Do you find yourself looking only for a hotel or holiday rental that offers in room safes when you travel? Or maybe wondering where to keep your valuables safe in a hostel dorm room or at the beach while you have fun? Well if you have a secure safe that can be tethered to a heavy or permanent object, then you don’t have to limit yourself. Trouble is a regular safe can’t be lugged with you everywhere! However, the best portable safes for travel are designed to be lightweight yet secure and can be packed in your suitcase and used just about anywhere.
The size of the safe depends on what kind of things you need to keep safe. If you need one for your laptop as well as smaller valuables so that you can leave them in your room while you’re out and about, you don’t have much of a choice. If you need something just for jewelry, cash, smartphone, etc and that can be used to tether to a beach chair or something similarly heavy, then there are many more options.
The below options for a travel safe for valuables span several sizes and are the top rated ones on the market.
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Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L GII Portable Safe
If you’re looking for a portable safe that you can pack in your luggage but still be able to hold a 15″ laptop, then the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L GII is really the only option for you. But don’t worry, it is a great choice, as Pacsafe is known for making quality anti-theft bags and accessories. Weighing just one pound and measuring 16.3 x 10.4 x 0.5 inches means that not only will it hold a laptop, but you can also pack in a tablet, camera, wallet, jewelry, phone, etc. When empty, it packs flat and it also has short top handles for you to lift and carry with you.
The fabric is water resistant poly canvas nylon with an inner lining and EVA foam padding in between to protect your gadgets. Stainless steel Exomesh is embedded throughout the bag in between, so unless a thief takes wire clippers to the bag, nothing can be stolen from it. It is a drawstring type of bag with a stainless steel cable running through grommets at the top. You draw the cable to pull the top shut, secure with clasps and then run the cable around a table or bed leg or closet rod and lock the clasps using the included TSA-approved combination lock or your own secure lock. This way no one can run off with it.
If you want something that you can carry with you when you’re out and about instead of leaving it back at the hotel, consider an anti-theft backpack or anti-theft cross body bag. Many have straps that can be tethered to a restaurant table.
SAFEGO Portable Travel Lock Box Safe with Key and Combination Access
After the Pacsafe above, the next best portable travel safe might just be the SAFEGO Portable Travel Lock Box Safe. Sure, it won’t hold a laptop or even a full sized tablet, but you can throw in plenty of smaller gadgets and valuables into this durable ABS plastic safe. It comes with an inbuilt nickle 3-dial combination lock that can also be locked with a waterproof key. You actually get two keys, with one that you can hang off an included wire coil band that you can wear on your wrist, so you’ll have it with you even when swimming. You can secure the safe to a lounge chair and the pool or beach, to a bed in a hotel, to a table in a restaurant, etc. using the flexible cable that pushes into a slot at the top of the box and locks from inside. Set the combination and/or lock with the key to secure.
A small hole near the top lets you pass earphone plugs through, so you can listen to music from your phone even when it is locked inside the safe. The plastic is impact and water resistant, it weighs 1 lb and measures 7 x 4 x 7.5 inches with a wider top width and narrower bottom width. You can get this safe in any of four different colors.
Master Lock SafeSpace Portable Safe
There’s no key lock on the Master Lock SafeSpace Portable Safe and it’s not very big, but it can comfortably hold a compact camera, passport, phone, keys, watch and some cash all together and its construction is very durable and waterproof. It locks via a 4-dial combination lock that is hidden behind a hinged flap and a strong steel cable that serves as a handle or tether stores neatly in its own channel around the case so that it doesn’t snag on anything when not being secured to an object.
There is a charging cable or ear bud port so you can charge your phone or listen to music while the phone is still in the case. It is available in six different colors, measures 10.5 x 5.4 x 2.4 inches and weighs 1.4 lbs.
Reviews from 4-5 years ago mention that the lock doesn’t work well but that problem seems to have been fixed since then.
SentrySafe P005C Compact Safe
This solid steel constructed SentrySafe P005C Compact Safe features a 3-dial combination lock and no key lock. Its inner dimensions are 5.9 x 8 x 2.6 inches, making it suitable for cell phones, GPS devices, wallets, keys, etc. An inner lining ensures your stuff doesn’t get scratched or damaged.
The box comes with steel tethering cable to secure it to a beach chair or other fixed objects. Weighing just under 2 lbs, it is light enough to be able to carry with you wherever you go. However, it isn’t the most secure solution if you’re carrying anything very valuable, but if you’re looking for an affordable method to secure everyday belongings then this would do fine in most cases. Before first use, the corners may seem misaligned but this can easily be remedied by lining them up just once in the beginning and they will stay that way afterwards.
Helix Personal Safe with Tether
For the smallest of all portable safes, the Helix Personal Safe with Tether takes the cake, measuring 4-3/4 “x 6-1/2″ x 2” and weighing just 1 lb. It is enough to deter quick thieves but not for anyone who has an opportunity to break it with something hard. It is unlocked by a key and there’s also a spare key. This box also features a tethering cable.
This travel safe is only big enough for a medium sized phone, watch, keys, some cash and a passport. Large smartphones won’t fit. There’s also no lining in it to prevent scratches so use a case or cover for a phone or any jewelry.