Safes are a great way to keep your valuables safe. You might be looking for one to use at home or for your business. Regardless, choosing one from the several types available can be a little overwhelming. Business owners, especially, need a safe for storing cash, important documents, and any other valuables. This way, you get to safeguard your profits and go about your day-to-day business with peace of mind. Choosing a commercial or home safe involves a little more than going online and looking up “safe for sale.” Below, we highlight how you can go about purchasing your safe.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Safe
These are some of the criteria you should use to determine the perfect safe for your home or your business.
The Contents of the safe
Basically, this should be the number one factor you consider. What you intend to store in the safe will determine what safe would be best. Essentially, the safe you choose should be proportionate to the volume of its contents. For instance, a small safe will be okay if you plan to store only cash and documents. However, if you’re looking to store electronics, jewelry, or rare goods, you’re better off with a larger safe. Additionally, you should go for a safe with a little more room than you need so you don’t need to buy another in the future when you want to store more.
Type of Protection
You might be looking for a fireproof safe or a simple anti-theft one. A fireproof safe is no help against burglaries and vice versa. You need to look for safes that have been certified by Underwriters Laboratory, as they have extensive experience analyzing safes, and you can be assured of quality.
Models with a TL rating have undergone testing against hand and power tools, such as saws and drills. The higher the rating, the higher the level of security. Those with a B or C rating have steel walls that offer standard protection and are great for small businesses.
The Locking Mechanism
Safe models come in a wide variety of locking mechanisms. Some prefer the traditional combination locks or the keyed lock, while others opt to go with the newer electronic locks. The number of people who will have access to the safe will help you determine the most convenient locking mechanism. If you’re buying a safe for your business and a handful of employees must access it, then a keyed lock would be suitable, though it is less secure.
Combination locks are very popular, but you must consider whether or not you’ll have trouble remembering the code when you need to access the safe in a hurry. The best locking mechanism would be the electronic locks because they provide better security, but you must be willing to dig a little deeper into your pockets.
Weight and Portability
Heavy safes have the weight as an additional deterrent against theft because it would be harder for burglars to pierce or damage the doors and walls of the safe. Additionally, they are usually relatively larger, making it difficult to remove them. This is a good option for businesses with significant concern for theft or loss.
If you want a safe that you can easily bring with you in case of an emergency, you should go for a smaller, lighter model for convenience. This type of safe is great for homes where you need to store valuables and retrieve them fast in case of an emergency.
Accreditation
For a safe to be worth your money, it needs to meet specific standards. Purchasing an accredited safe is assurance that it aligns with industry standards. This way, you have peace of mind because you can trust a safe that’s been tested and proven.
Construction Material
You also need to pay attention to the safe construction. Look at both the body and the door of the safe and the material that has been used in construction. You could opt to go for higher steel gauges, concrete, gypsum board, depending on your budget and the level of security you need.
Your Budget
This is undoubtedly one of the key factors you’ll have to consider. All the different types and sizes range in price as well. Your budget will determine the kind of safe you go with and the level of security you’ll enjoy. In this case, it’s important to note that quality matters over price. Remember, you are looking to protect your valuables, so you cannot afford to compromise in terms of value. Your goal should be to get the most value out of the safe you choose.
Final Thoughts
Since you will use the safe to store valuable items such as cash or sensitive documents, it is good to get in touch with professionals to get advice on how to go about choosing the right safe. You also need to have a locksmith install it for you to ensure maximum security.
