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Keep Your Home Safe on Vacation: 10 Essential Tips

Caroline Costello

Caroline Costello's travel accomplishments include surviving a 2 a.m. whitewater rafting excursion in the Canadian wilderness, successfully biking from Dusseldorf to Cologne without a map, and gaining access to a covert pizza speakeasy in New Orleans.

Caroline is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Her work has appeared on USA Today , the Boston Globe , AOL.com, MSNBC.com, ABC News, TODAY Travel, and CruiseCritic.com, among other publications.

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Murphy’s Law for travelers: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong while you’re on vacation—which is arguably the worst time a household calamity can strike. Coming home from your honeymoon, African safari or Mediterranean cruise can be gloomy. But returning from a memorable journey and learning something has gone seriously wrong at home can be downright devastating.

How to Keep Your Home Safe While Away

To make matters worse, a house or apartment left empty while its owners are traveling is a tempting target for criminals. We don’t want to scare you—or leave you fearing for your treasured belongings while basking on a Caribbean beach. But it’s imperative that every traveler take certain key steps to keep his or her home safe and sound while seeing the world. Basic preventative measures (which take only minutes to complete) can work wonders to help you keep your home safe from power surges, broken pipes, home invasions, and more while you’re away.

Ask a Friend to Help

A simple, albeit crucial, way to gain peace of mind while traveling is to ask a friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your house while you’re away. First, bribe your friend with some freshly baked cookies or cupcakes. Next, ask him or her to drive by your home once every day or so and check on the place. Give this person a key so that he or she can bring your mail in, feed your cat, water your plants, rake your leaves, etc. If you don’t have a garage, you may also want to give this person a key to your car—you never know when your vehicle may need to be moved. He or she should also have your contact information and a copy of your itinerary in case of emergencies.

Do you have more than one person visiting your house while you’re away? If so, tell them about each other! If the neighbor you asked to keep an eye on your abode calls the police on your elderly cat sitter, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Don’t Tip Off Criminals on the Web

In a world where it seems everyone is blabbing about their business on social media, it’s important to stop and think: Who exactly is reading this stuff? The anonymity of the internet can encourage us to share personal information without fully realizing that there may be hundreds of complete strangers receiving our daily musings. Would you announce to a crowd that you will be leaving your house unattended for two weeks this month? If not, then you should think twice about posting your detailed vacation plans on social media—especially if that information is visible to internet users other than your friends and family (and it probably is). And take heart: You can always post your vacation pics after you return.

Be careful what you say on your voice mail too. Callers don’t need to know that you’re not home—they just need to know that you can’t come to the phone right now.

Do Tip Off the Police

Consider notifying the police if you’re going on vacation. No need to let the cops know about a weekend getaway, but do call them if you’re leaving town for longer than a week or two. It’s possible the police may go out of their way to drive by your house while on patrol, especially if you live in a small town. If you have a security alarm, leave a house key and the code with someone you trust, and provide the police and alarm company with their name and phone number. You may also want to contact your local neighborhood watch program if there’s one in your area.

Curtains Closed—or Open?

Before you leave for vacation, you may decide to close your curtains to prevent people from peering inside your home to see whether you’re there. However, closed curtains also stop those who aim to help—the police, your neighbors or friends—from seeing inside your house. So what’s your best bet? Leave your curtains exactly as you usually keep them when you’re home, since noticeable changes could hint that you’re not around anymore—especially if your curtains are uncharacteristically left closed for two weeks. Move expensive items, like jewelry or computers, out of plain sight if they’re visible from the window. Store small valuables and important documents in a home safe .

The Lights Are on But No One’s Home

Don’t leave your lights on at home throughout your entire vacation in an effort to make it look like someone is in the house. Your electric bill will end up more costly than your mortgage, and house lights blazing throughout the night might look a bit suspicious.

Instead, purchase a light switch timer that can turn your lights on and off automatically according to a programmed schedule. Criminals keeping an eye on your house will notice lights flipping on and off, and will probably assume someone is doing the flipping. Amazon offers a number of such products, including this one from Honeywell and this one from Enerlites .

Stop Your Mail

Either place a “stop” order on mail and newspapers (we also recommend this in our Ultimate Checklist for Traveling Abroad ), or arrange to have a friend or neighbor pick up your mail while you’re away. Otherwise, a week’s worth of papers piled on your front step could signal to criminals that this particular homeowner is out of town. It’s easy to put your mail on hold at USPS.com . If you’re not going to be away for more than a night or two, but you’re concerned about the security of your mail, consider upgrading to a locking security mailbox .

Put That in Your Pipe

If you live in a cold region of the world and your pipes are in danger of freezing during winter, you have another compelling reason to leave a house key with a friend while you’re traveling. Ask your friend to stop by and check your faucets. If he or she turns on a faucet and only a few drops of water come out, your pipes may be frozen.

Take other precautions like making sure your pipes are properly insulated and keeping your heat on while you’re away—a smart thermostat can help efficiently maintain a minimum temperature in your home without overspending. Show your key-bearing companion the location of the water main shut-off in case a pipe breaks.

Pull the Plug

Unplug your television, computer, toaster oven, and other appliances to protect them from power surges. This will help you save power as well; many appliances draw energy even when they’re turned off.

Remove Your Spare Key

That plastic rock isn’t fooling anyone. If a criminal figures out you’re away on vacation, it’s likely that he or she will check your porch for a spare key. So reach under the mat, into the mailbox, above the door frame, or into the flower pot and remove your spare key before you leave on your vacation. If you must leave a spare key outside your house, put it in a well-hidden secure portable lock box .

Use a Monitoring Doorbell System

A video doorbell system like the Ring Doorbell allows you to see, hear, and speak to visitors from anywhere in the world via your smart phone. As soon as motion is detected at your door, an alert notification is sent to your phone ensuring constant surveillance wherever your device is installed.

Buy on Amazon

More from SmarterTravel:

• 8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Life
• 12 Life-Saving Travel Hacks for Your Next Trip
• 6 Ways to Feel Like You’re on Vacation at Home

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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30 Ways to Protect Your Home While on Vacation [Detailed Guide]

Amar Hussain

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Invest in a Monitored Security System

Put a pause on your mail deliveries, have someone keep an eye on your empty home, set a timer for your electronics, keep your lawn mowed, keep tools and ladders locked away, leave your car in the driveway, beef up your security systems, keep your vacation plans away from social media, lock up your valuables, keep your regular cleaner schedule, keep it on the down-low, hide your gps, think about investing in smart lighting, tell your neighbors, consider your curtains, don’t stash your key, have someone take the trash out for you, add a smart lock to your door, install a sensor light, install a fake burglar alarm unit or stickers, disconnect the garage door, tell your local police department, install a video doorbell, check your security devices before you leave, protect your home against floods, protect your home against storm damage, protect against fire in the home, check your household insurance policy, hire a house sitter, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Going on vacation is super exciting. Now that it is all booked up and paid for, your bags are packed, and you are headed to the airport, can you be sure that you have taken enough steps to protect your home while you are away?

Putting in place a few extra security measures while your house is empty will give you extra peace of mind and allow you to fully enjoy your long-awaited break.

Best Ways to Protect Your Home While on Vacation

This should be your first line of defense for your home security, both while you are home and when you are away. Many homeowners choose to invest in smart security systems. These are entirely effective when you have access to your cell phone, but if you are heading somewhere remote or want to leave your phone at home, monitored home security systems offer an extra layer of protection.

By installing sensors in your home, the security system will be able to detect movement or if your doors or windows are opened. This, in turn, will activate an alarm that not only notifies neighbors and hopefully scares away the thief, but will also send a message to your alarm company who will alert the police if there is a breach.

Bottom Line: Although monitored home security systems can be expensive to install, they are worth their weight in gold when it comes to looking after your home.

An overflowing doormat is a sure sign of an empty property. While you are away, you could have a trusted friend or neighbor pop in to pick up your letters and any junk mail, but only do so if you feel you really trust them.

Alternatively, you can ask your mail carrier to stop coming for a short period of time until your return. You can do this from home by simply visiting the USPS website and filling in a short form online . They will stop mail from being delivered to your address and hold it for you until you get back.

You should also pause any other regular deliveries that you receive (including monthly subscriptions) if you are planning to be away for a longer period of time.

If you have a friend, family member, or neighbor that you can trust, ask them to drop into your home on a regular basis to ensure that everything is in order. They should be able to attend every few days or so, and be able to go inside to check back doors, windows, and any other entrances.

They can pick up the mail if you haven’t asked the mail service to pause it, check that all doors and windows are secure, water your plants, and maybe even bring you some milk or other essentials ready for your return.

You can keep your house looking lived in, no matter how far away you are, by setting a timer for your lights, lamps, TV, and radios. You can order timers online or pick them up in your local hardware or grocery store . By placing them in your regular sockets, you simply need to plug in your electronics and set the timer to tell each appliance when to come on.

If you would rather, you can even purchase electronic timers with random settings that give a more natural inhabited look, making your home look full of people, even when it isn’t.

If you have a front yard, easily accessible backyard, or other outside space, it may well be worth asking a friend or neighbor to mow your lawn for you. Unkempt, overgrown gardens, yards, and lawn areas are a tell-tale sign of an empty house.

Depending on the time of year and the length of your vacation, you could also ask your friend or neighbor to sweep fallen leaves from your driveway or clear snow if any has fallen. Keep your home looking well cared for from the outside and no one will be any the wiser that you aren’t currently residing in it.

While on the subject of keeping your external areas well-kept and preventing your home from looking empty, make sure you tuck everything out of sight before you travel. Ladders are an invitation for would-be burglars to attempt access via upper floors, while other tools can be used to pick locks, break windows, or gain entry to your property in some other nefarious way.

Bottom Line: Before you leave for your vacation, put your tools, ladders, and any other outside equipment safely locked away in your garage or storage unit.

Obviously, this only works if you aren’t using it for your vacation. If you are a 2-car family, or maybe even more, be sure to park a vehicle on your driveway while you are away. If you are not able to leave your own car at home, maybe ask a neighbor to use your driveway for themselves while you are away.

Having a car, van, or other vehicles outside your home is a great way to give the impression that your home isn’t empty.

If you have a basic home security system in place, it could be time to upgrade if you are going away. You can add extra sensors inside your house, or install additional cameras on the outside to ensure that burglars know your home is well-protected.

If you have a monitored security system, be sure to tell the alarm company that you are going away. If you have opted for a smart system, reassess how much coverage you have for the entire home, and identify a backup device to view footage should your cell phone fail.

Posting pictures of you and your family sunning themselves hundreds of miles from home is an open invitation to would-be burglars and those who intend to do you no good.

Checking in at the airport may seem like a cool way to flex on Facebook, but in reality, it’s just telling people your home will be empty for the next week or so. Keep your photos and memories to share privately.

You may also want to double-down and make sure that your home address isn’t accessible via your social media pages and delete any posts or party invites that contain your phone number. Nobody needs to know any of that stuff anyway, apart from those you know and trust who won’t be looking on Facebook for it.

This should be pretty obvious, but your most treasured possessions are more vulnerable when you are not there to look after them. Just in case somebody is able to find their way through your thorough external security measures, you should always ensure that your expensive or sentimental items are locked away in a safe , hidden lockbox , or other secure space before you leave for your vacation.

If you are fortunate enough to have some help around the home, you should ask them to continue coming while you are away. House cleaners, gardeners, and even the pool guy should all still arrive as per their regular schedule even if you aren’t there.

Of course, you should feel confident that you trust these providers to be inside or outside of your home while you are absent, and if you have any hesitations, put them on hold, but don’t tell them you are going away.

Vacations are exciting, and it can be tempting to tell the whole world that it’s your turn to take time off. You will need to tell work and close family, of course, but there is probably no need to tell your hairdresser, the checkout guy at the store, all the moms at the school gate, and everyone else you see.

This may sound a little mean, but when you return, you can tell them all about how awesome your vacation was instead.

You may not have considered this, but the GPS system in your car can double up like a red carpet to your empty home for would-be burglars.

Leaving your GPS on display in your car at the airport or hotel parking lot makes it an easy target for thieves who will not only break-in and steal your car, but can also use it to drive straight to your empty home and help themselves to your valuables. If you have a portable GPS, don’t leave it in the car when you are traveling.

If it is built-in, remove or change the “home” setting so that it leads somewhere random (like a park, shopping district, or business address) to ensure that nobody has access to the empty home while you are away.

