20 Best Home Safe For Documents (2023 Updated)

The safe is very heavy for its size, but is fairly roomy inside. The locking mechanism is stiff and a little tricky to use, especially with the complication of the safety key. You have to have the arrangement of locking lever, key position, and dial just right to get the safe open and closed.

The combination is on a sticker on the back of the instruction manual so be sure to keep it handy when unpacking! Speaking of unpacking, the best way to remove the package is to peel it off in sections.

If you are having it delivered, be sure to have the driver give it to you in person and check it carefully for damage. After you open it, there is no way you are going to repack it for return! Other reviews commenting on the flimsy, ill-fitting nature of the inside tray were true for our safe as well.

The lock is totally useless – I can very easily pry the box open when locked – and the tray is too much trouble to pull in and out to use. I have left it in, however, because I am storing lots of small items and want the extra shelf space.

Overall, I find the safe to be exactly what I expected when I ordered it and believe it will meet my needs for secure storage.

This safe is secure and makes me confident that my valuables will be safe. The safe weighs 99 pounds, a sure detterence to any thief and I had it bolted in the floor for extra caution! I like the shelving on the door and the shelf inside.

The double locking feature is great as well so u know everything is safe! Their is an additional drawer in the safe that comes with itw own key. It’s great to keep small things in there but it’s pretty flimsy.

Don’t count on that drawer to protect your valuables. So long as the safe is locked that drawer is secure. I would def recommend this safe to anyone looking for security from theft for their valuables.

The product description was a little unclear about how the safe, the manual and key lock all worked together but it ended up being positive. The safe is bigger than I expected, the dimensions are correct, its a big metal box.

The key does not open and close the safe, it activates/de-activates the combination dial. If you turn the key setting to ‘lock’ the combination dial will not work. It is a level of security on top of the combination.

Don’t worry though, if you want to keep the safe unlocked, but have the door closed just leave the combination on the last number after opening and the handle will work freely. My only complaint is that the handle is plastic and not very sturdy feeling.

I would have preferred metal.

I bought this safe in October and took a couple of months before I actually set it up. My mistake. After putting my documents inside I found that the lock was misaligned. The hook that opens and closes when you turn the key keeps getting caught under the plastic edge, making it impossible to lock at times.

I saw that the safe came with instructions saying that if anything is defective to call the company instead of taking the safe back to the store. I called the 800 number. Waited 40 minutes to talk to someone.

I explained the situation and the woman I talked to said I need to return the safe to where I bought it. I asked why the instructions said to call the company. She said that is just for things like a missing key or missing combination.

Okay… well it took me so long to set this thing up (again, my fault) that I can no longer return it. I guess this is a lesson to me to always inspect things immediately after buying and don’t let them sit around.

As for the safe, I used a screwdriver and pair of pliers to bend the hook just enough that it doesn’t get caught anymore. I was worried I would damage it but the alternative was a safe that I can’t lock.

Lol. I will make it work. Lesson learned.

Damaged eight out of the box. Thankfully, I don’t know if the safe itself works or not because we haven’t experienced a disastrous event. With that, the safe looks like someone dropped it or tossed it around to prove it was strong.

The box it was packaged in showed no signs of damage. Called the manufacturer because there’s a huge label “don’t return to store” and after holding 40 minutes, was told to take back to Walmart. Sentry customer service gets 0 stars.

The safe would not be easy to carry if leaving in case of an emergency because it’s heavy and has no handles or area to grip easily pick up. You’d have to leave it behind and pray it holds up and the fire is put out quickly.

I wouldn’t store anything sentimental like photos. Overall very disappointed but not worth returning. I’ll keep it for certain documents like things I can get another copy of (taxes, bank statements).

Kinda sucks.

I read some reviews on this that complained of the white residue inside the box and the locking mechanism. There was a small amount of residue, which I believe was the fire retardant material. It was such a small amount that it did not matter to me.

The locking mechanism works OK, but care must be taken to not close the lid with it in the locked position or it could be broken. The lock is not for theft prevention in my opinion but to close the box tightly in the event of a fire.

