital mechanism, usually a digital keypad, to move the bolt to an open and locked position.

So how else does an electronic safe differ from its manual counterpart?

Ease of Use

One of the biggest pluses of a digital electronic safe is how quickly and easily they can be opened. Once you’ve entered a personal pin number, you’ll be able to punch in your code on a digital keypad to open the safe without any hassle. There won’t be any hassle carefully turning dials; just a quick 4-6 digit code and you’re in.

Another great aspect of an electronic safe is that the code can be switched on the fly. As long as you know the code, it can be switched easily. We recommend changing your code regularly, as it’s a great way to ensure that your safe will remain secure.

Choosing a Code

When it comes time to choose a code for your electronic safe, make sure not to choose something obvious. Disregard the year you were born, birthdays, telephone numbers, addresses – anything that can be easily linked to you personally. At the same time, choose something that you won’t forget. Your safe is no good to you if you forget the code.

Battery Power

Electronic safes run off battery power. This means that eventually the battery will have to be recharged or replaced. Many digital electronic safes come with a ‘sleep’ feature. When the safe is ‘asleep’, it will be using the lowest amount of energy possible. This will lengthen the battery’s life, saving you the hassle of having to replace it often.

If your safe’s battery dies, and you don’t have a charger or replacement, then the safe should come with an override key that will open the safe in emergency situations.

Types of Electronic Safes

There are a variety of electronic safes available, and you’ll have to decide which one works best for you. If you’re looking to store a collection of guns and firearms, then an electronic gun safe designed to hold guns is the best option. If you’re want to add hide your safe from view, an electronic floor or wall safe work spectacularly. A wall safe doesn’t have the storage capacity most safes, but if you’re only looking to store a few items, it’s a great way to conceal your safe from burglars. The same goes for floor safes; the more you slow down a thief, the less chance he’ll have to access your valuables.

General safes are free-standing, and while they lack a fancy name, still get the job done. These have great storage capacity and a multitude of features, including adjustable shelves, interior lights and more.