Before you buy a safe, it is first important to balance your level of risk. If the contents of the safe are going to be insured or partially insured and the dollar value is several thousands, contact your Insurance agent to help determine what your savings will be in policy premium for the different classifications. If you have an alarm system that is used regularly, perhaps you can get by with a lower degree of protection. Always remember that burglary protection should begin with good physical protection i.e. dead bolt locks; positive action sliding door locks; etc. All high value Items should be stored in a safe. Then if additional protection is desired, add electronics in the form of an alarm system. When considering security from fire and theft, keep this thought uppermost in your mind…
Defense is time… given sufficient time, tools, and technology, if man can make it, man can destroy it.”
Having determined the size, type and degree of protection, you can now turn to value. You can compare various features or preferences i.e. color, overall appearance, hardware, interiors furnished or at additional cost etc. If this doesn’t give you a final determination between two products try some simple mathematics. Divide the price by the cubic inch capacity and determine how much the unit costs per cubic inch of protected area. Of course it is not necessary to follow the above format; however, if you do you will find that you have saved a lot of time, gotten to the heart of the matter rapidly, and have made an intelligent purchase.
