Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300

Overview

Quality home safes under $1,300 are hard to come by. Most models in this price range feature un-rated Solenoid electronic locks, no hard plate, no re-locker and are often sold by an unreliable company who may or may not honor the warranty. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the Top 3 Home Safes Under $1,300 that you can trust. All of these models have a high level of security, have high quality UL Rated locks, advanced security features and are sold by companies who actually honor their warranty.

Lock – Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300

First and always most important for any home safe is the lock. All three of these home safes from Stealth, Hollon and Kodiak feature high quality UL Rated High Security Electronic or Mechanical Locks. UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories and they are an independent agency that certifies that the locks are both secure and high quality. I always recommend to purchase a UL rated lock and all three of these options are very high quality.

Stealth Home Safes – NL UR-2020

Stealth includes the NL UR-2020 high security electronic lock. I highly recommend this lock and it is very high quality. In addition, the parts are globally sourced with the electronic boards and lock body produced in Europe and the keypads coming from Korea.

It is powered by a 9 volt battery that is easily replaced from the outside of the safe. Also included is a red LED light that illuminates the keypad in the dark. Finally, the lock features a 6 digit code and has over 1 million possible combinations. It is designed for decades of trouble-free use.

Hollon FB Home Safes – S&G 6120

Hollon includes the S&G 6120 high security electronic lock. This is an excellent quality lock made by the oldest lock company in the United States. They have a premier reputation and make the highest quality locks. The locks are made in America with global parts coming from Mexico.

This lock features a 6 digit electronic code that is easy to program to your own custom combination. In addition, the lock opens 10,000+ times on just one battery. The battery needed is a 9 volt battery that is easily replaceable from the keypad outside the safe. Finally, there are over 1 million possible combinations on this lock.

S&G UL Approved Type 2 High Security Mechanical Lock

There is also a second lock option that is the S&G UL Type 2 Mechanical Lock. This is one of only two mechanical locks I recommend as it is high quality, reliable and known for longevity. It uses a three number combination that rotates into the lock body on the inside of the safe.

Hard Plate and Re-Locker

Regardless of the lock option you choose on the Hollon FB home safe, it will be protected by both a hard plate and tempered glass re-locker. The hard plate is a thick piece of hardened steel that destroys drill bits. The internal re-locker shatters when drilled and keeps the bolts locked in place if the thief were able to drill through the hard plate and attempt to punch the lock out. A standard internal re-locker is used on both the Stealth CS and HS home safes.

Security – Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300

When it comes to security, all three models use use different methods. The Stealth CS and Hollon FB series use a concrete composite mixture in-between two steel plates to achieve their security. This combination is significantly stronger than one layer of steel and gypsum fire board as it is a complete nightmare to drill or cut through. The Stealth HS series uses on layer of 12 gauge steel in the door and body. With that said, the Stealth HS series is the only safe that was tested for the UL RSC Burglary test, however both the Stealth CS series and Hollon FB series would easily pass. All three models use the traditional round solid steel locking bolts. The bolts on the Hollon FB series are 1.5″ thick and Stealth uses 1.25″ thick locking bolts. All in all, the .25″ difference is negligible.

The reason some companies do not test their safes is because the safes far exceed the requirements and the test is very expensive, needing to be renewed regularly. By not having it tested, they can offer a lower price on the safe.

Passing the UL RSC burglary test ensures the safe can withstand an attack on the door with multiple different tools for a minimum of 5 minutes each. One attacker is used in the test and this is the same burglary rating as the most expensive home safes. This also allows it to carry insurance up to $30,000 when combined with a home burglar alarm.

Fire Rating – Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300

When it comes to the fire ratings of the Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300, they are all different. The Stealth CS safes and Hollon FB safes achieve their fire rating through the concrete composite material which is far superior to the gypsum fire board. Stealth CS safes have a 90 minute fire rating, Hollon FB safes have a 120 minute fire rating and the Stealth HS safes have a 60 minute fire rating. In addition, they all use intumescent door seals along the door frame that expand up to 7 times their size during a fire to keep smoke and heat from entering the safe.

Style and Function

Paint

This is where the Stealth Home Safes starts to stand out. Hollon uses a simple textured gray powder coat paint that looks decent. Stealth uses a high quality armor black paint that looks like a crinkled matte and is very high quality. This paint is highly durable and looks fantastic.

Accessories

Another key differentiator is the interior and door panel organizer. Hollon FB safes and Stealth CS safes have an all metal interior. The Stealth HS safes have a fully carpeted interior with a door panel organizer on the back of the door. It features zippered pockets for additional storage. Finally, the Stealth HS safes also include an electrical outlet for powering electronics like a light kit or dehumidifier inside the safe.

Warranty

All three companies include limited lifetime warranties on their home safes that cover burglary, attempted burglary and fire. All three companies also include parts and labor warranties where they will pay for a locksmith or safe technician to come out to your home and repair the home safe on site and at no cost to you. These are reliable warranties from good companies that keep their word. The key differentiator in this category is that Hollon only provides a 1 year parts and labor warranty. Stealth doubles it to a 2 year parts and labor warranty. All in all, the longer the warranty, the more the company believes in the product. It’s really that simple.

The Bottom Line

All three of these models are easily the Top 3 Best Home Safes Under $1,300. While the Hollon FB Home Safes are near identical and have a longer fire rating, I would still recommend the Stealth CS series for a couple of reasons. They have a significantly higher quality paint, they have thicker steel construction, size for size are a better price and have double the parts and labor warranty.