What a safe does that a locked cabinet does not

A safe is built to resist forced entry, and a locked filing cabinet is not. A filing cabinet lock is a privacy measure that keeps documents out of casual view; the cabinet body is thin steel that gives way to hand tools. A safe uses a thicker steel body, a bolt mechanism into the door frame, and a lock designed to resist manipulation. If the contents are cash or irreplaceable documents, that difference is the whole point.

Depository safes and the drop slot

A depository safe has a slot in the top or front that lets cash or an envelope be deposited without opening the door. That design suits a retail counter, a reception desk or any setting where takings are dropped through the day and only counted at close, because staff can deposit without holding the combination. Depository models in this range state the slot type and the lock separately on each listing.

Locks and override keys

Safes in this range use a digital keypad, and most also include override keys for the case where the battery fails or the code is forgotten. Keep the override keys somewhere other than in the room with the safe, since keys stored beside a safe defeat it. Change the factory default code before first use. Where a safe uses a fingerprint reader as well as a keypad, the listing states both.

Fire and water

Fire resistance and water resistance are separate ratings and neither is implied by a steel body. Where a safe in this range carries a fire or water rating, that rating is stated on its listing. Where a listing does not state a rating, do not assume one: an unrated safe protects against theft, not against a house fire. For documents that must survive a fire, look specifically for a stated fire rating.

Size and mounting

Office safes here run from 13 to about 22 inches wide and 15 to about 28 inches tall, which suits a desk drawer, a cupboard base or a closet floor. A safe light enough to carry is a safe light enough to steal, so bolting it down is what makes a small safe secure. Most safes in this range are pre-drilled for floor or wall mounting, and the fixings needed are stated on the listing.

What fits inside

Interior capacity is smaller than the exterior suggests, because the door and walls of a safe are thick by design. A safe measuring around 13 inches wide takes cash, keys, passports and a small stack of folded documents. Getting unfolded letter or A4 paper in flat needs a wider model, and the listings state interior dimensions where the supplier publishes them separately from the exterior. Shelving inside is fixed on most models in this range, so plan for the shelf position rather than expecting to move it.