5 Best Diversion Safes

The effectiveness of a diversion safe relies heavily on its ability to appear exactly like the real thing. A good-looking one will turn a thief away instantly as they won't be able to see any valuables within it. We review some of the best ones.

• 

Diversion safes can be anything from a book to a box which can provide a place to hide valuables in plain view. The goal is to frustrate thieves by making your hidden safe look like something completely different. If you're out and about and you want to keep your cash or keys away from a potential thief, make sure that it's placed within a diversion safe so that they can't even see that it's what they are looking for.

There are many different types available that look like common household items e.g. hidden in pictures, jewelry boxes, picture frames, books, and even fake rocks.

An overlooked feature is the fact that the safes are often easily disguised to look just like their surroundings. This means that as the criminal is trying to steal your property, they'll probably think that it isn't actually where you stashed it in. For example, something that looks like a real book will quickly be dismissed.

We take a look at the five top rated ones below.

1. Vanitek Hide-a-Spare-Key Fake Rock

Our Rating: 4/5

CHECK PRICE

The fake rock is a the classic. It's perfect for storing spare keys in your backyard for that day when you’ve lost or misplaced the house keys. If the rock is well placed, it is indistinguishable from the real stones surrounding it.

This product is molded from polyresin which means that it matches a natural rock in size, texture, and weight.

It can store keys, plus because of its weight and solidity, you never need to worry about it crushing or getting blown away. The casing is also waterproof, so even if it rains, you don't need to worry about your keys rusting.

You do need to have some rocks lying around your house for it to make sense. The rocks also need to blend in so you can't have one random stone next to some pebbles.

PROS

• Compact and lightweight.
• It blends well with the environment.
• Good contingency plan.
• Very affordable.

CONS

• It serves one purpose.

2. Mantello Hair Brush

Our Rating: 4/5

CHECK PRICE

Imagine having a functional hairbrush that you can also use to store your savings for a rainy day. That is what this one provides. It's made from plastic, like most hairbrushes.

The bristles are durable and work well on all hair types. Even if you are not looking for a secret storage space, it's still a great brush. It makes sense to take with you when travelling.

The storage compartment is easy to access. You twist the brush to reveal it. This can be dangerous because if you forget to twist the brush, someone else can discover your stash.

You can store various items in the compartment, from keys to special notes and jewellery. This demonstrates how such an item can go beyond mimicry and add functionality. You can think of it as a two-in-one device agent 007.

PROS

• Lightweight and portable.
• Fully functional hairbrush.
• Very affordable.

CONS

• Someone might take the brush, unaware that it’s housing valuables.
• It has limited storage capacity.

3. Aquafina Water Bottle

Our Rating: 4/5

CHECK PRICE

Better hope the thief isn't going to sip some water. This safe's disguised as a regular water bottle. It has a double layer of plastic.

If you twist the bottle, you can remove the top half to reveal a secret stash compartment. You can also add water to the bottle to add to the illusion or to have a nice sip of cold water.

One of the concerns about using this bottle would be that you need to keep a close eye on it. We’ve all experienced leaving a bottle of water somewhere and finding it empty or tossed in the bin.

When the bottle is empty, it can be suspicious if the bottle feels heavy because of what's stored in it. As such, this bottle is best hidden somewhere where no one is likely to touch it. But does anyone hide water?

PROS

• Super lightweight.
• It can be used to store water.
• It can be easily overlooked as a regular water bottle.
• The hidden compartment has convenient dimensions for different items.

CONS

• Material is not shock absorbent.
• Water bottles are commonly interacted with, making them easily discoverable.

4. Jcuniversal - Regular Standard Size Lighter

Our Rating: 4/5

CHECK PRICE

Made to look like a Bic lighter, it can only store very tiny items. Anything small that's worth stashing. If you smoke, this device is impressive as you can light cigarettes knowing your goods are safe.

I guess the biggest question is, what are you trying to safeguard in such a small container, but that's for you to know. Having a lighter on you can be very handy, along with being an excellent conversation starter.

If I had a dollar for every time a smoker asked me if I had a lighter, I'd need my diversion safe to store all the money I'd have. I guess one might expect a bit of anxiety when lending this lighter to fellow smokers as it might not return.

