If you're on the hunt for a smart gun safe with fingerprint identification, I'm here to help you make the best choice on your next purchase.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. VAULTEK Smart Station - Biometric Smart Safe with Built-in Wireless Phone Charger
Highlight: Built-in charger and alarm clock.
Helpful review: This tabletop gun safe is fantastic. The price is pretty high for many gun owners, but if you can afford it, get one. The safe will replace most of the stuff many of us have on the bedside table. It will not replace the glass of water, and that's about it.
The Smart Station gun safe looks like an alarm clock on the bedside table or dresser. It is a fully functional alarm clock. The safe is also a wireless charging station for my phone. If I had a smartwatch or was smart enough to use a smartwatch, I could plug it into a built-in USB port to take care of that while I sleep. On top of that, it also keeps a handgun safely stored in easy access right next to the bed or on a desktop if I take this to work.
The safe works as a drawer-style open, so when I use my fingerprint to activate the lock, the drawer will spring open, and I can reach in and pull out whatever I put in there. The safe allows me to leave the button push noises on to keep track of what I am doing, or it will run in silent mode if I feel like I should be set up to work in stealth ninja mode. Along with the noise or no noise settings, the interior lights can come on when the drawer opens, or it can be set to stay off. This works like my car in that I can open the door and have the dome light come on or not.
I wanted to take this safe with me when I traveled. That way, I could lock up the pistol while sleeping or keep it tucked away if I have business people in the space. Half the places I travel to do not allow guns on site, so I have to leave them in the room, and that bothers the hell out of me. Even in rooms with a safe, I don't trust the safe provided for me over the one I bring along, and I am the only one who knows the combo, or better yet, I only have the key or code. The hang-up with this idea is that this thing is heavy, so it will not be able to carry on, so maybe it is in checked baggage. — David P. McGillivray
Get it from Amazon now: $399.99 & FREE Returns
2. VAULTEK VS10i - Best Fingerprint Scanner
Highlight: Double latch locking mechanism.
Helpful review: Compact and top-opening gun safe. This safe will work in a drawer, like a dresser or desk drawer. The lock operates by a mounted biometric or a code. The safe can open with a key in case the batteries go dead or something, and that is on the side or front of the safe. If I need to use the key, I must lift it out of the drawer to open the lock. Here is a great option that many small safes don't have: it can open via Bluetooth.
The VS10i has an option I have not seen before. I can input administrators in the biometric lock, so my wife or I can input users under the admin side. The Bluetooth app will adjust the interior light so I can see it when I come from sleep. The app does a few other things that I really like. It will tell me about tamper attempts and keep a complete log of users who have opened the safe and when. One great thing about Bluetooth communication is that it will show me the battery levels; that way, I can be proactive and not end up dead or the annoying beeping alarm telling me to get new batteries.
The safe comes with everything I need to get it ready to use. The lithium battery comes with it, as well as a charging cable to keep everything tuned up and ready to go. They even include the screws to mount it to whatever I think needs this safe screwed to it. But for my money, I like the cable they contain to secure this to my bed frame, so it is harder to carry this away if a lousy guy feels the need to take my stuff when I am not home. This safe is lightweight enough to carry when traveling, so I can keep a pistol safe when I stay at hotels or even at the handy Airbnb in the area. — James R. Baker
Get it from Amazon now: $269.99 & FREE Returns
3. BILLCONCH - Biometric Gun Safe for Handguns
Highlight: Fireproof document bag included.
Helpful review: This is the only safe I reviewed with a fireproof document bag in such a small safe. I have looked at other more significant household safes, and they have the document bag, but this is the only one with a tiny desktop safe. I see this as a perfect place to keep my passport and other papers safe from fire if I have them with me, like when traveling.
This safe is small and has no frills. It works like others with a pop-up top and a five-digit code pad. The backup key is on the front of the safe, so if this is used as a drawer-mounted safe, to use the key, it has to be removed. The hang-up with needing to remove the safe to use the key is if it is screwed to the drawer, it can't be accessed, and the screws will need to be pried out and ruin the dresser.
