Most of the safes I see online have the battery compartment inside the safe. I’d prefer one where I can replace the batteries from the outside, so I don’t have to rely on a key unless it’s an emergency. I’m not too concerned about having a super strong safe—most burglars can break into them or just take the whole thing anyway. It’s more to keep things safe from house staff or casual access.
Looking for recommendations under $200. Thanks in advance!
I have a cheap fire safe for documents, and the batteries can definitely be replaced from the outside. I got it from Costco about 30 years ago. I’ve even lost the key, but I think most of the newer ones also let you replace the batteries from outside.
@Victor
You’re probably right. A few years ago, that wasn’t the case though. I had an AmazonBasics safe back then—it was terrible. The batteries were on the inside, and when the keypad died and I lost the key, I had to break into it. Surprisingly, it was super easy to crack, and I have zero skills for that sort of thing.
@Paris
Wow, that’s frustrating! I’ve seen some newer ones with small metal pads under the keypad. You can use a 9v battery on those to give it power if the internal batteries die.
You could try drilling a hole at the bottom of the safe and running wires from the battery compartment out to an external power source.
Cole said:
You could try drilling a hole at the bottom of the safe and running wires from the battery compartment out to an external power source.
But where would you run the wires? The ones I’ve seen just use two AA batteries. How would you even extend that?
@Paris
You could connect the wires to an external AA battery holder. Those are really cheap, and it wouldn’t take long to set it up.
I have this safe: Amazon link. It comes with an external battery pack you can plug in if the internal batteries die. It’s decent for what it is.
@Richard
That might be a little too fancy for my needs, but I appreciate the suggestion!