Hollon HDS-500E Data Safe Review

Hollon has been one of the fastest growing safe companies in the United States over the last decade. They have a full product lineup ranging from residential to commercial. While they don’t actually manufacture anything themselves, they do bring in a lot of different high quality products. However, in this review, I will explain why the Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe is one you should avoid.

Lock – Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe

Un-Rated Locks

First and always most important for any safe is its lock. The Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe comes standard with an electronic lock and LCD display or mechanical lock. These locks carry no certifications or burglary ratings. I always recommend purchasing a safe with a UL Rated high security electronic or mechanical lock from NL, SecuRam or S&G. There is no second best. Unfortunately this safe does not have that and automatically moves it to my not recommended list. In addition, it does not have a hard plate or internal re-locker which are two essential security features.

Security – Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe

The Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe has no burglary ratings or testing. It is not certified by UL or even CA DOJ. This is a simple fire safe and not meant for burglary protection whatsoever. It only has two bolts that are tiny and overall not pry resistant. I would not recommend this safe for burglary protection. Finally, they do not list or mention the steel thickness anywhere which is a huge red flag. I would estimate this safe around 16 gauge steel. For reference, 16 gauge steel is the thickness of a penny.

Fire Rating – Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe

The Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe is fire rated for 2 hours at 1875 degrees keeping the internal temperature below 125 degrees. This is the one really good thing about this safe and makes it ideal for flash drives, CD’s, external hard drive, tapes and other tech that can not survive in standard safes. This fire rating is the KIS fire rating which is an independent laboratory in Korea who verifies the claims of safe companies. This rating is not as good as the UL test on American Security and Gardall fire safes but still better than a factory test. Most other companies only perform factory tests where we have to trust them and take their word for it.

An intumescent door seal is included that expands up to 7 times its size during a fire to seal out smoke and heat from entering the safe.

Style and Function

The Hollon HDS series are finished in two-tone gray powder coat paint. Hardware includes a plastic turn handle and keypad. This interior is all metal with no carpeting. Overall, I think the styling is pretty good. Finally, a counter sunk bolt down hole is located on the bottom of the safe. Please note that because it is a data safe, the interior is incredibly small with very little usable space.

Warranty

The Hollon HDS series comes with a lifetime warranty on fires where they will replace the safe at no cost to you if it ever experiences a fire. Hollon also provides a 1 year warranty. Hollon is a great company to work with and they really care about the customer. This is a reliable warranty from a good company.

The Bottom Line

Would I buy the Hollon HDS-500E Home Safe to store my valuables? No, I would not. This safe has no burglary rating, a lock with no certifications or rating and thin steel construction. However, the larger models do come with a UL rated lock and are more suitable for sensitive tech.

There is a safe with a UL RSC burglary rating that has even more features that I do recommend. The American Security BFS Home Safes feature a UL RSC Burglary Rating, UL Approved Lock, thick 1/2″ steel plate door, thick steel plates in the body, a much more attractive finish and is made by a reputable and long standing American company. I would recommend buying an American Security BFS home safe instead of this.