Classroom Furniture

Buying a safe for your home or office may seem like a simple enough task, but many people end up choosing the wrong safe because they are not aware of all the options that are available. With the help of our Safe Buying Guide, you can explore these options and choose the right safe for you. With our expertise in safes, you won’t ever have to worry about ordering the wrong safe again.

• What will you be protecting in your safe?
• Where will you be using your safe?
• What type of lock do you need?
• Do you need fire protection?
• Do you need impact resistance?
• Do you need a water proof safe?
• How will your safe ship?
• Glossary of Key Terms

What will you be protecting in your safe?

The first question you must ask yourself is what you will be protecting in your safe. While it may seem like all safes are the same, this is untrue. Whether it is the lay-out of the safe or the amount of protection, most safes are designed to protect a certain type of material. We have hundreds of safes that protect a variety of objects including: documents, media files, money and valuables, and firearms.

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Where will you be using your safe?

Whether you are looking for a safe for your home, office, or business, we have a safe that will suit your needs.

• General safes: If you are looking for a basic safe to protect your documents and valuables then this is the safe for you. These safes can be used in just about any location and can protect a variety of materials. We have many different size safes, so be aware of the dimensions to make sure that it will fit in your room.
• In-floor safes: Designed to be placed directly into the floor, these safes work well in places where you don’t want your safe to be seen. You can always cover your safe with a rug or cabinet.
• Wall safes: Offering the same concealment as in-floor safes, wall safes are easily installed in your home or business’s wood or concrete walls. These safes can quickly be covered with a picture or mirror, making the safe invisible to thieves. Make sure you check the depth option so you can choose the right safe for your wall.
• Depository safes: Businesses that need to make nightly deposits can use depository safes to protect all their cash from theft. You can choose a safe that just has a drop box for quick deposit or a safe that has a drop box and other compartments to protect cash register drawers as well. These safes work great at banks or malls that have many stores that need to make nightly deposits.
• Gun Safes: Firearms can be very dangerous to have around a home and should always be locked away from unauthorized people and children. Our gun safes come in a variety of sizes and offer many different features and lock types to protect your firearms and ammunition. You should never keep loaded firearms in your home, always make sure you unload your gun and keep ammunition locked separately from your firearm.

What type of lock do you need?

We offer hundreds of safes with many different types of locks. Most safes come standard with one type of lock, but may have an option to change the lock type or add another lock for added security. The following are the different types of locks that we offer:

Key Locks:
When using a key lock, make sure you store your keys in a safe place away from your safe. It is a good idea to have more than one set of keys for extra security. In the case that you lose your keys, most companies will be able to send you a new key if you have a key reference number which will be located on your safe.

Combination Locks:
Most combination locks are 3 or 4-digits allowing quick access to all of your belongings. If you are interested in added security you can chose a safe with both a combination and key lock.

Electronic Locks:
If multiple users will be using your safe an electronic lock may be the best fit for you. Most electronic locks can be programmed with more than one combination for multiple users. If you will be changing your combination frequently for added security, electronic locks make the task quick and easy. For extra protection you can chose a lock with both an electronic and key lock.

Do you need fire protection?

If you are concerned with protecting your valuables from fire, then there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. First of all, what will you be protecting in your fire resistant safe? Fire-resistant safes have different types of insulation for different types of materials. Safes that are designed to protect just paper documents are not the right safes to use for protecting media files.

Next, how long do you want your valuables to be protected? We have safes that protect your valuables for ½ hour, 1 hour or 2 hours. As you will see, most of our fire-resistant safes are UL classified. UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) has developed a rating system to determine a products ability to endure fires of specific temperatures and lengths. Only products that exceed their standards will be labeled as UL classified.

Most manufactures offer a lifetime warranty on their fire-resistant products. If after a fire, a safe is damaged beyond repair, the manufacture will replace your safe free of charge (shipping and handling charges may apply).

Do you need impact resistance?

We offer a number of safes that are impact resistant. These safes have been exposed to many different tests and can withstand drops, and being hit with falling debris. The advantage of having an impact resistant safe is that in the event of an explosion, your safe and its contents will be kept safe from falling debris or other damaging events.

Do you need a waterproof safe?

For many safe owners, water resistance can be a concern. In the event of a flood, the contents of your safe can be damaged if your safe is not waterproof. Although some safes are specifically waterproof, during a fire most fire-resistant safes will have a positive pressure inside the safe that will keep water out. However, if your safe is subjected to water when there is no fire your belongings will be damaged if your safe is not specifically water resistant.

How will your safe ship?

Our safes come in all different shapes and sizes, and depending on which size you choose the shipping method may vary. Many of the safes we carry are very large, and will need to be delivered by a truck freight service. We offer free delivery to business addresses that have their own loading dock. However, if you are having your safe delivered to a home address and will require more assistance, we provide additional levels of service for an added charge.

Make sure you are aware of how much assistance you are going to need when buying your safe. If you choose the wrong services at the time of purchase, you may not be able to receive the amount of help you need and your safe may ultimately be returned.

Glossary of Key Terms:

• Depository safes: Safes that are used in businesses for nightly deposits. There are many models available; some are small under counter depositories, while others are large safes that can be used in banks or malls. These safes are meant for quick cash security and should be emptied regularly.
• Electronic lock: 3 or 4 digit lock that can have multiple combinations for multiple users
• Fire Resistant: Safes that allow materials inside to stay unharmed at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time based on their UL classification.
• Impact Resistant: A safe that can be relatively unharmed by being dropped long distances or from being hit with falling debris.
• In-floor safes: Safes that can be installed in your floor and easily covered with a rug or cabinet.
• Microwave Safe: A safe that is about the same size as a standard kitchen microwave.
• UL Classified: Products that pass tests in fire, impact and theft resistance set forth by the Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
• UL Group 1 Lock: Locks that are highly resistant to expert or professional manipulation or surreptitious attacks. These locks must also have a minimum of 1 million combinations available and must successfully work after being exposed to: salt sprays, aging stress, moisture absorption and vibration. Finally, these locks come equipped with a relocking security function, which means they will stay closed after being punctured with tools.
• UL Group 1R Lock: Group 1R locks have all the same benefits as Group 1 locks but also protect against X-Ray technology.
• UL Group 2 Lock: These locks must withstand five minutes of various tests performed by a professional locksmith using chisels, pry bars, and speed drills. Also, they must have a minimum of 1 million different combinations available and must successfully work after being exposed to: salt sprays, aging stress, moisture absorption and vibration. Finally, these locks come equipped with a relocking security function, which means they will stay closed after being punctured with tools.
• Wall safes: A safe that is easily installed in your wall and can quickly be covered with a mirror or painting. Be sure to pay attention to the depth of the safe so you can choose the right safe for your wall.
• Water Resistance: Safes that will not allow water to permeate its interior in the event of a flood.

We understand that when buying a safe you want to make the right choices and we hope our guide has been helpful in making these choices. If you need any additional assistance please call (800) 761-8891. Our trained staff is ready to help you pick out the perfect safe.