The primary purpose for selecting a college dorm safe is to protect your personal belongings. I recommend you generate a list of those items you cherish and can’t live without. Before my son ventured off to college, my wife and son jotted down a quick list of essential items to store within the college dorm safe. The reality of this exercise is to determine what personal property is important. Once the list is completed, then the size, durability, and access features of the college dorm safe can be determined.
Here’s the list of items my son thought necessary to store in the college dorm safe. This list will vary depending on one’s needs.
- Social Security Card (FYI – my son forgot his and needed it for a job).
- Passport or other Identification
- Medication(s)
- Birth Certificate (a copy should suffice)
- Cash / Checkbook / Bank Account Numbers
- Credit Card / Debit Card
- Laptop, Ipad or other electronic devices
- Spare Car Keys
- Jewelry
- SD Cards, USB Drives
- External Hard Drive
- Camera
With your list in hand you can now narrow your search for a safe to protect your valuables. A college dorm safe can come in many shapes and sizes. In addition, today’s safes are constructed from different material and use different mechanisms for access (combination lock, biometric (finger scan), touch code etc.) All of these options will affect the college dorm safe pricing.
Here’s the list of college dorm safes I selected. All of the safes are under $100 and relatively small as I’m assuming storage space is limited.
College Dorm Safe – Under $100
1. DormVault
The DormVault has been around since 2007 and has made its way onto many college campuses. It’s constructed of high impact-resistant ABS (plastic polymer). It comes equipped with two mounting options, a bracket and security cable, to accommodate your needs. DormVault does not include a lock. Storage space is approximately 0.25 cu. ft. Unfortunately, it’s not large enough for a laptop, but it does have space for an IPad or similar product. Retails at $69.99.
2. Sentry® Safe P005C Compact- 0.05 cu. ft.
This Sentry Safe is the smallest of the five safes that I’ve selected. Just large enough to storage credit cards, keys, medications, etc. It’s constructed from durable steel and comes with a built-in programmable 3-number lock. You can secure it to a bed post using the provided steel cable. Another nice feature is the interior has a soft lining to protect valuables during transport. Although the safe is small and lacks storage capacity, I find the safe appealing as it can go with you when traveling away from home. Retails for approximately $23.00.
3. Sentry® Safe – 0.25 cubic feet – Fire and Water Resistant
Here’s another quality safe with very good reviews. This particular safe not only protects your valuables from thieves, it’s also designed to provide a level of protection from fire and water exposure. The case is large enough to hold letter and A4 size paper (flat) within the main compartment. The safe body is constructed of hard polyethylene. The upper lid also has a couple of straps to hold other documents as well. This particular safe uses a key for access which I personally don’t like as you need to then store the key in a safe place. I personally do better with combination locks versus keeping track of an extra key. That being said, some individuals find it difficult to remember combinations and prefer the key entry option. I found this safe to retail between $36.00 and $55.00. The carry handle makes this a travel friendly safe as well.
4. SentrySafe PL048E Electronic Security Box, 0.5 Cubic Feet
Here’s another SentySafe which I personally like the best for a dorm room application. The only reason I say this is because it large enough to storage all my valuables including my laptop. In addition, it has a combination lock for entry and a back-up key just in case I forget the combination. The safe includes a tethering cable so it can be secured to a bed or other feature. It’s constructed of durable steel and retails at just under $52.00. Plenty of storage room, low profile and nice price-point.
5. Stalwart Electronic Large Digital Steel Safe for Laptops and Tablets
I selected this safe for several reasons. Firstly, it’s under the $100 threshold, large enough to store a laptop and I found it at several retailers around town and on the internet. It is constructed of double wall steel and accessed via a programmable battery operated combination lock. Batteries are included! The low profile design allows storage beneath the bed or in the closet. The safe is bulkier than the other four and weighs just under 28 pounds.
Interior dimensions are 7.8” L x 19.64”W x 15.64” H. If space is not an issue in your particular case, this may be a good option for you. If these safes don’t do the job for you, take a look at the following link that provides a list of top 5 laptop safes . Pricing for these safes will vary from $100 to $300. I also recommend that you do an internet search to get an idea of what’s out there.
I hope this post is helpful and points you or son/daughter in the right direction when shopping for a college dorm safe. Bag of Courage or myself are not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies that produce or distribute the college dorm safes described in this post.
The Bag of Courage strives to educate, empower, and convince our youth and college-bound students to go against the grain and make lifestyle choices that keep them safe and prepared for emergencies. I hope you find this article helpful. Please comment, follow Bag of Courage on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
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Just in case you were wondering about a particular university’s campus safety and crime statistics…the U.S. Department of Education offers a “Campus Safety and Security” analysis tool. The online tool provides general security, safety and crime statistics for colleges and universities in the United States. Click here for a direct link to the site.