You’re likely searching for the best fireproof safes for home because you’re worried about keeping your valuables safe. We completely understand. We also have some bad news — fireproof safes don’t exist.
Then why in God’s green earth did we title this post ‘Best Fireproof Safes for Home’? We threw in that pesky little keyword because we knew many folks were searching for it.
The following are our top picks for fire-resistant home safes. But before we jump in, there’s one additional point of note. The safe manufacturing industry is heavily dominated by gun safes and not home safes. The primary difference between a gun safe and a home safe is that a gun safe is typically configured to hold long rifles. But there is no reason it needs to.
In fact, many homeowners use a gun safe as their home safe because it offers the size and fire protection they need.
Best Fire-Rated Safes
We broke down the following recommendations based on the level of fire protection. Within each recommendation, you’ll see that we’ve given brief guidelines on matching the value of what you’re storing to the quality of the safe.
While we understand the urge to save a buck, we would never recommend purchasing a $500 safe to store a big chunk of cash. You want the level of protection to be commensurate.
Top Entry-Level Home Safes
Traditional home safes are lighter weight, often made with 12 gauge or 14 gauge bodies. These lighter-weight safes are traditionally less expensive and offer less protection.
These entry-level home safes are good for keeping items secure from curious fingers and run-of-the-mill thieves. However, we wouldn’t recommend them for protecting valuables from fire. And yes, we say that even though they have a fire rating.
Minimal Fire Protection
When it comes to some fire protection, the first place we would recommend you start is with some minimal fire protection.
Fire Rating: 60 minutes
Best For: Those with $10K or less in value and nothing sentimental or irreplaceable.
Top Minimal Fire Protection Safes:
Mid-Grade Fire Safes
Estate Series (please make a landscape version)
Mid-grade fire safes will give you a fighting chance in a common residential home fire. Many of the safes recommended here are smaller in size and can be discreetly installed within a closet. If you are looking for a larger mid-grade fire safe, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Estate series which comes in three sizes.
Fire Rating: 60-80 minutes
Best For: Those storing $15K or less in value
Top Mid-Grade Safes:
- American Security FS Series (GOOD)
- American Security UL1812X (BETTER)
- American Security BFS912E5LP (BEST)
Above-Average Fire Safes
A lineup of these (Master Series + Franklin Series - doesn;t have to be all of them. Whatever you think works visually)
These above-average fire-rated home safes start to give you the chance of items surviving a complete loss to your home.
Fire Rating: 90 minute - 2 hours (or more)
Best For: Those storing $30K or less in value (up to up to $75K for the BEST)
Top Above-Average Safes:
- Estate Series (GOOD)
- Franklin Series (GOOD)
- Master Series (BETTER)
- Liberty - Premium Home Safes (BEST)
High-End Fire-Rated Home Safes
These high-end home safes are a good option if you have irreplaceable items, like the kind you would store in a safety deposit box. For many homeowners, the ease and convenience of being able to access their valuables at all times, while still providing a high level of fire protection, can make this the perfect solution.
You’ll likely notice that the fire rating on these safes shows a lower time than those listed within the ‘Above-Average’ recommendations. This is because the fire rating is a UL listed fire rating, meaning it was awarded Underwriters Laboratory, an independent third-party testing agency.
All of the previously listed fire ratings were provided by the manufacturers. In all likelihood, these ratings would not stand up to the rigor of UL testing.
Fire Rating: 60 Min. UL Listed Fire Rating
Best For: These safes are for customers who have irreplaceable and sentimental items of more than $75K - $100K in value. If you are storing more than $100K, we strongly recommend looking at a commercial safe designed to withstand a much more intense attack.
Top High-End Fire-Rated Safes:
- American Security BF Home Safe Series (GOOD)
- American Security BFX Series (BEST)
- American Security BFII Series (BEST)
- American Security CF2518 Amvault TL-30 (COMMERCIAL)
Fireproof Home Safe FAQ
What additional steps can I take to protect my valuables?
If fire protection is your top priority, you can layer safes and other products to boost fire resistance. The extra barriers help defend your valuables in extreme heat.
For cash and important documents, we highly recommend Liberty’s Cool Pocket, which is made out of a specialized heat shield that keeps items up to 50 degrees cooler. You’ll want to store the cool pocket in the lower half of the safe, which naturally stays the coolest.
Another excellent option for enhanced fire protection is the Fire King Media Chest, featuring a UL Class 350 fire rating.
Why do some people say safes are fireproof?
As we mentioned earlier, the ‘fireproof home safe’ label is a gimmick. Because people are searching for it, marketers and bloggers (like us) use it to get your attention. But please remember, no safes are fireproof.
Anyone who tries to guarantee your safe will survive a fire is downright lying to you.
Where should I put a fireproof safe in my house?
Home safes can be installed wherever you prefer. Does that include the second-story master bedroom? Yep! Could your safe be installed in a closet? Most likely. Closets are a very popular place to install a safe, depending on space.
Other popular places to install a home safe include:
- An Office or Den
- Under a Nightstand
- Under a Stairwell
- In a Garage
Should I hide my safe?
The saying "out of sight, out of mind" holds true—stealing what can’t be seen is tough. If you want to keep your safe hidden, there are plenty of options. A recent post covered the most popular ways to conceal a safe.
Which High-End Fire Resistant Safe is Right for You?
Each fire is unique and burns at different temperatures for different durations. If you have irreplaceable items, sentimental items, or more than $75K - $100K in value, we strongly recommend purchasing a high-end fire-resistant home safe.
We believe that Liberty’s new line of Premium Home Safes are the best home safes in the market. Built out of 10 gauge steel, these safes come in three different sizes. We did a full review of each of these safes to help you determine if one is right for you:
- Liberty Premium Home Safe 17
- Liberty Premium Home Safe 12
- Liberty Premium Home Safe 8