Trying to keep your belongings safe within student housing, fraternities, sororities and dorm rooms can be a bit of a challenge. A lot of the times students have to share space with people they barely know, and with open access to dorm areas, one can never tell who is trustworthy and honest and who is not.
The popularity of college security safes has dramatically surged over the past few years. Statistics for the first quarter of 2017 showed that robbery in college forms has increased, meaning that it is no longer safe to leave term papers, expensive gadgets and hardware and even digital media lying around in your dorm room.
That being said, if you will be going to college soon or are a concerned parent of a kid starting college soon, then it is absolutely essential to invest in a security safe, which is the best option for keeping valuables safe within a dorm room.
Investing in a safe is quite a personal matter and one should take their time to carefully evaluate all the features of a safe before buying, as it will be a space to which your precious valuable will be confined such as cash, tablet, jewelry, passport, laptop etc. The following list reviews some of the top dorm safes available on the market currently and caters to varying requirements such as size, budget, ease of use etc.
Please note, all external links for the products below (geni.us links, etc.) link to the corresponding Amazon.com page for each product.
Dorm Safes Comparison Table
| Ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorm Safe |  Stealth College Dorm Safe V5.0 |  SentrySafe SFW123GDC Fire-Safe |  AmazonBasics Security Safe |  Lock and Roll Portable Under-Bed Safe |  Vaultz Locking Storage Box |
| Award |  |  |  | ||
| Price | |||||
| Capacity | 1.13 Cubic Feet | 1.23 Cubic Feet | 1.2 Cubic Feet | 1.45 Cubic Feet | 0.965 Cubic Feet |
| Lock Type | Keypad | Dual electronic keypad and key | Dual electronic keypad and override key | Universal Key | Combination Lock |
| More Details | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > | Read full review > |
Best Overall Dorm Room Safe
Stealth College Dorm Safe V5.0 Review
Stealth is an American brand which has been successfully selling top of the line safes which are as the company names suggests, based on ‘stealth,’ for over 40 years now. Its mission statement is to provide tactical, efficient and budget friendly storage options for cash, valuables and irreplaceable documents.
Features:
1) Fits laptops up to 18"
2) Only safe with a vertical design, perfectly set up for places where space is limited
3) Includes a free security cable
4) Can charge objects inside safe
The Best College Dorm Safe from Stealth is made from the highest quality of real steel and is equipped with an electronic lock. The design of the safe is specially crafted for dorm rooms. Being the only safe as of now with a vertical design, it sets up perfectly in areas where space is limited. Feel free to stand it up right next to your computer’s CPU or line it inside your closet.
To give an estimate of the space, an 18-inch laptop can fit with ease inside and three shelves with a rubberized surface are also present for keeping smaller objects like a wallet, watches, or cellphone, without risking getting any scratches on the object.
It is commendable just how much thought has gone into designing this safe; located in the corners of the back of the safe are a couple of holes through which power cords can fit through, allowing you to charge your gadgets even when they are safely locked away. This way, you won’t have to choose between keeping your objects safe or charging them overnight.
Perhaps more important than the safe itself is the lock on it. Another brilliant feature is the new NL Electronic Lock which is UL approved. At 99.99% reliability, it is considered now as a standard in the Safe industry.
Four mounting holes are also present at the base of the safe for you to secure the safe down. A security cable is also provided by Stealth free of cost as certain institutions forbid mounting of anything onto dorm walls. The cable simply needs to be wrapped around a grounded object like a desk or bed, followed by attaching both ends via the hook to the inside of the dorm safe.
The only thing that prevents the College Dorm Safe v5.0 from being perfect is the fact that it is unfortunately, neither waterproof nor fireproof.
Pros
+ Being able to charge your devices while inside of the safe is a game changer
+ Nice and secure bolt locks
+ 99% reliable keypad, don’t get locked out!
Cons
- Not water proof or fire proof
Best Value Dorm Room Safe
SentrySafe SFW123GDC Fire-Safe Review
SentrySafe aims to provide the very best for protecting the irreplaceable. The selling point of SentrySafe is that their products are designed to endure disasters like flooding, fire or mastermind theft.
Features:
1) 60% bigger bolts than traditional safes and a pry-resistant hing bar provide additional security against unauthorized access
2) Advance fire-protection
3) ETL verified water resistance
The SentrySafe Safe is constructed from pure steel and comes with double protection in the form of a dual protection key lock as well as a combination lock. These two combined, guarantee next level security for your items. With the dual key lock, you can hide the secondary key or give it to a trusted person for shared access.
The focus on this model is the exterior. SentrySafe has made sure that no matter how hard someone tries to pry this safe open, it will not budge, due to its extreme heaviness which triples once the safe is dead bolted. The deadbolts are approximately 60% larger than those found on standard safes and the door has no Achilles heel.
As if this was not enough, the safe is resistant to fires and flooding. The use of molded plastic for the interior is questionable by some, but as long as our technology and documents will remain dry, there is no reason to complain.
We have already established that the SentrySafe safe is a heavyweight champion of safes. Still, we can’t help wishing that more attention was also given to add-on features such as the ability to charge devices while they are inside the safe.
Pros
+ Very secure 4 bolt locking design
+ Water-safe and fire-safe
+ Dual electronic keypad and key design allows you to keep your valuables safe even if one system is compromised
Cons
- Cannot charge your devices while inside the safe
#3 Best Overall Dorm Room Safe
AmazonBasics Security Safe Review
AmazonBasics is a subsidiary of Amazon. It is more like a brand than Amazon- which is a service. AmazonBasics features hundreds of product categories, ranging from small everyday accessories to large necessities like dorm safes.
