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Does Your Home Or Business Need A Key Safe?

Thanks to the ease with which we can hear about crime stories today, people in general remain more vigilant than ever. As such, many of us are taking more precautions than ever when it comes to securing our homes and businesses. This is especially true when it comes to the topic of spare keys.

Ask yourself this: where do you store your spare keys at the moment? Would you call it secure?

If you are still using the age-old places of underneath the welcome mat or under a plant pot, you are taking a major risk. Criminals are wise to the kind of places that people traditionally use. What you need, then, is something more effective – like a key safe. Why do you need a key safe?

Let us explain. This guide has been written with the expert guidance of locksmith Sheffield who can give you their professional insight into the importance of having a key safe installed by a locksmith.

Key Safes: At A Glance

A key safe is, as the name implies, a place where you can store your spare keys. Look, we all have a chance to lose our keys; research shows that close to one in three of us will lose our keys at least once in our lives. While embarrassing at the time, locksmiths deal with lost/broken key situations on a daily basis. So, you are far from alone in needing professional help if your keys go missing!

However, it is common sense that you would have a spare set of keys cut by a locksmith. Where do you store those keys? As we mentioned above, the ‘obvious’ places are no good. A key safe, then, gives you a place where you can store these keys without having to worry about them being found. 

If a criminal finds a key safe, they have no means of entering the safe. If you buy a police-approved key safe, which a locksmith can recommend for you, the only means of entry without credentials is to open the lock with a high-power saw. Most criminals aren’t walking around with one of those!

What Features Should A Key Safe Have?

Any key safe worth your time, such as ones recommended by a local locksmith, should provide:

  • High-quality, weatherproof physical protection and storage for your spare keys

  • Access only with the correct credentials, i.e. biometrics and PIN codes

  • The ability to change access credentials or create one-time passcodes 

  • Space for at least one set of spare keys, but ideally more if required

  • Easy installation into a place you can always reach, i.e. your porch

What Types Of Key Safes Are There?

The challenge with buying a key safe is that, like most other security fittings, various options exist. If you read the description, too, they all sound perfect for your needs. So, what types of key safes are most commonly recommended by locksmiths and security professionals?

  • Lockbox. The first choice for most people looking at a key safe will be to buy a lockbox. These are opened with a push button and tend to be made from durable plastic-metal combinations. In terms of security, they offer the least protection but can be bought for as little as £15. A good start choice, but most locksmiths are going for something stronger.

  • Smart Key Safes. Now we are getting to the good stuff; smart safes are designed with a digital access panel. These require someone to input a PIN code or use a biometric scan to get access to the keys stored within. That heightens security greatly. They also tend to be made from much more durable materials, reducing the risk of physical damage.

  • Police-Approved Key Safes. The best option, in our opinion, is to buy a police-approved key safe (see below). These are akin to the traditional lockbox but come with extra features to help protect the keys and keep them from falling into the wrong hands. They are designed using high-durability materials to avoid physical damage when opening them, too. 

However, there is more to a key safe than the type. There is also a need for a key safe to be fully accredited. 

How Do I Know If A Key Safe Is Good Enough?

Great question – and one of the easiest to get wrong when buying a key safe. Look, go online and search for ‘key safes’ and you will find all manner of models available for sale. Some will be costly while others will be extremely cheap. As you might imagine, you get what you pay for with key safes!

Some key safes are nothing more than a physical storage place that can be easily opened and broken into. Secure key safes come with some specific designations that make it easier to tell if the model you are considering is worth the money. 

Who Creates The Safest Key Safes?

There are many brands that a locksmith can recommend to you when looking at models you could consider buying. However, three major independent bodies verify the quality of the key safe. These include:

  • Sold Secure (SS)

  • Secured By Design (SBD)

  • Loss Prevention Standards (LPS)

Generally, you should be looking for models which are SBD-approved. This is the certification that is most commonly relied upon by the police. If you see a model that is ‘Police Approved’ or ‘Police Preferred’, then please double-check the listing to see if it has an official SBD listing. If you are unsure about a model, contact a locksmith; they can make sure you get a key safe which is SBD approved.

Any worthwhile key safes will come with an LPS 1175 certification. This lets you know that it has been analysed by professionals in the security trade from the Building Research Establishment. These have gone through rigorous testing to make sure that they are safe, secure and feature-rich.

So long as the key safe is noted as being ‘Police Approved/Preferred’ and holds an LPS1175 Issue 8 designation, you can trust that model. Again, though, make sure you double-check these credentials. As we know, many online sellers and vendors make declarations about their products that do not stand up to scrutiny. If a key safe does not have these credentials, we recommend looking elsewhere.

Do Key Safes Protect My Insurance?

Proper storage of your spare keys is critical, especially if you want to make sure that your home insurance pays out in the event of a break-in. If your spare keys are easily found, you could invalidate your insurance claim. Compared to the cost of a key safe, that is quite the expense!

Having Trouble Finding A Key Safe? Hire A Locksmith

As you can see, then, key safes are more than just a little gadget or a nice-to-have extra. They are the perfect place to store spare keys to get into any residential or commercial building. So long as the key safe that you choose has the above accreditations, it should be suitable for installation. 

Speaking of installation, we believe that a locksmith should ALWAYS be used for fitting a key safe. Not only can they make sure that you get a model that lives up to expectations, but they can also make sure that it is securely fitted into place. DIY installation could miss certain parts of the fitting process that could make ripping the key safe off the wall a possibility. Locksmiths ensure that this is not possible.

If you want to get the maximum security from your key safe, hire a locksmith for the best results. They can ensure the correct installation procedures are followed and that every function operates as it should, offering maximum protection.