We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Securing your guns in an under-bed gun safe may not be the best choice for some people, but for others, no other option can compete with the unique advantages of keeping your firearms virtually under your pillow. Full-size safes with a two-hour fire rating and a 50-gun capacity sure are handy, but not everyone has the cash or the space for such a tough customer in their home. For others, a bedside gun safe simply cannot secure their home defense Mossberg 590. Thankfully, most under-bed gun safes offer plenty of space to store a defensive long gun and can be a cost-conscious alternative to bigger, heavier safes that might seem more at home in a bank than your bedroom. Regardless of your reasons, a quality under-bed gun safe can be worth its weight in gold.
Methodology
The home security market is full of smoke and mirrors, so selecting a gun safe can be a tricky endeavor. That said, there are certain features that are non-negotiables that we refuse to ignore. All quality gun safes will feature a solid build and anchor holes to make sure you can ensure a thief can’t simply walk off with your safe over their shoulder so they can crack it later. While we much prefer the reliability of mechanical locks, only safes equipped with electronic safes made the cut due to the previous two factors.
While creating this guide, we relied on hands-on reviews from actual users to make sure you receive the best information available. In particular, we want to thank Expert Safe Reviews, Lucky Gunner Ammo, TheSafeist, SnareMan, and Valor Life for their valuable contributions. We also relied a good bit on our own knowledge of safes, home security, and the criminal mind to find the best safes available.
Best Overall
Monster Vault Underbed Safe
Best Value
SecureIt Tactical Fast Box 47
Editor’s Choice
American Security Under Bed Safe
Best for Easy Access
Hornady RAPiD Safe AR Gunlocker
Best High-Security
Safety and Security BedBunker
Our verdict on under-bed gun safes
The original Monster Vault Underbed Safe set the standard against which all its competitors are measured. The SecureIt Tactical Fast Box 47 provides some incredible value at an affordable price, and the American Security Under Bed Safe (DV652) has the best electronic lock on the under-bed gun safe market. We have no doubt that these are the best under-bed gun safes currently on the market, and we’ve done our research to make sure you get nothing but the best.
What to consider when buying an under-bed gun safe
When selecting an under-bed gun safe, there are a handful of things to take into consideration. First, you’ll need to determine if you want a safe equipped with a door or a drawer, a surprisingly important decision. Second, you’ll want to evaluate the safe’s construction quality to see whether or not it really is a safe as opposed to a glorified lock box. Finally, you’ll have to consider what kind of locking mechanism your safe will need.
Types of under-bed gun safes
Door
Door-equipped safes are a popular type of under-bed gun safe on the market. As you might expect, these safes feature a lockable access door. Usually, the safe’s door is located on the long side of the safe, although every so often, an under-bed safe will have its door located at one end of the body.
One handy feature on door-equipped under-bed gun safes is a sliding storage tray. These trays are not particularly common, and they inevitably eat up a safe’s usable storage space. That said, they make accessing and organizing the contents of your safe a bit easier.
Drawer
Some under-bed gun safes feature a lockable drawer in place of a door. For obvious reasons, virtually all such safes include a drawer that slides out from the long side of the safe. Theoretically, a different orientation might exist in the hidden recesses of the open market, but to date, we have never seen a drawer-equipped under-bed safe that opens at the end instead of the side.
Probably the biggest drawback to drawer-style under-bed gun safes is that drawers necessarily eat into usable storage space although not as much as a tray-equipped door-style safe. This decreased storage space makes it a little more difficult to make a usable safe that will fit underneath most bed frames.
Key features of under-bed gun safes
Construction quality
As with any good gun safe, construction quality is critical. Before purchasing an under-bed gun safe, start your inspection by determining how thick the steel is (16-gauge on the low end with 12- to 10-gauge being ideal, although rare).
Next, pay attention to any weak points at the joints, hinges, lid, and other inherent weak points. Fewer and smaller gaps are better, and captured hinge pins are a must. Also, find out if the safe has anchor points to secure it to the floor or another immovable object. If it doesn’t, move on.
