How to Choose a Safe for Your Home Office

How to Choose a Safe for Your Home Office: A Complete Guide

Updated June 2025 • Written by the DiscountHomeOffice.com Editorial Team

Working from home has many benefits, but it also brings new responsibilities—like protecting sensitive business documents, electronics, and personal valuables. Whether you're a freelancer, remote employee, or small business owner, investing in a high-quality safe is a smart step toward security and peace of mind.

In this guide, we'll walk you through how to choose a safe for your home office based on what matters most: fire protection, security features, size, and convenience.

Why You Need a Safe in Your Home Office

A safe serves as both a deterrent to theft and a shield against fire or water damage. Common items people store in a home office safe include:

• Legal documents (wills, contracts, tax records)
• Passports, IDs, and certificates
• External hard drives and backup media
• Cash, emergency funds, or medications
• Firearms or sensitive equipment

Choosing the right safe protects both your personal and professional life.

6 Things to Consider When Choosing a Safe for Your Home Office

1. Storage Capacity and Size

Think about what you plan to store. Just paper? Cash and USB drives? Or do you need space for electronics or even a handgun?

Start small, but leave room to grow. Look for a model that offers at least 0.5 to 1.2 cubic feet of internal space, with adjustable shelves if possible.

We organized our safes by size to help our customers find what they want at ease, small personal safes, medium safes, large safes and extra large safes for offices.

2. Fireproof and Waterproof Ratings

Look for safes certified by UL or ETL to withstand fire for at least 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes at 1,500°F or higher. Waterproof safes should protect contents during floods or sprinkler discharge.

3. Locking Mechanism

Choose a locking system that balances convenience with security:

• Digital keypad: Quick access, easy PIN setup
• Biometric: Fingerprint access; ideal for single-user access
• Dial combination: Reliable, but slower
• Key lock: Simple backup option

4. Burglary Ratings & Security Features

Check for a UL Residential Security Container (RSC) or thicker steel construction (e.g., B-Rate or C-Rate). Also look for:

• Pry-resistant doors and hinges
• Pre-drilled mounting holes
• Internal tamper alarms and dual authentication options

5. Installation & Placement

Think about where the safe will go: under your desk, inside a cabinet, mounted to a wall, or bolted to the floor. Hidden safes offer added security but may require professional installation.

6. Budget

Safe prices vary depending on the features and size you are looking for, some of those features are:

• Compact safes for paper or cash
• Fireproof/waterproof models with digital locks
• Bio-metric, burglary-rated, or large-capacity units

Extra Features Worth Considering

• Interior LED lighting
• Foam or carpet lining to protect contents
• Back-up override keys for emergencies

What to Avoid

Avoid models without fire or water protection, uncertified brands, or safes that are too light to mount or conceal properly. If a safe can be easily carried out of your home, it’s not doing its job unless it can be bolted to the ground.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Safe

When it comes to securing your home office, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution and you get one chance at it. The best safe for you depends on what you need to protect, where you plan to keep it, and how quickly you need access.

Need help choosing? Explore our full line of Home Office Safes at DiscountHomeOffice.com. We specialize in affordable, reliable options designed for modern work-from-home security.

Where you need to place the safe is also important that you get the right size safe to fit in without rearranging your furniture and breaking down walls. 

📦 Shop Fireproof and Secure Home Office Safes

Ready to protect your valuables and data? Check out our best-selling safes for home offices. Browse our Safes