The box is heavy and a handle would be nice, but I do not intend to move it much. Overall I like the size and the fire resistance, the heavy weight is as a result of the fire resistance nature of the box The size is also good for a variety of items.

I purchased this safe, of course, to secure docs,etc. , noticed right off the bat that it was difficult to depress lever to open. Within a week it jammed up on me, panic set in b/c I could’nt open it to save my soul even had a neighbor friend help me out.

Well, tried a bit of WD40 and that seemed to do the trick until the next time which was approximately a week later. Jammed shut could not open the safe, I was able to pry a screwdriver between the lid and base and with a lot of force I was able to open the safe, unfortunately broke the entire locking mechanism.

At this point I’m a bit angry b/c I carried this up floor flight of stairs by myself, yes, I’m a woman and yes it was very heavy! In desperate need of another type of safe, back to Home Depot I go this time I purchase a larger mechanical combination model# SFW123DTB, this time I employed my brother to carry this 86lb safe up the stairs.

I returned the broken safe back to Home Depot for a full refund. Additionally, yes, I attempted several times to contact sentry safe thru their customer service number on their website which does not work and the other number ending in 1438.

I waited over an hour and half on hold listening to some nice calming music before hanging up. Currently, I’m really pleased with the different model, no issues, easy to open and close.

I got this for my important documents and liked that it fit file folders to keep everything organized. It was the perfect size to fit in a small space. However, after just a few months, the lock became stuck and wouldn’t push up to unlatch.

Nothing was stuck and even tried when it was empty… the lock was still stuck and we couldn’t open it. Currently, I was able to take out my documents but now it’s stuck shut and the pop latch won’t open.

I’ve had this less than a year and opened it maybe once a month. Having this break so early on was a waste of money especially since the entire mechanism is plastic.

Not too happy. Needed to replace a small (18 pound) steel box purchased more than 50 years ago for “fire resistance” In retrospect, not truly fire resistant in same sense, but sufficient for my purposes.

Sentry closest replacement – other similar had zippers as part of closure system (and they tend to break as well as not fire resistant). In order to get “handles” had to get water resistant model (which did not need and substantially increased weight.

I find that the handles are not really handles – more like protrusions which can be used to lift box. In addition, as I keep the box on the floor, it is awkward to access the lock – my prior lock was on top of the box.

Compared to my old box, this one is (understandably because of true fire resistance) heavier, bulkier and seems a bit smaller interior with somewhat greater overall size – understandable because of the insulation, etc.

Although I had to check yes or no for recommendation so I checked yes, it would be with reservations becasue of the awkward access to the lock and the poor handles.

The 1. 23 cf is big enough for us. Now I’m finding things to put in it, that should have had fireproof protection years ago. Master Lock provided my school locker locks 50 years ago. Well worth the money for peace of mind.

I purchased the SFW205GRC Sentry Safe to replace a previous Sentry Safe that was pried opened earlier this year during a home burglary. Burglars were able to open my previously owned safe (Sentry Model #A5882, 2 cu ft) that I had for about 6 years.

Burglary occurred while I was away on vacation. I was surprised that the thief was able to pry the door open. Since I primarily use the safe to safeguard important documents (e. g. birth, marriage certificates, etc.

), I was fortunate to only have suffered a limited financial loss (emergency stash of cash and some silver coins). The safe, itself, was a total loss and had to be discarded.

You get what you pay for. I needed a smaller fire rated safe for important papers and my pistol overflow. Easy to set up and operate, does what it is designed to do. I have no issues, it’s worth the money in my opinion.

This is a great starting safe for the homeowner. But if you have many items and paperwork to store, you will run out of room fast. But like I said a great starter for the first time homeowner and safe owner.

Great little safe with all the mechanics of a large safe. Good for keeping your documents safe and secure without worrying about a fire destroying your family papers.

The safe is very nicely built. I do have a slight problem though. The lid seal was not installed properly and is mashed and mangled when it was shut in the lid at the factory. There is phone number to call on a sticker inside the lid but that number is invalid.

