The best nightstand pistol safes this year are both biometric and affordable. I've tested and ranked the most popular options in America to help you find a safe that's perfect for you. Here are hands-on reviews.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. VAULTEK Smart Station - Biometric Smart Safe with Built-in Wireless Phone Charger
Top-rated: 2,441 ratings | 103 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: LED backlit HD fingerprint scanner.
Helpful review: "For years I’ve followed Vaultek, as well as the products they’ve brought to market. This smart safe was a bit pricey for me, so I was skeptical about it. But then I finally bit the bullet and purchased it, and can report back that it’s really fantastic and worth the money.
- The safe came well-packaged. Trust me, you’re going to love the packaging.
- The setup is straightforward and clear. Following the instructions for fingerprinting was a breeze. I had no issues setting the combination or fingerprints.
- The quality is excellent. This is a very solid product. It’s really sturdy, very well-built and easy to use.
- The Bluetooth and biometric features are top tier.
- The phone charger works flawlessly. Just place it on top.
- With the extra USB, my watch charger is now also part of the system.
- It will hold most handguns. For instance, it can comfortably hold 2 Glocks. It can also hold my Sig 365 XL with Holosun optics and two 17 R clips with some extra room.
- Clock will set the correct time when the phone is placed on the charger.
- Opens swift for immediate entry.
- Incredibly quiet.
- Interior lighting is beautiful.
- The app has amazing features.
The advertisement does not do justice here. It's much better and advanced than argued. There are so many options featured with the safe: sound or no sound, lights or no lights… I know it sounds funny, but I feel that having such a neat product on my nightstand really upgraded my lifestyle. I love this safe so much, I want to buy another one.
BOTTOM LINE:
Don’t buy a lesser safe to save a bit of money. This Vaultek really does worth every penny. They offer great customer service and excellent follow-up, so I'll be buying the Vaultek MXi as well based on this experience. Good Job, Vaultek!" — David P. McGillivray
Get it from Amazon now: $479.99 & FREE Returns
2. VAULTEK Slider - Best Auto-Open Sliding Door
Top-rated: 430 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Rechargeable Lithium-ion backup battery provides standby power up to 4 months.
Helpful review: "I bought two of these, one for each level of my home. They are incredible. Vaultek spared no expense to make these safes top-of-the-line. Yes, they are expensive, but simply amazing.
There are so many ways to open the safe quickly, and of course this model is WiFi enabled, so you can get push notifications from anywhere when your safe is opened or tampered with. With kids around this is helpful, because I know if they're messing with the safe (or if anyone else is "snooping"). Is it a tad bit luxurious to have a WiFi safe? It probably is:) But it's very cool.
So, If you're looking for the best, fastest, single-gun speed safe for your home defense firearms, look no further. This is what you want. ONE THING TO BE AWARE OF. There is a TYPO in the quick-start guide. To set your fingerprint you must hold PROGRAM and '2', NOT '1' like it says. This took me quite a while to figure out, and since the model is so new there were no YouTube tutorials available yet. I emailed Vaultek and they said they are aware of the issue, so hopefully anyone buying the safe going forward won't have to deal with this and waste any time getting their safe set up.
A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
I don’t regret shelling out money for this fancy metal box. It blends in with what’s in my room and I have it screwed in tight. That’s piece of mind that I don’t loose my pistol. The biometrics can be a little picky. If you don’t have your finger straight on the scanner, it won’t read it correctly. I’ve had to rescan my prints a couple times too to get it working perfectly. I thought it would be like the biometrics on the iPhone.
Also, keep in mind that it’s cut for a pistol without any attachments, but I keep a subcompact pistol with a mini valkyrie 2 flashlight on it, and it fits fine. The foam is forgiving and looks like it hasn’t lost its shape since I’ve used it. I’m fairly active at a local gun range, so I’m constantly putting in and taking out my pistol, and there's still no sign of foam deformation. The app is User Friendly, and the smart key (you have to buy this separately) is a huge plus for me.
The mounting bracket allows for just about any mounting possibility. Thinking of getting another one to put in the truck.
