Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

Nationwide Safes vs Best Buy

Wednesday, November 6th

2024 Home Safe Store Reviews

Nationwide Safes Review 4 Star Rating

Nationwide Safes

4 Star Rating
  • Most safes cost between $100 and $500
  • Free shipping
  • 30-day refund policy
  • Unfiltered customer reviews
  • "A+” Better Business Bureau rating

Nationwide Safes specializes in selling safes of all kinds. They also have an inventory of tactical gear, emergency products, alarms, and sensors. This company has worked with big names like Apple, Samsung, Department of Homeland Security, and others to provide them with safes, which says a lot about them. Nationwide Safes has a great selection between $100 and $500 with plenty of higher-end options if people need it. We like how easy their website is to navigate and that most safes qualify for free shipping. This company has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and good feedback from customers, so they've earned a strong rating from us.

Best Buy Review 3 Star Rating

Best Buy

3 Star Rating
  • Over 50 safes to choose from
  • Unfiltered customer reviews
  • Same-day delivery options
  • Free standard shipping on orders over $35
  • 15-day return policy
  • Free, prepaid return shipping labels
  • "A+” Better Business Bureau rating

Best Buy is one of the most well-known and widely shopped at electronic stores in the United States. Their selection of safes is fairly small, but they have enough options for someone just wanting an inexpensive, basic safe that could protect paperwork and small valuables. Their safes have unfiltered customer reviews you can refer to when deciding which safe is going to be high-quality and work well for you. The company only allows standard returns to take place within 15 days of purchase, but they do provide free, prepaid return shipping labels. The Better Business Bureau gives Best Buy an "A+” rating, but compared to some other companies, Best Buy isn't the #1 place we'd recommend for a home safe.

Where is the Best Place to Buy a Home Safe?

There are quite a few reasons you might want to consider purchasing a safe for your home. We all have important documents like birth certificates, passports, deeds to our home, tax information, marriage certificates, social security cards, and more. So where do you store them? These are things you want easy access to, but don't want anyone else to get their hands on. Keeping them in a safe is a way to stay organized and ensure your privacy is protected in case of theft.

Aside from the risk of someone entering your home or rummaging through your things and stealing documents you don't want to lose, safes often can protect against natural disasters. Many home safes are fire-resistant and could preserve your valuables if the rest of your home were to burn down or be damaged by smoke. They can also protect against flooding, earthquakes, or other unexpected events that put your belongings at risk.

The Best Home Safe Stores Compare Home Safe Stores Compare Home Safe Store Reviews What are the best Home Safe Stores Best Home Safe Store Reviews

Home Safe Store FAQ

Nowadays most safes are made out of steel. The steel walls are usually a few centimeters thick and are sometimes double-layered to protect whatever is inside. Depending on the purpose of the safe, it could be surrounded by concrete or be made of different gauges of steel to protect the contents if exposed to pressure or extreme heat.
You can find a safe in nearly any size you need. If you're just using it for storing papers, jewelry, or a handgun, you could buy a small safe that fits on a shelf or in a drawer. For large items, you can buy a safe as big as 6.5 ft. tall or more that takes up more space. A big safe could not be carried away by burglars or easily moved by anyone else in the home. The best thing to do is take an inventory of everything you want to protect and purchase a safe big enough to hold all of those things with a little extra room left over.
If you're looking to keep your valuables safe from fire or water, make sure you buy a safe that is labeled specifically for these purposes. Pay close attention to the fire-resistance rating on any given safe you buy because this lets you know how long the safe can withstand the heat from flames. Some will begin to melt within an hour while others can last up to 4 hours being surrounded by fire. For water-resistance, it is best to keep valuables in a waterproof container within the safe and make sure the safe you buy was manufactured to protect against water damage.
Anything in your home that you consider valuable and worth protecting should be stored in a safe. For example, if you have a family heirloom that you want to keep in good condition, it would be smart to keep it in a safe where it is away from people and protected from the elements. For families with guns, safes are a great way to keep children and visitors away from the potential dangers of playing with firearms. Other items like jewelry, important legal documents or cash could also be kept in a safe in case there is an emergency with the home or a home invasion.
If you're worried about forgetting the code to your safe or losing the key, it is best to consult a professional locksmith rather than attempting to bust your safe open. For those concerned about their safe being compromised or taken by a home intruder, the good news is that it takes a lot of effort to crack a safe open. Without knowing the code to a safe, you would have to try to smash through the steel which could take a lot of time. The chances of someone coming at random to your home and being able to collect the valuables you have locked away, is highly unlikely. However, it is best not to advertise that you have a home safe, let alone disclose its location.
The cost of your safe depends entirely on what the safe is for, what it is made out of, the size, and the security measures required to get into it. For a small, light-weight safe that could be moved around and comes with a simple keypad lock, you could spend as little as $50. However, if you want a fireproof, waterproof, multi-security feature, steel safe that's 6 ft. tall, you'll easily spend over $1,000. The cost to protect your valuables is worth it in the long-run when you buy a heavy-duty safe for your home.
Most home safes come with either a digital number keypad, dial/combination, or lock and key feature for opening and closing it. Unless you have the key or know the code to the safe, essentially it cannot be opened. Some safes are disguised into walls, behind cabinets or paintings, and others are bolted to the ground. They are meant to be somewhat hidden and impossible to open unless you are the owner of the safe.
Safes are not so much bulletproof as they are bullet-resistant. If they are made of thick steel, they should be able to take a few rounds of bullets without causing any harm to the contents inside. Shooting at the combination or lock of a safe will not blast the door open like you see in movies. Shooting a gun at a home safe will cause damage, but it would take knowing the combination to successfully open the safe entirely.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Most safes have a simple keypad for you to input your code whenever you need it opened. They usually come with a backup key in the event that you forget your code or just prefer not to use it. High-end safes may use fingerprint technology that allows access to what's inside. Pay attention to all the safety features listed with a particular safe so you know how to access its contents and what it can handle with respect to heat, water, and impact resistance.

You can get a small, simple safe to protect documents, valuable items, and cash for well under $300 through many retailers. However, if you have a lot of large items to store like firearms, you could easily spend up to a couple thousand dollars. Either way, you'll have the peace of mind that when you leave the house or go on an extended vacation, your most important personal property is well-protected. It's worth spending the money to get something high-quality that will withstand whatever potential threats you are concerned about.

We've done a lot of research about some of the best online retailers that sell safes and recommend keeping the following things in mind when you're shopping:

  • Selection. Are there a variety of different home safes to choose from? Does the company clearly outline the features like interior lighting, heat resistance, size, and other unique design features? Find a company that has a good range of sizes so you make sure you find something that is spacious enough to comfortably fit everything you need inside.
  • Price. Are there plenty of options for you to choose from in a range of different prices? Does the company ever run major sales that could help you save a bit on your safe? Do they offer free shipping?
  • Return policy. If your safe arrives and you find that it isn't going to be big enough for your needs or you decide you need one with different features, can you return it for a full refund? How long do you have to return or replace items through the store? Make sure you're aware of the return policy before making a purchase.

The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the most important things you'd need to know about choosing a home safe. We hope this information helps you find something that gives you assurance about protecting your most valuable documents and belongings.

The Best Reviews of Home Safe Stores