Can you recommend a fire/water resistant lockbox?

November 20, 2015 10:57 AM

I'm shopping for a small, fire/water resistant case in which to keep important papers and documents. I see key locked and combination locked versions, various sizes and verifications of the duration of protection. I'd like some opinions on what might be my best option. Thanks in advance for the info.
posted by partner to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

I have this one.

I chose it because I needed to store legal size papers, and because it is rated for a full hour and at the time (2.5 years ago) most I found were only rated for half an hour.

Don't rely on them for security, unless you are going to bolt it to the floor. Even then, the locks are not generally meant for anti-theft.

I opted for a keyed version because I didn't want to be hunched on the floor trying to put in a combination in a poorly lit closet. Obviously that'll vary depending on choice of storage location, but it is something to consider.
posted by HermitDog at 11:28 AM on November 20, 2015

I have a couple of these. Can't swear to their being fireproof, we've never had a fire, but they seem to be inexpensive protection if you don't want to do off-site storage.

I'd suggest using a wire to attache the key to the handle. Yea, it kills the security aspect, but these things just pop open if you throw them into a hard surface, and this way you won't have to search all over for the key
posted by Marky at 12:15 PM on November 20, 2015

Nothing you will buy will be anywhere near as good as a safe deposit box inside a bank, particularly from flood damage. Bank boxes aren't especially great at this either, but they're still much better than anything that a normal person can realistically afford, particularly if you insist on something "small."

You should in any event use water-resistant bags inside of whatever container you select (that goes for stuff at the bank, as well.)
posted by SMPA at 1:27 PM on November 20, 2015

Came in to say (part of) what HermitDog said. If your house/apartment gets broken into, a fire resistant case will be a flashing sign saying, "take me." Ask me how I know that. I like SMPA's solution, a large safety deposit box at a bank. Costs about $30/year in my area.
posted by kovacs at 6:53 PM on November 21, 2015