The world as we know it today is no longer a safe place. That is probably why you are here looking for a bedside gun safe to protect you and your family in times of home defense. However, we understand that it may be confusing to search for the best gun safes when there is an array of selection on the market to pick from. Hence, we have carefully put together a suggestion of the 7 best bedside safes in our opinion and we hope you find what you are looking for here!
What to Look For in a Bedside Gun Safe
It is essential to focus on a few aspects that have great importance in a bedside safe before you pick one to invest in. The main things to look out for are definitely accessibility, reliability and protection. This will guide you to make the best bedside gun safe decision.
Accessibility
One main purpose for a bedside gun safe is to keep it out of reach from people, especially children. Hence, accessibility is a main factor that we look out for. You want to make sure that your bedside gun safe is hard for others to access, yet also a quick access safe for yourself to do so in an emergency defensive situation.
Reliability
You could need to access your gun at any point of time, so you want to ensure that the bedside gun safe does not fail you in your time of need. Hence, we would not recommend settling for one that is less costly but less reliable in terms of performance and operation. But rather, keep an eye out for high quality ones because they will be worth it.
Protection
When putting your bedside gun safe to good use, you may also store other valuables in it besides your favorite handgun such as precious jewelry or important media. Therefore, you want to ensure that the gun safe has an interior lining which ensures the protection of your valuables even if the safe is handled roughly. If somebody tries to forcefully open your safe or shake it up, you want the contents to stay intact and protected. Do also consider if you want an unit that withstand high heat or water damage.
7 Best Bedside Gun Safes – Revealed
We have put together a list of the top selections in hopes to help you in securing the best safes.
1. GunVault SpeedVault Digital Handgun Safe SV500
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If you are looking for a simple but secure and easy access gun safe, we would recommend this GunVault sv500 for you. Especially with its fast dropdown feature, this quickly exposes your gun which provides convenience. One of the things we like about this gun safe is also the interior light comes up for a few seconds when opened, which allows you to see it easily in the dark.
The touch button and key access also provides ease of usage. Even though the programmable keypad only provides four buttons to choose from when you select your access code, you have many combinations to choose from since you can press multiple digits at the same time which registers as single key presses. In other words, you are not limited to only four keys for your code.
This gun safe is also praised for its conecalability. It hides well when attached to a nightstand or dresser beside your bed, providing great bedside access. Its concealability also makes it easy to protect children from firearms. Many customers say that it is the best bedside holster on the market because it securely holds their pistol while hiding well.
In addition, its 18 gauge steel construction makes the GunVault sv500 sturdy and solid. It also has a protective foam lining for protecting your gun. Multiple mounting options are available, which makes it friendly for both right and left handers. The mounts are not difficult either by following the instructions given.
However, a con some customers find is that the screws that help secure the safe to the mounting plate are small. Because the mounting screws may be too short, this can make it difficult for someone with larger hands to mount them. One easy fix that was found is to drill two additional holes through the back of the safe and bracket and add 2.5 inch drywall screws into the mounting plate such as a wall.
Another potential con is that there may be possible frequent battery changes as reported by some customers. Manufacturers recommend buying good quality batteries that are long lasting which can minimize the effect of this con.
Overview
The bottom line is that if you are looking for a straightforward bedside gun safe that is easily accessible yet out of reach for younger or unauthorized individuals, this is a good dependable choice for your bedside. We appreciate its dropdown feature which makes it unique among the safes in this list. It will also meet its purpose well with its sturdy construction and concealability.
2. AWESAFE Gun Safe With Fingerprint Identification and Biometric Lock One Handgun
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The Awesafe gun safe is one of the best biometric models on the market and is loved by many users. It is very easy to set it to register your fingerprint. This safety feature ensures that unauthorized people definitely cannot access your gun, be it kids in the house or thieves. It actually allows saving up to 30 different fingerprints so you can use multiple fingers from both hands to open the safe, or even program in your spouse’s prints.
An alternative is that you may set up a 4 digit code if you wish by using the digital keypad. The set up only takes 5 minutes or less to program your fingerprints in as well as set up a keypad code. The safe also opens really quickly after placing your finger on the fingerprint reader, within about a second. This is extremely important for times of defense to retrieve your home defense handgun.
Besides, while it is box-shaped and can be placed anywhere near to the bed, it is also mountable. This gun safe comes with two heavy duty lag bolts so that you can mount it. Mounting it is always the best option because this ensures that a thief will not carry it away quickly who may plan to sack things up quickly and try to open it elsewhere.
However, at the same time, due to its portable design, the safe is compact and lightweight enough which allows you to take it on the go with you if needed. The compact size allows it to be concealed in small spaces such as between mattresses or under car seats.