Features
1) Electronic lock and 2 emergency override keys
2) Steel construction with carpeted floor to protect against scratches and damage
The AmazonBasics Security Safe is one of the best selling safe models currently on the market. Its popularity is due to it being an all-rounder safe, equipped with all the essential features, constructed from durable and reliable materials and at a price point which is unbeatable and can be purchased conveniently by those with a limited budget.
The AmazonBasics safe is sold exclusively via Amazon, and is targeted more towards protecting and storing guns, with of course other valuables too. Solid steel is used for construction and access is through an electronic keypad which come with backup keys for emergencies or in case of power outage. The interior of the safe is lined with a carpet like material which is scratch resistant and a shelf can be added or removed for making compartments.
This safe comes with concealed hinges and a couple of live bolts on the door which make it practically impossible for anyone to pry this safe open. Four additional bolts also come with this safe which are bolted down to the floor or wall.
If you plan on using this safe specifically for storing firearms, then you will probably want to mount this safe. There are four holes at the back of the security safe as well as on the bottom, which makes placement easy on different surfaces.
The electronic keypad is user friendly and easy to program but it is not so easy to override its system. In case you lose your passcode, a key can be used to over-ride it however. The password can also be reprogrammed at will whenever needed; the first time you will need to use the override key but only the first time. The override key is also nifty for accessing your valuables inside the safe in case the batteries ever die out.
This AmazonBasics Security Safe is ideal for keeping ammunition and handguns safe inside. The carpeted interior protects the firearms from getting scratches.
It is kind of a given that this safe is not water resistant or fire resistant as there are so many holes in it, but it is a con to this safe and we will have to knock of a couple of points off its overall rating. Mounting the safe does prove to be helpful as people can’t simply pick up the lock safe and take off with it.
Pros
+ Great Value
+ Override Key Allows You To Open Your Safe Even If The Batteries Die
Cons
- Not fireproof or waterproof
#4 Best Overall Dorm Room Safe
ECR4Kids Lock and Roll Portable Under-Bed Personal Safe Review
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ECR4Kids is committed to producing and manufacturing equipment and furniture of the highest quality for children and young adults. Their focus on providing the best and constantly adding more value to their products is topped off with excellent service and safety to their products.
Features:
1) Low profile is perfect for under-bed storage
2) Includes steel cable to secure safely
Not everyone wants a bulky safe made of steel, or simply don’t want to store ammunition or items that are too precious. If this is your line of thinking then the Lock and Roll Personal Safe by ECR4Kids is a suitable alternative for both home or dorm use. Its discreet shape allows it to be stored simply under the bed which is made even simpler by the rolling wheels on all four sides of this safe. A security cable made of steel also comes with this safe.
A simple lock and key mechanism is used for protecting your documents or some electronics inside. This safe is absolutely in no way designed for storing firearms or large valuables. The security cable provided gives a boost to the security of your safe and the belongings inside by securing the safe to the legs of a nearby desk or to a bed post, preventing anyone from simply picking up the safe and running away with it.
Even though this is a fantastic basic safe, there are a number of hypothetical drawbacks to it. Due to its plastic composition, the safe is not extremely durable, nor is it waterproof or fireproof. Even if no one wants to go through the hassle of breaking into a safe, the lock can open with a universal key, making the security quite vulnerable. Also, even though the rolling feature is great, try to keep the safe in a not so obvious area as a determined thief can still make away with it.
Pros
+ Easy to hide under a bed
+ Great for first line defense against opportunity theft
Cons
- Plastic coated container is not very secure
- Made to be opened with a universal key, anyone with the same safe can open yours too
Budget Pick Dorm Room Safe
Vaultz Locking Storage Box Review
Vaultz revolutionizes the way you store your valuables by manufacturing a wide range of storage items that are aesthetically pleasing and make storage, protecting and transporting important things easier for the user. The design of all its products are sturdy and secured with chrome-steel edges and support rails made from alloys.
Features:
1) Mesh netting for organization
2) Security cable included
The Vaultz Locking Storage Box is a nifty way of keeping your valuables safe in your dorm room. The construction of this box is durable and sturdy and the lock system on this is dual combination; protecting the items inside safe from scratches and bumps, and of course, robbery. Additional things that come with the safe are a security cable and a mesh netting for division and organization.
The dual combination lock double up the security of your belongings inside the box. If you feel that someone can just pick up the safe and run away with it, then the security cable will ensure that the safe stays in one place and will not be mobile.
One thing we really liked is the mesh netting provided for organizing items inside the box. It is easy to just throw everything inside in a haphazard manner but college students will be glad to have a sorted way of storing their belongings inside this safe. Still, due to the limited capacity, there is only so much you can store in this storage safe.
The potential downside to this safe box is that a determined robber will be able to pry the box open with everyday tools. But that is still a somewhat extreme scenario, so the Vaultz Locking Storage Box is definitely worth checking out.
Pros
+ Great for a diversion of opportunity theft
+ Low price
Cons
- Can be broken open with common tools
- Low capacity
Our Suggestions
This concludes our list of the best Security Safes for dorm rooms. We are confident that our review will have made it clearer that which safe you should invest in, but in case you are still unsure, we suggest you evaluate what you will be storing inside the safe and which features matter most to you. If you want to store basic documents or gadgets, then the simple storage units will do just fine. However, for items that really need security, you should consider a heavier and more secure safe.
Best Dorm Safes: Reviewed
| Dorm Safes | Award | |
| 1 | Stealth College Dorm Safe V5.0 | Best Overall |
| 2 | AmazonBasics Security Safe | Best Value |
| 3 | Vaultz Locking Storage Box | Budget Pick |
