Safes: New and Used

Buying a safe online is a gamble on size, weight and build quality you can’t see. We keep new and used safes on display at our Kitchener store, from fire-rated to burglary-rated, so you can open the door, check the interior and feel how solid it is before deciding. Here is how to think about which one you need.

Start with what you’re protecting

• Documents: passports, deeds, wills and papers you’d struggle to replace. Fire is the main risk.
• Digital media: hard drives, USB sticks and photos, which fail at lower temperatures than paper.
• Cash, jewellery and valuables: theft is the main risk, so burglary resistance matters most.
• Business takings: daily deposits, often with a drop slot so staff can deposit without opening the safe.
• Firearms: a dedicated gun safe sized for long guns, used alongside the federal storage rules that apply to you.

Fire ratings explained

A fire rating says how long the inside stays cool enough to protect the contents during a test fire. For paper, the common benchmark is UL Class 350: the interior stays below 350°F (about 177°C), under the point where paper chars, for a stated time such as 30 minutes, one hour or two hours. Digital media need a stricter rating, such as Class 125, because they are damaged at much lower temperatures. A fire-resistant safe is not automatically hard to break into; many are built mainly to insulate.

Burglary ratings explained

Burglary ratings describe resistance to attack. At the entry level, a Residential Security Container rating means the safe resisted a short attack with common hand tools. Higher ratings, such as TL-15 and TL-30, mean the door resisted an expert attack with tools for 15 or 30 minutes. Steel thickness, the locking bolts, the hinges and the lock all play a part. If theft is your main worry, look at the burglary rating first and the fire rating second.

Some safes carry both. For a home with documents and valuables, a safe with a solid fire rating and reasonable burglary resistance is often the practical middle ground.

New or used

A good used safe can be strong value: the steel doesn’t wear out, and older commercial safes are often heavier than new units at the same price. New safes come with current ratings and the latest locks. We sell both, and we’ll tell you honestly what a particular used safe is and isn’t rated for. Centinel safes are among the brands in our gallery.

Dial or electronic lock

Mechanical dial locks never need batteries and last for decades. Electronic keypads open faster and let you change the code easily, but need a battery change now and then. Either is a sound choice; it comes down to how often you open the safe and who needs to.

Size, weight and placement

Buy a little bigger than you think. Most people fill a safe faster than expected. Then check the practical side: measure doorways and stairs, and think about where it will sit, since a larger safe is very heavy. Bolting a safe to the floor makes it far harder to carry away, which matters most for smaller units.

Where to put it

The main bedroom closet is the first place a burglar looks, so choose a less obvious spot if you can. A basement on a concrete floor makes anchoring easy, but keep the safe off the floor in a room that has ever taken on water: many fire safes are not waterproof, and a flooded basement can ruin papers inside. For a business, place the safe where staff can use it without being seen from the street.

“As a locksmith I’ve seen my share of locksmith shops. These guys have great quality stuff, innovative technology, old tried and true locks. Very knowledgeable staff. Well equipped to serve all your lock and safe needs. Great Stuff Cote Lock!!” (Joshua P.)

The best way to choose is in person. Visit 300 Manitou Drive, Unit D, Monday to Thursday 8 am to 5 pm or Friday 8 am to 4 pm, or call 519-894-7055 to ask what’s in stock. For other ways to protect what matters, see our high-security locks page.