This safe is headed to my daughter's RV to hold the pistol when they travel and camp and keep it out of the hands and fingers of folks who should not touch it. They will also keep all the essential papers in a fireproof envelope; why not? It is the perfect thing to keep stuff like that in. This will allow them to own a small stash of cash in the camper in case of emergencies and a pre-paid cell phone if they lose or destroy it when fishing.
This simple safe will hold a full-size pistol, one extra magazine, and the pre-paid phone, and have room to stash a wallet on top of all the rest, so everything they may need can be stored in one spot, locked away, and if required they can carry the whole box to the truck to go somewhere else.
All the time, they can carry around a loaded gun and extra ammo, and no one is the wiser because it is all concealed in a metal box. The box fits easily in the car's center console or the truck, so it never needs to get exposed to kids or others who don't need to know it is there. The allowed crew can all have their prints in the biometric; that way, a code can't be shared or overlooked; this is the best idea I have had for camping safety and firearms. — David G. Abel
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns
4. VAULTEK - Drop-Down Safe with Rechargeable Battery
Highlight: Tight closed cell foam to hold the gun and magazine.
Helpful review: I put this drop-down pistol case in the upright position. What I mean by upright is that the pistol drawer literally drops, and the grip sits vertically. With the foam design on this safe, the pistol will not get jarred around and fall out of the holder when it drops, and it is pretty dang cool to watch it happen.
The pistol is held in place by medium-density foam. This keeps a tight fit on the slide and dust cover of any gun I placed while testing my theory or operation. When the drawer is closed, the foam is cut to hold a spare magazine under the trigger guard. This makes it so my super handy Glock 19 custom with 16 in the magazine and a spare magazine is ready to go with just my fingerprint. By mounting the safe in this fashion, the drawer does not depend on springs, little hydraulic rams, or something like that to open; it uses the good 'ol standby of gravity. All I have to do is make sure the area under the safe is clear so the drawer can fall open, then reach my hand in and get the gun. I then use my left hand to grab the spare magazine, place it in my pocket, and come to the pistol with both hands.
To be honest, I don't recall if the sound can be turned off on this safe or not. I have it mounted in the supply closet in my office, and I want to hear the beeps. If someone is playing around with stuff, they should not be when I am at the lunch table or getting some coffee.
This safe uses a WiFi connection to my phone that will allow me to activate or deactivate other members of staff who may need to get into it in an emergency. The app will also keep a log of entries and locks and attempted and failed entries. — Nick P. Banks
Get it from Amazon now: $369.99 & FREE Returns
5. RPNB Drop Down - Carbon Knight Series
Highlight: Easy-to-reach battery compartment.
Helpful review: I bought this safe to mount on the back of the seat in my pickup. I can keep the pistol in the truck and hide it from prying eyeballs. I tried to find a place to put this safe near the driver's seat, but I can't find one in my setup. Unless I bolted this to the dashboard, I may think about that option, but the King Ranch leather keeps me from doing so. I cannot get myself to drill a hole in that.
The safe is mounted to the back of the rear seat, and when I input the code, it will pop open the drawer, and the gun is ready to draw, like a holster. I can keep my Glock 17 in this safe with a laser sight on the rail. I think this safe will fit all the double-stacker guns on the market.
The "holster" does not have a problem fitting the wide slides for double stackers. When I tried to put my 1911 with a giant rail mount flashlight, it did seem to complain a bit, so maybe think about the setup of your gun.
I thought about using this at my desk for quicker access, but the cheap wood the desk is made of may not support the safe. I think about the fourth time the chair is pushed in and bashes the safe, and the mount will rip the screws out of the particle board. — Trent Bailey
Get it from Amazon now: $199.00 & FREE Returns
6. ONNAIS - Large and Clear Buttons
Highlight: Large and clear buttons.
Helpful review: This safe is small and thin. I can easily keep it in my work desk drawer or bedside table. I use the tether or cable to keep it safe from someone picking it up and walking away. The buttons are large and easy to find with my fingertips without looking. The fingerprint reader sits right in the center of the code buttons; again, it's easy to find without looking.
