A fingerprint gun safe provides quick and easy access to your pistol while keeping it secured. I've tested the most popular options on Amazon, and here are my top picks along with hands-on reviews.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. VAULTEK Smart Station - Biometric Gun Safe with Wireless Phone Charger
Highlight: Multiple functions from one unit.
Helpful review: This is the most incredible way to store a gun safely on the nightstand. I would never think that this gun storage would fool anyone into thinking that it’s a giant alarm clock. This thing will not only tell time and keep the gun safe, but also charge my phone while I sleep. It's like a Swiss army knife of pistol safes.
Vaultek is the gold standard for pistol storage units. I like how this is designed to sit on top of my nightstand. The alarm clock function allows my pistol safety to displace the alarm clock without losing any counter space. Not only does this tell me the time, but it also tells me the temperature and humidity. To set the alarm clock time, all I had to do was put my phone on it to charge, and the clock would signal the time my phone told it to be. So, if I forget about the time change, the unit will change the time for me and not depend on the grey matter between my ears to remember.
The safe came well-packaged and protected. I liked the packaging almost as much as the stuff inside of it. Setting up the combination and biometric reader is very straightforward. All I had to do was read and follow the directions, and within about two minutes, the safe was ready to go. I can use this with sound or quiet to have the lights on or off. If I ever need to open this in the dark, all sneaky like, this is the machine to do it.
The drawer opens smoothly and does not make a clunky noise when operating like some of the other units made this way. This drawer immediately pops open when I put my fingerprint on the reader. I can store my Glock 19 in this safe, with a spare magazine and a small flashlight. This unit will hold everything I need to answer anything that goes bump in the night.
The only downside to this safe is its price tag. This pistol safe costs just under 500 bucks, which is serious money for a tabletop safe. The additional clock and chargers are great, but that price is too high unless there is a dire need for this gun safe. — David P. McGillivray
Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns
2. VAULTEK VS10i - High End Biometric Gun Safe
Highlight: It comes with a rechargeable lithium battery with a 6 months life per charge.
Helpful review: A solid and well-built pistol safe, this safe has clean and sharp styling and will look great wherever it is placed. As standard with Vaultek, I had to follow the instructions, and the biometrics and combination were set up in minutes.
This safe is made because the battery goes in the holder, either polarity. The safe will auto-detect the battery polarity and adjust to the correct working polarity. What this means is all I have to do is put the battery in, and away the safe goes; I don't have to put it in a certain way. The safe is supplied with a nice key lock and keys for a ready backup in case the battery is dead or the combo doesn't work; the old-fashioned method always works.
The door will spring open when the lock is released, like a jack in the box. This unit can sit in a drawer, and the top will open to allow access to the gun inside. I can quickly fit my Glock 19 in here, a spare magazine, and a stinger flashlight. When the top pops open, the interior light illuminates all the stuff needed for unwanted visitors.
The biometric allows me to put in two master prints that can input temporary prints or sub-prints, for lack of a better word. This lets me put other family members' prints into the safe, which can be removed later. The inside is padded with thin foam and is not made to protect the gun when moved around; it is meant to hold and cradle the gun for a nice nap in the dark. — Dave Bildstein
Get it from Amazon now: $269.99 & FREE Returns
3. VAULTEK LifePod - Car Gun Safe
Highlight: High Strength Locking System.
Helpful review: This safe is rated as a car safe. I don't know what makes it car-safe, but it will fit under the seat and be secure with a lanyard, so I guess that qualifies. The reviews about this safe say the biometric reader is easily fooled or difficult to impossible to set up. I fixed that biometric issue by not using it, going with the combination code, and ignoring the fingerprint.
The safe has a lot of interior space and uses a hydraulic ram to open the lid. This makes for a nice, even opening, and not having the safe pop open. Still, so far as the under-the-seat function, the safe will have to be removed to the floor or on the seat itself, killing the secret stashed gun.
The keypads for the combination numbers are large and easy to push; if anyone were to go that route, the biometric reader is recessed in its own notch and is large enough to fit my fingers on it if I went that route.
The interior is not well padded, and the padding is thin, so if a gun is carried in this safe, it may suffer some damage. Suppose this gun is put in a suitcase and carried that way. In that case, the luggage thrower will be the only way anything will damage the gun, not from crushing it but from bouncing around inside the safe.
I can fit two small EDC guns in this safe and the holsters, but it's snug, like all the other pistol safes. The outside of the safe looks good and non-descript; it does not scream gun safe unless someone knows what they are looking for. To keep kids' fingers out of a place they don't belong, this safe will do an excellent job for a small investment. — David C. Hanley
Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns
4. RPNB Drop Down - Bedside Gun Safe
Highlight: Steel construction and easy-to-access battery compartment.