If I could, I’d beat the crap out of this thing just to see how much punishment it can take before it opens up, but I’m not made of cash. Anyway, if I ever get another handgun, I’d consider buying another slider for sure." — Cody McPherson
Get it from Amazon now: $369.99 & FREE Returns
3. VAULTEK VS10i - Best Fingerprint Scanner
Top-rated: 1,733 ratings | 256 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Upgraded biometric fingerprint reader.
Helpful review: "I found this safe after seeing it on Hickok45's YouTube channel. I was looking for a quick access safe, as we have an 8-month old daughter now who's starting to crawl and attempting to stand on her own. So we can't just leave our firearms out any longer.
Originally I was considering the SpeedVault Biometric, but then I saw this one which isn't bulky and heavy, and (unlike the SpeedVault) doesn't have to be fastened to something.
One feature immediately different is that this Vaultek, in addition to its fingerprint reader, has also a keypad, Bluetooth and keyed entry, where the SpeedVault (and many others) remove one of those options when they go biometric. It was important to have another option other than just the fingerprint reader, in case it were to fail in an emergency. That's why this one fit the bill.
It also allows you to store 2 administrators and 20 unique fingerprints in the safe biometric memory. I like that it's practically silent when opening, where others make a loud clank. I also love the inside LED light feature, whose brightness can be adjusted via the Vaultek Apple/Android app.
You can also use the app for other features, such as opening the safe, tamper alerts, fingerprint management, complete history log, and battery usage indicator, all via Bluetooth from the unit.
The unit itself still has ways to show most of these, but it's nice having the app on the phone. I bought the black unit because it blends in well almost anywhere, but they also offer white and camouflage, as well as some other colors. The safe comes with everything you need including the lithium ion battery, charger, cable that plugs into the side of the unit, mounting screws, security cable, screwdriver, etc...
Since my intention in purchasing a quick access vault/safe is not only to have it quickly accessed, but also to prevent our daughter or visitors to our home (including children), this is by far the best option on the market. I have nothing negative to say about it at this time. Even the packaging and presentation were super nice.
So, if you want a quick access nightstand safe, which can also perform as a travel safe, to keep guns or other valuables locked up but accessible, I'd highly recommend this one. Really guys, if you're leaving your guns sitting around the house or in/on your nightstand, this is what you need." — Aaron & Breane Dooley
Get it from Amazon now: $269.99 & FREE Returns
4. ONNAIS - Large and Clear Buttons
Top-rated: 4,550 ratings | 76 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: The fingerprint lock can store up to 30 user fingerprints for access by multiple users.
Helpful review: "This safe is made for a bedside or nightstand application. It does come with a security tether, made out of cabling and covered in rubber or flexible plastic. The tether wraps around the bed frame or something and then feeds into itself, like a lariat or a noose. The other end has a steel pawl (the only word I can think to call it) that slips into a groove on the body of the safe when the lid is opened.
LID AND LOCK:
The lid is secure with a strong hook and latch mechanism and shuts and secures easily. The locking mechanism is pretty cool, and the combo/biometric lock system is very handy. With the key lock, if you are like me, and an old, worn-out boot, the electronics to get into the safe make me a little suspicious, but hide or secure the key, and you are easier than a padlock.
CODE VS. FINGERPRINT:
Setting the electronic code is very simple; opening the battery door takes longer than entering the code. The safe comes with a quick setup guide, is easy to read and understand, and even has pictures. Set the code, hit the OK button, then repeat and it is done. The biometric is just about as easy. Place your fingers; the safe does not care how many or which ones are on the reader six times, and the safe will give the signal, and your super handy biomechanical lock is set. Multiple people can enter fingerprints, so all the adults and none of the kids can use it. If the code access worries you, you can turn off the electronics and use the key, then no one can guess the code; that is up to you.
INTERIOR:
The interior of the safe is padded, thinly padded, with open-cell foam, so if you live in a humid area like Florida, you will want to save the desiccant packet from your next Amazon shipment and throw it in there to keep the pistol nice and shiny. If this safe is shaken or the gun inside gets some damage, it will have to be seriously shaken or dropped to damage the gun.