Following on from our previous tips about using timers to set your electronics to come on while you are away, you could go 1 step further and consider investing in smart lighting.

Smart LED bulbs contain software that connects to an app, smart home assistant, or another smart accessory that allows you to automate your lights or control them remotely. Many makes of smart bulbs offer a “vacation mode” as a theft deterrent, that will turn the lights on and off randomly to mimic the usual behavior of the homeowner.

Also, it’s pretty cool to be able to switch your lights on and off from anywhere else in the world, too!

Giving your neighbors the heads up that you are off on vacation is a useful way of making sure that someone is keeping an eye on your home for you, even if they are doing it subconsciously.

If they know you are away and see something or someone unusual, it will trigger them to be a little more watchful as they know that you are not there. You should also leave a contact number with them if they do not have 1 already so that they can be in touch if they have any suspicions or concerns that you should be aware of.

Strange as this may sound, your curtains, blinds, and shutters tell a story of their own to anyone who is watching your home with a view to gaining entry.

If you usually leave your shutters half-open, or blinds rolled up, suddenly shutting them all with giving your house a locked-down look which will scream “vacant” to anyone who is interested. As much as possible, keep your curtains, blinds, and shutters in a similar position to how they usually would be.

Hot Tip: If you have a neighbor or friend popping in regularly, they could perhaps draw bedroom curtains at night and open them again in the morning for you.

For many of us living in relatively safe communities, surrounded by trusted friends and neighbors, it can be tempting to leave a key hidden outside your property just in case someone needs to pop in for you. Don’t do this — and especially don’t do this when you are going away for an extended period of time.

Plant pots, doormats, and even gutters are easy prey for potential criminals, and there is no hiding place you can think of that they won’t investigate when trying to break into your home. Leave your keys with a friend or family member instead.

Most people will empty their trash cans before they head off on vacation, but even if you are good enough to do that, remember it still needs to be collected. Ask a neighbor to take your trash can into the street on collection day to ensure that they are removed.

This not only means that your house won’t look obviously neglected and empty while you are away, but it will also ensure that you don’t come home to find rotten, stinking trash cans and a new family of pet rats to welcome you home.

If you are concerned about physically handing over your house keys to your neighbors, contractors, or family members, consider installing a smart lock instead. These useful little additions grant temporary access to your home using expiring codes.

By simply sending the code to your pet sitter, neighbor, or another guest, you can allow them to enter without worrying about keys, and you can cancel the codes when you are home again. This way, you can monitor who is in your home and when, and be sure that they won’t be able to stop by unannounced when you get back.

These cheap and easy to install light fittings are super useful for alerting you when you are at home (or your neighbors when you are not) if someone is approaching your house. You can pick them up cheaply at hardware stores or online , and they can be de-activated when you don’t want to flood your front porch with daylight.

They are activated by motion and will simply switch on when someone walks up to your door. They are also a useful deterrent for burglars who often don’t want to be bathed in light when they are trying to pick your lock or break into your home.

Many smart security devices operate remotely, and therefore unwanted visitors may not know you have them. A good old fashioned burglar alarm box on the outside of your home will tell the world that your home is protected, even if it isn’t by way of a monitored alarm system. You can find these either online or in hardware stores, and they are cheap and easy to fit.

The same theory applies to security stickers that can be placed in your windows to tell the world that your home is well-protected. Do not rely solely on one of these suggestions to protect your home, though. This should be just a back up to deter opportunists walking down your street. You will still need a high-tech security system to offer full coverage and security at all times.

If you have an electric garage door that is opened by using a remote, disconnect it before you go. Most garages have direct access into your home, and if a thief can hack the electronic signal, they can be in your home quick as a flash. Plus, they can help himself to any of the valuables (including your car) that you keep hidden in your garage.

Hot Tip: Although an electronic door may seem state of the art and super fancy, many of these can be operated using either universal remote controls or branded ones. Reduce the risk by simply disconnecting the power supply to the door before you go, and be sure to use the manual lock for extra security.

While it is not national news that you are off on vacation, if you live in a small community, it might be worth mentioning to your local police department that your home will be unoccupied for a short period of time. This way, they may be able to check on it while out on patrol (also known as “vacation watch”).

Of course, if you live in a big city or somewhere with increased incidences of crime, they probably won’t have the ability to do this, so don’t bother them with news of your forthcoming departure.

These fun little gadgets are also really useful for adding an extra layer of home security. Smart video doorbells allow you to see who is ringing your bell no matter where you are in the world.

You will get an alert on your cell phone and be able to speak to the visitor in real-time — tell them to leave a parcel around the back or to come back later, whatever works for you. Don’t tell them you are on vacation though, obviously!

Some even come with motion sensor detectors that will alert you when someone is hanging around your front porch, and if you lose cell phone coverage, you will still be able to catch up with the video clips later. The footage they record can be extremely useful if you need to report a crime upon your return and it can also be handed over to the police for further investigation.

You could have a security system set up to rival Fort Knox, but if your motion detectors or cameras are out of batteries, they may as well not be there at all. Plan to have a quick once over of all of your security systems and devices a few days before you plan to head off, giving you enough time to replace batteries or repair broken parts for when they will be needed.

We’ve talked a lot about the threat from external influences such as thieves and vandals, but it is important to remember that some household disasters occur inside the home itself.

Sometimes things just go wrong. This could happen while you are at home or just as likely while you are away. To help prevent damage from burst mains, leaks, and flooding, shut off the water main before you go.

If you still want your gardener to hose the lawn or your automated sprinkler system to come on, you should consider shutting off the water supply to toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines at the very least.

These natural occurrences can happen whether you are at home or not. If you live in a part of the country that is likely to suffer from severe storms, you should consider how best to protect your home while you are away, without advertising that it is empty.

While you may not wish to board up your windows in case of hurricane-force winds, you should make sure that any loose garden equipment, pool equipment, or anything else that could fly around and cause damage is safely locked away out of sight and mind. You should also clear your storm drains and ensure that your gutters are clear of debris to ensure rainwater can freely run away.

Bottom Line: Pullover the pool cover, cover up the furniture, and give your neighbor your contact details so they can call if your home is hit by a storm.

Incidences of fire can happen even when a home is unattended, and it is therefore super important that you test your smoke alarms before you go, and ensure that they are replaced every 10 years at the latest.

To help reduce the risk of electrical fires while your home is vacant, switch off and unplug any unnecessary electrical items, including TVs, radios, coffee makers, fans, and lamps. You should also close internal doors where possible to help slow the spread of smoke and fire should the worst happen.

Before you flee for your month of fun and frolics, check that your home insurance is valid and in date. Should something happen while you are away, you will want to be able to call on your insurers to help rectify the problem on your return.

Most insurance providers don’t need to be told if you are simply going on a short vacation, but if you are leaving your home unattended for more than 30 days, you should let them know as it may affect the terms of your policy.

Finally, if you are really concerned about leaving your house empty while you are away, consider hiring a house sitter.

This might just be a trusted friend or family member, or you could reach out to a company or agency that offers professional house sitting services. While there, your sitter can take care of regular domestic duties, including gardening, feeding your pets, watering plants, and taking the trash out, as well as keeping your house fully occupied to deter thieves.

Hot Tip: If you do choose to pay for the services of a professional house sitter, ensure that you only use an agency that fully vets anyone it uses before trusting them to live in your house for a week.

In order to enjoy every second of your well-earned vacation, ensure that you have enough systems in place to take care of your home while you are away from it. Whether you simply ask your neighbor to pop in and pick up your mail, or go all out and install a security system, a few simple precautions before you leave will allow you to come back to find your home exactly as you left it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you do to protect your home from thieves when you are away.

There are many things you can do to protect your home from thieves and many of these center around making sure it doesn’t look like you are away on vacation. Mail piling up, no lights on, an empty driveway, and curtains that are closed during the day are all telltale signs you’re not there. Having adequate home security systems and a trusted friend popping by regularly are easy ways to deter thieves who may be watching your home.

Does leaving a light on at night deter burglars?

Leaving your light on at night will not do much to deter burglars mainly because this isn’t what would naturally happen if you were home. The best thing you can do is have lights and lamps on timers that come on randomly or set times to make your home looked lived in.

Do fake cameras and alarms deter burglars?

Fake cameras and alarms that are visible may act as deterrents to burglars. Of course, they are not a substitute for the real thing but in a pinch, they can deter thieves from looking too closely at your home.

Do video doorbells deter burglars?

Smart video doorbells allow you to see who is ringing your bell no matter where you are in the world. It enables you to talk to the visitor and give them another explanation as to why you’re not currently at home. Some video doorbells can record footage of your visitors, so this can act as a deterrent to burglars that may be casing your property and want to remain unidentified.

Can you schedule your house lights to turn on to deter burglars?

You can keep your house looking lived in, no matter how far away you are, by setting a timer for your lights. You can order timers that schedule an appliance to come on at specific times or random to give a more natural inhabited look.

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About Amar Hussain

Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.

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How to Protect Your Home During Extended Vacations, From Security Systems to House Sitters

By Jessica Poitevien

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, it’s becoming easier to lead what was once considered a “nontraditional” lifestyle full of travel. Whether you’re a retiree spending a few months at a vacation home, at sea , or visiting family, a digital nomad traversing the globe, a burnt out employee planning an adult gap year , or someone like me whose job requires extended stays away from home, that time away brings with it a new consideration: how to ensure your residence will be safe as it patiently awaits your return.

Ahead, we’ll dive into practical tips, products, and services to protect your home and put your mind at ease whenever you leave for long periods of time. From home security systems to finding a house sitter, we’ll cover it all.

All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Protect your home from disaster.

Securing your home before departure goes beyond locking all the doors and windows. Start by sealing any small holes leading outside to prevent animals from making themselves comfortable in your floorboards or roof. Adding fresh batteries to smoke alarms can be a lifesaver in case of emergency, too. However, homeowners often overlook another common cause of extensive issues: water. 

“By installing water sensors, or water shut-off devices, you could be alerted to water leaks while you’re away and help prevent costly damage,” says Sarah Jacobs, vice president of personal lines product development at Nationwide . If possible, Jacobs recommends shutting off the main water valve completely. Not sure how? Check out this video for a few tips on how to locate and cut off your home’s water supply. If you need additional assistance, HomeX's Remote Assist tool can connect you via phone or video call with a trained technician who will walk you through the process and help with any other home repairs or pre-trip preparations you’re having trouble with.

With these tips, you can spend less time worrying while away from home.

Set your home to “vacation mode.”

To reduce your electricity bill and protect your belongings from any power surges, be sure to unplug everything possible, from the washing machine to lamps and televisions. When it comes to your thermostat, the strategy depends on your environment. In cold climates , you can prevent frozen pipes by setting a temperature in the high 50s, while warmer areas require a temperature in the high 70s to avoid mold and mildew. These temperatures are warm/cool enough to keep your home in good condition without running up the electric bill.

Take care of the mail.

Nothing screams “this home is vacant” quite like an overflowing mailbox or unattended packages waiting for porch pirates to strike. Instead of relying on loved ones to check your mailbox, sign up for the USPS mail hold service to stop deliveries for up to 30 days or try temporary mail forwarding for longer absences.

Expecting something important to arrive? Anissia West, a DEI consultant and life coach who leaves home for extended periods at least five times per year, recommends a virtual mailbox like iPostal1 . The company collects your mail, uploads photos of it through an app, then allows you the option to discard it, forward it, or have it scanned so you can digitally read your mail from anywhere.

Make it look like someone is home.

Another way to ward off would-be robbers is to create the illusion that you never left home. That could be as simple as arranging for regular landscaping service, but Royal Williams goes the extra mile. “To make the house seem lived in, I use light timers, so for a few hours every night, the living room lights turn on,” says the online teacher and graduate student who splits her time between California and Colombia . Light timers like this Amazon bestseller are relatively inexpensive, but “smart” lights can also be programmed to periodically turn on and off without the extra purchase.

Find someone to care for your plants and pets.

Whether you’re leaving for a few days or a few months, TrustedHousesitters connects homeowners with travelers who will take care of their property, pets, and plants in exchange for free accommodation. I once spent two weeks taking care of an adorable kitten at her apartment in downtown Miami, but not everyone is comfortable with a stranger setting up camp in their private space. That’s where digital marketing specialist and travel influencer Lauren Kokoskie suggests using TaskRabbit , a website that allows users to hire local gig workers for special errands. Kokoski, for example, once hired a landscaper to care for her indoor plants. “I met with them in person and showed them how to water my plants. They returned weekly while I was gone,” she says. “I made sure to lock up my valuables since it was still a stranger in my home, [but] I had a positive experience.”