I found another number in an owners manual and that number is also invalid. Finally got on the website and found a valid number but the offices were closed when I called. I used their online “contact us” for reporting issues but the email was returned to me as being an invalid address.

Sentry Safe has been around many years and I cannot believe they put invalid numbers inside the products they sell, in the owners manuals, and their email address on their website is invalid. Get it together Sentry Safe.

I would give 5 stars but with all the misinformation inside my safe, in the booklet and on your website, it doesn’t warrant 5 stars.

This safe is perfect for my family’s needs. The size is great for legal documents, the price is very affordable. The part I was not impressed with was the assembly of the water tight seal. When we unpacked the safe the seal was not attached and pinched flat on three sides because it was caught between the cover and the safe body.

I did manage to get it back on. I don’t believe that it would be water tight now. How ever I will recommend your product to others.

The safe certainly serves its intended purpose. However, it’s heavy. Being heavy and slippery, it really needs handles to pick it up and carry it. Other than that, only minor issues. The label on the inside was peeling off upon arrival.

I took it off and attached it to a piece of paper since it didn’t have a prayer of staying on the inside cover and I didn’t want it to fall off and get stuck to papers I put in the safe! The key lock isn’t a lock, more like a latch.

It’s not for security, it’s for fire safety so don’t expect top security. The file folder rails are built in but the description isn’t clear. It’s a very good value if all you want is a fire safe.

We like the safe. Wish it was a tad bigger but the next size up was more than we needed. Easy to program. Comes with a locking plastic drawer which can easily be broken into, but they would have to bust into the safe first.

Wish is just had a couple of shelves instead of the drawer. Would be extra security if the safe had locking pins on both sides of the door instead of just the left side. Don’t know how hard it would be for a burglar to bust off the digital keypad and then unlock the mechanism from the inside, or if that is even possible.

Would be nice if the lever was metal. The plastic lever seems flimsy for a safe. One review said their safe rusted. Hopefully this one won’t. The manual said their is moisture in the fireproof insulation, so that is a concern.

Will have to be sure to open the safe every couple of weeks like it recommends to help control the humidity inside, which seems like it will be kind of a nuisance. However, for the price of the safe and for the quality of Master locks I have had, it will hopefully last and it seems like a good value.

Time will tell. Much cheaper than First Alert safes which we also considered.

I am so happy with my decision to purchase a SentrySafe! It has high ratings for being fireproof and waterproof. The digital combination was easy to program. It’s great to be able to program a second code so an additional family member can have access in emergencies.

An interior light can be programmed for 30 or 60 seconds. Plenty of time to move documents in and out. This uses 4 AAA batteries for the digital combination and the interior light, which are accessible from the outside of the safe.

There is plenty of room for file folders, a separate key locking removable tray inside, and hooks on the inside of the door along with a pocket for passports and smaller flat items. This is a wonderful alternative to paying for a safety deposit box at a bank, along with the fact you can have access any time! I would definitely recommend this purchase.

The safe arrived timely and as expected. The product itself is clearly of the highest caliber and other than my own error is getting it set up, it is exactly what we needed and wanted. I managed to mismatch the AAA batteries and apparently a couple were dead.

so initially I couldn’t get the electronic lock to work. I called the Sentry help number and other than a bit of a wait (30 min), the technician was very helpful, kind and patient with me while I went to get some other batteries.

Once newer batteries were installed, the lock worked perfectly. My compliments to the technician as he went above and beyond answering a couple of questions re; protection offered from fire. We live 5-6 miles from the Bloomfield, CO wildfire that occurred on Dec.

30, and although the safe will not protect in an inferno of such proportions, it just makes sense to do what we can to protect our valuables. Thank you.

We bought this for an upcoming move and are very happy with it. We have other Sentry safes that don’t have keypads, but this is a great upgrade! I like the pocket in the door for small items, the keypad is easy to configure your own code, and there’s a lot of room inside for items.

The lockbox inside is movable as well- a nice feature for small items. The safe is heavy enough that it’s not easy to walk off with. Would recommend!.

I purchased this safe from a Lowe’s near my home. I went to finally go secure my items inside and quickly found out that my safe would not close. I inserted the key and the lock turned, but it will not actually lock the safe when closed.

