Which safe lock to choose: mechanical, electronic, or biometric

A safe is more than just a metal box — it’s a reliable guardian of your money, documents, and valuables. Its main purpose is to keep what matters most protected, even in the most unpredictable situations. That’s why safes have become an essential part of modern homes and offices, where comfort and style go hand in hand with security.

Safes differ by installation type, protection level, lock mechanism, and intended use. There are built-in, furniture, floor, and even portable models — each with its own advantages. Some are ideal for hidden storage, while others are designed for everyday use or to safeguard documents from fire.

Choosing the right safe means choosing peace of mind. It’s not a luxury — it’s a smart decision for those who value order, security, and control over what truly matters.

Classification of Safes by Installation Type

Every safe has its own structural features, and the method of installation determines both convenience and the level of security. Some models are built in discreetly, while others can simply be placed in a cabinet or under a desk. Let’s look at the main types of safes to help you choose the best option for your home or office.

Built-in Safes — Hidden Storage in Walls or Floors

Built-in safes are the perfect solution for those who want maximum concealment and protection. They are installed directly into a wall or floor and often hidden behind a decorative panel or furniture. This way, the safe blends seamlessly with the interior and remains almost invisible to outsiders.

These models usually feature bolt mounting and thick steel walls, which increase resistance to tampering or forced entry. They are commonly used to store cash, documents, or jewelry. Keep in mind that installation requires a niche in concrete or brick, so it’s best to plan it during renovation.

Furniture Safes — Convenient Solution for Home and Office

Furniture safes are installed inside cabinets, nightstands, or other furniture. They are compact, lightweight, and don’t require complex installation. This option is great for storing documents, seals, cash, or personal items. Despite their small size, furniture safes often feature electronic or mechanical locks, thick doors, and reinforced frames that provide a basic level of protection.

For offices, furniture safes are an excellent choice — they offer convenient access, a neat appearance, and can be easily integrated into any workspace.

Freestanding Safes — Maximum Capacity and Durability

These are heavy-duty safes with reinforced walls, anti-vandal doors, and a higher burglary-resistance class. Their weight often exceeds 100 kg (220 lb), making them nearly impossible to move without special equipment. Freestanding safes are most commonly used in banks, offices, accounting departments, or private homes where large volumes of documents and valuables need to be securely stored.

Many models include a fire-resistant layer that protects contents even during a fire. This makes them an excellent choice for those seeking the highest level of reliability.

Portable Safes — Compact and Mobile Protection

For those who need to keep valuables secure not only at home but also on the go, portable or mini safes are the ideal choice. They are lightweight, often feature a handle or suitcase-style design, and come with either key or electronic locks.

Such models are perfect for travel, business trips, or temporary storage of money and documents. Despite their small size, portable safes offer a basic level of protection and help prevent unauthorized access.

Types of Safes by Purpose

Every safe is designed with a specific purpose in mind — some are optimized for storing cash, others for documents, weapons, or even for use in banking operations. To make the right choice, it’s important to understand the main types of safes by their functional purpose.

Safes for Money and Valuables

This is the most popular category, chosen for both home and office use. These safes feature reinforced doors, a steel body, and a multi-point locking system that provides strong protection against burglary and theft. Some models come with electronic locks and emergency opening functions, allowing quick access in case the code is lost.

When choosing a safe for money, pay attention to the burglary-resistance class, metal thickness, and the presence of anchor bolts to secure it firmly to the floor or wall. Such models offer the best balance between price and security.

Safes for Documents and Contracts

For offices, accounting departments, and business owners, document safes are especially relevant. Their main advantage is high capacity and specially designed shelves that fit A4 folders comfortably. They help keep contracts, seals, reports, and archives organized and protected from unauthorized access.

When combined with a fire-resistant layer, these safes also protect documents from fire and extreme heat. If you need to store important papers or valuable archives, this is the most practical solution.

Fireproof Safes — Protection from Fire

Fireproof safes are specifically designed to protect their contents from extreme heat and open flames. Their construction includes a heat-resistant layer that maintains a safe internal temperature even during a fire. Many models are certified for fire protection, confirming their reliability.

They’re ideal for storing cash, jewelry, documents, and digital media (such as USB drives or disks). If fire and temperature protection are your top priorities, this is the safest choice.

Gun Safes — For Firearms and Ammunition

Gun safes are mandatory for the legal storage of firearms. They feature reinforced construction, compartments for ammunition, and highly secure locking systems. Most models are certified in compliance with Ukrainian legislation on safe firearm storage.

Some safes include soft inserts for gun barrels and extra shelves for accessories. They’re practical, secure, and fully compliant with Ministry of Internal Affairs requirements for gun owners.

Bank and Deposit Safes

These are professional-grade safes used in financial institutions, retail stores, and hotels. They provide maximum burglary resistance and often feature a dual locking system — both mechanical and electronic. Deposit safes are additionally equipped with a slot or drop box, allowing users to deposit cash without opening the main door.

Such models are ideal for business owners who handle cash daily — they save time and ensure the safety of financial transactions.

Protection Levels and Security Classes

When choosing a safe, it’s important to consider not only its appearance or capacity but, above all, its level of protection. This determines how long the safe can withstand burglary attempts or high temperatures during a fire. Each model has a certified security class, which depends on the metal thickness, lock type, and the design of the door and body.

Home Safes — Basic Level of Protection

Home safes are designed for domestic use. They are compact, lightweight, and easy to install. Typically equipped with a mechanical or electronic lock, they have wall thicknesses up to 3 mm and can be anchored to the wall or floor to prevent removal.