WEIGHT:
The weight of this little safe is excellent; it weighs about two pounds or less and is easy to move around. The weight reduction does come at a price of steel thickness for protection. If a bad guy has time to yank on this safe, they can eventually pull the pawl out of the back, use a small crowbar, and bend the lid out of place to get inside. Dedicated crooks will stop at nothing, except honest work, to get to your valuables; this is more about keeping your hands off a dangerous item when it is not in use.
SIZE:
The little safe has a lot of room, especially with the top-opening lid. It will easily fit the entire EDC package to keep it safe and tidy. The safe is big enough to fit full-sized pistols; my 1911 fits without issues. The 1911 and two spare mags, my wallet, watch, cell phone, and a checkbook- if we still use them- would all tuck away safely. If you want to keep all of this by the door and not by the bedside, this safe will surface mount with two holes in the bottom for screws to the shelf, or the wall may work; the stuff may fall out when opened as a wall-mounted unit.
ALL IN ALL:
Now, the fun part. Would I recommend this safe? Yes! Without hesitation, I am ordering more of these and giving them to family members to keep things safe from little hands. I am also fitting one in the drawer at the office to make sure no one sees or needs to know that business, even if it hides a hip flask for PST conference room recovery. Would I buy another one or twenty-two? Yes! I alluded to this already, but the money spent on this safe is worth every penny. Unless you need this to protect things in a fire, then this will not be the answer. Place this safe in the firebox or fireproof filing cabinet, and now your stuff is kept secret and safe from the rest of the crew and the fire if it ever comes." — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $89.99 & FREE Returns
5. Hornady RAPiD Night Guard - RFiD Wristband
Top-rated: 562 ratings | 112 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Made from 14-gauge steel.
Helpful review: "All the features of the safe itself are really great. I thought it was odd that the instructions say several times not to store a loaded firearm in it. Uh... Really?
RFID:
It's very easy to program the RFID keys, though it didn't come with a rubber wristband as advertised. It did come with a rubber sleeve that you can put on your own watch band. It also comes with 2 stick-on hard "chips" that remind me of the center part of a poker chip. A little thicker than a credit card, but hard and inflexible. You're supposed to stick them onto the back of your cell phone. This won't work for me because I have a skin on my phone and my phone chargers are wireless. It also has a tear-drop shaped tag for your key ring. So 4 total RFID "keys".
FEATURES:
It's really easy to program the time. And the spring is strong, so when you operate the drawer, it pops open enough to grab and go. It's so strong, that the unit moves if there is not enough friction on the surface you have it set on. So naturally, I don't want to be constantly re-adjusting the unit, so I took advantage of the mounting holes on the bottom.
ISSUES:
Here is where my problem comes in. I just wanted to run a couple of wood screws down into my nightstand. There's no template provided, so you have to make your own. Time-waster. Then you drill out the pilot holes and hope for the best. There's no room at all inside if you have big meaty hands like I do. It was very hard to screw from inside the unit. I could have drilled and run the bolts from underneath, but then my drawer wouldn't operate. And I'm not trying to secure it from being stolen, that's what the cable that comes with it is for. I just want to anchor it so it doesn't move every time I use it.
ALL IN ALL:
The security "leash" cable is nice and will allow you to secure the unit to your bed frame or whatever, but it's not quite long enough. You'd think that since they went to all the trouble of making it look like a clock radio, it could actually be... oh I don't know... A clock radio? An alarm clock? Do I have to do everything myself? LOL.
HOWEVER, HERE’S MY NEIGHBOR’S REVIEW:
I placed my order on Sunday and it arrived Monday afternoon!! This product is fairly heavy and very sturdy. It was easy to set up. 9you need 3 AAA batteries.) There are 5 ways to access it and I was able to activate all of them quite quickly. The only way to get into this safe is via one of those accesses. I tried using other items to open the drawer but nothing worked and that was very reassuring to me. The numbers on the clock are very bright red, I hope to try to dim them somehow. As of this moment, I would recommend this seller and this product.