I trouble shooted the issue, by calling support. I was told to bear weight on the safe which I did. Still did not work, and I’m pretty solid in weight. I asked the support tech if I could send this one back to sentry and be sent a new safe that actually works.

My request was denied because I did not have a receipt. I trusted Sentry, hence the reason I did not keep my receipt. I was far too trusting in the Sentry brand, however. The customer support tech stated that nothing could be done.

I just have to accept the loss of my money and time. Be aware when purchasing this item. Save your receipts. I will leave reviews on other sites just to keep potential buyers safe. Thank you.

I like this safe because it seems very protective and strong. I bought it to protect a unopened and uncommon over 10 year old Korean drama DVD(s) I own in the event of a fire I hope never happens. I put the DVD in a ziplock plastic bag, wrapped in in shrink wrap and will put it in Tupperware because the manual says that the case has a insulation which has a high moisture content.

I haven’t detected any moisture on the plastic it is in and it has been in there for a day now. I believe it says this because of in the event of a fire, I believe the moisture may escape insulation and get inside the case, or it means that inside moisture from the environment gets trapped.

Either way I will test it periodically to ensure no moisture is collecting on the plastic. Finally I like how if something moderately heavy for instance falls on the safe the dvd will be protected from physical damage.

I also put some important papers inside of it, but before placed them a ziplock plastic bag also. Even though the safe has a lock and key, I didn’t get it to lock it up and am not rating the strength of the lock.

The dvd I put in the case is not worth a lot of money value wise (maybe 100 bucks) but is basically irreplaceable if damaged.

This chest safe is almost perfect. It’s well made and heavy duty but not so much to the point of it being too heavy to move around. It’s the perfect size to store all my family’s vital records in. I do not; however, suggest it for storing anything that you will need to access on a regular basis.

The key is quite flimsy and bent the third time that I used it to open the safe. I would definitely be interested in purchasing an upgraded combination & Key chest safe like this one, though. I’ve always had an incredible experience with my other (I have 3 other Sentry Safes) Sentry products.

The size and weight of this safe is quite impressive, and would lead me to believe that it would and could deliver on its promise to protect documents from fire and water damage. It’s great for irreplaceable documents or photos and things like deeds, titles, wills, etc.

However, you should be aware that, according to the instructions, you must open the safe once per week for at least 30 minutes to prevent the build up of moisture. Otherwise you will run the risk of trapping moisture inside the safe.

Also, if you are buying a safe to prevent theft, I would say there are better choices. This safe is really designed to prevent fire and water damage, not to prevent theft. It ultimately depends on what you need the safe to protect.

Disappointed at how little you can fit in this safe given it’s exterior dimensions. At 40 lbs. (before putting any of your own belongings in it,) it’s not what I’d call “portable” and the interior barely holds legal sized papers.

If larger docs are in an oversized folder like a mortgage lender might provide, this safe will not hold them. In fact, if you decide to save your mortgage in this safe, that will likely consume 50% or more of the available interior space.

It’s exterior dimensions should afford a larger interior or the safe simply has a lot of waste with nearly 3” of buffer on sides between exterior and interior.

My primary problem is the fragility of this “safe” in conjunction with the thin packaging and the unit’s weight. It’s pretty heavy for what it is, and I admittedly made a fatal error: I did not immediately and closely inspect it on arrival, beyond a cursory check from the top because the box was pristine.

When I took it out to use it (I bought this in December of 2017, so there’s no point in putting in a claim), the top fell off; the locking mechanism was bent out of true, and the hinges- two flimsy plastic caps with springs- were sprung and deformed beyond reassembly.

The interior tray was cracked, and the body of the safe was split at the right rear corner. I would never expect this to survive a fire- during which structures often collapse- without similar failures.

A thief with a hammer could also open this in seconds, so it doesn’t provide any significant security beyond its elephantine weight.

Great product. I trust the fire/flood specifications. Neutral color is fine with me. Easy unlatching and unlocking. Instructions say to open the heavy lid fully, to activate the hydraulic closer and prevent smashed fingers etc.

