AEGIS Fireproof Safe Box, 1.2 Cubic Feet Small Fire Steel Security Home Safe with Digital Program Keypad for Office Dorm Money

I purchased this item in 2021. We secured it in our closet and it is working well. I like that it has a key option as well as using a code to open it. Recently, I had to change the batteries and lost the battery cover to allow me to use my code. I forgot how to uncover the key option and wrote to the company to see if they could help me. They replied immediately send me a video and I was able to unlock my safe. I thanked the company and advised them of my battery cover issue. They are sending me a new battery kit so that I can continue to use the code. I am amazed that after five years they are still providing me with excellent customer service. The charge for a new battery was minimal and I feel very fortunate to know that this company is here to resolve my issue after so five years of purchasing it. The safe is well made and strong. I use it for my travel documents and other personal items, plus I am comfortable knowing that my money is also protected.

After two other tries this safe fitted into the outer space exactly and inside space for a jewelry box with drawers. The measurements provided by the sellers of the previous safes didn’t take into account the opening available with the door open. One had huge door hinges so we couldn’t get the box passed the hinges. Another didn’t specify a drop in the floor of the safe so the bottom drawer couldn’t get open past the safe front perimeter. No problem if you don’t need these specifications. We also noticed that this safe was more compact yet had more interior space though was sturdily built. It claims it is fireproof for up to one hour in flames. Another genius feature was that it didn’t have a clumsy external backup battery system. One safe we tried caught fire testing the external battery. Instead this one has a USB port!! You only need the code to open it. Once you close the door and rotate the lock it’s locked: you don’t need to enter the code unless you want to open it again. Since I have to open the safe at least once daily this is an extremely convenient feature. All in all a very thoughtful engineer designed this model which suited our requirements exactly and may even be over the top for most users. 5 stars!!

My family's safe situation has become less-than-ideal recently. We used to cram everything (documents, passports, unused credit cards, etc.) into one of those small briefcase-style fireproof chests. Years later, keeping that little chest organized has become nearly impossible, so my spouse gave her blessing to purchase a bigger safe that would give us plenty of growing room. I was 100% certain about 3 things - First, it had to offer meaningful fire and water protection. Second, it had to have a passcode lock because we want to set our own code rather than memorize a random combination. And third, after reading plenty of horror stories about other safe brands being rendered inoperable after just months due to electronic failures, it HAD to come with backup keys. The more I searched, I wasn't certain I would ever find something that met all 3. Then I found the AEGIS line. My first thought was "this sounds too good to be true", but I decided to take a chance. The safe arrived in pretty basic packaging, but hey - it's a safe, right? All corners were reinforced with molded plastic corner pieces and the entire door side was protected with styrofoam, so that's a plus. The keys were bagged and taped inside of a cutout in the styrofoam. The keys are small, nondescript brass keys that don't mention anything about being for a safe, which I appreciate. The key slot is hidden by a removable plastic cover that snaps on easily and takes a little force to slide off. The key mechanism is reasonably smooth and I could feel pins setting as I inserted the key, which reassures me that it's not just a blank lock. Once you fully insert the key and turn it, you can feel the lock mechanism release and you're able to turn the handle and release the deadbolts. Every surface on the inside of the safe is finished with a felt fabric, including the door. The shelf rails are metal with metal screws, but are fastened to the inside with what appear to be plastic anchors. I'm not thrilled about that, but the shelves seemed to hold weight just fine. Aside from having to tighten two of the screws, it was very straightforward to set the included shelf pins to the desired spacing. I noticed that the inside door panel is secured to the door with four screws, so I took off the inside panel to inspect the locking mechanism inside the door. I'm very impressed with the engineering of the locking mechanism and the key override. With the exception of the plastic handle, the locking mechanism appears to be all metal. The key override is a very simple mechanism that moves a latch on the inside to allow the handle to turn and the pins to retract. I chose to apply some household oil to the components to prevent the mechanism from seizing up later on - a common complaint I've read in reviews of other brands. I applied oil to each of the components and actuated the lock several times to distribute it. It worked great out of the box but feels even better now. The inside of the door cavity is empty safe for some fireproof material on the exterior side, and I'm not entirely sure how well it is fireproofed compared to the rest of the shell. I'm considering buying some fire sealant caulk or some other fireproofing material and applying it inside the door for extra peace of mind. I don't know if this safe necessarily *needs* that, but that's just my own paranoid thought process. Regardless of the true fire resistance, you would still be wise to buy a fireproof document bag and put that inside of the safe as well for even greater protection. Overall, I am highly impressed with the engineering of the AEGIS safe, and very happy with the price I paid for it. It is by no means a bank vault - but for a no-frills 2.6cu.ft. fireproof safe, it's still a tremendous value.

As advertised.

The safe met all the things I was looking for - heavy duty, a degree of fire resistance, well constructed and simple to install and use. Instructions were very clear. Safe uses a code of varying length of your choosing and has a way to open it in the event of dead batteries using an external battery. That came in handy for me as I will describe later. It also has back up keys in the event of an emergency. I installed the safe in a cabinet, mounting it with the holes on the base and the back. I'm out of town now but will see if I can add a picture later. The thing that impressed me most was Aegis' responsiveness, customer service and assistance with a problem not of their making. After I opened the impressive, solid shipping box and removed the safe, I put it aside while contractors finished some work in the room where I planned to install it. I took the bag with the keys, instructions and back up battery cable out before I did that and put them aside until I was ready to install. I had not installed batteries in the safe at that point. Unfortunately the contractor may have scooped the bag up with the accessories along with his construction waste. I was not able to open it when I was ready to install it. Aegis walked me through what I needed to do with an external battery bank to open it so I could bolt it down and is sending me replacement keys coded to the lock on the safe. Aegis provided a level of after sale service not always seen these day. Very happy!! John