Install smart home security.

Long gone are the days of leaving a spare key under a flower pot by the door. Instead, invest in a smart lock and make it easier to grant access to your home as needed. There are dozens of options on the market, but I personally use a keypad deadbolt from Schlage . When I go on vacation or work trips, I give the cat sitter a temporary code that only works during the designated times she’s scheduled to be at the house. I get notifications whenever the door is unlocked and can also remotely control the deadbolt from my phone using the Schlage app, Apple Home, Alexa, Ring, and other home automation systems. Several of these systems, including Ring and Nest , also offer other smart home security services such as indoor and outdoor cameras, motion-activated floodlights, alarms, and more.

Prepare for a smooth return.

It may feel like a burden to tack on extra cleaning before a long trip, but you’ll thank yourself later when you have an inviting space to welcome you home. For freelance writer Giulia Alvarez-Katz, that pre-trip cleaning routine includes covering furniture with blankets to prevent excessive dust build up and eating all the food in her refrigerator so there’s nothing left to spoil should her appliances lose power. Alvarez-Katz also stocks up on key supplies she’ll need to make her return as stress-free as possible. “There’s nothing worse than coming home to an apartment with no toilet paper,” she says.

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10 Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While Traveling

Christine Johnson is a travel blogger and founder of MyTravelingKids.com.

Vacation is a time for relaxation and tranquility, but it’s human nature to worry about the house you left behind. A home is a huge responsibility and you want to keep it safe even when you are away. The following are 10 tips for keeping your home safe while traveling:

1. ASK SOMEONE TO WATCH YOUR HOUSE . Personally, I don’t feel the need to hire a house sitter for a short trip. My house is able to take care of itself. However, I do let my neighbors know that I’ll be away so they can keep an eye on anything suspicious. It’s nice to get a quick text saying our house is still standing.

2. PUT YOUR MAIL ON HOLD . It takes ten minutes to get online and put your mail on hold. Nothing screams, “No one’s home!” like mail bulging out of a street mailbox. I have delivery start the day we return so it’s there when we get home.

3. DON’T ANNOUNCE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA . I know it’s exciting to go away and you want to shout it from the rooftops, but it’s really not a good idea to share on social media that your house is going to be vacant for the week. You are welcoming trouble. If you have teenagers, you may want to discuss this with them as well and make it a family rule.

4. UNPLUG EVERYTHING . I go a bit overboard with this one and I’m sure you don’t have to go to the extreme as I do, but I heard one story about a power surge during a storm and that led me to always unplugging everything when I travel. I’m not even sure if it was a true story, but for me it’s better to be safe than sorry.

5. DON’T LET NEWSPAPERS AND PACKAGES PILE UP . Again, a package sitting on your doorstep is a neon blinking sign that no one is home. Ask that kind person that is watching your house to grab any packages they see. If you get a newspaper subscription, put it on hold for the week or ask someone to collect them for you.

6. DON’T LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON THE WHOLE WEEK . There are many different opinions on whether lights should stay on or off while you’re traveling. I feel the safest actions are your normal actions. If you don’t normally leave your outdoor lights on during the day, then maybe it’s not a good idea to do it while you’re gone. The ideal solution is to have a timer.

7. LEAVE YOUR CURTAINS HOW YOU NORMALLY HAVE THEM . Again, just like the lights, I think it’s best to leave your curtains as you normally would. It may be strange to see a house that always has their curtains open suddenly completely drawn tightly shut for a week.

8. SET YOUR HEAT TO A SAFE TEMPERATURE . Although it may be tempting to lower your heat significantly since no one will be home, you will come home to a lot of problems if your pipes burst from freezing while you’re away.

9. HIRE A PLOW COMPANY . If there is a snowstorm and everyone else has their driveways plowed except you, it will definitely tip someone off that no one is home. I used to have my neighbor call me if there was a storm and I’d call a plow guy. Now that I have found someone I trust that plows, I let him know I’ll be gone and he automatically comes if needed.

10. THE OLD ICE AND A QUARTER TRICK . How awful is it when you come home from a trip and see the clock blinking on your microwave and you have no clue how long you lost power for? Was it long enough for all the food to defrost in the freezer or was it just for a few minutes? A great trick is to fill a plastic cup with water and put it in the freezer. After it is frozen solid, place a quarter on top and put it back in the freezer. This way, if the quarter is at the bottom of the cup when you get home, you know everything has defrosted in the freezer and you should not cook it.

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The 7 Best Home Safes of 2024 to Secure Your Jewelry, Documents, and More

Keep your valuables protected with these home safes.

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Our top picks

The Bottom Line

• What to Know Before Shopping

Your Questions, Answered

Better Homes and Gardens / Brian Kopinski

Whether you keep cash, important documents, or jewelry in your home, it’s important to keep them somewhere that’s safe and out of sight. While a hidden drawer or the back of a closet may seem best, a home safe is a secure solution that’ll protect your valuables and give you extra peace of mind. 

According to Scott Loeppert, the founder of Trova, a truly good home safe will be able to fit seamlessly into your decor as well as into your life. In addition to Loeppert, we also spoke with Gene Gyure, president of the Safe and Vault Technicians Association, for additional insight on what to look for in the best home safes.

• Size: The best size of safe depends on what you will be storing inside it and where you place the safe. We included several options and design styles.
• Durability: A good safe needs to be durable and able to protect your valuables, so we considered options that are waterproof and fireproof. Some also have temperature and humidity sensors. 
• Lock System: Not every safe opens the same way, which is why we found a variety of access options, including by digital keys on a keypad, fingerprint, and keypad lock.

Best Overall

Amazon basics steel home security safe.

You can choose from four sizes and two lock options. Plus, it comes with the necessary hardware to mount the safe.

It’s not waterproof.

The combination of security and ease of operation make the Amazon Basics’ Steel Home Security Safe our pick for the best home safe overall. The safe is offered in four sizes and you can choose between either a keypad or fingerprint lock, so you’ll be able to find the ideal combination for your home.

The safe is made from durable carbon steel, and it has an 8-gauge steel door and a 14-gauge steel body for added security. Additionally, it has two live door bolts and concealed pry-resistant hinges.

Despite its substantial nature, the safe is just under 34 pounds, so one person could still easily lift it. That being said, we appreciate that it comes with pre-drilled mounting holes and hardware, so you can fix it to your floor or wall for additional security.

Whether you choose the programmable keypad or a biometric fingerprint scanner, the safe comes with a backup key should something go wrong with the batteries. Plus, we appreciate that the fingerprint scanner can hold up to 50 individual fingerprints, making this one of the best safes for families.

The interior of the safe is fairly minimal as it features just one shelf for organization. While we think this is one of the best safes to consider, keep in mind that it’s not waterproof, so you may want to store it away from any sources of water.

Product Details: Size : 13.8 x 16.5 x 13 inches | Lock System : Keypad or biometric | Water Resistant : No | Fire Resistant : Not listed

Best Budget

Ktaxon steel plate safe box.

The safe offers two lines of defense.

It has a smaller interior than other options.

Whether you have a small space or don’t want to invest too much in a safe, we recommend this secure pick from Ktaxon. If you want to get through this steel-plated box, you’ll have to get through a keypad lock and have the set of keys, which come included.

Due to its smaller size, this is a good safe for holding items like jewelry, passports, and money. The safe is just over five pounds, which would make it easy for someone to steal. Luckily, the safe features predrilled holes to make wall mounting a viable option.

It’s worth noting that this pick is not waterproof, so you’ll want to be mindful of where you place it. The inside also doesn’t offer quite as much space as other options on our list, but it’s still one of the best safes for an office, bedroom, closet, or other small space.

Product Details: Size : 9.06 x 6.69 x 6.69 inches | Lock System : Dual lock (key and keypad) |  Water Resistant : No | Fire Resistant : Not listed

Better Homes & Gardens / Eric Brockob

Best Splurge

Mycube mini safe.

Saks Fifth Avenue

The safe features eight pre-drilled holes and tamper-proof door bolts to ensure it doesn’t go anywhere.

It’s only fireproof for up to one hour.

Although it’s more expensive than other options, the design, quality, and aesthetic of Mycube’s Mini make it a worthy investment. Despite its compact size, the safe features thick, reinforced steel walls and weighs 35 pounds.

Although 35 pounds isn’t as lightweight as other choices on our list, we like that this safe includes eight pre-drilled bolt holes so you can more securely install it in your home. It also has locking door bolts for added protection. Additionally, this safe is one you won’t want to hide far away. The safe has a modern design and is offered in four colors: black, white, teal, and silver. 

When it comes to this safe, we appreciate the small details that make it user-friendly. For example, an illuminated digital keypad makes it easy for you to open it, even in the dark. Meanwhile, an internal light helps you to locate your valuables with ease.

The brand offers a 35-day trial, so you can confirm it works for you before you commit to the investment. While it’s an investment, MyCube provides 24/7 customer support and a lifetime guarantee. Although the safe is certified for protection against fire for up to one hour at 1,700 °F, the guarantee will cover a replacement if necessary. 

Product Details: Size : 16.5 x 9 x 13.5 inches | Lock System : Keypad, backup key | Water Resistant : No | Fire Resistant : Yes

Verifi Biometric Safe

The FBI-certified fingerprint sensor can see through dirt and scratches for easy access.

It has less storage than some other options.

Verifi’s Smart Safe S5000 is our pick for the best smart home safe. The safe features an FBI-certified fingerprint sensor, so you can feel confident that your valuables will be quite secure. 

The safe features a biometric fingerprint scanner that is designed to be able to see through dirt and scratches, so you shouldn’t run into any issues while using it. While other biometric safes feature backup features, like keypads, Verifi is so sure of its technology that it doesn’t have any of these backup features. However, it does include a hidden key behind the logo plate, should something go wrong. 

Although the safe has less storage space than other options, we think its features make it a worthy investment. For example, after every use and every 24 hours, this safe performs a diagnostic test, gauging how much battery is left, if the fingerprint scanner is facing any problems, and if the internal locking mechanisms are working properly. 

You’ll be alerted if any of these features are not working properly, as well as if the battery is low, the door is open, or if there were any attempts to tamper with the safe, like unauthorized fingerprints. Plus, the safe also logs the previous 1,000 attempts made at trying to open it, which is helpful if you’re using it in an office or another shared space. 

This pick is designed so you won’t have to worry about its battery life. Thanks to some built-in features, like an adjustable lighting system, you can expect up to four years of battery life.

Product Details: Size : 13.8 x 7.9 x 13.2 inches | Lock System : Biometric, backup key | Water Resistant : No | Fire Resistant : No

Best Hidden

Amazon basics book safe.

It’s less expensive than other options and can double as decor in your home.

You’ll have to keep track of the key to use it.

If you’re looking to be discreet with hiding your valuables, Amazon Basics’ Book Safe is the best home safe option for you. Designed to look like a standard dictionary that fits right into any existing bookshelf that you may have, the safe is less expensive than other options and serves as a functional piece of decor. 

Unlike other safes that have electric keypads and sensors, the inside cover has a simple lock that you can open with a key. The safe comes with two keys, though you’ll have to be mindful of where you keep them. 

The smaller size of this book makes it ideal for storing items like jewelry, cash, and smaller documents . Since the safe weighs just 1.65 pounds, it’s easy to use and move around. Because it’s so lightweight, however, you’ll want to ensure you hide it properly between other books for extra security in your space. 

Product Details: Size : 9.45 x 2.17 x 6.1 inches | Lock System : Key lock | Water Resistant : No | Fire Resistant : No

Best Fireproof

Sentrysafe fireproof and waterproof safe.

 Amazon

It can tolerate 8 inches of water for 24 hours while protecting the valuables inside.

The inside lighting turns off after a minute.

This durable steel safe from SentrySafe is the best home safe if you’re looking for a fireproof pick. The safe has a UL classification that certifies it can handle one hour of 1,700 °F while keeping the inside temperature low enough to protect documents and other valuables.

In addition to its ability to protect your valuables against fire, it can also protect items against liquid damage. The safe offers water resistance for up to 24 hours in 8 inches of water.

Beyond water and fire damage, this safe is also designed to keep intruders out. It uses a digital locking system with programmable codes that can be 1–8 digits. It also has a pry-resistant hinge bar, as well as the necessary hardware to bolt it down. The safe is about 87 pounds, however, so that may not be necessary.

