10 Best Under Bed Gun Safes – Reviewed & Rated

The best under bed gun safes offer peace of mind, secure storage, heavy-duty durability and long-lasting protection for your valuable firearms, while also giving you an added layer of security by hiding them in plain sight.

The idea of having under bed storage is not a foreign concept to space confined homeowners and apartment dwellers alike.

Get that ugly gun safe out of the closet or the corner of the room and instantly upgrade your security, storage capacity and confidence that your guns will be out of reach to little ones and burglars alike by choosing a great under bed option.

This article will be a preparatory examination of the basic things you need to know to make the best decision; one that will likely be a rare purchase as gun safes are not a frequent item to shop for.

As one of the best types of temporary storage for firearms when you consider all the benefits side by side, an under-bed option will suit you well in the long term.

10 Best Under the Bed Gun Safes

1. Hornady 98190 RAPiD

Of the quick entry safes on this list, the Hornady 98190 RAPiD is among the more respected names on the list, and it offers something in the way of upgrades from lesser quality materials.

That doesn’t mean it is perfect, but it’s a very good safe for temporary storage and long-gun access. Foam blocks offer customization on the interior.

Pros

• Multiple ways to enter the lockbox
• Manual key override
• Good brand name
• Long-gun capable

Cons

• Some quality control issues (indicative of price point for the market segment)

Hornady has made a fantastic safe with this one, but it has a few quirks. Once you learn these quirks, you have a top-quality temporary safe for your guns that fits under your bed.

The long-gun capability and the value adds like the handles on the ends and the finish on the metal are excellent features.

The locking mechanism of the Hornady 98190 RAPiD is good enough and the additional cable lock that can help to secure the box further is forward-thinking.

2. King BedBunker

The biggest safe on this list and easily the most secure, the Safety and Security King BedBunker is the all-purpose version of the under-the-bed gun safe.

It is meant for long-term storage more than it is for ease of access and it fits a needed, but somewhat smaller niche in the under-bed safe segment.

This is an excellent choice for those who need a primary/formal safe option and prefer to be a bit more discreet.

Pros

• Long term security and an excellent build that spreads the weight over the platform
• A top-quality mechanical locking mechanism
• Multi-use safe

Cons

• Almost too high a price to add to this list
• Almost too hard to get into, to make it competitive on this list

The most robust gun safe on the market for this market segment, the under-the-bed gun safe has been transformed into a fortress.

The massive theft deterrence and quality of manufacturing make this a very good option for those who actually need a primary gun safe option.

With up to 60-gun capacity, this is the do-it-all version of the under-bed gun storage landscape.

It’s not as easily accessible, but the other features make up for any shortcomings it may have.

A final note: the way the Safety and Security King BedBunker is laid out makes it ideal for upstairs use because the weight is spread over a much larger area than a standard safe, but you’ve got to get it upstairs first.

3. MonsterVault

MonsterVault is a versatile multi-use lockbox type-safe that is nice to have for any type of temporary securitization needs.

The flat profile and utilitarian design make it an obvious choice for the consumer who needs quick access, all-gun capabilities, and a simple design.

Pros

• Good versatility
• Nice size

Cons

• High price for a relatively simple feature set

It’s easy to use that works well anywhere, as well as the overall size of the lockbox makes this a very nice choice for the all-purpose needs of most shooters.

This can be used in a sport utility vehicle or even the bed of a truck to help with the shooting needs or transport needs of any user, even if it’s for non-gun-related items.

The handles on the pull-out tray style of the MonsterVault are very helpful.

4. AmazonBasics Quick-Access

The AmazonBasics is simple and straightforward, but still adequately secure and with some decent tech integration.

This is a good quality small lockbox type-safe that is great for moderate securitization from children and offers fairly quick access for threat mitigation.

Pros

• Good price point
• Well received though not a gun specific brand name
• Relatively easy entry

Cons

• Small size

One of the most straightforward quick access gun safes in the market, this offers a no-nonsense approach to under-the-bed gun storage for temporary access of your pistol.

Three unlocking options (Biometric, 4-button pin code entry, and key) make this a robust option.

The quality construction of the AmazonBasics and trusted brand name (even though they are outside of the gun industry) are helpful in deciding factors.