Dimensions perfect for legal-size documents (plus a bit – ~11¾”x14¾” – for passports etc. ) , and the recess in underside of the lid gives increased capacity. I needed it all. Overdue purchase! [Now I need to do more shredding though.

] Very heavy but frankly ATM thieves are not my main concern, fire and flooding are. I recommend highly it if you have personally important documents.

The safe opens and closes easily with the two copies of the provided key. Only holds about the equivalent of a ream of paper in interior space, perhaps a little more. I was able to fit only a few file folders’ worth of documents, but it’s adequate for my needs.

Box was torn during shipping, but the safe only had a small scratch.

This was a gift for a grandchild looking to keep important papers and other items safe. I liked the looks, sturdiness, dual locks and, most importantly, inside dimensions. Most of the others I looked at weren’t big enough to hold letter size documents, unless they were folded.

However, since it was a gift, I insisted the grandchild look at the safes and tell me which one the grandchild preferred. (We all know their tastes are not automatically like ours. ) She liked it as well.

I think the grandchild is pleased with it. It is heavy, so it won’t be easily moved.

First Alert 2087F-BD Waterproof and Fire-resistant Bolt-down Combination Safe Is a pretty decent safe. It has plenty of storage space for my needs a. 94 cubic feet. Its handle and dial feels sturdy and doesn’t have a lot of play in it.

The best feature is the key when you are in a hurry and just don’t have time to do the combo. It is nice to have a 1700 degree one-hour fire rating and the waterproofing up to eight inches submerged is also a nice feature.

The floor bolt is also easy to install and gives that extra bit of protection. At 80+ pounds a thief isn’t going to run far carrying that much weight if they can get it off the floor to begin with. I feel confident that this safe is sturdy enough to hold my valuables and documents that I need to keep safe.

I would highly recommend this safe to anyone who has anything that they value, that they would like to keep safe at home. First alert is a brand that I do trust.

The 4 number combination starts with 4 turns stop on number, then to 3 turns etc. then to 2 turns etc. and finally 1 last turn to last number ,then you insert key and turn, then you turn handle and pull.

If your in and out of your safe a lot that can be a pain. Specially if your off on one of the numbers and have to start all over again! I am retired and I just use it when I leave the house and no one is home.

so for me it isn’t that often. Its a good secure safe and I had no problem putting my important papers and folders and handguns in there. Plenty of room and has one shelve. You can bolt to floor also.

The phone number for assistance that’s on the sticker actually stuck to the safe is no longer in service, so go online to the website to get the correct number (but know that they only answer mon-fri).

I know this because I hadn’t read to the middle of the installation package and was having a small freak out while trying to figure out how to open my safe for the first time. They should put that info on the first page, and that should be the first video they show, because that’s our first concern when we get these things.

But they make you hunt for it, and there isn’t a video for what do after you first open the box with the safe in it (when the keys are locked inside and the buttons don’t work, and there isn’t anything labeled “first time code”).

Maybe I sound stupid, but I’ve never owned a safe before lol. Make it idiot- proof for first time owners hey? That might save us some frustration and freak outs? (Although I’m guessing you get lots of freak outs based on how many times you’ve got “call us for assistance instead of returning the item” printed everywhere.

My suggestion might help save you some calls?).

This is a great little safe for important documents (birth certificates, will, etc. ) and is big enough for a stack of folders as well as a couple of binders. I love the shelf, and also the pocket in the door.

The combination lock is slick and easy to program and use. The key is an additional level of protection, but I’m not currently using it. The instructions are well written (which is rare these days). It comes with a little bag of desiccant, but I bought the rechargeable one from Amazon.

I hope I never have to find out about the fire, water, or burglary resistant performance :). I waited for a couple of weeks to see how it worked out, and so far it’s been fantastic!.

Most safes are not combination. I did not want to worry about a battery or power source. After spending a lot of time reading about small combination safes on the market, I decided on the Sentry Safe which also has good fire and waterproof features which also was a priority.