The safe’s interior features a key rack, a door tray, a deep door pocket, and an adjustable locking drawer as well as interior lighting. However, just be aware that the lighting is timed and won’t stay on for more than 60 seconds.

Product Details: Size : 16.3 x 17.8 x 19.3 inches | Lock System : Keypad, backup key | Water Resistant : Yes | Fire Resistant : Yes

Trova Biometric Vault

It’s easy to travel with and links with your smartphone to provide status updates.

It can only be linked to one phone.

Whether you travel often or you’re looking for more compact safety for your valuables, Trova’s Go is our pick for the best small home safe. The safe is offered in four colors and is small enough to fit into a handbag, car, or carry-on, as well as in a drawer. Plus, it’s made of aluminum, which is both lightweight and durable. 

Using Trova’s app, you’ll be able to track the last known location of the safe, which is especially helpful when you’re traveling. The app will also send you other notifications, like how long your safe has been left open. Just keep in mind that the safe can only be connected to one phone, so you won’t be able to share it with anyone else in your household. 

Inside, there’s a sidecar box for holding small jewelry or medication. It also has a magnetic strap to make sure your valuables are held in place. 

Product Details: Size : 6.1 x 3 x 1.6 inches | Lock System : Electronic, biometric | Water Resistant : Yes | Fire Resistant : No

Our pick for the best overall home safe is the Amazon Basics Steel Home Security Safe . We appreciate that it has two lines of security, as well as an interior shelf to help with organization. 

What to Know About Home Safes Before Shopping

Size and weight.

Determining the proper size and weight for your home safe will be determined by the items you intend to keep inside and how much space you have available in your home. If you’re only looking to store things like cash or papers, then a smaller option like the Trova Go or the Amazon Basics Book Safe are both excellent choices with smaller footprints. 

On the other hand, if you are looking for something larger, then the best home safe on our list for you would be the SentrySafe Waterproof and Fireproof Safe Box . The larger footprint than the other choices on our list provides added storage space while the heavier nature also makes it more difficult to steal.

Security Features

Home safes can come with a variety of different security features, with our list including many different styles of lock, including biometric and keypad options. “An electronic lock should operate with a minimum of six, or even eight, digits to gain entry,” says Gyure . 

While locks are vital for protecting against entry, Gyure says “The number one, best form of security, is the anchor. Safes should be anchored to the floor.”

Gyure adds that all of the available anchor points should be used on a safe, with some exceptions. “If placed in a building utilizing pre-stressed concrete, you never want to drill into the floor and take the chance of causing millions of dollars worth of damage to the building,” he says. 

A safe’s durability can refer to a few different factors. For starters, the safe itself can be made of more substantial materials like heavy metals to help provide impact resistance, like with the Ktaxon Password Steel Plate Safe Box . This can offer additional protection, according to Gyure.

Another commonly seen factor for durability is fire or waterproofing. “Most modern safes use a wet slurry with gypsum or vermiculite or other moisture-wicking materials. The trapped moisture is the protection and is released as the safe heats up in a fire,” says Gyure. 

Be mindful that not all fireproof safes are created the same and that there are specific factors to consider. You will want to be aware of the temperatures that your specific model can handle as well as the time that it can handle this defined heat. Importantly, you should also be aware that fire protection may dwindle over time. 

“Most 30-minute fire-rated safes will keep the innards below 350°F for the required time. But due to the very nature of their fire protection, over a matter of only a few years, this fire protection may actually drop off. So what you thought was a 30-minute fire-rated safe may actually be as little as 15 minutes or even less,” Gyure says. 

Portability

If you are looking for something to bring with you on the go, then it only makes sense that the option you choose is lightweight and small enough to prioritize convenience. If portability is your goal, the best home safe for you would be the Trova Go , which is specifically designed to fit in your pocket. 

In terms of portability, it’s also worth noting how much your safe weighs. While some of the best home safes can weigh upwards of 80 pounds, lightweight options can easily be lifted and stolen during a break-in. 

Additional Features 

There are additional features that many home safes come with such as internal lighting, like the MyCube Mini , or unique methods of unlocking them, like the biometric fingerprint scanner of the Verifi Smart Safe S5000 . Other safes, like the Trova Go offer smart notifications. 

Besides being waterproof or fireproof, it’s also worth noting if your safe offers any specific features that help protect your valuables. 

“With temperature and humidity sensors you can store your jewelry or documents in the exact right temperature and humidity for preservation,” Loeppert says.

What are the hardest home safes to break into?

Although all home safes offer a level of protection, some may be more secure than others. In Loeppert’s opinion, technology is your friend when it comes to added protection. “The hardest ones are the ones that have smart features and internet connectivity so that if they are tampered with you will immediately know and can alert the police,” he says

Where is the best place to keep a safe in your home?

According to Gyure, if you’re looking to protect valuables and collectibles, you should look to your basement,

“Usually, the coolest place in your home during a fire will be an outside corner of the basement. In case of a collapsing floor, the corner will provide the best protection from being crushed as the house falls down around it,” he says. 

In addition to protecting your valuables from the elements, he also notes that this is a pesky location for burglars because they will have to travel a longer distance to get to the safe as well as to leave with it. 

How much do home safes cost?

Home safes are offered at a variety of price points, so it depends on the size, materials, and features you prefer. For more bells and whistles and added security features, you can expect to pay hundreds at least. On our list, we include options around $15, like the Amazon Basics Book Safe , as well as options that are around $500, like the MyCube Mini .

Jack Byram is a freelance writer who covers all things home-related. As an avid door locker, Jack is constantly looking for new ways to keep his items protected. For this article, he spoke with Scott Loeppert , the founder of Trova , and Gene Gyure , the president of the Safe and Vault Technicians Association, to better understand how home safes work, what to seek from them, and who should consider purchasing one.

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Best Home Safes of 2024

If you worry about home security, a home safe will do wonders for your peace of mind. “A good quality safe is often the last line of defense against burglary, fire, and flooding,” says Rob Gabriele, editorial director and home security expert at safehome.org. “Even a small home safe that bolts to your closet wall can help to protect your Social Security card, birth certificate, deeds, tax returns, and other sensitive financials. Larger safes, like gun safes, are often purchased to store firearms safely away from children.”

As Kirk MacDowell, a home security expert at Batten Safe and CEO at MacGuard Security Advisors, explains, “Homeowners simply want to protect items that are valuable to them. Alarm systems are great to detect an intruder, [but] a safe protects the items that the consumer deems important.”

While home safes generally fall within the same overall format – a tough metal box with a locking door – specific elements like size, fireproofing, lock type, and price determine whether or not a particular model is right for your needs. There are a lot of widely varying safes out there, so we spoke with experts and tested a range of different models to determine which are the best home safes on the market.

Table of Contents

• Best Home Safes
• Things To Consider When Buying
• How We Chose

SentrySafe Waterproof and Fireproof Safe Box  »

Robust security

Good fire and water protection

Can be anchored in place

Could be heavier

No smart features

We’ve selected this particular model from one of the leading manufacturers, SentrySafe, because it does pretty much everything you could need it to. It falls roughly in the middle of the spectrum in terms of factors like size, security, fire/water resilience, and price, making it the ideal option for the vast majority of homeowners seeking dependable protection.

It nails the essentials. Its customizable digital combination lock, a set of four live-locking bolts (meaning they move manually when the handle is turned) you can lock with a key, and a pry-resistant hinge bar make it a decidedly tough safe to crack. It’s also built to handle extreme conditions, having been independently verified by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) to withstand 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour and by the Electronic Testing Laboratories (ETL) to handle a 15-foot fall during a fire as well as 24 hours in 8 inches of flooding.

Bolt-down hardware makes it easy to anchor in place. A built-in alarm will sound in the event of a break-in, and, while it doesn’t have any smart app features, the interior light and lockbox are nice touches. For the vast majority of homeowners, this safe is more than up to the task, particularly when you consider its relatively moderate price.

Amazon Basics Steel Home Security Safe  »

Affordable with solid features

Easy to use

Basic protection

No water or fire resistance

This rather basic safe from Amazon Basics will serve the vast majority of homeowners’ needs, providing a generally reliable security experience without emptying your wallet. While it’s not designed for water or fire protection and a truly dedicated crook could probably break in given enough time and the right tools, it provides more than enough resilience to fend off casual thieves, keep documents safe from prying eyes, or secure a firearm.

Its customizable digital combination lock is easy to program, and it comes with a backup key in case you forget the code. The steel body and door are plenty strong for the price, and dual live-door bolts plus a pry-resistant hinge offer above-average theft deterrence. Pre-drilled mounting holes make it easy to fix in place, and owners report that the quality holds up over the long term unlike many other budget safes, which tend to experience door sag (when it begins to misalign slightly with the door frame) over time. That’s a lot of upsides to a midsized safe priced at just more than $100.

Viking Wall Safe  »

Very discreet

Biometric fingerprint lock

Durable build quality

No fire- or water-resistance

Too narrow for large items

There are a lot of different formats when it comes to hidden safes, but we’re going with a wall safe because they tend to offer better capacity and affix more securely than other designs. We’re picking this safe from Viking in particular thanks to its outstanding security, well-laid-out interior, and multiple locking options, including biometric fingerprints, a customizable digital combination, and keys. Built to fit securely between wall studs and sit almost entirely flush, it’s perfect for concealing behind a picture, bookshelf , or whatever else.

Besides the protection afforded by its heavy dual deadbolts and pry-resistant door design, which result in reliable security, this safe boasts a slew of little details that add up to a quality user experience. The adjustable shelves and interior walls are padded to protect delicate items. Hooks mounted inside the door make it easy to organize keys and hang jewelry or whatnot. LED lighting illuminates the interior, and a warning beep will sound if it’s left unlocked. It doesn’t offer much in the way of fire or water resistance, but, for general protection purposes, this is a solid discreet safe.

FORFEND Smart Home Safe  »

Smart features

Kidnap and tamper alarms

No waterproofing or fireproofing

Requires batteries

For the tech-inclined, this smart safe from FORFEND delivers an outstanding ownership experience. While it can lock via traditional methods like a key or combination, it also responds to fingerprints and can be opened and monitored through an app or even voice prompts via smart hubs like Alexa or Google Home. The app is highly user-friendly, easy to navigate, and allows you to add multiple sub-users.

While its basic safe credentials are solid – the thick walls, dual deadbolts, and pry-resistant design are plenty secure – it really sets itself apart with its tech security measures. False attempt and tamper alarms notify you via the app if someone is trying to break in, and there’s even a kidnap alarm that will signal friends or family if you’re forced to unlock the safe against your will. If you’re looking for a tech-savvy safe, this is it.

SentrySafe Two-Hour Fireproof and Waterproof Home Safe  »

Two-hour fireproofing

Superior durability

Dependable waterproofing

Lower capacity

In the realm of safes, top-tier fireproofing and superior security go hand in hand, and this safe from SentrySafe is the perfect representation of that fact. UL testing has verified its ability to endure for two hours at 1,850 F, and ETL testing proved that it’ll remain waterproof for up to 24 hours in up to 8 inches of water. And if your safe does experience fire, the company will send you a new one free of charge through SentrySafe’s After-Fire Replacement Program. In other words, if you live someplace where fires and floods tend to be issues, this is the safe for you.

Beyond that, its burly construction ensures that whatever you put in it will be protected from theft. Four heavy-duty, live-locking bolts plus a pry-resistant hinge make it just shy of impossible to force the door. It can be securely anchored, boasts plenty of interior organizational features, and has an interior light. All its extra armor makes its capacity somewhat tight, but for protecting your most valuable items and documents from acts of disaster and theft alike, it’ll more than deliver.

Honeywell Low Profile Security Safe  »

Small and discreet

Reliably secure

Combination and key

Very limited capacity

Not fireproof or waterproof

Honeywell’s safes and locks are consistently reliable, and with the Low Profile Security Safe, it’s managed to pack plenty of security into a small package. Picture 1.5 shoe boxes, and that’ll give you an idea of the size. That makes it perfect for installing beneath a bed or desk , in a closet, or just about anywhere else. Its walls and door are made of thick alloy steel, the door is recessed, and the hinges are concealed. A protective rear panel further reduces the possibility of forced entry.

The safe can be opened via a customizable combination or key, and, while the interior space is somewhat tight, there’s plenty of room for laptops and other devices, jewelry, money, and other smaller valuables – and a carpeted floor ensures that they won’t end up scratched. It’s neither fireproof nor waterproof, but, as far as theft prevention goes, it’s exceedingly secure. You’ve seen safes very much like this – and in many cases this safe exactly – in hotels all over the world. There’s a reason they’re so trusted.

