BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe
Pros
- No Key Override
- Velvet Lined Interior
- Large Internal Capacity
Cons
- Unreliable Fire Rating
- Low Quality Solenoid Electronic Lock
- Thin Steel Construction
- Unreliable Company for Service & Warranty
“Glad I bought a deep one. If you have the wall space for it – get this deep one. Very happy with the quality and space of this safe. Great buy!
Zaraguyzinbroski from Amazon.com
The BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe if very unique in that it one of the very few wall safes for sale that are fire rated. Unfortunately, this wall safe hasn’t been through any real testing from a certified agency and from what I know about fire safes, I highly doubt anything would survive simply by looking at how the fireboard has no coverage on the hinges. In this review, I will discuss all of the important features of this wall safe and explain why I wouldn’t trust it in a fire.
Lock
First and always most important, is the lock and locking mechanism. BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe uses a digital electronic locking system that I have not seen on any other safe before. They do not provide any information on the construction and it does not carry any ratings from UL. I always, always, always recommend you purchase a safe with a UL rated lock. I can not confirm if this is a Solenoid style lock but judging by the look and bolt mechanism, I would imagine it is. This is not very secure and I would recommend a UL rated lock made from NL, S&G or Securam. This safe does not have any key override and uses a pigtail external battery pack to power the lock when the batteries die since they are located on the inside of the safe.
Security
The BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe comes standard with a 3/16″ thick steel door and flange. While they call this heavy duty, I can certainly assure you it is not. It is better than the super low end 16 gauge wall safes but still does not compete with wall safes like the Stealth WSHD1414 which feature a 1/2″ steel door. The door is recessed and operates on two internal pin hinges. The lock operates two locking bolts that appear to be somewhere between 1/2″ and 3/4″. This is not a high level of security by any means and could be opened pretty easily during a break-in.
Fire Rating
What concerns me most about the BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe is it’s 30 minute fire rating claim. They say the walls, bottom and door are covered in a velvet lined fire liner that is just presumably gypsum fire board. However, they cut into the gypsum board for the locking mechanism and it does not cover the internal pin hinges. The safe is also missing a fire seal to expand and keep the smoke out. UL nor ETL have tested or verified their fire rating claim and from my experience, this safe won’t keep the internal temperature below 350 degrees for even 2 minutes. I would not purchase this safe for it’s fire rating claim and would opt for the American Security WFS149E5 which features a UL rated ESL5 electronic lock and a true UL certified fire rating.
The Bottom Line
While the BUYaSafe WES2113-DF Fire Resistant Wall Safe seems like a decent buy at the price point for a fire rated wall safe, it’s not worth the money if it doesn’t do its job. I highly doubt this safe will keep the internal contents safe from a fire or burglary for more than 5 minutes and is only providing you the illusion of security. Your money would be better spent investing in a standard home safe such as the Stealth EHS4 which will provide you with thicker steel, a UL Rated lock and a true 30 minute fire rating. If you are dead set on having the safe in the wall, the American Security WFS149E5 is a much better option for a true UL rated fire rating and the Stealth WSHD1414 is a much better option for burglary protection.
