With a footprint of 20 inches wide and 17 inches long (about as much as a mini-fridge), the 1114 may not fit well into small apartments or other living situations where there`s not much space. With its size and higher fire resistance comes the weight: moving this 42-pound safe isn`t as easy as moving a smaller, less protective option. You might consider this a good thing if you look at it through the prism of fire and theft protection, but the weight of the 1114 can be uncomfortable if you have to move the safe when you need access to your belongings. A fireproof safe is the kind of thing you buy in the hope that its abilities will never be put to the test. But when the time comes, there`s a good chance the safe will be worth a lot more than you paid for. We`ve tested over a dozen safes over the years and even burned five in a controlled fire, and we`re sure the Honeywell 1114 Lightweight and Waterproof Safe is the best document safe you can get for your home or office. It is independently designed to last longer than other safes of its size during fires involving higher temperatures, and it keeps its contents dry longer when immersed in water. That means it has the greatest potential among the document vaults we`ve seen to keep your belongings — including irreplaceable documents, photos, and important things like passports and birth certificates — safe. If you need to store hanging folders and don`t want to spend more than $100 on a safe, the First Alert 2037F Water and Fire Safe is a great choice. With a capacity of 0.62 cubic feet, it is large enough to hold letter-sized folders, but not legal size. It has the same ratings and features we`ve seen over years of testing, namely excellent build quality and affordable prices compared to the competition, which have made First Alert`s safes such powerful competitors when available. (Many have been abandoned over the years, we`ve updated this guide.) Compared to Honeywell safes, this model doesn`t last as long in the event of a fire, but it`s still certified to withstand fires at temperatures as high as 1,550°F for 30 minutes. It`s also smaller, lighter and easier to move around — just 16.25 x 13.25 inches and 38.9 pounds — and cheaper.
Block tax returns, legal documents, invoices and receipts. Union Safe Company`s offering offers less storage space than our top pick. It`s still large enough to accommodate a letter-sized unfolded sheet of paper, but it has a much smaller footprint as it only takes up about 73% of the Honeywell`s footprint (1.75 square feet vs. 2.4 square feet) due to its dimensions of 17.3 x 14.6 inches. This budget option is also much lighter, weighing just 28 pounds compared to 42 pounds for the Honeywell 1114, and it has a handle that makes it easier to carry. Honeywell`s 1104 is our former top pick. It`s the same size and shape as the 1114, but typically costs more and is designed to keep the contents dry for just 24 hours, compared to 100 hours for our current selection. For this guide, we didn`t look for expensive professional facilities or gun safes, but smaller, fireproof safes that fit under a desk or in a closet. This is the kind that is heavy and safe, but always ready to be lifted and moved when needed. A document safe should be fireproof and waterproof (also known as “flood-prone”), with a locking mechanism that keeps opportunistic intruders away.
Once the combination has been changed from 000 to your new number, access to the box is now limited to that number. Without the right combination, the only way to get into your box is to remove the lock. This can be done by jamming a tool such as a flathead screwdriver between the lock and the box to peel off the lock. Vaultz is not responsible for lost or forgotten combinations. We filled each safe with the same content: five photos printed in an envelope, a newspaper, a USB stick with various video files and a DVD with a video file burned on it. Within minutes, the fire had reached about 1,300°F. We let it sink for about half an hour before asking firefighters to extinguish it with a fire hose. If the safes (or what`s left of them) were fresh, we would open them to check for consequences, including if water had leaked from the fire hose.