Tigerking Heavy Duty Safe Box  »

Heavy-duty security

Plenty of capacity

Double Safety Key Locks

Anchor holes only in rear and not on floor

This big burly box from Tigerking is exactly what you need to protect high-value items. Its explosion- and drill-proof, 75-millimeter thick door; six 25-millimeter bolts; and pry-proof hinges make it essentially impossible to break into by force, and its 180-pound weight plus the ability to affix it to the wall via expansion screws makes it exceedingly difficult to steal. Double Safety Key Locks requiring a master key alongside the digital combination or emergency keys add a massive boost of security. Plus, an anti-theft alarm will sound if the safe is vibrating or the wrong code is entered three times.

On top of all that, it’s got a massive 11.5-cubic-feet capacity, which provides plenty of space for all your valuables. Adjustable shelves, hooks, storage baskets, and an internal lockbox make for easy organization, and a bright LED light illuminates its cavernous interior. There are even removable wheels in case you want the ability to move it around. This isn’t only an exceedingly secure safe but a luxurious safe by just about every measure.

The Bottom Line

While researching this list, we encountered two main takeaways. First, even if you think you don’t have much need for a safe, you should think about the many documents, valuables, and even so-called worthless keepsakes that you actually do wish to protect from theft and disaster. Second, while there are a lot of safes out there that offer all manner of bells and whistles, the best home safes tend to be surprisingly straightforward: durably built boxes with quality locks and a few conveniences. In other words, don’t let yourself be taken in by gimmicks when a more tried and tested design will do. For many shoppers, the SentrySafe Waterproof and Fireproof Safe Box will deliver peace of mind at an affordable price.

Things To Consider When Buying Home Safes

Size and Capacity: Arguably your first consideration should be size because if a safe isn’t large enough to hold what you want to protect, then it’s not much good to you. With this in mind, remember that the exterior size can be deceiving, especially when you’re looking at safes with thicker walls for increased security and fire resistance. All that extra armor can greatly diminish the interior capacity. Interior capacity is measured in cubic feet, and how much of it you need will be determined by how much you aim to protect. When in doubt, opt for more capacity.

There can be another benefit to having a bigger safe. “The bigger the better when it comes to home safes,” says Gabriele. “It’s best if your safe cannot be picked up by a burglar and put into a truck bed.”

Security Features: At the core of a quality safe are strong construction materials and reliable locks, but the security features can go far beyond that. For some, a more basic safe may be perfectly suitable, but if you’re looking to store high-value items or irreplaceable documents, you may want to consider the addition of more complex locking mechanisms, tamper alerts, or smart monitoring via an app. “One of the best features is a security sensor that sounds an alarm and notifies you when someone tampers with the safe,” explains Gabriele. “Be it a burglar or a small child.”

One security feature that many fail to consider involves the inclusion or lack of anchor points, which allow you to affix a safe to the floor, wall, or a piece of furniture. This ensures that a thief can’t simply steal the safe and then break into it at their leisure.

Fire and Water Resistance Certification: According to MacDowell, “Not all safes are created equal. A fire safe that is designed to protect stored paper documents during a fire is different from a security safe that is designed to protect valuables, weapons, etc. There are testing agencies that certify safes for the intended purpose. Underwriter Laboratories (UL) ratings provide consumers with good consumer information.”

ETL is another firm that certifies factors like waterproofing and fire resilience. If you’re not worried about fire or water damage, this might not be an issue, but if you’re looking for the utmost protection or live somewhere prone to wildfires or floods, be sure to look for a certified safe.

“If you live in a city with nearby fire stations,” Gabriele advises, “you can probably get away with a 15-30-minute fire rating. But I usually recommend a fire rating of 30 minutes or more. And if you live in a rural area, look for at least a 90-minute fire rating.”

Build Quality and Durability: Build quality is a key feature of any genuinely reliable safe. A safe that’s easy to break into isn’t really a safe at all. Look for a safe that has a sturdy construction, multiple door bolts – “More bolts is always better,” says Gabriele – pry-resistant or concealed hinges, and other elements that increase its impregnability.

Durability is a key part of this. Any mechanical part that moves over and over again wears out over time. With a safe, you’ll be opening and closing its door repeatedly, so you want a well-constructed product that’ll hold up as the years go by. This can be a difficult quality to assess just by looking at or reading about a particular model. Sometimes your best bet is to read reviews by those who have experienced the product’s build quality – or lack thereof – in the long run.

How We Chose the Best Home Safes

At U.S. News 360 Reviews, we scoured the internet for the most popular safe models and sought the input of experts Kirk MacDowell, a 40-year veteran of the home security industry and current home security expert at Batten Safe and CEO at MacGuard Security Advisors, and Rob Gabriele, editorial director and home security expert at safehome.org . We also looked at consumer reviews on Amazon to account for the experiences of real-world buyers. We then determined our selections based on factors like size, features, durability, security, and price. Perhaps our most interesting findings involve the fact that you don’t always need a high-priced, high-feature model to bring home a good safe — though certain features may come in handy depending on your specific needs.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST US?

Our contributors and editors offer decades of experience testing and reviewing products. Nick Hilden , the writer of this piece, not only has 40 years of experience as an avid home gear and hardware enthusiast but has spent nearly 15 years reviewing relevant products for publications like Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, bestproducts.com, Thrillist, the Daily Beast, Bicycling, and more.

Home safes can fall anywhere on a wide price spectrum depending on factors like size, quality, level of security, features, and so on. As with any product, the sky can be the limit in terms of cost, but something interesting we found through researching this piece is that you don’t have to break the bank to get a quality safe. While the average home safe costs somewhere between $200 and $400, there are also many safes in the $100 to $200 range that’ll be perfectly adequate for most purposes.

While a home safe certainly can be both fireproof and waterproof, this isn’t always the case. Fireproof safes tend to offer some degree of water resistance, but unless a safe is specifically built with a waterproof seal, you cannot rely on it for protection from water damage.

It’s also important to note that, in reality, there’s no such thing as a fire- or water-“proof” safe, but that they’re, in fact, fire- and water-“resistant” – capable of withstanding fire and water only up to a certain point.

If moisture gets into your safe, there’s the possibility of mold, especially if you’re storing mold-prone items such as paper documents, photos, and fabrics. Metal items like coins and firearms may also be susceptible to rust. To avoid these issues, make sure you buy a safe with a quality door seal, store it in a relatively dry place, and air it out occasionally. It can also be a good idea to store items in airtight containers or to place some form of desiccant inside the safe to absorb excess moisture.

About Our Team

Nick Hilden

Contributor

David Dritsas

Editor, Home Goods

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

We may earn money when you buy through our links.

Home | Home Safety | Best Home Safes

Best Home Safes

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review . 

The SentrySafe SFW123GDC sets the standard for home safes. Whether your valuables face fire , water, gravity, or a burglar , this SentrySafe is tough enough to protect them. You can purchase sizes from 0.82 to 2.05 cubic feet, which is enough room to store piles of files, records, binders, and more.

See how other home safes stack up to SentrySafe in our side-by-side comparison.

The best home safes of 2024

• SentrySafe SFW123GDC : Best overall home safe
• AmazonBasics Keypad Safe : Best budget safe
• SentrySafe 1200 : Best travel safe
• TIGERKING biometric safe : Best fingerprint home safe
• Barska Mini : Best gun safe

Compare the best home safes

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer .

Reviews: Best small home safes

1. sentrysafe sfw123gdc: best overall home safe.

Home security is an investment, so sometimes it’s worth dropping a little more cash to keep your valuables safe.

The SentrySafe SFW123GDC is a heavy-duty, tough-as-nails security safe. It’s designed to withstand up to an hour in scorching hot fire (up to 1700℉), survive falls up to 15 feet, and withstand close to a foot of water. 

You can order this SentrySafe fireproof model as an old school combination lock or with a digital keypad. Either way, it comes with a backup key to open the waterproof safe manually. It also comes in sizes ranging from 0.82 to 2.05 cubic feet.

Its hardware is impressive too. This fire safe has four live-locking bolts, a pry-resistant hinge bar, a locking drawer, and even an interior light inside. And it’s all made with steel, which explains why this safe doesn’t come with mounting options. (It’s a whopping 87 pounds.)

Regardless of what you’re storing in your safe, you should keep your safe locked at all times. You never know when you’ll forget to rearm your safe or who will be snooping around the house, so be proactive and keep the safe locked.

2. AmazonBasics Keypad Safe: Best budget safe

If you like our top pick, but you're on a budget, here's a good alternative. The AmazonBasics safe is made of heavy-duty carbon-steel with an 8-gauge steel door and a pry-resistant hinge. For a box that holds under 2 cubic feet, it weighs almost 40 pounds, making this dense home safe a reliable first line of defense for your jewelry and heirlooms.

This security safe made our top three for several reasons. It’s strong, simple, and holds a substantial amount. It isn’t as tough as the SentrySafe, and isn’t fire or water resistant, but it’s no cardboard box.

It comes with four pre-drilled holes in the back for wall or floor mounting too. You can open it from any angle with its keyless electronic lock (but it still comes with a backup key for emergencies). We also like that it has a shelf inside to keep your valuables organized.

As tempting as it is to keep the passcode or backup key in a findable spot, it won’t keep your valuables safe. You never know who might find that extra set of keys or guess an easy passcode, so keep them secret from others.

3. SentrySafe 1200: Best travel safe

The SentrySafe 1200  provides protection and portability for your valuables. It’s the perfect size for bank deposits or important documents that need to travel with you.

It uses a simple key lock and is small enough to hide in closets, underneath desks, and just about anywhere. It’s large enough to fit a small pistol, making it a good candidate for a portable gun safe.

This fireproof safe is classified by Underwriters Laboratories to withstand 1550°F for up to 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same durability against water or tampering.

Take precautions as you would with any expensive product—don’t advertise or compromise the safe’s location. The fewer people who know about your safe, the better.

4. TIGERKING Fireproof Safe: Best biometric safe

The TIGERKING Biometric Safe has been verified to withstand 1700F for 1 hour to help protect your stuff in case of a fire. Weighing 70 lbs, made with thickened steel, door panels up to 8cm thick and anti-theft hinges, it keeps your valuables secure. The electronic fingerprint keypad is the best part, so you can quickly access your things in an emergency, and the external battery box makes it easy to replace the batteries.

5. Barska Mini: Best gun safe

If you keep a gun in your home , safe storage should be a priority. We picked the Barska Mini as our top choice because of its biometric locking mechanism, silent mode, solid steel construction, and Department-of-Justice-approved design.

It can hold up to 0.29 cubic feet (enough for a pistol, ammo, and cleaning tools). It’s tamper resistant and mountable, so it’s easy to keep out of the reach of curious children or intruders.

Check out our full lineup of best gun safes and best car gun safes for more firearm storage options.

It’s always worth going the extra mile and bolting your jewelry safe to the floor or securely in the wall. If your home falls victim to intruders and your safe is light enough to carry, it’s unlikely you’ll see it again.

The SentrySafe SFW123GDC is the best fireproof safe and an absolute beast for a reasonable price. We're also big fans of its 89-pound weight, which makes it much harder for a burglar to tote off-site to a workshop. While you can bolt this safe to the floor, there are (understandably) no other mounting options.

Home security safes aren't the only way to protect your home and valuables. Consider heading over to our reviews of the best home security systems and best wireless security cameras to learn about other ways to improve your security. 

Home safe FAQ

What should i look for when buying a safe.

If you do an internet search for “home safe,'' the results can be overwhelming. Some are built specifically for guns, while others offer protection from fire, tampering, or water—and then there’s the lock type to consider while you’re at it.

To start, you’ll need to determine what type of safe is best for you: a floor safe, a wall safe, or a bedside safe. Then find one with the lock type that fits your needs and budget.

What type of safe should I get?

When safe shopping, consider your goal—do you want to hide heirlooms or important documents? Do you need a quickly accessible gun for emergencies? Your answer will impact cost and storage location.

A wall safe might be right for you if you have a small floor plan and can make modifications to your home. Wall safes can hide behind doors or portraits without taking up too much floor space. If you do opt for a wall safe, make sure that it’s mounted between the studs in the wall.

A floor safe is a great alternative to putting a hole in your wall. These safes secure to the floor for enhanced defense against thieves. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit in tight, hidden spaces. If you want to bolt your floor safe down, hard surfaces like concrete are best.

