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We don’t test safes ourselves. We compare published specs, independent certifications and public safety records. Read our method.
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Passports, certificates and a few USB drives, for the least money
Recall check:
A flat plastic fire and water chest that holds A4 and letter paper unfolded.
Full-size papers laid flat, with the deepest water claim here
Recall check:
A file chest for hanging folders, with UL fire and ETL water claims.
Letter-size hanging files you want to keep flat and in order
Recall check:
A small double-wall plastic fire chest with a UL fire claim.
A compact fire and water chest for folded papers
Recall check:
A small double-wall plastic fire chest with a UL fire claim.
The same compact chest without the water seal, sold by Amazon
Recall check:
SPEC TABLE
Each tag shows who stands behind the claim. What these ratings mean
| Specification | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire rating | 30 min · 1,550°F · Test profile not publishedListing says UL (not yet confirmed) | 30 min · 1,550°F · Test profile not publishedListing says ETL (not yet confirmed) | 30 min · 1,550°F · Test profile not publishedListing says UL (not yet confirmed) | 30 min · 1,550°F · Test profile not publishedListing says UL (not yet confirmed) | 30 min · 1,550°F · Test profile not publishedListing says UL (not yet confirmed) |
| Water rating | Not published | 72 hours · 39.4 inMaker’s claim | 72 hoursListing says ETL (not yet confirmed) | 100 hours · 39.4 inMaker’s claim | Not published |
| Burglary rating | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| Steel gauge | Not publishedLower number = thicker steel | Not publishedLower number = thicker steel | Not publishedLower number = thicker steel | Not publishedLower number = thicker steel | Not publishedLower number = thicker steel |
| Bolts | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Lock type | keyMaker’s claim | keyMaker’s claim | keyMaker’s claim | keyMaker’s claim | keyMaker’s claim |
| Capacity | 0.18 cu ftMaker’s claim | 0.24 cu ftMaker’s claim | 0.65 cu ftMaker’s claim | 0.15 cu ftMaker’s claim | 0.15 cu ftMaker’s claim |
| Weight | 13.32 lbMaker’s claim | 21.6 lbMaker’s claim | 38.85 lbMaker’s claim | 18.9 lbMaker’s claim | 18.3 lbMaker’s claim |
| Outside size | 6.1 H × 14.3 W × 11.2 D inMaker’s claim | 6.57 H × 15.98 W × 12.6 D inMaker’s claim | 14.3 H × 15.5 W × 13.5 D inMaker’s claim | 7.28 H × 12.4 W × 9.84 D inMaker’s claim | 7.28 H × 12.4 W × 9.84 D inMaker’s claim |
| Anchoring | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Price | $36.45Amazon price as of Oct 19, 2026 Check price on Amazon | $149.47Amazon price as of Oct 19, 2026 Check price on Amazon | $68Amazon price as of Oct 19, 2026 Check price on Amazon | $89.99Amazon price as of Oct 19, 2026 Check price on Amazon | $56.25Amazon price as of Oct 19, 2026 Check price on Amazon |
We don't test safes ourselves. We compare published specs, independent certifications and public safety records.
Our pick is the SentrySafe 1210. A small fire chest is the cheapest way to protect passports, birth certificates, deeds and a few drives, and for that job you want two things: a fire rating that names a lab, and a stated limit for the temperature inside. The 1210 has both, plus a separate claim for digital media, at the lowest price here. If you need more room or a lock that resists tools, step up to a fireproof safe.
SentrySafe states a UL fire classification for the 1210, and its manual says the inside stays below the point where paper chars for the length of the rating. It adds a separate ETL claim for CDs, DVDs and USB drives, which matters because drives fail at far lower temperatures than paper. SentrySafe also offers a lifetime after-fire replacement.
What it lacks is a water claim. If your chest will live in a basement, or you worry about water from firefighting hoses, choose one of the chests with a water rating below.
The Honeywell 1503 is a wide, flat chest that holds full-size papers without folding, and it states a water depth as well as a duration. Two cautions. Honeywell's own page calls its fire rating ETL certified while Amazon's copy says UL, so we show the maker's version. Its water claim names no lab. On 2026-10-17 its only seller was a third party with one unit left.
Honeywell safes are made under licence by LH Licensed Products, not by Honeywell International.
The HD4100 is larger than the other chests, so it holds letter-size hanging folders upright. It pairs the same UL fire claim as the 1210 with an ETL water claim, though SentrySafe gives the water rating's duration and not its depth. It is a chest, so it sits here rather than with the full-size safes, but it is heavy enough that you won't carry it out in a hurry.
The Honeywell 1102 and 1101 share one double-wall plastic shell, sized for folded letters and small items. The 1102 adds a water seal. Honeywell's page claims a far longer water duration for it than Amazon's copy, and neither version names a lab. The 1101 has no water claim from Honeywell, even though Amazon's copy mentions flood protection. Honeywell calls both "UL Certified" without naming a UL class.
All five chests state the same short fire duration. That is a test of the chest in a furnace that climbs to a set temperature, and the result is a promise about the inside. It doesn't tell you how long the room around it will burn. Read what fire ratings mean before you treat two chests with the same number as equal. We could not confirm any of these ratings in UL's directory, which blocked our access, so the table labels them as listing claims.
Every chest here uses a privacy key lock on a plastic or resin case. SentrySafe says plainly that its lock is not meant to resist tools. A thief can simply carry a chest away. Keep it out of sight, and keep anything valuable to a burglar in a bolted-down safe instead.
Only SentrySafe and Honeywell sell an in-stock small chest on Amazon whose fire claim names a lab. We checked the others and left them out:
None of the five models matched a CPSC recall or warning in our searches on 2026-10-17. CPSC lists recalls of other Honeywell-branded products, including DH45W, DH50W and DH70W dehumidifiers and portable heaters. None is a safe or chest.
Before you buy a fire bag instead, read what fireproof document bags are actually tested for. To protect firearms as well as papers, see our long gun safe roundup. Read how we rate for the labels in the table, and the SentrySafe SFW123DSB vs Honeywell 1503 comparison if you are choosing between a safe and a chest.
SOURCES
Manufacturer and listing claims stay labelled until confirmed in a certifier’s directory.