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Fire safes are designed to protect your valuables from being misplaced or stolen as any normal safe but with the added benefit of being fireproof. This helps when important documents are being stored.
The most important factor when purchasing a fire safe is the fire proof rating. This tells you how effectively the safe will withstand certain temperatures and for what length of time. Eg , a 1 hour 350 degree F rating means that the fire safes have been exposed to a 1700 degree F fire for a period of 1 hour, and that the temperature inside the safes did not rise above 350 degrees F. The 350 degree F number is a low enough temperature to protect documents and other fairly durable items from permanent damage.
If you need to protect more delicate valuables or electronic media backup, fire safes are available that have a special media rating. This means that in test conditions the temperature in the safe does not exceed 125 degrees, sufficient to protect such documents, as well as the humidity not exceeding 80%, (another important factor when protecting electronic equipment).
There is also a burglary rating (usually in minutes) on some fire safes. Not all of them carry a burglary rating, but on those that do include this, obviously the higher the rating the more secure the safe.
There are a variety of locking mechanisms available including mechanical combination dials, mechanical keylocks, electronic keypad locks, and biometric locks. The electronic keypad type of locking mechanism tends to be easier to access and maintain than the mechanical dial or keylock type. Fire safes with a biometric lock offer even more security. A biometric lock uses a fingerprint scanner to grant access to the safe. The user simply places their index finger on the scanner, and the safe opens if the fingerprint is a match.
Usually when fire safe has electronic access, the record of when the safe is accessed can be logged. This helps with security especially if one or very few people have access to the safe.
There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing a fire safe, work out what you will be storing, the fire and burglary rating you want or need, as well as the kind of locking mechanism would most suit. It is advisable once considering all the options to opt for the most expensive safe you can afford, with the highest rating that you feel poses the greater risk.