These models provide minimal yet reliable protection against unauthorized access and are suitable for storing cash, jewelry, or important documents in everyday conditions.

Professional and Certified Models

Professional safes have a higher burglary-resistance class (from I to V on the European scale). Their construction includes a multi-layer steel body, thick doors (10–30 mm), anchor bolts, and locking bolts that secure the door when an intrusion is attempted.

These safes are used in banks, offices, shops, and accounting departments where large amounts of money, documents, or valuables must be kept securely. They can also feature combined locking systems (key + electronic) for added reliability.

Fireproof and Heat-Resistant Classes

These safes contain a special heat-resistant filler that prevents the interior from heating up, even under extreme temperatures. The fire-resistance class is determined by the duration the safe can maintain a safe internal temperature — typically 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes.

Such models are particularly valuable for protecting documents, digital media, and contracts, as they ensure information remains intact even after a fire. Many fireproof safes are also burglary-resistant, creating dual-protection (fire-and-burglary-resistant) solutions.

Anti-Vandal Safes — Maximum Physical Protection

These are heavy-duty safes built for extreme resistance. The door thickness can exceed 40 mm, and the body is reinforced with structural ribs for added strength. Such safes can withstand forced entry attempts using crowbars, drills, or even cutting tools.

Anti-vandal safes are commonly used in jewelry stores, cash offices, and financial institutions where there’s a risk of aggressive physical attacks. They combine high mass, durability, and complex locking mechanisms, offering the highest possible security class.

Types of Safe Locks

The reliability of a safe largely depends on the type of lock it uses. The locking system determines both ease of use and the level of difficulty for intruders. Modern safes can be equipped with mechanical, electronic, biometric, or combined locks — each with its own advantages.

Mechanical Locks — Timeless Reliability

Mechanical locks are the most traditional and proven option. They require no power supply, are durable, resistant to temperature changes, and operate under any conditions.

A mechanical lock can be:

• Key-based — opened with a unique metal key.
• Combination (dial) — unlocked by manually entering a numeric code using a rotating dial in alternating directions.

These locks are often used in homes, offices, and stores where dependable protection is needed without electronic components.

Electronic Locks — Convenience and Quick Access

Electronic locks feature a digital keypad and open with a PIN code. Their key advantages include:

• the ability to change the code at any time;
• automatic locking after several failed attempts;
• emergency opening mode using a master key or external battery connector.

Electronic locks are ideal for users who value convenience, speed, and a modern look. They are commonly found in furniture and office safes.

Biometric Locks — Modern Fingerprint Security

Biometric safes combine innovation with a high level of security. They unlock via a fingerprint, eliminating the risk of code guessing or key duplication.

They are especially practical for home use because they:

• provide instant access only to authorized users;
• can store multiple fingerprints for family members;
• include backup electronic or mechanical access in case of low battery.

Combined Locks — Maximum Security

Combined locking systems integrate two or more mechanisms, such as mechanical + electronic or electronic + biometric. This double verification adds an extra layer of protection.

Such safes are commonly used in banks, offices, and financial institutions, where not only reliability but also controlled access is essential — ensuring that only authorized individuals can open the vault.

How to Choose a Safe for Home or Office

Choosing a safe isn’t an impulse decision — it’s a thoughtful step toward protecting what matters most. To make the right choice, you should evaluate your needs, installation conditions, and the level of security required.

Key Factors to Consider: Size, Capacity, Wall Thickness

Start by defining what you plan to store. For cash and jewelry, a compact furniture or built-in safe is ideal, while large document collections call for a freestanding or fireproof model.

Main selection criteria:

• Size and internal volume — choose a safe spacious enough to store your belongings without overcrowding.
• Wall and door thickness — ideally 3 mm or more for household models and 6–8 mm for professional ones.
• Anchoring system — look for safes with pre-drilled holes for secure floor or wall installation.
• Body material — powder-coated steel ensures durability and corrosion resistance.

Determining the Right Level of Security

For home use, a safe with a basic security class (S1 or S2) usually provides sufficient protection against casual access. For offices, shops, or private practices, it’s better to choose a certified burglary-resistant model with a Class I–III rating, depending on the value of stored items.

Also pay attention to:

• presence of a fire-resistant layer,
• type of lock (electronic, mechanical, or combined),
• anti-drill or anti-pry protection,
• interior lighting and compartment organization.

Expert Tips from Safeluka

The experts at Safeluka recommend a comprehensive approach to choosing a safe:

1. Assess what you’re protecting — cash, documents, firearms, or digital media.
2. Decide on the installation location before purchase: wall, floor, or furniture.
3. Compare brands such as Griffon, Valberg, Ferocon, Aiko, and Safetronics Euron — each offers different strengths in price, functionality, and design.
4. Consult a specialist if unsure: Safeluka professionals can help you select the ideal model for your needs and budget.

Conclusion

Each type of safe serves a specific purpose: some are designed to protect money and valuables, others — documents, firearms, or digital media. Fireproof models safeguard against fire, anti-vandal safes resist forced entry, while compact versions provide mobility and convenience.

The key is to choose a safe that matches your actual needs and installation conditions. Price alone shouldn’t be the deciding factor — the security class, metal thickness, lock type, and certification are what truly determine how reliable your safe will be.

On the Safeluka website, you’ll find a wide selection of safes for homes, offices, banks, and private businesses — from household to professional-grade models. The catalog features trusted brands such as Griffon, Valberg, Aiko, Ferocon, and Safetronics Euron, offering various lock types and protection levels.

Explore the Safeluka catalog and choose the best solution for your security. Your peace of mind starts with the right safe.