Helpful review: This slide-open door safe is made to be mounted so the drawer opens like a cash register. This put the grip in the same position as a gun in a holster. The safe came to me nicely packaged and in a very short delivery time.
The safe is made with high-strength steel. The drawer moves on nicely, operating bearing surfaces, and functions smoothly whenever I open it. The safe is made to secure through the side into a horizontal surface, and it has little rubber feet to sit on the bottom of the drawer or shelf. The door will open towards the shooter, so it cannot have anything between it and the front of the drawer. If I have this screwed into the bottom drawer and I have a tube of Pringles in the way, the drawer will not open all the way. The drawer will be unlocked, and if the pringle can is in the way, I can move the can and then slide the drawer open and retrieve the gun.
This gun safe holds the pistol in a holster-like foam cutout, and it also has a place to store a spare magazine. The spare magazine is held beneath the pistol grip and out of the way until needed. This will put my loaded pistol with 15 rounds and a spare magazine with another 15 rounds in one handy, secured area.
This holster-style safe will hold a pistol with a red don't, not the open iron sights. It will support a gun with a flashlight mounted underneath, depending on the weapon and the type of light mounted to the rail. The one thing that will not fit in the safe is a flashlight, the gun, and the spare magazine. I can leave the spare magazine out of the holder and put a flashlight in that space instead. — Trent Bailey
Get it from Amazon now: $199.00 & FREE Returns
5. SentrySafe - Quick Access Pistol Safe
Highlight: Gas Strut for smooth and perfect operation.
Helpful review: This may be the best-looking pistol safe ever made. The buttons are blue-ring-lit, the biometric pad is lit with the same blue LED lights, and the inside of the safe lights up with the same blue LED bulbs.
I bought this for my son to store his CZ pistol near the bed just in case things happen. The ability to see the combination numbers or biometric reader in the dark when suddenly awake and not really sure what is going on made us both feel better. When the door opens, the interior is illuminated for safer gun handling, ensuring he gets the gun and flashlight and is ready to deal with whatever comes next.
Safety concerns are the number one issue I wanted to discuss with him. The safe is good-looking and fits with his bedroom aesthetic. It keeps all but his fingers off the pistol, and that is the point of any gun safe, no matter what makes it.
I have had the opportunity to review and test many of the pistol safes on the market, and I chose to purchase this one for him out of the field of suitable safes. I liked this one as one of the top three I have ever reviewed. The Sentry was the right size in its outer dimensions for his needs. Some safes will hold more stuff inside, and that is good to put the entire EDC in there and keep it safe and secure, but he does not have kids at home, so all he needs to do is lock up the gun when it's not on his belt.
I am a big fan of the calendar-opening tops. I like the smooth action of the ram and the lack of noise as it opens. The spring-loaded safes will always work and open in a hurry, but the jarring stop from the spring-loaded door makes a noise level, disturbing others in the room. This safe has interior lighting that reminds me of the lights in my Navigator that use the theater lighting effect, not a sudden flip-on. Still, a slow glowing effect (that's what my owner manual calls it in the car) looks very cool.
I only wish Sentry had put some protection on the bottom of this safe to keep the damage to the furniture at a minimum. We just got some of the clear little dot things from the kitchen cupboards and stuck them to the bottom, and it is good to go. The felt dots may be too slick on the dresser's surface, and the safe may move around when closing the top—no big deal, but it isn't charming.
The main thing I like about this safe over others is the executive feel it gives me when I use it or review it, and for some reason, that sticks out in my head more than the functions. I know the metal it is made from is top-notch, along with the locking mechanism. The keypads and biometric reader are also top-quality stuff. Maybe that is why I focus so much on the presentation of this unit. — Cory Lowman
Get it from Amazon now: $199.99 & FREE Returns
6. VAULTEK Smart - Nightstand Gun Safe
Highlight: It will hold giant frame pistols up to 8.5 inches in total length.
Helpful review: I like the way this safe holds the gun and the spare magazine. The gun sits in the foam like a holster, and the spare magazine sits securely under the grip. When I pull out the pistol, the magazine is seated perfectly, ready to draw it out. The magazine does not flop around or fall out of the safe, and it is ready to grab with my off hand while the gun is in my ready hand.
The drawer opens by sliding open or dropping down, depending on how the unit is mounted. If this is put inside a drawer, the drop will need room to move, so it has to be mounted about halfway up the drawer length. I mounted this one so the drop would drop, like a horizontal holster.
When the drop opens, it will make some noise. With this safe style, there will not be any sneaking the gun out. The biometric reader will read the fingerprint from any angle. What all of that means is the fingerprints do not have to be placed precisely perfectly on the reader; they get on the reader, and the door drops open. I added my prints a few times to ensure the reader will work when I am in a hurry and under a full stress load. I can delete or activate fingerprints from my phone; how convenient for a gun safe that may need to allow different shooters access, then turn off that access when they are no longer in consideration?