We also looked at the overall build quality of the safes, including checking the body for obvious weak points and checking if any parts were broken during normal use, and we considered their size and weight when trying to wear them. The First Alert 2037F Water and Fire Protector File Chest is the most affordable model for hanging letter-sized folders. It has a fireproof rating of 30 minutes, and over years of testing in this category, we`ve been impressed with First Alert`s safes for their reliable, solid build quality and affordable prices for the level of protection they offer. Unfortunately, many of them have been discontinued, so take the 2037F if you`re interested. This model is the cheapest safe of its size and lasts as long in the fire as anything else in its price range. The Honeywell 1108 Fire/Water large file trunk is a larger version of our premium safe with the same one-hour fire resistance. This 84-pound colossus is designed to hold folders of letters and hanging folders, which is handy if you have a lot of documents or just want to organize your belongings. But it`s a big effort to move. The AmazonBasics Security Vault is available in sizes ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 cubic feet. But unlike the models we tested, it is neither fireproof nor waterproof. While it can keep unwanted hands away from your important documents, it doesn`t protect anything in the event of a disaster. Honeywell`s 1103, 1503, 1533 and 1553 models are all variants of the same model with different latches and locks.
While they`re generally strong competitors, their internal dimensions are a bit too small to hold an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet flat, and at this point they cost more than our budget selection from Union Safe Company. If the Honeywell 1108 is out of stock or its price increases and you agree to store it in letter size, choose the FireKing SS106 SureSeal. This is a smaller alternative to the Honeywell 1108 that can hold letter-sized folders, but not a legal size. Unlike the Honeywell 1114, this safe doesn`t have latches to keep it closed, but its double-locking mechanism is secure. You need to turn the tube wrench and then the knob around the keyhole to open or lock the safe completely. This step allows you to move the safe without worrying about opening the lid, even when it is unlocked. The lightweight and waterproof Honeywell 1114 trunk has been independently checked by security organization Intertek to safely store personal belongings during a fire for an hour – twice as long as the competition – in conditions up to 1,700°F. A house fire can peak at around 2,000°F, but this type of heat occurs at the highest points of your home, namely the attic, or at least the ceiling. It is cooler near the floor where you store your safe. Honeywell also says the safe prevents spray and flood water for 100 hours.
It`s large enough to hold both sheets of letter and legal paper without you having to fold them. The added protection makes the 1114 noticeably larger and heavier than other safes of similar capacity – it weighs 42 pounds and takes up the same floor space as a mini-fridge. But we think the price and size are worth tolerating as this safe gives your belongings a greater chance of surviving a disaster. If you have a lot of documents and want to organize them into folders, the Honeywell 1108 Fire/Water Large File Chest is the best choice. It has all the same features as our main selection, the Honeywell 1114, including the ability to survive a fire up to 1,700ºF for an hour. The main difference between the two is the 1108`s ability to accommodate legal letter and hanging files in more than one cubic foot of storage. The result of this extra space is that the 1108 is the heaviest safe we`ve tested, weighing over 80 pounds. This makes it difficult to move even with the small handles carved on the outer edges. Make sure you protect your important files when it`s time to transport them. Vaultz offers a full range of letter-sized and legal lock files designed for secure mobility. This sturdy lock is a safe and attractive place to store and transport hanging letter-size files.
It has dual-combination locks for security and is HIPAA compliant. Also includes handles on the sides for easy carrying. If it`s important to you, play it safe and include it with Vaultz! We`ve seen a generally good design in the First Alert product line over the past few years. All safes are rated at 1,550°F for 30 minutes, built with the same design and relatively affordable. Unfortunately, over the years we have maintained this guide, the company has abandoned many of its safe models. For example, we`ve already recommended the 2030F, and we consider it a great safe – if you can get it. The 2017F is a smaller option, but it “can be discontinued,” according to the marketing company representing First Alert. The 2602DF, an old budget choice, is no longer produced. If you find a First Alert safe in a size that suits you at a price you`re willing to pay, it`s probably a good bet. We simply cannot be confident enough to recommend all models.
We like the lid hinge system, which prevents the heavy lid from crushing your fingers when closing. It is still possible to close the lid, but if it is accidentally tipped over, it will slow down a few centimeters before closing. In our testing, we only saw this feature on larger Honeywell safes, not on models from other brands. In addition, this Honeywell safe has latches on both sides of the lock that provide an extra level of security when closing the lid.