5. Vaultek VT20i

Lots of technology integration with the VAULTEK VT20i and this seems to be a very nicely made piece.

The technology is of the more useful variety and the quality is very high. The overall size does limit its usefulness, but for those who are a 1 pistol household, this may serve you well, especially when utilizing the included mounting hardware.

Pros

• A lot of technology

Cons

• Small size
• Lightweight
• Easy to recognize for thieves who would want to take it

It may not be the first choice as a primary safe, but as temporary gun storage safe or for other small items, this solution gives good technology integration and the tech is actually useful.

With the included mounting hardware, it can be made a better theft deterrent. The VAULTEK VT20i comes with a lot of extras that others just aren’t matching.

6. SnapSafe 75401

Despite not being exactly like what most safes are, the SnapSafe 75401 gets an honorable mention for those who want good organization and an easy layout.

It’s not poorly built, but it’s also not built like a typical safe. It’s more of a mechanics toolbox from a construction perspective. Don’t take that too negatively, with the temporary nature of the use case for under-bed safes and the great versatility of the design.

Pros

• Very simple
• Has a tray that slides out on tracks

Cons

• Build quality is just moderate

The utility of the design is huge, even if it is made a bit less robust compared to the others on the list.

The SnapSafe 75401 offers huge access value and a quality solution to those who may use this safe as more than just for guns, especially with the slide-out tray system.

7. Stealth Defense Vault DV652

Good metalwork and pretty robust locking and sliding features make the Stealth Defense Vault DV652 a good choice for those who want solid temporary housing of a long gun or multiple handguns.

The build quality is good, though it is not really a gun safe. The overall utility of this item is very high, and it has multiple uses and a relatively high weight, which helps it to be a better theft deterrent.

Pros

• Nice build
• High utility value
• Long gun size

Cons

• A little pricey
• (But it’s not a true gun safe)

While this isn’t really a “gun safe” in the traditional sense, it does do the job with respectable quality.

It’s got amazing utility and the build is fairly heavy duty. The long gun size makes it a better fit for more shooters and the lock isn’t horrible for an electronic lock (electronic locks have a terrible reputation for failure).

The Stealth Defense Vault DV652 is CA DOJ approved for safe storage.

8. SentrySafe

A trusted brand in consumer-grade safes, including the fire-resistant variety, gives this offering some street cred. Despite being one of the more lightweight options in this list the SentrySafe Pistol Safe does have a nice set of features.

The overall build quality might be a bit too flimsy, but it does work as temporary housing for firearms for which you do not want engagement with children.

The three unlocking options give you great quick access philosophy and the biometrics are fairly good on this box.

Pros

• Three unlock methods
• Good reviews

Cons

• Somewhat small and very lightweight
• Slightly too “consumer-grade” for most gun owners

It is a perfect fit for those just entering the gun market. While it isn’t as theft-proof or as heavy as it should be, it does offer some very good features for little money.

The non-gun brand is still a powerhouse in the gun safe and safe storage industry and therefore does have credibility.

The SentrySafe Pistol Safe is approved by the CA DOJ and offers a decent Biometric entry.

9. Fort Knox

A smart design and a quality build make the Fort Knox Shotgun Safe PB6 one of the better choices on the market for the price point and capabilities of a gun safe.

This is more like a true gun safe than many other offerings for an under-the-bed choice.

Pros

• Heavy duty
• Known gun brand
• Very good design

Cons

• Not particularly cheap
• Hard to quickly access complicated long guns

Fort Knox is a known gun-centric brand and offers pretty high-quality storage and this safe is more like a gun safe than a temporary housing unit for quick access.

It is still lightweight, but the 36 pounds makes it able to be attached and secured much better than the lighter weight competition.

The single-end opening design is both a help and a hindrance. It offers good protection and higher avoidance of theft.

The Fort Knox Shotgun Safe PB6 also makes retrieval difficult for some long guns- which can actually be a good thing if one of your primary reasons for a safe purchase is as a child deterrent.

10. STEALTH Handgun Hanger

The STEALTH Handgun Hanger Safe is robust, albeit a bit too lightweight for true peace of mind on the theft side of the argument.

This high utility box is perfect for those who need to store multiple handguns at a place that is within quick reach.

The price is right and the reviews bear out its efficiency well.