The gun safe also provides storage space sufficient for two standard handguns or even a larger pistol with extra ammo. This is good for anyone who wants to store more than just one handgun. When you open the box, you will also be greeted by a nice blue LED light which illuminates for about thirty seconds which gives you sufficient time and visibility to locate your valuables.
The Awesafe gun safe is heavy duty as it is constructed with solid steel. It is well known for its pry resistant door which adds value to its strength and security. With its high-strength locking mechanism, it is virtually impossible to pry open this gun safe by using hand tools.
Overview
Overall, we highly recommend this bedside gun safe. Its features are carefully engineered to keep unauthorized people from accessing the content inside, from the biometric technology to its pry resistant door. While it is not the cheapest option, take it as an investment that is greatly rewarding.
3. Hornady Rapid Safe Night Guard
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The Hornady Rapid Safe Night Guard is a great bedside companion with its discreet display like a clock. In fact, it actually does function as a clock which is a plus point. This will definitely keep kids away from the firearm. At the back of the handgun safe is also a USB-A and a USB-C port which allows you to conveniently charge your cellphone or other electronic devices. This further enhances its discreet display of a normal bedside electronic clock.
Furthermore, the best part about this product compared to other gun safes is that it relies on fast and dependable RFID technology. This allows it to open as rapidly as biometric gun safes without the cost. Some customers even find that it gives a more reliable sense over biometrics. Besides, the fact that Hornady supplies a variety of different RFID devices provides assurance in the ability of this tech.
According to your preference, you may choose to unlock your bedside gun safe via RFID, combination or by key. The Hornady Rapid Safe comes with a card, bracelet and override key with chip to provide you with multiple access options.
This safe also has a spring assisted drawer which slides open quietly to reveal a padded interior for safe gun storage. This protects the gun from damage in case of any outside pressure. Its tamper-proof construction is also designed for toughness with a heavy duty exterior housing and hardened interior locking lugs.
Overview
Overall, we recommend the Hornady Rapid Safe as among the best nightstand gun safe for its creative discreet display as well as reliable RFID. For gun owners interested in the child-friendly concealability or the dependable tech that it offers, this is a great choice for you.
4. Fort Knox PB4 Personal Pistol Safe
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The Fort Knox pistol safe is well known for its quality Simplex locks. This is a manual lock which does not require any electronics. The lock mechanics allows you to set your combination easily even without looking at the unit which provides quick access to your handgun during emergency situations. With more than a thousand possible combinations for your passcode, this makes it virtually impossible for a burglar to guess it.
An added benefit that comes with the Simplex lock is that it does not require any batteries! This is really convenient as it saves you the trouble of finding battery replacement and gives you peace of mind that it will not fail you due to lack of battery power. When keying in your passcode, there are no beeping noises either, which ensures it will stay quiet and not alert any burglars to your location if any.
This is also a heavy duty safe, made of 10-gauge steel. We are impressed with the strong metal and its overall build which provides security for its contents. The carpet lining on the inside is also one of the great features because that means it will keep your weapons from getting scratched.
Besides, if you are looking for a nightstand safe with a good amount of storage space, we think that you would really like this one. It offers plenty of space – enough to even fit an iPad. We found sufficient storage space for our 9mm, 10mm and tactical flashlight with lots of room to spare. There are also 4 pre-drilled holes on the bottom for easy mounting.
The only thing we find can be improved is the closing finishes. This is because some buyers find that the carpet lining around the hinge may get in the way of closing. This is easily dealt with by trimming the edges for smooth closing.
While you are paying a premium price for this bedside pistol safe, it is totally worth it for the great product features and also because your purchase comes with a lifetime warranty which ensures that you will not be without a bedside gun safe.
Overview
Overall one of the best bedside gun safes for a gun owner who is looking for a non-battery operated lock which provides quick access or if you are looking for a generous amount of space for storing your guns and valued items. To top it off, the warranty given is not in terms of years but rather lifetime.
5. Vaultek Safe VT20i Biometric Bluetooth Pistol Vault
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The Vaultek Safe VT20i Biometric Handgun Bluetooth Pistol Vault is another crowd favourite, and with really good reason. It is well known for its anti-theft protection which is the ultimate prevention against break-ins. The security features include anti-pry bars, interior mounted hinges, anti-impact latches and interior security brackets.
This tough and rugged model is made of heavy duty 16-gauge carbon steel construction, enabling it to withstand external pressures. It also has a durable powder coat finish for corrosion prevention, ensuring the safe keeping of your belongings for years.
Furthermore, its automatic opening lid provides quick access to your firearms, documents and other valuable items. Also, when you need it, you will be able to access them fast with the help of a rapid fire backlit keypad and quick biometric fingerprint scanner. However, unfortunately there are some reports of the fingerprint scanner not working as well as expected. In this case you may want to test it to ensure its smooth operation because not everyone faces this, and request for a replacement if necessary.