Just got the safe, but I am very pleased with the safe. Very easy to get in with the combination. Nice to have a back up key. Only complaint is the condition of the box when it arrived. The packing was good but there was a hole in the side of the box.

It ended up being ok, but it’s hard to quickly check a 125 lb safe when it is delivered.

This is my third house where I have bought and installed a Sentry Safe. Obviously I have had good experiences in the past to repeat the purchase. However this one was bought online. Didn’t realize it was a dial combination to open.

I’m fine with the method however the dial is plastic and was difficult to open as the dial kept snagging and did not spin smoothly. I had to put some force behind it and was afraid it was going to break it.

I came close to calling customer service as I thought perhaps it was already locked and the keys were inside. Walked away from it for a while and did another round of attempts to open the door and finally got it to work.

Not loving the plastic dial. Wonder if I’ll encounter the same challenge sometime in the future.

This was a replacement for another safe. Opted to choose a traditional dial combination lock; electronic/keypad system failed on the other safe, making it a giant doorstop. The lock system is easy to use; the addition of a key to supplement the combination was a nice feature.

The construction of the safe is very solid with heavy grade materials. The interior is vary spacious and with additional trays (purchased separately), organizing items is simple. The UL rating for the safe was good enough for my needs, with the hope that it never needs to be tested.

Overall, the size, price, and quality of components made the decision easy.

Wanted one just for important documents and some valuables, something both secure and with fire protection ( documents ). A wide range of brands and prices were searched online- am I’m sure you know too.

Compared a while. This Sentry one fit the bill, sentry was also a subsidy of Master Lock. Twice as large as my keyed-only fire safe and has an actual digital lock to make it more secure. (also bought the file box insert- from another source, for folders.

).

I was told by the bank rep that it would be unlawful for my heirs to have access to the contents of my safe deposit box until after the State took an inventory and probate completed. This safe therefore became a mandatory alternative.

For the amount of documents I have, this safe presents a much larger capacity than the banks safe deposit box. The fire rating is impressive. The size is perfect. My heirs will have access, if necessary.

The Sentry Safe is well made and ideal for my purpose of securing jewelry and documents. The shipping from the manufacturer to the store was not ideal. I purchased a different safe, which was damaged and had to be returned.

The SentrySafe XXL was also damaged, but I decided to keep the unit, since picking up and delivering is not an easy task. The packaging could definitely be improved.

I compared this to another well known brand and all specs indicate that it will perform just as well; let’s just hope I never have the data to proove it actually did. What sold me on this one. the product I compared it to had 2 significant disadvantage, it had to be locked to seal and protect the documents inside and it was not sealed for water protection.

I purchased this more for the fire protection then security purposes so being able to close it securely without having the key on me was important to me. At first comparison I thought being waterproof was not that important for my purposes but after so more thought it occurred to me that with a fire is generally followed by some big hoses and a lot of water.

It would really stick to have my documents survive a fire just to be ruined by the water used to put the fire out.

It’s water proof. I tested it in a tub. Don’t know it’s heat resistance. Key lock is “OK” substantial. If one really wanted to break into it ya can. I use it as document storage inside our Tornado Shelter.

Haven’t tested it in a tornado or house fire. My hope is that I never do. It has enough interior space for documents needed if my house blows away. Deed, pink slips, will, burial instructions, ham radio (yes, I keep to battery hot 24/7), etc.

I needed a safe that would fit under my bed, and this one fits the bill. It seems to be heavy duty, as judged by overall construction and the fact that it weighs nearly 29 lbs! It has a rubber seal around the lid, so it looks like it would be waterproof (no specifications are given in the Owner’s Manual, but the listing in the Harbor Freight website states “24 hour waterproof seal to keep contents dry in up to 38 in.

of water”). This is all the waterproofing I need. The Owner’s Manual says “The Safe is not fireproof”, but the listing in the Harbor Freight website says “This compact document safe has a UL class fire rating for up to 30 minutes in 1550° Fahrenheit or 843° Celsius”.

I guess “Fireproof” and a “Fire Rating are different”. At any rate, I think the safe provides enough protection for my purposes. I would buy it again.