Home safes offer solid protection for jewelry, important documents and so much more. But smart features take them to the next level, with app connectivity, tamper alerts, fingerprint scanners and more. Our CNET experts have spent hours not just testing but trying to break into safes to see which models don't compromise on quality.
Safes are a great way to keep valuables secure, and smart home safes add additional features like Wi-Fi connectivity and fingerprint scanners for added security. Our experts at CNET have spent hours testing (and breaking into) smart safes to determine which offers the most reliable and convenient home security.
Our Picks
What is the best smart home safe?
Our top pick is the Yale Smart Safe with Wi-Fi, which combines size and durability with great smart features, plus an eye on foiling potential break-in methods.
Our list also includes smaller safes suitable for documents, guns or jewelry; large safes made to withstand common natural disasters; and closet safes that fit nicely in your changing room -- among other picks. Review our full roundup to discover your options and find a good fit, and take a look at our answers to questions homeowners often have when getting their first safe.
Best home safes
Best all-around home safe
Pros
- Great smart features
- Anti-saw bolts
- Tamper lockouts and notifications
- Apple Watch compatibility
- Access management and alerts
Cons
- No fireproofing or waterproofing
Yale’s smart safe is an excellent combination of smart technology and safety. In addition to the keypad, you can control access with the Yale app (if you want to connect it to your Wi-Fi network), or even set up compatibility with your Apple Watch. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, which can share information about its status.
That status part is more important than it may seem. Yale’s safe uses “anti-saw” bolts, which resist any easy break-ins, and it can let owners know via app if it looks like someone is tampering with the safe, automatically locking it down just in case. There’s also a backup battery in case you forget to replace the primary batteries (it happens to us all). The only downside is that, unfortunately, Yale’s safe isn’t waterproof or fireproof.
Best small home safe
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Durable
- Great biometrics and access controls
Cons
- A little small for a home safe
This Lockly safe is on the smaller side, at 0.096 cubic feet, but that’s still plenty of room for very important items that deserve protection in your office, bedroom or similar spots. It’s made from corrosion-resistant alloy steel with fireproof interior inlays, and it includes a particularly speedy fingerprint scanner as well as a keypad and pick-resistant lock.
Lockly’s app allows for easy programming via Bluetooth, though if you want to connect to Wi-Fi to get tamper alerts, you'll need to connect an additional (usually included) hub. That also lets you create eBadges and perform other neat tricks. Though Lockly’s safe is small enough to just pick up and take with you, it does come with a mounting kit for a more secure installation.
Best fireproof home safe
Pros
- Very durable
- Large capacity
- Fireproof
- Waterproof
Cons
- Lacking in high-tech features
If you want a large home safe that’s ready for anything, SentrySafe is the brand to start with. We’re particularly impressed with this model, which is ready for both floods and house fires and is ideal for all your most important documents and belongings.
Though the safe doesn’t have as many smart features as some of our other picks, the backlit keypad is a very nice addition. Note that it also has a useful secondary locked drawer on the inside, pry-resistant hinges, and a sturdy four-bolt locking mechanism to resist all attempts at breaking in.
Best cheap home safe
Pros
- Great grab-and-go safe
- Fireproof
- Waterproof
- Very affordable
Cons
- No smart features
- Portable design isn't what everyone wants
Honeywell’s portable safe is one of the most affordable options and includes both fireproofing and waterproofing, features that are difficult to find on safes designed to be transported. This safe doesn't have many smart features, not even a keypad, but as an inexpensive grab-and-go safe for emergencies -- we’ve seen it discounted to below $100 -- it can’t be beat.
Best jewelry home safe
Pros
- Great design
- Plentiful app and access options
- We like the USB recharging
Cons
- No additional smart home compatibility
Motorola’s smooth safe certainly gets style points, but we’re more interested in the high-quality smart features, powered by a rechargeable battery (via USB) and offering fingerprint, keypad or app access options. The app can provide alerts on tampering, and access logs, but it doesn’t connect with any other smart home platforms. This larger home safe also comes with mounting options for additional security. Motorola has similar safes in a number of sizes, if you’d like to save.
Best fingerprint home safe
Pros
- Great biometrics
- Battery monitoring
- Tamper alerts with timestamps
Cons
- No fireproofing or waterproofing
Verifi’s home safe focuses on fingerprint access, for people who prefer to rely on biometrics rather than codes that could be shared or (carelessly) written down. The extra-large fingerprint scanner is backed by auto-lock features, tamper warnings and self-diagnostics. We also like the battery readout, which shows you when power is running low. However, it’s too bad there’s no fireproof rating for this safe.