Pros

• Nice storage area and the cube design is great

Cons

• Still not a dedicated “gun safe”

While this is still not a true “gun safe’ it’s about as good as it gets at the price point.

It should be applauded for its efforts at bringing great features to a market saturated with too many consumer-grade gimmicks, generally.

A 5 pistol capacity makes the STEALTH Handgun Hanger Safe a no-brainer for those who need quickly accessible storage that offers a high degree of credibility.

Key Features

Locking system

There are several types of locking systems available on an under-the-bed gun safe. They include, for bigger safes, multi-point mechanical locks, and for smaller safes, mechanical or electronic locks.

The different locking types also have sub-types as well. Electronic locks on gun safes under $1000 are generally not of the highest quality. Let’s clarify this: from a general gun safe perspective- you can find high-end locking mechanisms and low-end mechanisms.

These are on the lower end (most of them). This doesn’t mean that they aren’t usable and that they aren’t capable of keeping your guns safe, it just means that when you are at the low-end price point, expect some of the locking mechanisms to be of a lesser design.

From a general perspective, the mechanical locking mechanism will almost always have a benefit where actual protection against theft is needed. Electronic or biometric locks are best when protection from a safety perspective is needed, i.e. children who shouldn’t touch the guns.

There are some fairly complex locking mechanisms also, where it is mechanical but also electronic. Multiple locking mechanisms can keep all but the most dedicated intruders out.

A note that is exceptionally important: a box that can be taken is not a very good safe, unless you secure it in another way, so it cannot just be removed from the property and broken into elsewhere.

An unattended box type-safe of lightweight construction is only for protection against children or others who should not be touching the gun. Dedicated criminals will just steal the entire box and spend time in another location to open it up to retrieve the contents.

It is for this reason, that unless you are purchasing a legitimately designed, heavyweight gun safe for under your bed, it is generally considered to function as a temporary safe that is there for use as a quick retrieval safe for use in protecting the home more easily. The big security duties generally should be reserved for the heavier duty, very heavyweight safes.

The main hallmarks of most under-the-bed safes are locking mechanisms built to allow quick entry, a small amount of storage, and convenient placement. Again, this is not a negative implication on under-the-bed safes, it’s a highlight/overview of their actual design functionality.

For those who now understand that under the bed safes are used for a different application than previously determined, you may look for a bulkier, harder to move, and harder to infiltrate safe.

Material

Most safes are still made of steel, heavy-gauge construction. But many are now utilizing plastic or aluminum construction components due to the nature of the quick, temporary design aspect of most under-the-bed gun safes.

For the purposes of this article we have chosen a wide range of safe types, but we have made a point to find safes that offer steel construction for the locking box area. This is to ensure that the safes in this list are on a more even playing field and that you can see the variance in types of constructions and the quality in an objective manner.

Note this list also has a very wide range of durability, toughness, weight, size, and type of safes. Again, this is for guiding you in the concepts of choosing a great safe, rather than to simply throwing a bunch of safes up that may or may not benefit you.

Size/Storage capacity

Most, though not all (as you will see in this list) under bed gun storage options will be for a limited number of firearms, mostly to ensure that the safes are used as temporary devices. They are vastly meant for quick, “middle-of-the-night” access with fast entry.

This is not true of all the options for under-the-bed gun safe choices. There are very heavy-duty gun safes that can be used for long-term storage and safety. We detail one on this list to show what’s available. They are incredibly expensive and may not be the best option for quick access and easy opening.

Under the bed gun storage is usually about 1-2 firearms of the type that the safe will cater to. This means: if you bought one that is meant for long guns, you can fit 1 to 2 long guns in the safe on average. If you bought a safe that caters to pistols, the safe should fit 1 to 2 pistols.

Bigger, more dedicated long-term storage safes that fit under the bed can accommodate 12-60 long guns and many more pistols with the appropriate considerations.

It’s important to clarify, that even though we will cover some aspects of safe ownership and transport in this article, they are general information, applicable to all safes, and not just the lighter duty safes normally found in the under-bed segment of the market.

Transportation

Most of this information is intended as a general primer on all gun safes and the need for understanding what you are getting. It also applies specifically to a very heavy-duty safe included on this list.

Generally, transportation will factor very little into the overall picture once you decide on the placement and the specific needs for the area. But there are some considerations that you may not have thought about regarding the transportation of a safe.

