As you likely already know, the days of keeping your spare keys in easily accessible places are over. Years of people using places like plant pots and doormats as the ‘safe’ place to store a spare key means that criminals are wise to these choices. With that being the case, it is imperative that you find safer, more effective ways to keep your spare keys. After all, a spare key is essential for security.
If you lose your key or it is stolen, at least with a spare key, you can get back indoors until a local locksmith in can help you. The problem is, of course, finding the right kind of storage option. You have two common choices available today: key lockboxes and key safes. What is better?
We spoke with an expert local Sheffield locksmith in the UK to get a better idea of what a professional recommends if you are looking to find a better way to store your missing keys. Read on for expert insight!
Key Lockboxes & Key Safes: At A Glance
As we mentioned above, using old-school methods of key storage is prone to failure. Sure, it might be easier to tell someone to pick up your keys from under the plant pot, but these are the first places that criminals will check. With that in mind, you can use a key lockbox or key safe instead.
You get various forms of key lockboxes and key safes. To the untrained eye, both options are one and the same. However, there are some important differences that you need to be made aware of.
A key lockbox is a storage container that is kept outdoors, usually around the entrance to your door or in a secure place such as inside a shed. These have a lock on them that you need to open with a key or a passcode if it is secured using an electronic locking system.
However, a key safe is the same thing – the terms key safe and key lockbox are interchangeable for the most part. If you look for both keywords online, you will find significant overlap between the products that appear in your search results.
What’s The Difference, Then?
Really, there is no difference. A locksmith would be just as likely to call a key safe a key lockbox. It just depends on the terminology they are most comfortable with; broadly, they provide the same feature. The difference comes down to individual products as opposed to the specific terminology being used.
The main difference, really, comes down to certification. You find many products that are being called an ‘approved key safe’ when, in reality, they have gone through no rigorous or professional testing whatsoever.
These types of lockboxes are made from low-quality, cheap plastics. There is a reason, after all, why they tend to cost around £20!
Most of the time, they provide nothing more than an easy place for a criminal to check if they want to snoop around your house to find your keys.
How Do I Find A Quality Key Lockbox/Key Safe?
The most important distinctions that you are looking for when choosing such a product are the presence of the term Police Approved. If you are buying a key safe, it should always come with this distinction within the description. However, as we mentioned above, many vendors use these terms without actually verifying whether this is the truth or not. That obviously comes with a potential risk factor.
We want to avoid such a situation, right? So, you should make sure that any police-approved key safe or key lockbox you look at is Secured By Design verified. You can often find verification on their website; if you are ever unsure about a lockbox/key safe, call a locksmith in your local area. They can review the product for you and verify whether or not it actually provides the protection claimed.
Police-approved key safes are designed to be durable enough that they would need to be cut with an angle grinder to open without the right access codes or keys. As you can imagine, that makes plenty of noise.
Secured by Design is an independent, trusted body within the UK security industry. They provide you with peace of mind that your product is, in fact, verified and has gone through rigorous testing. Most Secured by Design police-approved lockboxes/key safes have comprehensive, thorough security features. That means they will have something far more robust than push-button entry!
Ensuring The Correct Certification
Police-approved key safes/lockboxes are generally safe to use. However, there is another vital feature to look out for: LPS1175. This is provided by the Loss Prevention Certification Board and stands for Loss Prevention Standard 1175. Why can you trust this certification?
- They are a part of the wider British Research Establishment, an authority in UK security
- The Loss Prevention Certification Board has over a century of standard-setting history
- LPCB products cover a whole range of fire protection and safety products overall
- You can review more about products that are LPS1175 approved in the Red Book.
Any key safe that is worth buying will be police-approved, verified by Secured by Design, and be visible on the above list of LPS1175-approved products.
Not Sure What Key Safe/Lockbox To Buy?
We understand that despite the above details, this can still feel like a confusing process. Thus, you should contact a local locksmith to ask for their professional opinion. They can give you their insight and expertise into key safes/lockboxes and make sure that the product you buy is of the correct standard. They can also assist with installing and managing your lockbox so that it works as intended.
The quality of your lockbox is something that you should never take risks with. When you invest in such a security solution, you should benefit from years of peace of mind from its presence. Call a locksmith and use their experience to make sure you find the perfect lockbox or key safe.