Gun safes , such as biometric gun safes, are more secure than simply keeping a weapon on your nightstand. These safes ensure that your gun won’t end up in the wrong hands, and they open quickly should you need your weapon.

Hidden safes are home safes in disguise. Usually camouflaged as books , they’re perfect for hiding valuables in plain sight. They’re discreet and light, making them portable for travel and moving. This also means they don’t store a ton of stuff, but they’re generally large enough to hide documents like passports and birth certificates.

Where should I put the security safe in my home?

The harder to find, the better. But this depends on whether you’re able to make alterations to your home or not. If you own your house, consider a mounted wall safe concealed by a piece of art, false wall, or fixture. If you rent, be sure to hide your safe in a hard-to-reach place to keep it out of unwelcome hands.

What type of safe is most secure?

Heavy safes with good locking mechanisms offer the most security. Here's a quick breakdown of different lock types.

Biometric scanner This is a highly secure digital lock. It scans and then reads your fingerprint, and it opens only if the print matches one within the fingerprint memory. Some safes hold multiple prints for multiple users, so be sure the safe you chose suits the number of people using it.

Electronic keypad Thanks to its PIN authentication, an electronic keypad keeps your valuables secure and easy for you (or other authorized users) to access. A lock can run on batteries, Wi-Fi, or an AC adapter. Be sure to check for a low battery alert or backup key if you opt for a safe that requires a power source.

Combination A combination lock is as basic as it gets. Turn the dial to your combination passcode and voilà. It’s battery-free, so you can always count on it to function. But it does require periodic maintenance. To prevent the lock from seizing, you’ll have to disassemble it, clean it, and lubricate it. Your local safe technician or locksmith can tell you more about the service costs and specifics.

Find a safe with a backup key. Regardless of your lock type, a backup key saves the day in the event of a dead battery, power loss, or misplaced key. All of the safes in our comparison have an override key.

How heavy should a home safe be?

Even lighter safes should be hard to carry out the door. If you can help it, the heavier the safe is, the better. Heavy safes are harder for intruders to remove and carry out quietly. They’re also generally more durable. If you need a lighter, more portable safe, be sure to choose one with multiple locks or one that’s easy to hide.

Should I buy a small safe or a large one?

The size of your safe affects where you can store it, how much it can hold, and its price. Watch for different measurements when shopping around. Most safes use cubic inches or cubic footage to express capacity.

Portability While lightweight safes are generally more portable, they’re also easier for a burglar to carry out the door. If you choose a portable safe, keep it hidden safely or under your supervision.

Contents Consider what items you want to store in the safe. The size and amount of your valuables will determine how big your safe should be. Larger items like binders, weapons, or laptops will need more room than documents, jewelry, or thumb drives.

How secure is a lock box?

While it isn’t exactly Fort Knox, a lock box or safe box is a great starter safe that's easy to hide and move if discovered. It generally comes with a main and backup key, but not much else in terms of security.

Do I really need a water- or fire-resistant safe?

Home safes without fire and water protection are still a good idea for securing your valuables, but the extra protection is worth it for irreplaceable objects. Before you make your purchase, consider what kind of threats your valuables are up against.

Fire-resistant Usually marked as “UL Certified for Underwriters Laboratories,” fireproof safes have been tested for how much heat they can stand. These tests measure the temperature both inside and outside the safe, ensuring that the contents and the safe itself can take the heat.

Water-resistant If you live in an area that floods frequently, you may want to buy a safe that floats or is water resistant. We also recommend keeping smaller safes on higher ground to avoid exposure to water.

How we reviewed the best home safes

To create this round up we spent hours researching, reading customer reviews, and doing some hands-on testing.

To start our best safes review, we considered what we’d want to see in a home safe. We eliminated flimsy key lockboxes and large gun safes to make sure our candidates were a suitable size for most consumers.

We also looked for safes with backup keys, biometric scanners, and keyless entry to avoid getting locked out (or the wrong person getting in). We looked through top-rated products and compared their prices and features to see which safes stood out.

Check out our full methodology to learn more about how we rank home safes and other products.

Related articles on SafeWise

• Best Car Gun Safes
• Best Gun Safes
• Hiding in Plain Sight: 6 Sneaky Ways to Keep Your Valuables Safe
• Home Security Projects You Can Tackle In a Weekend
• How to Keep Important Documents Safe in Your Home

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

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9 Ways To Travel More Safely

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Whether you're traveling within the U.S. or to a foreign country, you should take extra precautions to stay safe. Distractions born of travel — such as taking in the sights, eating delectable food and exploring new cities — can increase your risk.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

These international and domestic travel safety tips will help you reduce your risk so you can enjoy your vacation and avoid trouble as much as feasible. Here's how to travel safely — ranging from actions that can be implemented on the fly and ones that require a bit more preparation.

1. Digitize important documents

Your wallet or purse is filled with important documents that criminals can exploit. Leave unnecessary items at home (like your Social Security card) and make copies of everything else you would need in an emergency, like prescriptions, a backup credit card (so you can at least make a digital purchase in a pinch) and your passport.

Take a picture and upload them to a secure folder on the web. This way, if anything is stolen, you can easily take steps to reduce the damage that criminals can cause. You can easily call the bank to cancel debit and credit cards and request a new ID from the embassy. You can also use a secure digital vault system like 1Password or LastPass to store these documents.

2. Minimize how much cash you carry

It is important to have a little cash when traveling, but most retailers accept credit cards, even abroad. Not having cash minimizes your wallet's value to a thief, and you can dispute unknown charges from a card. Just make sure to carry a card that has no foreign transaction fees when traveling internationally.

3. Look less like a tourist

The more you dress and act like a local, the less risk there is from criminals targeting you as a tourist. Adapting your style to that of the locals, walking with confidence and keeping maps hidden can help you blend in. When using directions on your phone, only look at it briefly while walking.

Further, familiarize yourself with the city and your route before leaving the hotel. If you do need to look up directions for an extended period of time, consider stepping into a store or cafe to do so, rather than staying outside.

4. Share your itinerary with someone you trust

Whether you're traveling alone or with others, share your itinerary with someone you trust back home. Check in once a day to let them know that you've made it to your next destination or back to your hotel. These small steps increase your safety during travel.

It's also wise to create and share a safe word so that family or friends would know if you're in trouble, even if the conversation seems normal to someone else who may be listening. You can take this a step further and consider sharing your live location with a trusted friend or family member via your smartphone.

5. Research travel advisories for destinations

According to the U.S. Department of State, "conditions can change rapidly in a country at any time." Its website keeps a continuous list of travel advisories in destinations around the world. While these advisories don't always mean that you shouldn't travel, they do help make you aware of the potential conditions you'll find when you arrive, or areas to avoid.

Check the State Department website before making travel plans, and again before you depart. Somewhere that may have been safe when you booked your trip may have deteriorated since then.

6. Sign up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program , or STEP, is a free service from the State Department that allows citizens traveling or living abroad to receive the latest security updates. The information that you provide also makes it easier for the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate to contact you in an emergency.

7. Notify credit card companies of your travel plans

Because you may be traveling to cities outside your normal spending patterns, let your bank know your dates and destinations of travel. Many banks allow you to notify them via your online banking portal.

This will minimize the potential of the bank locking your account due to perceived fraudulent transactions, which could leave you stranded.

Additionally, consider bringing a backup credit card.

8. Be careful with public Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi can open your devices and sensitive information to hackers. Using a VPN service is one of the best ways we know of to stay safe in an airport, when exploring your destination or at your hotel. VPN services create a secure connection to protect your personal information when browsing the internet or using web-connected apps on an open connection.

Security.org , a security product review site, conducted a study in June 2020 and found that just 31% of U.S. internet users use a VPN service for public Wi-Fi connections. That means almost 70% of public Wi-Fi users are at risk of being hacked.

9. Get travel insurance

To improve both your physical and financial safety, consider purchasing a travel insurance policy ahead of your trip. This safety net is helpful in avoiding out-of-pocket expenses for emergency medical treatment, trip delays, cancellations or interruptions, lost luggage or evacuations.

Most policies will reimburse travelers for unused accommodations, transit or activities that were nonrefundable but had to be canceled for a covered reason. Similarly, if your luggage is lost by an airline or train company, you’ll likely get reimbursed through the baggage protection on your policy. Plus, if your policy has emergency medical coverage, you won’t be hit with a huge bill for medical attention overseas (where your U.S.-based health insurance is likely not useful).

Some credit cards come with built-in protections, whereas others don’t — in the case of the latter, you will need to purchase a stand-alone policy .

If finding ways to travel safely is your goal …

Now that we've shared some tips on how to travel safely, you can travel with more confidence and less risk. Though implementing most of these tips has little or no cost, they may take time to set up. Investing the time to increase your travel safety will be well worth it if you can avoid dangerous situations that can interrupt or ruin your next trip.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Journey Management

Stay informed of your mobile workforce's journey plans and approvals to guarantee their safe arrival by using GetHomeSafe's Journey Management solution. Reduce time, effort and money by using our solution, which includes optional Risk Assessments and Fatigue Management features, making it perfect for travelling workers.

Planning & Approval Software For Your Mobile Workforce 

GetHomeSafe is a complete software solution to help manage the risks of both travelling and working in hazardous environments with our easy-to-use Journey Management App. 

More than just a travel safety app, you get everything readily available to plan, review, approve and track journeys in one easy-to-use platform that can be configured to meet your needs. 

Combine your solution with additional Journey Management features such as linking your vehicle tracking, and incorporating our risk assessment and fatigue management solutions to streamline your mobile workforce processes. 

Try now for free, no credit card is required and it only takes a minute. Alternatively, book a free no-obligation live demonstration.

Journey Management Planning The Easy Way

Our Journey Management solution is designed to make managing risk and monitoring safety more accessible and efficient, even while on the move.  Pre-plan detailed journey plans, schedule them in advance, and customise which types of jobs require approval by a manager or supervisor before departing. 

Along with helping you plan, review, and approve journeys, our solution now includes features that allow you to automate the Journey Management and Risk Assessment process. Allocate up to 25 risk assessment questions to specific activity types with optional restriction levels that are determined based on the risk level. This ensures that you are able to identify and address potential risks before they occur, making it easier to manage and mitigate the risks associated with travel.

So why should you choose GetHomeSafe for your Journey Management solution?

• Efficiently plan, review, and approve journey plans.
• Speed up approval times with pre-approved travel plans.
• Assign risk assessment forms to specific activity/job types with restriction levels. Have access to automated data for audits, compliance and health & safety checks.
• Incorporate Fatigue Management solutions and Vehicle tracking for a complete solution.

GetHomeSafe's Journey Management solution will save you money. Spend just a few dollars per user, per month to save hundreds of hours of admin and paperwork time.

Try Now For Free

Try our Journey Management app for free, no credit card is required and it only takes a minute. 

Know Where Your Team Are And If They're OK!

No matter how they are travelling.

With GetHomeSafe — Journey Management you can review your employee's route to ensure:

• Total driving times are not intentionally exceeding policy limits.
• Journey legs and break times fit your fatigue policy.
• Sites are visited in a logical order.
• Routes are optimised to minimise travel distance and carbon footprint.
• Fatigue is checked prior to and routinely throughout the journey with a cognitive test. 
• Use our Remote Working solutions for travel out-of-cell coverage.

Vehicle Tracking Integrated With Journey Management Planning

Linking your vehicle tracking solution with GetHomeSafe’s Journey Management Planning solution centralises all your travel and fatigue information into a single platform. This allows you to increase the efficiency and accuracy of your travel risk management processes. 

The benefits of linking your vehicle tracking with GetHomeSafe include: 

• Real-time GPS proximity of your workers relative to their vehicles — two locations on one map.
• Receive GPS location information of all assets; owned, rented or hired, when journeys are tracked through our Journey Management app. 
• Report on which assets are being used for higher-risk activities. 
• Process duress, man-down, collision and rollover events in a standardised process within the same centralised platform. 
• Extend coverage beyond standard cellular networks by using our Remote Working solutions. 

Still Have Questions?

Contact us for a quick informal chat with one of our friendly team members. We’d love to discuss your Journey Management requirements.

Travel Safety FAQs

Is there an option to pay-per-journey if we don’t travel often.

Yes, we offer a low rate for clients that need more flexibility, if you qualify for our enterprise solutions and want to include a 12+ month contract.

Can we use this for risk assessments?