AND A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
I am very impressed with this safe. I know that there is a different vendor that offers similar protection. But the fact that this offers a clock similar to an alarm clock or even a DVD player or some other type of electronic device. I have had people in the room who did not know that the clock was a safe for my weapons. I was able to put a compact 9mm and 22 compact in the vault with 2 mags each and some assorted papers. I am very impressed with the options that they provide to include for use, a key fob, and combo electronically accessible or a barrel key. Setting the combo was a bit confusing for me but apparently following the directions is not confusing." — Christopher A. Phillips
Get it from Amazon now: $250.30 & FREE Returns
6. RPNB Drop Down - Carbon Knight Series
Top-rated: 373 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Expertly crafted using sturdy steel construction.
Helpful review: "IThe seller is on point. Super fast shipping. Superb packing. Quality and beautiful presentation from RPNB. The RPNB safe is of a very high quality. Crafted product and works superbly. The only flaw was the rubber feet had come loose from the bottom. I figure that was because of the very high temperatures we have been having. I put them back on and they stuck. The drawer opens smoothly and every time. The fingerprints must be registered at different angles if you're not going to use the exact same angle every time. The RPNB company should be commended for this product. This is an initial preview after receiving and testing the unit for 45 minutes after receiving. If something comes up negative I will review again. If you see nothing further all is well.
MY NEIGHBOR’S REVIEW:
I have been shopping around for a while to seek a gun safe that could easily hide next to my bed. I want it to be safe but at the same time easy to reach. It has a locker with passcode/fingerprint option, which could automatically open in a second with a ready to pull and shot position. There is an option to manually open it with a key, the key lock seems tough, so others won't reach my gun easily. Plus it's a heavy metal case, which could also prevent others from opening it by force. It also has enough space for one pistol with an extra bullet or magazine. The G-17 fits it well. Maybe the only two cons: It could be over the budget to some people, get it when it's on sale, AND it does not open very quietly, but I guess this is the tradeoff if you wanna it open quickly.
A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
have been looking for a nightstand drop down or slider safe for some time. Most on the market could not accommodate my pistol with a mounted red dot. This one fits the bill. I was also worried about the fingerprint reader not always recognizing my print, but I have been surprised how accurate it read. I did take the advice to have it read my prints at different angles while setting it up. Looks pretty well made. It is heavy, which is good. So my only con is that when it opens, it is a bit loud. So only time will tell how it performs in the long run." — Trent Bailey
Get it from Amazon now: $199.00 & FREE Returns
7. AINIRO - Great for Both Home And Car
Top-rated: 439 ratings | 63 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Anti-corrosion, solid steel construction for increased durability.
Helpful review: "I own 5 small gun safes all around this size or smaller. My purpose of use (POU) ranges from in-vehicles, to various quick access points in different rooms of the house. Brands I use include Ainiro, V-Line and Gun Vault. All of these safes cover different price points, features and quality.
For the money, this safe offers a lot of convenience features: biometric, combination and key, which makes it the most feature-driven out of all my small safes mentioned above. Programming is extremely easy, and the included instructions are very clear. The interior is generously padded, and includes a substantial cable and notch for securing the safe to something. The biometric reader is very good, and I’ve been able to unlock it with both dirty and scuffed up fingers. I’ve tested and had at least a few dozen successful unlocks, while the rest of the house has tested for false-unlocks (which no one has been able to trick the safe into unlocking).
What about limitations of the safe? There are some things you should be aware of. Safes are subjective and are a tool. Like other tools, the right tool depends on the job at hand. If you are looking for a quick and convenient way to secure small belongings, needing to keep curious kids out, or helping honest people stay honest, Ainiro excels.
If you need bullet proof protection from a motivated person, this safe is unlikely to hold up for 30 minutes with a screwdriver and hammer. Unlike V-Lines, this safe has exposed cracks and utilizes a non-piano style hinge. V-Lines however cost 2-3x as much, weigh a ton more, and lack the bells and whistles.
