If you’re preparing for college and dorm life (or if you’ve already moved in on campus), you should consider the fact that, though your temporary home throughout the semester, college dorms are always filled with a lot of activity, so it’s normal (and even prudent) to worry about the safety and security of your personal belongings. For that reason, a lot of college students choose to get a safe so that their belongings are much more secure, and if you’re bringing any valuables – from jewelry to important documents (like a passport or birth certificate) – you should probably invest in one. The good news is that there are tons of different safes you can choose from because they come in many different sizes, designs, features, and price ranges. To help you get started finding the best dorm safe, below are 23 of the best college safes for your dorm.
This safe is black in color and comes with a bag that is both fireproof and waterproof, providing extra protection for all of your valuables. There is both a key and a combination lock to open the safe, and you even get two removable shelves that help you put just about anything in the safe. It is perfect for college dorms because it is roughly 15” x 12” x 17” in size and weighs under 30 pounds.
This is a small safe that holds just one cubic foot of items, but it’s available in three different sizes total. It’s made out of reinforced solid steel and has an interior size of roughly 13” x 11” x 10”. It also comes with two keys that will open the safe if you forget your password or the battery dies.
If you want a safe that doesn’t look like a safe, this is one to consider. The safe looks exactly like a large blue book, and it even has the words “The New English Dictionary” on it. In fact, it’s available in three different colors and two sizes, and even the largest ones are under $14. This makes it an affordable safe as well as a well-built one.
This steel safe comes in five different sizes, and the largest one accommodates 1.2 cubic feet of items, making it a very large safe. And you don’t have to worry about dorm theft because these safes are made out of solid steel construction and come with a combination lock that you can set from 1 to 8 digits.
Some of the things that make this safe unique are that you can bolt it down onto the wall, and it comes with hidden hinges and a recessed door, which makes it nearly impossible for someone to pry it open. If you’re looking for the best college dorm safe, this is one to consider because it is low-profile and won’t attract attention regardless of where you put it.
The Amazonbasics security safe box has a keypad lock and is available in 10 different sizes. It is made out of strong alloy steel and has concealed hinges that make prying it open nearly impossible. The door alone is roughly 2 inches thick, and the interior comes with two removable and adjustable shelves. It is easy to use and very sturdy, and it’s priced reasonably at around $120.
The Best College Dorm Safe v5.0 costs a little more than other safes at around $300, but you’ll consider it worth it once you use it a few times. You can place cell phones and other electronics inside, and they’ll charge nicely from there, and it’s large enough to hold that new laptop of yours and any prescription medication you might need to keep safe from theft and harm.
This storage chest looks like a briefcase and even comes with a handle, along with dual combination locks that keep the safe nice and secure. You can keep all types of things safe with this chest, including your credit cards and small items that you don’t wish to lose. It is water-resistant and built to last, and you can store it neatly under your bed where it can’t be seen by others.
College dorm rooms often have limited or small spaces, but this safe is great for extra-crowded dorm rooms because it doesn’t take up tons of space. It weighs only 11 pounds and has a rectangular shape that makes it easy to slide under your bed so that no one can see it. You get two security keys and a weight capacity of 50 pounds, and it is both durable and very lightweight.
This slim lockable trunk easily fits underneath your bed frame and is 32” x 18” x 8.25” in size. It weighs under 19 pounds and comes with a lifetime warranty. The safe accommodates 2.1 cubic feet of items, so it can hold all sorts of belongings, from cell phones to jewelry and so much more. It also comes with nickel-plated hardware and a baked-on enamel coating, making it super-durable and difficult to damage.
The best dorm safe for your dorm room is likely to be different than someone else’s safe. The best way to determine the safe that’s right for you is to measure the space you have available in your room, then consider what items you’re trying to protect. This safe allows you to open it with a keypad or fingerprint, and it comes with an audible alarm. In addition, it is quite hefty and sturdy at 43 pounds, so this is no lightweight safe, which makes it much harder for attempted burglars to steal, thus providing great peace of mind against the threat of dorm burglaries!
This safe has a small, compact size, but is also very secure. It is made with both a keypad and a standard key lock for opening, and when it comes to college dorm safes, this is one of the most secure ones on the market. The approximate dimensions are 7” x 9” x 7”, and it is a great option for those on a budget because it is priced at under $40. It also has a pry-resistant door that keeps your personal items safe and secure.