PROS

• Extremely lightweight and portable.
• Fully functional lighter.
• No one would expect it to be anything more than a lighter.
• It comes in different colors.

CONS

• The secret compartment is tricky to open.
• Easy to lose or misplace.

5. SafeInside 4202 Flower Pot

Our Rating: 4/5

CHECK PRICE

I think of myself as a big fan of small plants. They have a nice way of making your room homier or your doorstep more welcoming.

Now imagine a flowerpot with your favourite plant that you also use to keep that love letter or the spare keys. That is the range you can expect from this product.

It is an adorable looking item that can store your spare keys or spare cash. Not only does it store valuables, but it's also pleasing to look at, especially if you love plants. The flower pot comes with a removable plastic top.

That enables you to add a different synthetic plant or even a real one that better suits you. The safe comes with a lock and two keys to add to its level of security. No one will ever suspect it’s anything more than a flowerpot.

PROS

• It comes with added security feature.
• It has steel-reinforced plating.
• Nice outward appearance.
• Unlikely to be thrown away accidentally.

CONS

• The mounting process can be tricky.
• Relatively expensive.

How We Decided On Our Winner

If you want a stay-at-home safe to store spare keys, such as spare cash, the Flower Pot is the best option. It is durable and unlikely to be interacted with by anyone other than yourself.

Suppose you are looking for a portable safe. The Mantello Hair Brush works well as it's lightweight and inconspicuous.

FAQ and Buying Guide

Why buy a one of these?

The most obvious reason is to protect something valuable to you. If a thief breaks into your house, they will likely skip over an everyday object. Making it much harder for burglars to find what you don’t want them to see, adding a layer of deception to your other forms of security such as a combination lock.

How we chose our top five?

The more inconspicuous objects that don’t look important, the better. It also depends on what you are storing. If you want to hide money, it wouldn’t be smart to put it in our piggy bank.

That’s too obvious. The goal is to be mysterious and to find a discrete hiding spot such as a book safe.

Yet, you also don’t want a safe that can look so unimportant that it might be mistaken for something that someone might use. For example, say you wanted to store something small, hiding it in a pen-shaped items safe might be a bad idea because someone can pick up the pen. You also need a durable safe, something that won’t break, revealing something hidden.

Benefits of Diversion Safes

Portable

They are usually lightweight and portable as they mimic everyday items. The safes are suitable for people who are on the move or are likely to move often. You can't carry around a gigantic metallic safe to store your house keys or passport. That is where something like a book diversion safe become useful. They are lightweight, so you can slip them into your pocket without even feeling the weight. With rampant cases of identity theft, travellers may need a safe place to store passports.

They are inexpensive

When compared to conventional safes, they are way cheaper. This is as they focus on the deflection rather than impenetrability. The price depends on the item the safe mimics.

The smallest and most basic safes available are still 4 or 5 times more expensive than the average. This is because its value is its ability to keep whatever is inside from being noticed. It's like wearing a cheap disguise as opposed to hiring expensive security personnel.

They Are a Great Way of Keeping off Intruders

The most obvious benefit is how they safeguard your valuables from theft. This way, intruders could gain access to your house and search for hours for a safe to open; meanwhile, the diamonds were in plain sight. A bit of an extreme example, but it paints the picture.

What's the best way to use one?

You must find a mundane safe and blend in well wherever it's placed. For example, if you want to hide a key inside a book safe, it's helpful to put it around other real books.

A bad example of using one is buying a safe that mimics a soda can and placing it in the bathroom. That looks a bit suspicious.

The best safe should be non-functional because a functional safe can attract attention. Avoid a safe that requires you to tell people, “don’t touch that” or “please don't move that.”

Precautions

They are not as durable as traditional safes, so you cannot guarantee to get your items back if your house is on fire. The valuables inside could also get damaged if the safe is dropped or crushed by accident.

They're limited in size. So you cannot keep every important thing in them, e.g., passport, property papers or jewellery in them only.

Since these have no lock, any person sitting near them can find your valuable items. These are not detectable but can be discoverable.

To read similar articles, go to our home security page.