Finally, find out what the safe is designed to handle. If it is California DOJ-approved, then you know it’ll keep you out of legal trouble while keeping most kids and thieves at bay (assuming you’ve bolted it down). Most under-bed gun safes are not fireproof or waterproof, as at least some manufacturers believe that your fire-resistant mattress will go a long way in protecting your valuables. As such, fireproof and waterproof bags or an upgraded insurance policy might just be worth the extra expense.
Locking mechanism
A safe’s locking mechanism is its weakest link, so be sure to invest in a quality lock. Most under-bed safes use electronic locks, which can be a decent choice for regular storage. If you go this route, look for a safe with a UL-rated lock to ensure long-term reliability. Of course, electronic locks are easily damaged by water, so make sure you position the lock where it is unlikely to get wet (think water bottle or sippy cup spills).
If quick access in the middle of the night is essential, then go with a mechanical lock instead of an electronic one. For bump-in-the-night response guns, you need something durable, reliable, and easy to use in the dark. While rare on under-bed safes, mechanical locks, such as a Simplex lock, will outperform keyed and electronic locks in terms of both reliability and performance.
Under-bed gun safe pricing
Budget
Under-bed safes less than $400 usually fall into the “barebones” category, but that doesn’t mean they lack quality. The electronic locks in these safes may or may not earn a UL listing, so be sure to shop around for one that is listed. They might also skimp a little in the build quality department, so if possible, find one at a retail store that you can inspect before purchasing.
Mid-range
Safes in the $400 to $800 range often provide a good middle ground between affordability, security, and reliability. As always, make sure to find a safe with a UL-listed lock if you go the electronic route. That said, these safes usually are plenty sturdy and can take a good beating.
Premium
High-end safes (over $800) often include high levels of theft protection and boast plenty of heft, both at the scale and at the register. Many of these safes are specialty products, but these offerings usually include a fireproof rating to go with their price tags.
Tips and tricks
As with something you do for decades upon decades, you pick up a few tips and tricks along the way in terms of selecting the right product, and/or using it. That’s the case with us and under-bed gun safes. To help you bridge the information gap, here’s a selection of what we’ve learned along the way.
- Before buying a safe, make sure to measure the clearance height between the floor and the bottom of your bed frame. Some bed frames sit very low to the ground, and more than a few safe will not fit beneath them.
- If you plan to secure your safe to a bed frame, think about the easiest possible way to remove that portion of the frame from your home. A wooden bed frame could be cut through relatively quickly with a saw from your garage, and some metal frames can be easily dismantled with a screwdriver, wrench, or ratchet.
FAQs on under-bed gun safes
You’ve got questions. Task & Purpose has answers.
Q: What’s the point of putting a gun safe under your bed?
A: Two main reasons. First, since long guns do not fit inside bedside gun safes, it pays to keep one handy with an under-bed gun safe instead. And second, if you have a very small arsenal or limited storage options, a floor-mounted under-bed safe may be your best bet.
Q: Is it better to bolt my safe to the floor or to the bed?
A: The floor. Your bed frame can be disassembled or hacked to pieces much more easily than your floor can. Plus, floor-mounted safes do a top-notch job of protecting their anchoring hardware as compared to bed-mounted safes.
Q: What can I put in my gun safe to absorb moisture?
A: Depending on your safe, consider purchasing either a safe dehumidifier or a desiccant moisture absorber. Dehumidifiers require electricity, thus wiring options are a critical consideration. Desiccant containers do not require electricity but must be “recharged” in an oven once they get “full.”
Q: Are under-bed gun safes fireproof?
A: It depends on the safe; however, most under-bed gun safes fail to provide adequate protection against fire, heat, and water damage.
Q: How long do I need to train my biometric fingerprint?
A: It depends on the fingerprint reader in question. That said, we usually recommend avoiding electronic locking mechanisms in safes that might require quick access in the middle of the night.