Conclusion: this safe is excellent in a vehicle or RV, if your POU is for quickly storing valuables that you need access to regularly (for example: a gun, keys, phone, wallet, and so on...).
The safe is super convenient and more than adequate to prevent and deter any crimes of opportunity. If you’re looking for something that will withstand a fire or motivated burglar, you will need to look elsewhere. While probably the least bulletproof of my small safes, this safe will no doubt see the most usage due to the myriad of convenience features. If this too is your POU, buy with confidence!" — Glen Katzmarski
Get it from Amazon now: $129.99 & FREE Returns
8. RPNB Travel - Best Portable Design
Top-rated: 2,230 ratings | 59 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Sturdy 16-GAUGE carbon steel construction.
Helpful review: "This safe checked all the boxes I wanted in a replacement safe. My previous safe had a biometric scanner and push buttons for a code. Those were OK, but limited to two fingerprints.
In addition, the door release had a piston to fully lift the door to access the weapon, and the piston has worn out so now the door doesn’t spring open enough to quickly open the safe. That's why for my NEW safe I wanted a better biometric scanner, the ability to store more than two prints, and, most importantly, little to no spring to be able to quickly open and access the contents. This safe hit all those points.
The scanner is very similar to an iPhone fingerprint scanner. As I did with my old iPhone, I changed scan positions drastically to ensure pretty much any finger position would unlock the safe. I also scanned different parts and positions of each finger, since I wasn’t getting a good read on the middle pad scan.
Now, I'll a couple of issues brought up in other reviews. This version of safe does have a silence button to turn off beeps or chimes while scanning or accessing the safe. Prior versions of the safe may not have had this feature.
Second issue was the scanner reading any fingerprint from another person after a print has been programmed. As stated above the scanner is defaulted to read any print upon unboxing. When a custom print is added this default is turned off. If the safe is reset to remove all finger prints, then the default would be any print can unlock the safe. I had other people test the fingerprint scanner after I programmed my fingerprints, and no one else was able to unlock the safe.
The only negatives I could find is the padding inside. It's pretty thin and not well attached to the safe. And also, the key type used for unlocking is pretty easy to defeat. Other than that, I think it's a great portable gun safe." — Steven L. Byron
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
9. HOLEWOR - Most Popular Portable Safe
Top-rated: 112 ratings | 30 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: LCD Display of time, temperature and humidity.
Helpful review: "I purchased this safe as a gun safe for my sub-compact pistol. I have 2 young children who need to be safe not only from intruders, but also from the dangers of a firearm in the wrong hands (mainly their own).
Build Quality: Consistent with what I read in other reviews, this safe is hefty. It's made of thick metal, and I have no concerns that there is any easy way in (aside from the 3 entry methods: code, fingerprint, or key). This will work perfectly to keep my children out and also anyone quickly rummaging through my house if I were not home from easily accessing my firearm.
Setup: I have yet to look at the instruction manual. Based solely on the reviews I read/watched prior to purchase, I did a full setup of my prints, setting a new code, and silencing the safe in under 5 minutes (easily). Couldn't be easier.
Sound: When I received my safe, the first thing I did after putting batteries into it was hold down "1" for a few seconds to silence the safe. Even when silenced, you can still hear a fairly quiet mechanical release of the locking mechanism when opening with the fingerprint scanner or the code. The key entry just has the "click" that any spring loaded item that is released should be expected to have (due to surfaces of multiple components changing how they are interacting). All the sounds I hear are what should be expected, and give me confidence in the quality, rather than concern or a feeling that it is "too loud," etc. If an intruder were close enough to hear this, they would already know you are there, and sound would not be a concern. These noises only occur when the safe OPENS, meaning you now have access to your means of protection, so things are about to get loud anyway. (It's still very quiet, just addressing the nay-sayers, if any exist)
Key Entry: Key feels solid, slides in super easy due to the rectangular shape with grooves rather than being a jagged edged key. As I said, it is the quietest method of entry (even when the safe is silenced). This being said, I plan to hide the keys pretty well and do not intend to use the key except if I fail to keep up on the batteries. Keeping a key nearby is asking for trouble with kids IMO.
