Best Car Gun Safes

With durable construction and reliable simplicity, the Fort Knox lives up to its namesake and earns the top spot on our list—even though it's pricey. Its mechanical lock and tamper-resistant design make it a great choice for security, but it tips the scales at a whopping twenty-two pounds. While it does have holes for mounting, it doesn't come with the hardware needed to secure it to your car.

The Simplex mechanical lock on the Fort Knox has over 1,000 possible code combinations, which means potential thieves won't be able to crack it without some serious trial and error. It's battery-free, so you don't have to worry about the lock losing power or malfunctioning.

The Nanovault's small size and light weight make it a good, basic, and inexpensive option for traveling, but its insubstantial construction and easy-to-cut cable will probably only deter the casual burglar.

We like its simple design that's straightforward enough for anyone to use. At around $30, the Nanovault is one of the most budget-friendly gun safes for those needing an inexpensive way to secure their firearm.

At only 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches, the Nanovault is about the size of a hardback book, making it just big enough to fit a gun, but small enough to fit neatly in your luggage.

A 1,500-lb. test cable is included with the Nanovault, making it easy to secure to a fixed object in your home or car.

At more than $250, the Vaultek is the most expensive gun safe on our list, but its fancy features and anti-tampering qualities may make the price tag worth it.

The Vaultek's anti-pry bars close any gaps between the lid and the main compartment so it can't be pried open, and special anti-impact latches prevent the safe from popping open when hit or dropped. The hinges are mounted on the interior of the safe so they can't be tampered with.

Biometric technology allows you to program in your fingerprint so you can access your safe by swiping your finger across the scanner.

If you can't use the fingerprint scanner for some reason, the Vaultek comes with both a coded keypad and backup keys for manual unlocking.

If you're looking for something truly lightweight and easy to carry, the SnapSafe Treklite is ideal. At only 1.6 lbs., it's one of the lightest car gun safes on the market, but it's not flimsy: it's made of an impact-resistant polycarbonate, with the same strength as its heavier steel counterparts. It retails for less than $20, and it comes with a security cable to attach to your car. Like the Nanovault, it may be compromised by someone who's prepared with tools, but it's a decent deterrent for the smash-and-grab criminal.

The “no eyes” keypad on the GunVault is the next best thing to biometrics if you want quick access to your weapon. With over twelve million code combinations and a built-in tamper-detecting lockout feature that kicks in after several failed attempts to enter the code, it’s unlikely that a burglar would be able to thwart this safe. The safe also includes a backup override key and a security cable, but it doesn’t include the nine-volt battery required for the keypad operation, and its twenty-gauge steel construction is the weakest of the safes on our list.

The “no eyes” keypad on the GunVault is the next best thing to biometrics if you want quick access to your weapon. With over twelve million code combinations and a built-in tamper-detecting lockout feature that kicks in after several failed attempts to enter the code, it’s unlikely that a burglar would be able to thwart this safe. The safe also includes a backup override key and a security cable, but it doesn’t include the nine-volt battery required for the keypad operation, and its twenty-gauge steel construction is the weakest of the safes on our list.

The “no eyes” keypad on the GunVault is the next best thing to biometrics if you want quick access to your weapon. With over twelve million code combinations and a built-in tamper-detecting lockout feature that kicks in after several failed attempts to enter the code, it’s unlikely that a burglar would be able to thwart this safe. The safe also includes a backup override key and a security cable, but it doesn’t include the nine-volt battery required for the keypad operation, and its twenty-gauge steel construction is the weakest of the safes on our list.