This is one of the best safes on the market and can even accommodate hotels and other facilities that need to keep people’s small valuables safe. If you look on the inside of the door, you’ll notice two thick bars that close the safe securely every time. You get a combination lock and a standard key to open it, and you can even make it a fixed object that doesn’t move by installing it on a wall or shelf, thus making it one of the best dorm room safes for student residences.
This is a 1.7 cubic foot safe that comes with a carbon steel design, which makes it very strong. You can use a key or the keypad to get into the safe, and the override key makes it even more convenient to use if something goes wrong. It even comes with a special slot in case you want to slip a document or two into it after it’s closed. The front door and body are super-sturdy, so even if it’s kept in plain sight, people will usually leave it alone.
This is a portable safe built for traveling, but it’s great for dorms as well. It is only 5” x 9” x 2” and is, therefore, perfect for cell phones, jewelry, and other smaller items and is small and inconspicuous enough to keep a low profile and remain easily hidden. There is a 4-digit combination lock to secure the safe, and it is shock-absorbing and water-resistant as well. It is also very reasonably priced at under $25, making it possible to get a great safe without breaking the bank.
The vertical design of this bookshelf and safe make it perfect for doom rooms that don’t have a lot of space. It consists of two shelves at the top and the safe underneath, and while it’s different from traditional safes, it still provides security for all of your valuable items and comes with two keys to secure the safe tightly. It is also inexpensive at under $110, so most any incoming freshmen can afford it to enhance their dorm security.
If you need a safe with the most reliable electronic lock and one that isn’t too cumbersome to fit in your dorm room, this is the one to choose. Its approximate dimensions are 13” x 10” x 10,” and it even comes with an alarm system, a felt lining on the inside, and an LED light on the inside that makes it super-easy to find your items once you open it up. It is just the right size for a bedroom, dorm, or office.
Young adults don’t usually need a huge safe for their dorm rooms, and the SWOL safe is extra-secure and portable at around 17” x 12” x 5” in size. It has shock-absorbing foam on the inside, an electronic keypad, and even comes with two emergency key locks. The lock box design includes a convenient handle for carrying the safe around, and its sturdiness means you’ll be able to enjoy it for a very long time.
This safe is the best option for people who don’t need a large safe and who don’t want to spend a lot of money. It is available for around $35 and has the right amount of storage space if all you need to store are a few basic items. The safe is available in three different colors and is made out of alloy steel, and the electronic keypad makes it super-easy to use, even for young children.
With this safe, you can use either a key or the electronic keypad to open it, making it perfect for documents, jewelry, guns, and so much more. The anti-theft alarm is a nice perk, and its other perks include a door that is more than 1.5 inches thick, an anti-corrosion coating, and a foam interior that prevents the items inside from getting scratched.
This safe is a full 17 inches in height, so it is one of the best laptop safes on the market. Because it can last in a fire for two hours without the contents becoming damaged, it is a top pick for people who insist on getting a high-quality, well-built safe to keep their important papers and valuables as secure as possible. You also get both a combination lock and a standard key lock to keep the contents of the safe nice and secure.
Priced at around $35, this storage safe comes in white, pink, and purple, and you can use your fingerprint to open it, which means it is made just for you with a level of security that thieves can’t override with brute force. The safe industry knows how important it is for your belongings to be safe and secure, and their fingerprint design is a good idea for people who don’t feel like fooling with keys and keypads.
The LCD panel makes it super-easy to ensure your belongings are nice and secure inside, and you can open this safe with a keypad, fingerprint, or some type of password. There is no extra cost for this feature because the safe is reasonably priced at around $100, and it is strong enough to prevent any unauthorized access from happening, regardless of what you’re storing there.
Conclusion
It takes more than good luck to fully deter or prevent people from stealing valuables from your dorm room, especially considering just how many people may be passing through your dorm between roommates, roommates’ friends, residence hall staff, and others. With theft being a common crime on college campuses, you need the right safe to keep all of your belongings secure. The safes that have a master lock and an override lock, as well as other ways to open them, are some of your smartest options. The materials used to make the safe and even the size are also important considerations, as thin metal construction could make a safe susceptible to tampering and thus defeat the purpose altogether.
The good news is that a good safe is easy to find if you know what you’re looking for, and safes work great in dorm rooms because, let’s face it, most dorm buildings do not have a security camera installed or any effective investigative recourse to track down burglars or recover stolen items from dorms. That means it’s up to you to protect your belongings, and by picking the best dorm safe in your budget and form your needs from the list above, you should be covering many of your bases.