Smart home safe comparison chart
| Best home smart safes | Yale smart safe with Wi-Fi | Lockly smart safe | SentrySafe digital safe box SFW123GDC | Honeywell 1114 lightweight fire and waterproof chest | Motorola XL smart safe | Verifi Smart.Safe S5000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $300 | $360 | $286 | $128 | $350 | $320 |
| Capacity | 0.73 cubic feet | 0.096 cubic feet | 1.23 cubic feet | 0.39 cubic feet | 0.44 cubic feet | 0.52 cubic feet |
| Unlocking options | Keypad, keys, app | Fingerprint, keypad, keys, app | Keypad, keys | Keys | Fingerprint, keypad, app, keys | Fingerprint, keys |
| Fireproofing | No | Fireproof inlays | 1,700 degrees for one hour | 1,700 degrees for one hour | No | No |
| Smart home support | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Tamper warnings | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Review score | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Other home safes we checked out
Viking's Mini safe.
Mycube: Mycube is a serviceable home safe and we like it, but it doesn’t really do anything different from other keypad home safes, and a "designer finish" isn’t a great selling point when your home valuables are at stake.
Amazon Basics home security safe: The lowest price in the world couldn't redeem the flimsy front door panel on this safe.
Viking security safe VS-20BLX Mini: Viking's durable mini safe is a strong contender but a little too small. However, we're keeping an eye on Viking, and it makes what could be one of your best options for a durable wall safe with handy biometrics included.
SentrySafe SF123ES: We ultimately chose a model that was both fireproof and waterproof rather than this safe, which only protects against fire.
Important factors when picking a home safe
Always think about the size of the safe you need before buying.
Space and size
Always start with how much space you want inside your safe (aka capacity) and how much room you have in your home for a safe (shelf, closet, stairwell, and so on). As an easy starting place, think about what you’ll be keeping inside your safe.
Biometrics
Would you prefer to unlock your safe with a finger or thumb? Then make sure you find a safe with fingerprint scanning technology. Otherwise, keypads are a common feature on home safes, and they all have backup keys to use.
Anti-tampering
App-connected home safes can send you alerts about tampering, such as someone entering numerous wrong codes, and they can lock down and wait for you to deal with the problem directly. Along with access history, this is a very informative feature to have.
Fireproofing and waterproofing
A fireproof safe can withstand high heat for an hour or so while protecting materials inside, ideal for house fires. Waterproofing is important if pipes burst or a flood comes your way (and the safe is placed on the ground).
Durable, saw-resistant bolts
The best home safes have multiple durable bolts that can resist attempts to saw through them.
Portability and mounting
You might want a safe to be portable, like if you need to take it on business trips. But you might not, to prevent a burglar from walking off with it. In that latter case, look for a safe that (like most of our picks) has a mounting kit, so you can screw it directly to a floor or wall.
Smart home compatibility
We wouldn’t call this a priority for a safe, but if you want yours connected to a home security platform, look for the proper support, like our Yale pick has.
Home safes and hacking
Lockly's app can lock and unlock, but you don't have to use Wi-Fi if you don't want to.
Home Wi-Fi networks can be vulnerable to hacking, especially with bad passwords, but such attacks are very, very uncommon. Encryption, plus login requirements like two-factor authentication, make it even less likely that someone could control your smart safe from afar. Frankly, we’re not worried about it.
However, if it's a concern for you, there are a number of workarounds. You can use many smart safes via Bluetooth only, or manually shut down the safe’s Wi-Fi connection until you absolutely need it. Or you could pick a safe from our list that doesn’t use wireless connections at all.
FAQ
Should a safe be fireproof?
It’s a great benefit. House fires are surprisingly common, and one of the most valuable things a safe can do is protect important documents from the heat (deeds, title papers, birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, and so on). However, it’s not an absolute requirement if you aren’t especially worried about house fires and there’s not a high danger of wildfires in your region.
Do safes deter burglars?
Yes. House burglars are almost entirely opportunists. They don’t come armed with lock-picking kits. If a safe can resist a few blows from a hammer, they’re likely to give up. If a safe can be picked up and taken away, they'll often try to take it to someone who may be able to break in, which is why it's a good idea to mount many home safes.
What's the best spot for a home safe?
That depends on how easily you need to access it, which can vary based on the purpose of the safe. Generally, a closet is the best combination of safety, privacy and access for a safe, or an office cabinet for smaller safes. Try to avoid putting a safe in the main bedroom, because that’s usually where burglars look first on their way to grab jewelry, etc.