The phone app will not open the safe; that must be done at the safe with the fingerprint or combo. Vaultek wanted to make the management of fingerprints and access easy but not compromise the safety and security of the gun. The keypad will light up when it senses my hand in proximity, so the lights are not always, only when I reach for the safe. — Nick Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $369.99 & FREE Returns
7. HOLEWOR - Biometric Pistol Safe
Highlight: LCD included temp and humidity readings for the room.
Helpful review: This safe has enough space inside to hold a full-size pistol, spare magazines, cellphones, wallets, and keys, and it still has room for other EDC items. The LCD will also show the room temperature and humidity, which is a nice touch for those traveling with this safe.
The metal this case is made from is robust and heavy-duty. That means that the safe will be heavy to carry by itself, but it will do the job it is made to do and not break the bank to do it. This safe is designed to be a tabletop unit, but it will work in a drawer as the lip pops open when the lock is opened.
The keypad is straightforward to understand and intuitive to use. I did not even read the instructions to set the code, fingerprint, and play around with the sound settings. I have reviewed many of these so that I may have a cheat code built into my brain. I can tell everyone that this will not be a problem or complicated to set up. I was done with everything I needed to set up after the battery install in about five minutes, and that included playing with the sound to see if I wanted it to run silent or use the announcement noises.
The sounds I am talking about are the door open alarm or the noise. The sounds of the keypad being pushed can be altered as well, but the door open alarm is the one that may need to be silenced. When I take this to my office and use it to stash my carry gun, the whole office does not need to know what I am up to. When I have a pistol in this at home, and someone who is not me opens the safe, even with a pry bar, the alarm will let me know bad things are happening. — Jon Easler
Get it from Amazon now: $79.99 & FREE Returns
8. ONNAIS - Fingerprint Handgun Safe
Highlight: Biometric lock can hold up to 30 fingerprints.
Helpful review: This safe is made to sit on top of a table or bedside nightstand. It will work in a drawer, but it needs to be the only thing in the drawer. It will also work well on a shelf in a closet or dresser. I have to be sure not to ever put something on top of it so that when the lock is opened, the lid can pop open.
The top is secured with a heavy-duty hook and latch. When I close it, it feels like a car door latching shut. When the lock is opened, the latch moves from the hoop, and the lid springs purposefully. When the lid opens, it makes a little noise, so if ninja action is needed in the dark, keep a hand on the door as it pops up.
The combination buttons are large and easy to push, especially when I do it in a hurry, to make sure it will work when everything goes to sh*t in the dark. The buttons light up and show me the numbers; they are big, so I don't need my glasses to read them. The biometric reader is easy to find due to the bezel that funnels my thumb to the reader, making it happen without thinking like it should. The supplied key will work as a backup and is a very sturdy unit.
The interior of the safe is well padded and should protect the gun if I take it with me to visit Las Vegas. It will be secured to the bed frame with the supplied lanyard. Suppose I take it to a high-humidity area like Florida. In that case, I must protect the gun by throwing in a desiccant pack to handle the humidity. This unit is kind of heavy, but not as heavy as others, so this will probably be my travel companion.
I can comfortably fit my 1911 and have space for a spare magazine for under a hundred bucks. I can also fit my cell phone and wallet in the safe to keep my hands and fingers off the stuff I don't want to touch when I leave the room. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $69.99 & FREE Returns
9. AINIRO - Thumbprint Gun Safe
Highlight: It fits a Desert Eagle 50AE without angling from corner to corner.
Helpful review: This safe will fit two standard pistols or one Desert Eagle for those needing brag. The storage compartment has a side space to keep the hydraulic ram safe from being affected by anything stored in it.
Keeping the hydraulic ram inside this safe does not rely on springs to open; it will open smoothly and quietly by hydraulic pressure. The build quality keeps anything from interfering with the ram, so the door will always shut easily and open every time. The biometric reader sits in its own finger-sized nook and will not be damaged by anything falling on the safe. Even if thrown to the floor, the biometric reader is safe from damage. The combination buttons are easy to reach on the surface of the front of the safe but are small, in my opinion. The smaller buttons are sleek and look good; they may be harder to activate in a high-stress event.
The latching system is a pry-resistant hoop and latch style. This means that the lid cannot be pried away from the sides to let the lugs pass the rim of the doorway; this hoop has to be broken away from the steel the safe is made from.
The interior is padded to protect the gun and magazines, and whatever else gets placed there. The ram is kept in place when the door is opened and makes zero noise. If this safe will need to operate and make no noise, it is the one for the job. When I open this safe, my wife does not hear it open when she is asleep by the door opening or me rummaging around and taking things from it; this safe makes no noise. — Eric Brown
Get it from Amazon now: $65.99 & FREE Returns