Code: Code was easy to setup. As some have said, if you choose a shorter code (I did 4 digits for now), it will make it clear when an incorrect 4 digit code is entered--so someone will not needlessly try to guess 8 digit passwords. Unless someone has extended access to the safe, I don't see this ever being an issue--and if you are concerned about someone with regular access continually trying to enter, it may be a good idea to have a longer code, or more likely--not keep a firearm in the house.
Fingerprint scanner: I set up all 10 of my prints super fast. I only did one per finger. When placed square-on like when I registered, there is almost never a time when it fails. Registering multiple angles/areas of the fingers I will actually use is something I will probably do in the future (rather than including my pinkies, which is super awkward to even setup, much less use in a real life scenario. I haven't tried tons of unregistered fingerprints. I am curious to know if unregistered fingerprints have a failure rate (opening the safe). If this is a concern you have and you expect people to regularly try to open your safe that shouldn't, you can just not setup any fingerprints and rely on the other methods (or not keep a firearm, if there is cause for concern).
Battery life: I haven't had it long enough to speak to battery life, but the batteries I put in it are not high quality, and I haven't had any issues yet. I plan to monitor battery life and then setup a regular replacement schedule based on how quickly it seems to get low, rather than letting them get close to dying before replacing every time.
Space: This safe easily fit my 2 sub-compact pistols with an extra mag each and a kydex holster. I since sold one of the pistols, but its a large safe, I believe it would be hard to find 2 (modern) pistols of any size that would not fit in this safe together. The foam on bottom and sides protects your firearms from scratches. The foam on the bottom is easily lifted to anchor the safe to another surface. You can also remove it, line the bottom of the safe with cash, place the foam back on top and still have room for your firearm(s). The safe has plenty of height to allow for this.
Customer service has already reached out to me, and seems like they will be phenomenal if any issues do arise. Super pleased with this purchase. 5/5 all day." — Jon
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
10. MAXSafes - Unconditional 1-Year Warranty
Top-rated: 316 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: 3-Way Access and Portable.
Helpful review: "My dad always had a pistol safe/vault with a fingerprint reader, but just like my old fingerprint log-in laptop, it’s finicky. Dirt, dust or scrapes affect the reader negatively, and the finger always has to be 100% aligned, otherwise you’ll keep swiping your finger over and over and getting locked out. When it comes to accessing a gun, reliability is important. I’ve wanted to get some kind of mini safe for a while, but have been waiting for a better keyless entry method. Vein recognition technology intrigued me, and since it has PIN and key access as well, I figured I’d try it out. Let me report that it was easy enough to configure with the quick start guide. It opens quickly and reliably, with a hydraulic shock lift. Since the marketing materials claim it's working with damaged skin, and even with debris and wet fingers, I made sure to try it out. My guns aren’t safe queens. They’re handled rough and put through the paces. Any piece of hardware I get relating to my guns needs to be as durable. Dunked my finger in water, dragged it in dirt, and tried it multiple times each way. It worked every time. As long as you put your finger in straight and hold it down against the surface, it seems like it will definitely function in adverse conditions. Function is what it’s all about, but I must admit that also the form is fantastic. Love the rugged yet professional look. Even the box it comes in gives off a high-end feel." — Ari Levine
Trending review: "I ordered the MAXSafes Gun Safe and there was an issue with the lid coming open too fast and hard. The safe quality and associated features were and are outstanding. I reached out to MAXSafes via Amazon and was able to get a replacement that was delivered to our home in two days. The replacement safe worked like a charm to included the opening of the lid / top. We love this safe and intend to purchase another one for our jewelry. We will also upgrade to a bigger safe from MAXSafes once our gun collection grows. Great quality, great price, and a lifetime warranty. Basically, that warranty is why I will be coming back to MAXSafes when I need a gun safe of a bigger size to meet our needs." — Leon Gardner
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns