Recommendation wanted for a key safe

I'd like an accessible one myself, all too many these days have no tactile way in or are just rubbish. Brian

Hmm, very interesting. Makes me wonder whether leaving a key under a plant pot is just as secure as putting it in a key lock, only cheaper.

snipped-for-privacy@aolbin.com posted

I agree. We had one on our village hall. One night some thieves simply levered it off to get the key out.

We replaced the masterlock with a C500. It is much more secure, and changing the code is quite easy, but every now and then someone had difficulty opening it. We were never quite sure whether something had gone wrong with the lock or with the (usually elderly female) person using it.

Comments refer to an update since those videos. Hardly inspires confidence though . . .

For a purely emergency backup key. I'd say burying it at a specific spot would be ideal - criminals may look under plant pots, but they're not going to dig all over the garden on the off-chance of finding a key.

For more regular use (carer access or the like) then a key safe or coded door lock is the way to go.

I buried keys among herbs, about 25 cm down in a small plastic container. Foxes dug it up within 2 days and took it who knows where.

This guy can open anything, but look for things that take longer than most:

Theo

The other problem with key safes for the occasional emergency use is they advertise themselves so well by having "key safe" written on the front.

I once had this problem but the safe had a full hinged cover. I painted the whole cover white obliterating logos and any other identifiable makings. This was attached to a white painted wall where it became somewhat of a anonymous white box.

I would say any keysafe is insecure. They are all made from similar materials, and have similar quality code entering systems. So storing a modern high security dimple key in one is always going to lower your security.

The question really is, "does it matter". If you have "normal" modern Upvc doors with standard locks, then they are probably vulnerable to "lock snapping"..

Dave

I have a front door lock that can be opened via our telephone. 2 factor authentication and one time codes if needed.

Mine doesn't - It says "Master".

:)

We don't tend to have any trouble with foxes around here, so we'd have no problem.

get a black one and mark it 'Slave'

I got a Supra 500 a couple of years ago. It seems reasonably robust and, hopefully, a casual housebreaker wouldn't be arsed with the faff of getting it off the wall.

I liked that you can choose a code of up to 10 alpha-numeric characters but one drawback is that you can't use the same character twice (so WHI1212 isn't possible).

It's never been used in anger so I don't know how easy to use others with the code would find it. My thought was that anyone with big fingers may find it fiddly.

Overall, I feel more secure with it than with the 4-digit job my daughter has which looks as though a hefty clout with your shoe heel would demolish it.

Going by comments from the Lockpicking Lawyer, they?re very probably all crap.

Tim

None need be more secure than a breakable window. They're for authorised people to gain ad hoc entry in emergency without causing damage, nothing more.

Or leaving it with a friend or family if they live within a reasonable distance away.

I had Supra C500 for my mother's bungalow when she was terminally ill and needed frequent nursing care at home.

As I had no need of it after my mother passed away, I gave it to a local charity for use on their rooms. They were glad to have it, as their existing keysafe was falling to pieces.