Top 3 Best Home Safes

Overview

These are the absolute best of the best home safes available. They all feature high quality UL rated locks, thick steel construction with concrete composite in-between two steel plates, independently tested fire ratings and high quality construction. I’ve compiled this list of the Top 3 Best Home Safes to help you in making your decision on which home safe is right for you.

Lock – Top 3 Best Home Safes

First and always most important for any home safe is the lock. All three of these home safes from American Security and Hayman 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.

American Security – Big Red UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock

First and always most important for any safe is its lock. The American Security BF Burglary and Fire Safe and CSC home safe come standard with a UL Approved High Security Mechanical Lock made by Big Red. This is one of the two mechanical locks I recommend with the other being made by S&G. This high quality lock is designed to last forever and uses the traditional 3 number combination.

American Security – UL Approved High Security Electronic Lock

There is also a second lock option that is the ESL10XL electronic lock. This lock is UL approved type 1 high security and the absolute highest rating you can get. Finally, it has additional features from just the standard code like Time Delay that does not allow you to open the safe again for a specified period of time after each opening.

Hayman MagnaVault – S&G UL Approved Type 2 High Security Mechanical Lock

The Hayman MagnaVault Home Safes feature the S&G UL Type 2 Mechanical Lock. This is the only other mechanical lock 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 American Security CSC or Hayman MagnaVault 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 the American Security BF home safes.

Security – Top 3 Best Home Safes

When it comes to security, all three models use the highest quality burglary protection possible. They all use concrete composite material in-between two steel plates. This creates three barriers to entry when attempting to drill or cut and is extremely difficult to get through. American Security BF home safes are the strongest out of the three with a 1/2″ steel plate door and 1/8″ inner steel liner followed by two 1/8″ steel plates in the body all encapsulating the concrete composite material. The American Security CSC uses two 12 gauge steel plates and Hayman does not list their steel thickness anywhere which leads me to believe it is also 12 gauge.

All three models have passed the UL RSC Burglary test and they Hayman MagnaVault also passed the HC-10 test. 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 Liberty and Fort Knox gun 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

When it comes to the fire ratings of the Top 3 Best Home Safes, they are also all extremely high quality and verified by an independent testing agency. American Security BF home safes have a 60 minute fire rating tested by UL, Hayman MagnaVault home safes have a 110 minute fire rating tested by Fire Insurance Labs and the American Security CSC home safes have a 120 minute fire rating tested by ETL.

All three testing agencies are legitimate and while the American Security BF home safes only carry a 60 minute fire rating which seems like the shortest, it is actually the highest quality fire rating out of the three because the UL fire test is so difficult to pass and includes more than just the standard furnace burn. They also include a 30 foot drop test to simulate it falling from a burning building. If tested by ETL or FIL, I would not be surprised to see the BF home safe carry at least a 2 hour 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 American Security BF Home Safes stand out even more. They have a variety of very beautiful high gloss color options that rival the car company paint jobs. Hayman uses only one color option in a specked gray and the American Security CSC home safes feature a textured gray powder coat paint. All in all, there is no comparison and the BF home safes blow away the competition.

Accessories

Another key differentiator is the interior. American Security CSC safes and Hayman MagnaVault safes have an all metal interior. The American Security BF home safes have a fully carpeted bottom, shelf and door backing making it perfect for the closet or master bedroom.

Warranty

Only Hayman includes a limited lifetime warranty on their MagnVault home safes that cover burglary, attempted burglary and fire. American Security only includes a lifetime fire warranty on their BF home safes. All three companies include parts and labor warranties but only American Security 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. The big thing to note with Hayman’s lifetime warranty is that they actually require you to ship the safe back to their factory for inspection and repair. It’s not practical or feasible to ship a several hundred pound safe across the country for repair and I would highly recommend American Security’s warranty over Hayman.

The Bottom Line

All three of these models are easily the Top 3 Best Home Safes. While the Hayman MagnaVault and American Security CSC Home Safes have a longer stated fire rating, the American Security BF home safes are the clear winner across all categories. They have the thickest steel, highest quality fire rating, high gloss color options, carpeted interior and the best warranty out of the three. All things considered, the American Security BF home safe is my top recommendation out of all home safes.