I never imagined a nightstand gun safe could have an efficient wireless phone charger. I'm genuinely impressed. Here's my comparison review.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. VAULTEK Smart Station - Upgraded Bluetooth Control
Highlight: New features, plus a redesigned UI allows ease for managing and monitoring activity right from your smartphone.
Helpful review: For a few years now, I’ve been following Vaultek. I knew all about how good of a brand they were, but I honestly wasn’t sure about using them for the gun safe I wanted to buy. It took a little bit of research, but eventually, I finally did it and bit the bullet. what I mean is, I ordered the D2Si. Wow. About freaking time. Should have done it years ago, for real.
This is going to be as honest and real as I can get with ya, okay? I've always admired this company’s innovation and quality, but after I finally took the plunge and got myself the D2Si, I’ve got to say that I might be a follower for life when it comes to this brand. Not only did it not disappoint, it went above and beyond everything I could have imagined.
To be honest, my initial thought was to go for the SpeedVault’s Biometric. It's a popular choice and all, one that gets good reviews for solid reasons, but then out of the blue, this D2Si caught my eye. It’s not nearly as bulky or heavy as the SpeedVault option, and you wanna know the best part? You don’t need to bolt it down like the SpeedVault. Like, that is a huge difference. It’s just more practical for my setup, and you don’t even have to worry about it falling over, without the extra setup.
Now, Vaultek has always put out solid products, so my expectations were pretty high, but still, I’m a little picky, so I was waiting to find out how good this would be.
For that reason, when I first came across the smart station, though, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical still. You know how it goes with these new-fangled gadgets. I’m in my sixties, so I remember the inventor of the internet. I don’t always trust technology for many reasons, but especially when it comes to keeping my weapons safe. But once I did it and took that plunge and bought it, I was just so happy and pleasantly surprised. If you're unsure, before I dive in, just know that the ads really don’t do it justice.
So let’s get into it. This safe is packed with features. And I mean packed. You’ve got options galore! Do you like sound or no sound? Do you want lights or no lights? Oh, and the amount of room inside the drawer. Huge! So much freaking space. Not only that, but my last gun safe was so noisy when it opened up. This one? Not even a cry, not a white. Just so smooth and quiet when it opens, which is just such a nice touch.
Honestly, if you’re in the market for a reliable nightstand or if you’re just looking for a reliable safe like this, I’d totally recommend the smart station. I just really can’t recommend it enough. Oh, and it’s just as solid as all of Vaultek's other products.
The setup was such a breeze, and the build quality is top-notch, like real good quality that you’d expect from this company, but also that you’d expect from a quality gun safe. You need it to be sturdy after all! The Bluetooth and biometric features were shockingly easy for an old timer like me to figure out. My granddaughter showed me how to watch some YouTube videos on how to set it up, and once I figured out how to use it, which was actually kind of fun, I’ve found that the features are just seriously fantastic. And most importantly, it has everything you could need in a safe without any of the unnecessary extras.
Simple is best sometimes, but this is actually just the perfect amount of features. Above all, what I really love about this safe is how it helps keep all my things organized.
I don’t even just store my guns now. I store my important documents, my will, my cash, yeah, my guns, but also anything that I just don’t want to risk getting stolen, or risk forgetting where I put it. Plus, there’s this combination of there being a clock, with this Bluetooth charger, and the actual safe all in one. Having all this together means I don’t have a bunch of different gadgets cluttering up my nightstand. It’s definitely worth the investment, and has actually given me less gray hair! Haha. As my granddaughter would say–it’s lit!
Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns
2. Grimtron - Upgraded Backlit Touchscreen
Highlight: Multiple functions from one unit.
Helpful review: This is another 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.
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.
In this safe, I can store one handgun. It will store my Glock 19, or a Sig P320, or an S&W M&P9, with a spare magazine and a small flashlight. I can also store a Colt Python, or a Sig P365, or a Glock 43. All the handguns I tried to fit in it, fit perfectly. There's really a lot of room in this unit, and it will hold everything I need to answer anything that goes bump in the night.
The only downside to this safe is its price tag. It's not as expensive as the Vaultek. It costs just under 250 bucks. But still, this is serious money for a tabletop safe. However, the clock and charger are great. So think about it, and make an educated decision. If you want the crème de la crème, go with the Vaultek. If you want something a bit less sturdy but still pretty awesome, go with this Grimtron.
Get it from Amazon now: $249.99 & FREE Returns