Yes, you can create your own bespoke risk assessment for specific journeys.   Coming soon is the ability to assign multiple risk assessments to a journey profile.

Can we use this for mixed fleet travelling?

You certainly can! With our transport mode selector, you can nominate up to six different modes of transport for the same journey.

How do we control the approval quality?

Very easily! Our ‘processes’ function enables you to create a checklist for supervisors to review and check off. We even record how long they take to review each item!

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Safe Solo Travel: 10 Tips & Advice For Traveling Solo

• Have an emergency plan: Carry a first-aid kit, backup power sources, and emergency contacts. Be prepared for worst-case scenarios.
• Plan an itinerary and start the day early: Plan activities to make the most of the time and leave room for unexpected discoveries. Starting early ensures safety and flexibility.
• Trust instincts and avoid reckless behaviors: Listen to one's gut feeling and stay away from risky actions. Trusting strangers easily and ignoring local customs can lead to trouble.

Of all the things to know about digital nomads and recreational jet-setters who travel the world, one common denominator is that they all started as complete newbies at one point. Moreover, most will tell a tale of their first trip (or their few first few adventures) alone being incredible yet nerve-wracking at the same time — and that's absolutely normal.

It's often that the thought of traveling alone strikes fear and endless questions — every solo traveler can attest to this, no matter how experienced they are. However, overcoming such doubts unfolds the beginning of something magical that many leave to cherish. But how do solo travelers reach the point where they face every adventure with the utmost courage?

Incorporating a few tips that help solo travelers avoid common mistakes is the key to a successful, safe, and memorable trip. Or rather, one that leaves lone adventurers yearning for more. Fortunately, there are safe and affordable destinations perfect for a solo trip , and they are incredible places to put these safety tips for solo travel into practice.

Related: What Is A Digital Nomad? Everything To Know About This Traveling Lifestyle

Have An Emergency Plan

Worst-case scenarios can happen to anyone, regardless of their travel experience. However, they are more frustrating when experienced by solo travelers, as they bear the full weight of the situation alone. A backup plan helps deal with unforeseen circumstances, and a top tip is searching nearby police stations and hospitals in a specific destination for emergency visits.

Better yet, when packing, carry a basic first-aid kit with medicines to cure allergies and other minor medical conditions. Other emergency plans include having:

• Hard copies or digital scans of travel documents
• Contact information for a hotel or accommodation
• Backup power sources for a phone (fully charged power banks are game changers)
• Alternative transportation options (several numbers of trusted drivers)
• An up-to-date map of remote areas (this is handy for solo backpackers or those venturing off the beaten path)

While such events are rare, no one is immune to them. It’s better to have plans on how to deal with unpleasant events rather than solve them once they’ve occurred.

Plan An Itinerary And Start The Day Early

After picking a preferred destination, planning an itinerary is the best way to make the most of the limited time. It ensures solo adventures don’t miss out on major sights and activities, which can trigger anxiety. However, one should leave room for unexpected discoveries that enrich the travel experience.

Starting the day early is another incredible tip solo travelers should embrace. Besides allowing for flexibility, it also contributes to safety since adventurers don’t have to navigate unfamiliar streets in the dark.

Carry Some Cash

Although many establishments in well-developed places accept debit, credit cards, and other contactless payments, carrying some cash is a good idea.

This alternative payment method is a reliable backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances — like when there’s limited ATM access or when some local hotels or transportation modes don’t accept card payments.

Additionally, it’s best to divide money into several stashes and store them separately rather than keep everything in one place. The pain of losing a few bucks is bearable instead of it all!

Enjoy Your Own Company, But Be Open To Socialize With Others

Sitting alone in a restaurant or attending an event doesn't have to be awkward. Sure, it feels strange at first, but solo travelers can make the experience enjoyable by incorporating several tricks. It could be visiting a restaurant or a public space during off-peak hours, bringing a book to read or a notebook to write in, or choosing places that don’t heighten the feeling of self-consciousness.

Most importantly, vacationers shouldn’t shy away from meeting and socializing with other travelers or locals. Some of the most beautiful experiences happen once people leave their comfort zones. That said, it's crucial to keep one's wits about them; it's important not to simply trust just anyone or gallivant off with strangers. Sticking to populated public spaces when socializing and meeting new friends (like restaurants and cafes) is a safer bet.

Striking a balance of self-discovery and connecting with others isn’t something one can hack with their first trip, but it becomes easier with time. Also, solo tourists are not obligated to interact with others since the process should be natural.

Related: 10 Essential Tips For Solo Travel In The Caribbean

Invest In Travel Insurance

There are various reasons why it’s smart to have travel insurance . While it’s one thing most vacationers are unsure whether they need or not, it’s better to be insured on a trip because anything can go wrong. After all, one may lose their valuables or twist an ankle when hiking some of the best trails in the US .

However, travel insurance policies differ, as they protect tourists from different unexpected circumstances.

Don’t know how to settle for the right insurance company? Learn what to consider when choosing travel insurance for that big solo trip.

Make Photography A Mission And Carry A Tripod

The lack of photographic memories can leave gaps in one’s travel adventures and, worst of all, regrets. Solo travelers should make capturing every moment a mission and do it with pride to create the perfect narrative of their escapades.

However, when it comes to taking photos, asking a stranger can be a hit or miss, as they may fail to understand how to take shots of a person's best angles (or there's always that nagging fear of having one's camera or smartphone stolen — probably not likely, but it does happen). It’s even hard for solo introverts who feel anxious interacting with others in the first place.

As such, carrying a tripod comes in handy since it allows lone travelers to capture their travel experience independently and creatively.

Share Travel Plans With Trusted Family Members Or Friends

Although traveling solo creates a sense of independence, keeping trusted family members or friends in the loop is vital. This is also one of the numerous safety tips for solo female hikers yearning for their first trip, as it gives people an idea of where to start in case of an emergency or unexpected situation.

Fortunately, most places have public Wi-Fi, so sending a quick “Hey, I’m safe” message on WhatsApp or email is easy. A local pre-paid SIM card or a mobile app that allows loved ones to communicate or track solo travelers when in remote areas also comes in handy.

Related: These Are The 10 Safest Caribbean Islands for Solo Female Travelers

Trust Your Instincts And Avoid Engaging In Reckless Behaviors

Ever had a feeling that a situation or a certain unpleasant encounter with someone could happen? Well, a solo traveler’s instinct is the first line of defense when it comes to personal safety. Gut feelings can help lone tourists avoid potential dangers or take calculated chances.

Additionally, tourists should avoid engaging in reckless behaviors that could land them in trouble, even when in countries deemed the safest for solo travelers .

Reckless and risky actions when traveling involve drinking too much, leaving drinks on the table with strangers (or letting strangers handle one's drink), ignoring local customs, leaving personal belongings unattended, and trusting strangers easily.

Related: 10 Reasons Why This Less Visited Country In Europe Is Perfect For Solo Travelers

Start With Smaller Trips Before Embarking On Those Far From Home

Solo travels boost confidence, but aspiring tourists have to start small to help them tackle more extensive adventures. Weekend city breaks, solo dates, and mini vacations are the stepping stones to the future of bigger trips.

Taking trips within the city limits is also a great way to feel confident around people since it’s easy to find those speaking the same language. For example, travelers whose home base is in America may start out with epic solo travel destinations in the US before venturing off to the other side of the world. With time, adventurers start feeling safer and easier to navigate international journeys.

Do Through Research About Each Destination And Your Hotels/Hostels

This should always be a top tip for solo travelers, as the destination or accommodation chosen can make or break a travel experience! A little research to understand safe neighborhoods, areas to be aware of potential risks, and attractions that fit one’s interests ensures solo tourists don’t run into unpleasant moments.

When choosing an accommodation, individuals should pick hotels, Airbnb, or hostels based on reviews from past solo travelers. Each of these accommodations has its pros and cons, so it’s up to travelers to choose one based on their preferences. For instance, hostels are easy to meet and mingle with other solo nomads, but they can be crowded and have security concerns.

There are also plenty of dos and don'ts when staying in a hostel in order to avoid problems and ensure an excellent trip, from proper communication with the staff and learning to share living spaces with other travelers to being a tidy and considerate hostel guest.

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Visa-free travel to Russia

Several countries now have bilateral agreements in place with the Russian Federation to allow visa-free travel to Russia for their citizens. Unfortunately, however, there is no indication that similar agreements will be reached with the EU, the US, or the UK any time soon.

If you are not a citizen of one of the countries below and do not hold a diplomatic passport, the only other way to visit the Russian Federation without a visa is on a cruise ship to St. Petersburg. This exemption allows you to stay in the city for up to 72 hours without a visa on the condition that you are sleeping on the ship and are accompanied at all times by a licensed tour guide. If your cruise calls in St. Petersburg for 48 or 72 hours, there are companies offering shore tours which include a day in Moscow.

The same visa-free regime is applied to passengers on ferries from Helsinki and Tallinn operated by the company St. Peter Line, although in the case of ferry passengers you need to book your own accommodation. Again, it is possible within the 72 hours to visit Moscow as well. You can find out more about visa-free tours to Moscow and St. Petersburg here .

Nationalities which can travel to Russia without visas are divided into four groups with different requirements and different limitations on length of stay for each group. Even if you do not need a visa to enter Russia, you will certainly need a passport valid for at least six months after the date of your proposed exit from Russia, and you may require other official documents. You will also, like all foreign travelers in Russia, still need to register with the Federal Migration Service upon arrival.

Citizens of the countries of the CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States) are permitted to stay in the Russian Federation for up to 90 days without a visa.

Citizens of these countries are allowed to stay in the Russian Federation without a visa for up to 90 days in each 180-day period, provided they will not be involved in any commercial or work-related activities during their stay.

Citizens of the countries in this group can stay in the Russian Federation for up to 30 days without a visa. They are not entitled to work while in Russia.

Citizens of these Balkan countries can also stay in Russia without a visa for up to 30 days, but must also show tourist documents (tourist confirmation and tourist voucher) or an official invitation to immigration officials.

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Swig Life 22oz Tumbler, Insulated Coffee Tumbler with Lid, Cup Holder Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, Stainless Steel, Large Travel Mugs Insulated for Hot and Cold Drinks (Island Bloom)

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• KEEPS HOT UP TO 3 HOURS. COLD UP TO 24 HOURS, Double wall, vacuum sealed, and copper plated insulated tumbler with thick, professional grade 18/8 stainless steel.
• EASY TO CLEAN, DISHWASHER SAFE coffee tumbler. All Swig Life travel mug tumblers and accessories (lids and bases) are top-rack dishwasher safe.
• CUP HOLDER FRIENDLY stainless steel tumbler is easy to hold, and fits in most car cup holders. The perfect travel coffee mug or tea tumbler (tea infuser attachment sold separately).
• SLIP-FREE, SCRATCH-FREE, NOISE-FREE SILICONE BASE keeps your insulated coffee tumbler from tipping over or making too much noise when you set them down.
• OVER 40 COLORS AND PRINTS to choose from makes Swig Life insulated tumblers the best unique gift idea for women, men, mom, dad, teachers, birthday, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Holiday and Christmas

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Swig Life designs insulated drinkware and coolers made for living your best life! We understand that your water bottle, travel tumbler and insulated bag are each a reflection of your personal style, and this inspires us to produce premium products in designs you love, for yourself or for a gift.

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Swig Life 22oz Triple Insulated Stainless Steel Skinny Tumbler with Lid - Confetti Pattern

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Thanks to our triple insulation technology, this coffee tumbler with lid keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours. The cup holder friendly, slim shape makes it perfect on the go or at home. From sweet tea to hot toddy's, this Swig will definitely be your new fave!

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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers are happy with the quality, size and ease of cleaning of the drinking cup. They mention that it's a great product, fits in standard cup holders and that it keeps their water cold all day. Customers are also happy with appearance, and coldness. Others however, are not happy with lid. They say it'll only go on the cup with the drinking spout open. Customers disagree on value, and leakage.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the coldness of the cup. For example, they say it keeps their water cold all day, it's great for hot or cold drinks, and it holds ice for a long time. Some mention it'll stay hot for hours.

"...If I do that it stays hot for hours . Fits in standard cup holders and is a pretty coral pink color." Read more

" Keeps my water cold all day and small enough to fit in the cup holder" Read more

"...It keeps my coffee hot , just the way I like it! My ice water stays cold over night! I love the colors and designs...." Read more

"...I love the color as it's perfect and it keeps things cold the entire day !" Read more

Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the cup. For example, they mention it's pretty, has great design choices, and is in the perfect shade of girly pink. They also appreciate the pattern and the material on the bottom. Overall, most are happy with the product's appearance.

