How to Buy the Best Fireproof Safe

Buy the best fireproof safe by checking the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating. If a fireproof safe has a UL 125 grade, for example, this means the temperature will stay below 125 degrees when the safe is exposed to open flame. If you're planning to store paper items in the fireproof safe or fireproof file cabinet, look for a version rated at UL 350. Opt for a UL 125 safe if you also need to protect items with a lower burn point like compact discs or videos.

Consider the duration of fire protection that you'll need from the safe. The best fireproof safes are UL listed for one, two or three hours of heat resistance. Although a fireproof safe offering three hours of protection may be considered overkill since a typical fire will burn at its maximum temperature for less than an hour, you may want the increased timeframe for peace of mind.

Ensure the fire resistant safe you're considering is also waterproof (or that you store the home safe in a location where it will be protected from fire sprinklers) to avoid water damage to the paperwork contained inside.

Let the home safe pull double duty by opting to buy the best fireproof safe that also offers burglary resistance such as high-security combination or key lock. Safes also have Underwriters Laboratories standards for burglary-a fireproof safe listed as TL-30 means that a technician has tried to open the safe with electric, lock pick or grinding tools for 30 minutes. You may only want to invest in these measures on larger safes, however, since the smallest fireproof safes can simply be carried from your home.