Upstairs vs downstairs

Choosing whether you want your safe upstairs or downstairs will ultimately depend on the build of your home and the size and weight of your chosen gun safe. Some gun safes simply cannot be placed upstairs without significant considerations and possible alterations to the floor joists and support in the home.

When considering full-size double-width safes for use in a second story, there are some major points that must be considered. If you prefer to sleep upstairs or downstairs, that can have an impact on whether the bed you sleep in will house the safe gun storage. Many factors can contribute to this decision, some will be laid out in the following paragraphs.

A general rule of thumb, for MOST safes, and usually all high capacity safes, you will want to be planning to have it on a ground floor with a significant foundation (like concrete) because of the sheer weight of the item, especially when full.

Even the most robust residential buildings will have severe limitations by either inability to relocate to the second floor or higher, or the inability to have that much weight on the floor in such a concentrated capacity.

That said, with the modern building codes, and given enough size to spread out the weight across multiple joists in the floor, having a big safe upstairs is possible, just not necessarily desirable.  Landings and narrow banister widths will likely be the biggest hurdle to an upstairs safe location with a larger safe.

However, some of the obvious benefits of most of these safes in this article, is the lack of weight, making them mobile with you.

Most of the safes on this list are easily transportable by the individual and weigh less than 50 pounds.

When we furnish the information in this article it makes sense to help you become better informed about all aspects of the gun safe industry.

Therefore, you are seeing a wealth of information intended to help you make a better buying decision and to be in a position later to make other buying decisions with the information needed.

Weight considerations

Transporting the firearms outside of a safe is one thing, and it will require significant logistical planning. More importantly, the significant size and weight of a larger safe meant for use under a bed will put a huge dent in the ease of placement, moving, and transportation.

The overall makeup of the safe will have a lot to do with the feasibility of such actions. You can probably assume there will be three hundred pounds or more of the weight involved with moving the biggest safes. The fewer times it must be moved, the better. The size is also an issue though; read further to see why.

From the aspect of the lighter-weight safes, the mobility of the safe is one of their primary attributes. It is a good design feature because you can transport them easily and use them in multiple places, which can add to gun safety and protection against theft that they are built for. They would allow ease of access to the owner and nearby personal defense protection that you might not have otherwise.

The unwieldy dimensions of larger safes vs. the homes you want to place them in

Some safes are built for specific use cases and as such, there is little thought put into the moving of such an object into a normal tract home, when the research and development team dreams up the next great design at the factory.

Stair height, floor weight capacities, and door widths, as well as stair rail hand-guards, are all things that must be taken into consideration when placing or relocating a safe.

The tight corners in your home might be a big problem; similarly, the bedroom that is at the end of a tight hallway may not be able to house a larger safe because it cannot make it into the room without taking out a wall.

Staying in a single residence or making moves over the years

While we may never plan to move, sometimes life just happens. A job/career change, family event, or an offer too good to pass up on your current home may force a move into a new piece of real estate.

There can be significant costs and efforts associated with moving a gun safe, especially one designed for under-bed fit. Having an upstairs bedroom as part of the equation on either side will further complicate the move of a larger safe.

Most of these safes, even the exceptionally affordable ones will offer a lifetime of service. Gun safes are very simple products with a good quality build that has very few parts to break or wear out.

Therefore, over the years they can be counted on to retain their value in usefulness and durability. That’s what they were designed to do, even on the low end of the pricing spectrum.

Bottom Line

Under-bed gun storage can seemingly be a big topic to consider. You just don’t know what to expect until you physically receive the item and must live with it for a while.

Suffice it to say: because of this, no article could ever be comprehensive enough to cover all possible scenarios.

Hopefully, this article gave you enough background information and helped to explain the pros and cons of the different options available to you.

After all, this type of purchase can escalate quickly into a major decision-making process and will ultimately be the defining factor in the safety of the people in the home with regards to firearm access and will help to secure your valuable firearms to protect them from theft, natural occurrences, fire or other non-ideal situations.

A proper gun-safe solution that uses your bed as its geographic location will ultimately be a sound decision for the wellbeing of your firearms and your family with the investment being well worth your time in figuring it out.

The basics covered in this article will no doubt help you to make an informed decision that fits your needs well and saves you time, effort and money.