Key Safe, are they safe? 25 September 2016 at 4:19PM in Over 50s MoneySaving 41 replies 37.5K views

northwest1965

We're looking into this. Are they really safe? It wouldn't be fitted anywhere near a door and not facing a road or pathway.

There is only one on the market that I can see that is police approved.

Biggles

If you search for Keysafe on the forum, you'll find at least a couple of past threads. I wouldn't have one.

northwest1965

Biggles wrote: »

If you search for Keysafe on the forum, you'll find at least a couple of past threads. I wouldn't have one.

I did that and they seem old threads. I would assume newer products have come on the market like

https://keysafe.co.uk/product/93/c500-keysafe#

If you are having carers come into your home, what choice do you have?

converted

if you need carers coming in then you don't have a choice - they need access and cannot cope with extra keys getting cut as they are very easy to get lost.


I would strongly recommend getting one with push button access. With the dial type someone can follow whoever is putting the code in and take a quick picture of the code, thereby gaining access later on when they know there is no one there.

northwest1965

converted wrote: »

I would strongly recommend getting one with push button access. With the dial type someone can follow whoever is putting the code in and take a quick picture of the code, thereby gaining access later on when they know there is no one there.

Great point thanks:)

Owain_Moneysaver

Don't set the code to date of birth, or 1945.

Savvy_Sue

We've had one fitted at work for a number of years in a fairly dodgy area without any issues.

The one we have has a dial, and it is quite fiddly to use: you have to get the numbers precisely lined up, so that would be another vote for a push-button one ...

Mr.Generous

having removed a couple I can confirm it would be ten times easier to break in the house than to force a key safe. I'm surprised we don't all have remote control alarms and locks on our homes, we do on cars and can't imagine going back to a key.

Biggles

northwest1965 wrote: »

I did that and they seem old threads. I would assume newer products have come on the market

No, that was on the market then; it still has the old disadvantage of you only being able to use each digit once in the code, thereby giving anyone trying to crack it a huge advantage. But this one does have 12 buttons instead of 10, which does mean it would take longer. My Mum's had 10 and it would only have been the work of a few minutes - I tested it to see how long it would take to run through the possible combinations!

There may, as you say, be little choice. But bear in mind what they say and do choose a code between 5 and 7 digits in length. Absolutely avoid 4 digits, as that is what a burglar would try first (bearing in mind PINs etc).

loopy_lass

northwest1965 wrote: »

Great point thanks:)

just to say i have the dial one, out of obvious view. the comment about push button being more secure, they get worn in a pattern therefore leaving it easier to copy the worn pattern.

also bizzarly enough, a light dusting of finger print powder reveals the buttons pressed, whereas a dial is more difficult.

regards LL

teddysmum

A solution would be to change the code, periodically.