One thing you do not need to worry about is the battery life because the Vaultek safe features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This lasts up to 4 months and when charged, it only needs 2.5 hours. The safe even includes a micro-USB charging kit which is very convenient.
The winning feature for us in this bedside gun safe is its smart safe technology. This offers highly interactive experiences you get to enjoy by linking it to your smartphone through the Vaultek Bluetooth Smartphone App. By using this app, you have the power to view and manage safe data including the battery status, toggle sound, adjust interior LED lighting, manage fingerprints and even tamper detection.
Overview
This safe is one of a kind. While it comes with a high price point, it will certainly deliver a high quality experience for its users be it through the sturdiness of its 16-gauge construction or its smart tech. With the smart app, you can monitor and manage the safe yourself for the best gun safety to protect both yourself and your loved ones. This not only gives you the luxury of customization which is the unique point of this model, but also gives you peace of mind to be in control of your bedside gun safe.
6. Stack-On Drawer Safe w/Electronic Lock PDS-1500
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The Stack-On Drawer Safe is well known to have the perfect size to fit in a drawer. Designed to store pistols or smaller firearms, this model will likely fit well into the drawer of your bedside table. However, you also have the option of mounting as it comes with mounting hardware and pre-drilled holes which is handy for those who do not want to store it in a drawer.
It also comes with a time-out security feature whereby 3 incorrect code combination attempts will result in a 20 second time-out, which is followed by a 5 minute time-out if incorrect codes are further entered 3 more times. It also beeps loud, so you will know if somebody is messing with it. This keeps any intruder away from the valuables in the safe.
The safe frame and door are also constructed with high quality steel. This provides greater durability and protection for the contents inside. The safe is also anti-pry, produced with concealed hinges which prevents any prying by people.
The only thing lacking would be that the digital keypad does not illuminate. This could be improved so that its visibility at night will be better. However, at its lower price range compared to other bedside gun safes, we understand that there is give and take.
Overview
The Stack-On safe is generally a straightforward bedside safe to use. It offers the best price in terms of affordability while providing all the essential aspects we look for in a good bedside safe. Therefore, if you are looking for a safe that can serve you well at a lower budget, this one would be a great purchase!
7. SentrySafe QAP1BE Quick Access Biometric Pistol Safe
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Using a biometric locking system provides advanced security because only registered fingers can unlock the safe. The biometric scanner of the SentrySafe model is impressive, providing quick access even when tried with many different scenarios. For example, changing up the angle and condition of the finger such as wet or cold fingers. Registering fingerprints quickly, the lock opens pretty much instantly.
This bedside pistol safe also has three locking mechanisms in total. These are the biometric lock, keypad lock as well as a key based lock. This provides added security for the safe keeping of your firearms. If for some reason one of the locks is not working well, you have the backup of two others.
A compression gas strut is also featured to quietly open the safe door when the lock is opened for single-handed access to your gun. This is handy if you find yourself in an emergency defense situation, so you can retrieve your weapons while not revealing your position to the enemy, providing an added advantage.
We like the sturdiness of the SentrySafe pistol safe. It is made of 12-gauge steel. This means that it has a sturdy construction, providing durability for your gun storage. With the use of strong metal, the box is heavy as well which makes it more difficult for burglars to grab and carry it away in a hurry.
However, something troublesome that Sentry could improve on is for the safe to be always on stand-by. This is because you will need to wake up the safe before you start entering the code or scanning biometrics. Furthermore, a handful of customer reviews have reported issues with batteries being drained quicker than expected, thus requiring replacement. 4 AA batteries are needed to power this safe so they are not hard to obtain and there are a range of qualities for it. Hence, the manufacturer SentrySafe recommends buyers to invest in the high quality batteries for best use.
Overview
Majority of customers are happy with their purchase of this SentrySafe bedside pistol safe. Overall, it is a recommendable model around the average price for a good bedside gun safe yet not too simple with its functions like the gas strut and three locking mechanism.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Where do people typically install the bedside hand gun safes?
There are several places where you can install bedside safes but the key point is to find a location that provides quick access to your handgun safe. A common setup place is in your nightstand drawer. Having a top-opening safe mounted allows it to be reached in an instance and also makes it invisible to a casual invader.
Some people choose to place their handgun safes on their nightstand itself by mounting it securely there, and there are some safes designed to be known as the nightstand gun safes. For example, if the safe takes on a discreet display of a piece of furniture which can be hidden from intruders. Or if their purpose is mainly to make sure the children stay away rather than outsiders.
Another common hiding compartment is your closet. This keeps your gun safe hidden from invaders whereby you can securely mount it by attaching it to the wall studs.
Hello there, it’s Michael here. A gun lover since young, served the country for the last 20 years. I started the blog to share my experience and gun-related knowledge accumulated throughout the years. Hopefully, you will find something useful over here or just have fun! You can learn more about me here.