I like to use the key and tumbler lock over the electronics; I am just that age. When I put one of these in my desk drawer, I finally got into the modern game and used the combo buttons. The security features work like a champ; I have nothing to fear and must get over myself. The safe opens from the top, so I can reach into the box and get whatever I need for whatever
The safe is made with thick sheet metal and is very tough. The lock works great, but it makes some beeping noise when I push it, and I can't turn off the noises. When the lid opens, the little blue LED light bulb puts out some light, but not much. I can never read anything, but I can recognize items.
The interior size of this safe is pretty good; I can fit a full-size 1911. It fits a full-size gun, but it is tight and will not be accessible in a hurry. I can turn in all the EDC stuff from my pockets if I need to, and when I travel, all that goes in the safe. Regarding the price of this safe, I bought about ten more as gifts. What better thing to gift to a gun owner than safety? And if someone in my world was not a gun owner, everyone has a wallet that needs to be locked away, especially when wallets are put in lockers at work. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $109.99 & FREE Returns
7. MAXSafes - Auto-Open Gun Safety Device for 2 Pistols
Highlight: Easy to set up code and biometrics.
Helpful review: This is a simple metal box with a locking lid. It is lined with foam padding, so don't let my initial statement throw you off; there is nothing special about it. The keypad is not visually numbered; it uses raised bumps instead. I get the raised bumps, and the buttons don't light up, so it is easy to feel the number with my fingertips.
Here is my issue with the feel-the-number idea: if I am in a panic and trying to access the gun in the middle of the night to get the bigfoot out of my yard, I may not even feel the raised bumps. When I can't feel anything due to the massive adrenaline dump when I switch on my flashlight to read the buttons, my eyes will not work very well in the dark. Now, I must use the super white light to move through the house. A flashlight in the dark is great for seeing things, but they work both ways and tell the sasquatch exactly where I am.
The biometric reader is easy to set up along with the code, and of course, it has the emergency access keys. The materials it comes with claim the fingerprint reader will work with dirty hands, wet hands, or any other challenges. I tried to dip my finger in some coffee with creamer and open the lock, and it worked perfectly. I did not go out to the yard and get my hands in the mud as a final check; maybe I should have; everything I tried on this safe works just like the owner's manual claims.
I will use this little safe to hold cash in the drawer in my closet. I will be great for that, and I may get one from my Dad's apartment at the assisted living home to keep his meds in between my sister filling up the pill boxes. This will keep all his meds safe and where they belong. Come to think of it, I will put the cash in another gun safe and take this box to him as soon as I hit send and publish this article. — Robert Levine
Get it from Amazon now: $129.99 & FREE Returns
8. VAULTEK MXi - Heavy-Duty Biometric Safe for Multiple Handguns
Highlight: Four dedicated pistol holders and a shelf for ammo.
Helpful review: The last one on the list is a different kind of safe. It should be rated no. 1, but I decided to add it as an extra item. Let me tell you why.
This thing is something you should be seeing at a gun club. It's like a locker at a country club or something. I can imagine an entire wall lined with this setup from top to bottom. The only hang-up is that the door is not see-through, so the management or the boss could not do a spot check on guns if they were used in the workplace.
The print reader is perfect; it never misses or screws up. The operators can mess up and have dirty or oily fingers, and the safe will not open and send a tamper alarm to my phone. Access can be made by way of a code for dirty fingers; even cold fingers will not read right at times. And like all the rest, there is the emergency key backup for when everything does not work.
I use this safe to hold client pistols away from those for sale. This also keeps me from having to move the workbench away from the gun-safe room, making my life a little easier. I also like not showing off the entire stock to strangers I don't know, just the gun they usually pick up. The phone app will track who opened the lock and when it was locked. This little safe will hold eight pistols and the accompanying magazines if the customer leaves them with the gun. All I had to do was order more of the foam blocks, which was done easily.
I would not have bought it for the price tag if this safe had not been sent to me for review. I would use the top shelves of the long gun lockers, which have the same job. This small safe costs over $650 bucks, and even though it is impressive, that much money can buy my four very nice long gun lockers and hold more items. — Zach Holland
Get it from Amazon now: $599.99 & FREE Returns