"...Fits in standard cup holders and is a pretty coral pink color ." Read more

"...My ice water stays cold over night! I love the colors and designs . I have several, so I always have a clean one ready to use." Read more

"...The way it curves in makes it look nice as well and it fits in all of my car cup holders...." Read more

"...The design is beautiful and it makes me smile every morning. And best of all, it fits in the cup holder, so I don’t have to be so careful on my drive." Read more

Customers like the quality of the drinking cup. They say it's well-made, durable, and works great. Some mention that the design is sleek and nice, and the non-skid bottom is great. Overall, most are happy with the quality and design of the product.

" Great cup . I do rinse it with hot water before I put coffee in so the cold metal doesnt cool my coffee down. If I do that it stays hot for hours...." Read more

"...I love the color as it's perfect and it keeps things cold the entire day!" Read more

"...The hole is too small and it is hard to drink with their lid . if you fix the lid, it would be perfect." Read more

"I love Swig tumblers! I use them all the time and they are wonderful . When I put ice in them, it stays frozen for 10 to 12 hours...." Read more

Customers like the size of the cup. For example, they say it's small enough to fit in the cup holder, great size for on-the-go beverages, and not too big and heavy. Some like that it'll fit in many cup holders and is narrower on the bottom.

"...If I do that it stays hot for hours. Fits in standard cup holders and is a pretty coral pink color." Read more

"Keeps my water cold all day and small enough to fit in the cup holder " Read more

"...The way it curves in makes it look nice as well and it fits in all of my car cup holders ...." Read more

"...Also. it fits in a car cup holder , so many insulated cups & water bottles don’t. I’m going to get some for myself." Read more

Customers like that the cup is dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

"...The whole reason asked for this tumbler was because it was dishwasher safe (and it was so pretty)...." Read more

"This mug is great for hot or cold and especially like it is dishwasher safe ." Read more

"Works great and love that it is dishwasher safe . The standard lid is not the best but it is functional and I don't have to hand wash it!" Read more

"...The lid is a little difficult to keep clean - it has a slidey opening, and my drink does get inside of it, so I have to slide it back and forth..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the leakage of the cup. Some mention that it keeps their coffee hot and doesn't leak, while others say that the lid and cup are not leak proof, it significantly leaks when drinking from it, and the lid spills everywhere when you try to drink out of it.

"...with small kids & it gets knocked over multiple times a day and never leaks . Also...." Read more

"Swig needs to redesign their lids. The lid is so airtight that it builds up pressure with hot liquids and lid pops off...." Read more

"...The design is beautiful, and the lid is leakproof as far as I can tell...." Read more

"Great tumbler, poor designed lid. It will spill if it tips and it is almost impossible to drink out of, your drink will not flow out ...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the value of the drinking cup. Some mention that it's worth the price, while others say that it was a waste of money and rendered useless.

"I found this tumbler, and the design made me smile. The price was a lot higher than I wanted to pay...." Read more

"...Fun gift to add!! Better and less expensive that Yetti !!!" Read more

"Mug is average just like the others, a little overpriced considering it had no real extra features...." Read more

"... Over-priced , I guess because is a "designer" cup." Read more

Customers are dissatisfied with the lid of the drinking cup. They mention that it has a flawed design, it pops off easily, and it doesn't always stay on well. Some say that the bottom silicone part was coming off.

"...It was looped around the lid hole and certainly not going to keep it in place while I drink my coffee...." Read more

"...lid is so airtight that it builds up pressure with hot liquids and lid pops off ...." Read more

"...Everything else is perfect but definite design flaw with the lid . My husband has a similar Tervis cup...." Read more

" Did not like lid ." Read more

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We'll get you to where you want to be in comfort and style. Phone: 020 8304 0321

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HomeSafe Travel is a family-run business based in Welling, Kent on the London border providing luxury transport to clients in the area. We have been established for over 25 years and provide a luxury mini-coach and car service in and around London and the South East to all destinations in the UK, as well as mainland Europe. Our luxuriously appointed vehicles can accommodate from 1 to 16 passengers plus luggage.

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Politics latest: Defiant Humza Yousaf accuses opponents of 'playing games' as he vows to fight on

Scotland's first minister says he will fight a vote in his leadership and is "very confident" of winning. Listen to this week's episode of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast while you scroll through the latest updates.

Friday 26 April 2024 14:50, UK

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• 'I intend absolutely to fight vote of no confidence,' Yousaf tells Sky News
• Connor Gillies:  First minister must reset relations with the very people he has burned bridges with
• Yousaf's political future in numbers - and how it may all come down to just one
• 'When they start caring about us, maybe we'll care back': Politics Hub special explores breakdown in trust between voters and politicians
• Serena Barker-Singh:  Stark and bleak view from Target Towns voters
• Latest  Electoral Dysfunction podcast explores what the local elections will bring
• Live reporting by Charlotte Chelsom-Pill

Scotland's first minister tells Sky News he has "every intention" of winning the vote of confidence against him. 

Speaking live to Sky's Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies , Humza Yousaf accused the opposition parties of "playing games".

"I intend to fight that vote of no confidence. I've got every intention of winning that vote of no confidence," he said.

Mr Yousaf said he understand the "upset and anger" felt by the Scottish Greens after he scrapped their power-sharing agreement yesterday. 

But he said the opposition must act in "good faith" in order to make a minority government work "in the interests of the people of Scotland".

He said he will be writing to all political party leaders and party groups represented in the Scottish parliament, including the leaders of the Greens, to ask them to meet with him.

Asked how he can be confident he will win the no-confidence vote, he says: "I believe in our ability to be able to work with, negotiate, compromise where necessary. We've shown that in the past."

"I'll be looking to do that over the next coming days with the opposition leaders. 

"And with that, I'm quite confident, very confident, in fact, that we'll be able to win that vote of confidence."

Mr Yousaf confirms he has no intention of resigning. 

Lord David Cameron has heralded the UK-Mongolia partnership today, saying it is "stronger than ever," as he completes his five-day tour of central Asia.

The foreign secretary's visit to Mongolia saw him meet president Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. 

And he can be seen posing for photos with one of the prime minister of Mongolia's horses. 

Lord Cameron also took part in an English lesson at a school in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. 

His tour of Central Asia has already taken him to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. 

By Connor Gillies , Scotland correspondent

Kitted out in his hard hat and high-vis jacket, an embattled Humza Yousaf toured a new social housing development in Dundee today as he dodges incoming political fire.

It was difficult to miss the metaphor of him stepping out on to the balcony of one home. A leader whose career appears to be teetering on the edge.

I spoke to the first minister live on Sky News and his message could not have been clearer. He is clambering to cling on. Defiant that he will win a looming no-confidence vote.

He denies suggestions he even considered quitting in the past 24 hours. 

Some sources within the SNP, though, told a different tale. 

They contradict their leader with a suggestion he had serious conversations with his inner circle about the path ahead.

The sacked Green ministers may get the ultimate political "revenge" when they cast their vote next week.

One Green source told me the only move they would support Mr Yousaf doing is resigning. "He needs to go now", they said.

The question is how long can the SNP chief ride the storm? His fate now lies in the hands of one-time leadership rival Ash Regan.

He said she was "no great loss" when she defected to Alex Salmond's Alba party last year.

Mr Yousaf must now reset relations with the very people he has burned bridges with since taking over as Scotland's leader in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon's shock resignation.

The Scottish MSP who may well have the deciding vote in a motion of no confidence in the first minister says she has written to him requesting a "reset". 

But she says she remains "open to any discussion".

Ash Regan, once a rival to Humza Yousaf for SNP leader, defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party last year.

With the SNP now a minority administration and the rest of the opposition confirming they are plotting to oust the beleaguered first minister, Sky's  Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies says Ms Regan finds herself as possibly the most powerful woman in Scotland.

In a post on X, Ms Regan said: "I have written to Humza Yousaf this morning requesting a reset, and a return to competent government, where we prioritise independence and protect the dignity, safety and rights of women and children. 

"I remain open to any discussion where we progress the priorities of the people of Scotland."

You can read more from Connor's analysis on Ash Regan here:

Humza Yousaf's future as first minister is hanging in the balance ahead of a motion of no confidence next week.

Now, as leader of a minority government, his fate may be hanging on just one vote - that of a former SNP leadership rival. 

We take a look at how:

The numbers

In the Scottish parliament, the SNP has 63 seats out of 129 , two short of an outright majority;

The Conservatives have  31;

Labour has 22;

The Greens have  seven;

The Liberal Democrats have four;

The Alba Party has one ;

There is also one presiding officer Alison Johnstone, who is both an MSP and Scotland's equivalent of the Commons speaker.

How the numbers are expected to fall

The motion of no confidence was brought by the Scottish Conservatives.

The Greens, Labour and the Lib Dems have all said they are backing the motion.

That would translate into 64 votes against the first minister versus 63 SNP votes.

So the one Alba vote is expected to be key.

How it may all come down to one ... Ash Regan

Once an SNP leadership rival to Mr Yousaf, Ash Regan defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party last October. 

If she backs Mr Yousaf then that would mean both sides have 64 votes.

Ms Johnstone would then be expected to vote in favour of the status quo, so the first minister would survive.

But if Ms Regan votes against Mr Yousaf, then the opposition parties will have 65 votes against the SNP's 63, and the first minister would lose.

He wouldn't be compelled to resign in this situation, but he'd be under huge pressure to step aside.

More to come

And remember, Scottish Labour have lodged a separate motion of no confidence in the Scottish government. 

Alba have said it won't back that motion.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has backed Labour calls for an election in Scotland, describing the situation facing the SNP and first minister as a "total mess".

Scottish Labour have lodged a motion of no confidence in the government, saying "we need an election right now".

Humza Yousef is also facing a no-confidence vote on his leadership next week. 

Put forward by the Conservatives, it has the backing of Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens.

"It's a total mess with the SNP and Humza Yousaf," Sir Ed said during a visit to the River Goyt in Stockport.

"I personally think this SNP government has really failed Scotland."

He said the SNP has let Scotland down on key services such as health and education because the party has been "so focused on their ideological obsession of independence".

"On these basic things that matter to people, the SNP have been failing them and so Liberal Democrats have been saying in Scotland, look, we need to focus on the NHS, we need to focus on our schools, the cost of living, the environment."

"Because the SNP haven't done, I actually think it's time for a general election in Scotland."

Following the prime minister's trip to Europe this week, Beth Rigby , Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson examine whether Rishi Sunak is convincing on the world stage and ask if his announcement on defence spending will help the Conservatives' chances in next week's local elections.   

And after the Rwanda bill was passed this week - is this another win for the prime minister or a policy that he should have dumped months ago?   

Plus, what's the future for Scottish First Minister Hamza Yusuf following the breakdown of the coalition between the SNP and the Greens. Ruth Davidson who was the leader of the Scottish Conservatives gives her verdict.   

And how do MPs get deselected if they behave badly and can you become an MP if you have a past?  The team answer more of your questions. 

Listen here to the latest episode of Sky's Electoral Dysfunction podcast:

👉 Tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at  [email protected] , post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

With a general election looming, what counts as gains and losses for the main parties in next week's locals? 

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher tells us what to look out for:

Lord David Cameron has said he is "deeply concerned" as a British man is charged with conducting hostile state activity to benefit Russia. 

"While we must let the judicial process run its course, I am deeply concerned by allegations of British nationals carrying out criminal activity on UK soil to benefit the Russian state," the foreign secretary said. 

"We will use the full weight of the criminal justice system to hold anyone found guilty of crimes linked to foreign interference to account."

Dylan Earl, 20, is alleged to have engaged in conduct targeting businesses which were linked to Ukraine in order to benefit the Russian state.

Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime and counter terrorism division, said: "Included in the alleged activity was involvement in the planning of an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in March 2024."

Four others have also been charged in connection with the investigation, the CPS said, after reporting restrictions were lifted on Friday.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: "Hostile foreign acts will never be tolerated on UK soil. 

"Our National Security Act has allowed charges to be brought against an individual alleged to be carrying out harmful activity for the benefit of the Russian state. 

"If you threaten UK security, you will face justice."

Read more here:

By Daniel Dunford , senior data journalist

There might not be a general election just yet, but there are important votes that will define how the areas around us are run for the next four years. 

See what's happening where you are here:

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Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

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Home » Prices and Trans-Siberian Tickets » Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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