Product Type
The product type determines the main purpose and some design features of the safe.
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Home/office. Freestanding general purpose safes; the office variety is somewhat larger than the home variant, but otherwise their features are identical, so both types are combined into one. These are rather simple products with relatively low burglary resistance and without fireproof, not intended for storing weapons and not designed for carrying (for more details, see the relevant subparagraphs below). They are designed primarily to protect information of a low rate of privacy — for example, commercial documents "for official use".
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Embedded. This category includes all models of safes designed for installation into a wall — in such a way that only the front door is outside. If the safe meets this criterion, it is classified as embedded, regardless of the burglary protection rate and/or fire resistance. The advantage of such safes is the minimum space occupied; in addition, a wall safe is easy to disguise, for example, under a picture. On the other hand, the embedding process itself is quite troublesome, and moving the safe to another place can be a serious problem. And the burglary resistance of such models is usually not very high — in fact, it is directly related to the specs of the wall material the safe is installed into.
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Burglary. General-purpose
...safes that do not have any of the specializations described below and at the same time correspond to a burglary resistance class (see the relevant paragraph) of at least I.
— Fireproof. General purpose safes that are not applicable to the types described below and have a fire rating (see “Fire Rating”) of 30B or higher. It should be noted that the main purpose of such safes is not to provide security, but to protect the contents in case of fire: even the simplest fire-resistant safe will be able to protect the documents placed in it to a certain extent, but the reliability of the locks and the burglary resistance of such models is very limited.
— Fire and burglary resistant. Models that combine the properties of the two "resistant" types described above: general purpose, burglary resistance of at least level I and fireproof rating of at least 30B.
— Gun safe. A specialized type of safe designed to store firearms and ammunition. Such models may have devices for the convenience of placing guns, as well as additional compartments for ammunition (see "Ammo compartment"). Another characteristic feature of gun safes is the possibility of fastening (see below) — this requirement is often found in the legislation of different countries. Note that the presence of such a gun safe may be one of the conditions for issuing a weapon permit, and the specific requirements for a gun safe in such cases are also specified in the law. Therefore, before buying such a model, it is worth checking its compliance with local requirements.
— Deposit. A specific type of safe used in retail outlets, exchange offices and other places where you constantly have to deal with a large amount of cash. The main feature of such safes is the presence of an additional (cash) compartment above the main one. Such a compartment opens freely, without a key or other similar restriction, and when it is closed, all contents placed inside (money, securities, etc.) automatically move to the lower, protected compartment. Thus, it is possible to replenish the contents of the main compartment without access to it. The burglary resistance of such safes is relatively low, since they are always under supervision. It is also worth noting that the presence of a slot for money (on top or on the door) also makes the safe deposit one.
— Portable/car. Two types of safes combined into one according to the criteria of small size and portability. Moreover, each option has its own specs. So, portable ones are often equipped with a handle for easy transportation in the hands, and automobile ones are designed with the expectation of specific installation locations: under the front seat for the role of the second “glove box”, under the folding segment of the rear seat, in the spare wheel in the boot, etc. Both subtypes have the ability to mount (see below) — otherwise there is a high risk of stealing the contents directly with the safe for later opening.
— Filing cabinets. A kind of safe designed, in accordance with the name, for storing various documents, and documents with a low rate of privacy. The last is due to the fact that filing cabinets have very limited security specs: low thickness wall, fairly simple key locks, a minimum burglary resistance class (H0, see below) or no such at all. In fact, the task of such safes is not to resist professional hacking, but to restrict access for ordinary people (for example, employees of the same institution) who do not have a key.
— Safe with thermostat. A safe equipped with a thermostat — a device for maintaining a certain temperature inside. Such models are mainly used for the storage of narcotic, psychotropic, precursors and other drugs and substances that require not only access restrictions, but also special storage conditions. Many thermostatic safes are initially marketed as "medical" safes, and may have special settings to comply with regulatory requirements for the storage of drugs — for example, the "storage in a cool place" mode.Fire resistance class
The rate of resistance of the safe to high temperatures. You should pay attention to this parameter when choosing a safe for storing documents or electronic media that are sensitive to high temperatures.
Fire resistance classes for safes are usually specified in accordance with the ESC-B EN 15569 and GOST R 50862-2005 standards. The first implies a division into two classes (LFS 30P and 60P), the second fundamental document has a broader class and identifies three categories of fireproof safes:
- B. At an external temperature of 1100 °C, the temperature inside the storage should not exceed 170 °C. This is enough to protect paper documents.
- D. At the same 1100 °C outside, the temperature limit inside is 70 °C. This is already enough to protect hard magnetic disks, magnetic film and film.
— DIS. The maximum temperature inside such safes at 1100 °C outside is 50 °C. This allows them to be used even for floppy disks.
Each category consists of 4 classes, denoted by the numbers 30, 60, 90 or 120, for example 60B or 120D. The figure means the time (in minutes) the temperature inside the safe will remain within the parameters specified by the category while outer temperature is 1100 °C: for example, the first corresponds to the protection of paper from fire for an hour, the second – to the protection of film for two hours.
Nowadays, the most popular fire resistance classes on the market are:
30 min,
60 min..., 90 min, 120 min.Weight
The total weight of the empty safe. Unlike many other products, for safes, heavy weight is usually more of an advantage than a disadvantage: the heavier the safe, the more difficult it is to steal it entirely for later opening in a safe place. The only exceptions are portable and automotive models (see "Product Type") — in their case, theft prevention is ensured primarily by fastening, and in the first case, the product, by definition, must be suitable for carrying in hands.
