TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe
Pros
- 30 Minute Fire Rating
- External Hinges
- Fully Carpeted Interior
Cons
- Non UL or ETL Verified Fire Rating
- Solenoid Lock Can Be Bumped Open
- Tubular Key Override Can Be Opened with a BIC Pen
- No Ability to Bolt Down
- Unreliable Chinese Company / Made in China
“This is exactly what I was looking for. The right size, weight, locking system, internal space and of course, the look. I love this safe and recommended it to my family & friends. it came ahead of time in a sturdy, & safe package. Easy to unpack, clear set up instructions and easy to use. What else do i need?”
CAF from Amazon.com
The TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe gets me triggered right from the start. There is no such thing as a fireproof safe, safes can only be fire resistant for a certain period of time. While this may seem like a small, trivial choice of words, it matters because the way you do one thing is the way you do everything and falsely advertising this as fireproof is just the start of this “safes” problems. TigerKing is a fully Chinese owned and operated company with the real business name listed in Amazon as shen zhen shi zhe yu xu mao yi you xian gong si. Yea, try saying that five times fast. TigerKing is one of the biggest manufacturers in China and on Amazon they sell low end fire and burglary safes with low quality locks. In this review, I will help you understand the bad and the decent when it comes to the TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe.
Lock
First and always most important is the safes lock. The TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe uses the generic solenoid operating lock system that was previously used on Stack-On products. This lock can be defeated in a number of ways including the bump method by smacking the top of the safe and turning the handle at the same time. This causes the metal pin to bounce and deactivate the pressure from the bolts. Next, it uses the standard tubular lock key override as a backup that can be opened with a bic pen or an easy to use lock pick found on Amazon for around $65. There are several videos on Youtube showing how to open this style of lock in seconds.
Security
When it comes to security, the TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe does not list the steel thickness of the safe. At 45 lbs and with fire insulation material, I would assume this safe is around 14 gauge steel. That is pretty standard for a low end fire safe but can easily be drilled or cut open with a saw. They include four solid steel locking bolts, 20 mm thick which equates to 3/4″. With the lock being so easy to break into, the overall security of the safe is very weak.
Fire Rating
The TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe is listed as “fireproof” for 30 minutes at 1200 degrees. This safe does not hold certifications from ETL or UL but TigerKing promises it is laboratory certified. Personally, I would not trust this Chinese companies personal factory test but it does appear to have gypsum fireboard on all sides including the door and is better than some other options I have seen on Amazon. It does not appear to have nor is it advertised to have a Palusol door seal so while the safe may survive the fire for 30 minutes, your items likely will not survive the smoke. This is not a fire safe I would recommend.
Style and Function
The TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe is finished in a standard textured black with black keypad. The safe has two external hinges and looks decent. It’s not the best looking safe I’ve seen, but it is much better than the super cheap options like the AmazonBasics safes. It does not appear to have mounting holes for bolt down either which is a big problem.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the TigerKing FPSD40 Fireproof Home Safe is not a very secure or reliable safe when it comes to burglary or security. There are much better options available such as the Stealth EHS4 Home Safe that has all the features this safe should have. Yes it is considerably more expensive but when it comes to protecting your valuables from theft and fire, it’s worth spending the few extra dollars instead of losing everything. Overall, I would not recommend this safe but will say it is better than nothing.
