The best key safes, compared.
Top pick: KornerBatl 65-key cabinet Best value: Master Lock 5401EURD – About £14.99 and 4.6 from 27,113 reviews, for a resettable dial rather than a care key. Updated October 2026.
A key safe, as UK councils use the words, is a wall-mounted box that holds a spare key behind a code so a carer or relative can get in when you cannot reach the door. amazon.co.uk also uses the name for indoor key cabinets with hooks. If the key opens your home, read the accreditation on the listing, not the star count. 1175 8 A5 means A tools for at least five minutes, and only if the box is fitted as tested. Tell the insurer before you rely on a box. A theft claim can fail when a key from a box was used and there is no damage. That is not a blanket void, and it is not approval. Brick, concrete, and the supplied screws are set out in [how to fit a key safe](/hub/safes-and-secure-storage/key-safe/sub/key-safe-how-to-fit). Those are a cupboard of labelled keys, not a box on the path. It does not run the laboratory test itself.
A key safe, as UK councils use the words, is a wall-mounted box that holds a spare key behind a code so a carer or relative can get in when you cannot reach the door.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +21,800 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What is the key for?
The KornerBatl KB08-30E-UK is an indoor cabinet, not an outdoor carer box, at £60.99 and 6.7 kg, with 4.7 from 74 reviews. The listing is for up to 65 tagged keys, with a key plus an electronic lock, a deposit slot, and USB emergency power if the batteries fail. Reviews mention two backup keys and a solid steel body, and they also call the interior LED weak and the supplied bolts inadequate. The size line prints 11 cm depth and a second line says 15 cm, so measure the wall space against both. Only 74 reviews sit behind the 4.7. Fixings are described as better for concrete than for other walls. It suits a home or office that needs labelled hooks indoors. It does not replace a wall box for a carer.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An indoor cupboard of labelled keys for a home, garage, or small office.
Less suitable: An outside wall, a carer visit, or a listing you need to show an insurer.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an outdoor carer box?
No. The listing describes an indoor key cabinet, not a compact outdoor lock box. Weather resistance is not stated.
What happens if the batteries fail?
The listing includes a low-battery alert and USB emergency power. Reviews mention two backup keys.
The Master Lock 5401EURD is a resettable 4-digit dial box at £14.99 and 442 g, with 4.6 from 27,113 reviews. That is the largest review count in this comparison, and the listing states no Secured by Design or LPS rating. Exterior size is 11.9 × 8.5 × 3.6 cm, with about 3 cm of interior depth. Reviews say two ordinary house keys fit, and bulky car fobs do not. The shutter is praised in outdoor use. Some buyers received screws without masonry anchors, and one said the box was the wrong standard for their insurer. A limited lifetime warranty against mechanical failure is the stated cover. It is the best value here for a lockout spare you can reset. It is the wrong box if the key opens a home and a council or insurer has asked for a police-preferred specification.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A lockout spare for one or two ordinary house keys, indoors or under a shutter outside.
Less suitable: A care key, a car fob, or any job where the insurer has named Secured by Design.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a police-preferred box?
Accreditation is not stated. Care-home use is a listing suggestion, not an accreditation.
Will a car key fob fit?
Interior depth is 3 cm. Reviews say small house keys fit, not bulky fobs.
The Mitoymia H001 is a small 4-digit dial box at £7.48 and 310 g, with 4.6 from 1,965 reviews. The title says Approved and names no body, so accreditation stays not stated. Reviews say it is easy to fit for two ordinary keys, and they also call the screws terrible and the metal thin. Interior space is for one or two standard keys, not bulky fobs. The reset lever sits on the back of the pad and is easy to miss once the box is on the wall. A printed size of 6.5 × 8.5 × 4 cm fights a chamber-depth line of 12 cm. The cover has to stay over the dials. A 12-month warranty and a 30-day refund are in the bullets. It is one of the cheapest lockout boxes here. Do not treat the word Approved as Secured by Design.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A very cheap dial for one or two standard keys when you set the code before you drill.
Less suitable: A care key, a fob, or any buyer who read Approved as a police scheme.
Specifications
Common questions
What does Approved in the title refer to?
The title says Approved and names no body. Treat accreditation as not stated.
Where is the reset?
The code uses a reset lever on the back of the pad.
The KeySafe C500 Pro is a 1.8 kg mechanical wall box at £67.96, with 4.6 from 1,525 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing shows Secured by Design. The maker datasheet cites LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 and certificate 1062g, which applies when you use the supplied screws in brick or concrete. Reviews describe a heavy body, a flush fit, and an internal hook for up to six keys, and they also say the code opens in any order with each button used once. That surprises people who expect a phone-style PIN. The weather attribute says not water resistant while the bullets claim a rust- and water-resistant cover, so treat the cover as a shield rather than a seal. One review criticised the concrete screws, and there is no override key if the code card is lost. It is the top pick in this set for a home key when the wall matches that test, and a poor match if you only want a £15 lockout spare.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare house key on a brick or concrete wall, when you have told the insurer.
Less suitable: A lockout-only budget, a rendered wall, or several chunky key fobs.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing show an accreditation?
The listing says Secured by Design. The maker datasheet cites LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 and certificate 1062g.
Does the code have to be entered in order?
Reviews say it opens in any order, and each button is used once. The listing claims over 4,000 combinations.
Does it need a battery?
The lock is mechanical. No battery is listed for the lock.
The listing titled Double Dragon is a 4-digit dial box at £7.49 and 380 g, with 4.6 from 650 reviews, while the brand field says XShield. No accreditation is stated, and there is no second way in if you forget the code. A review says a forgotten code cannot be recovered. The cover over the wheels and the included plugs are the points reviewers like, provided you set the code before you mount the box. The release is small for larger fingers, the fixing holes have little adjustment, and brick still needs a hammer drill. The printed envelope is 115 × 40 × 95 mm, and a chamber line of 8 × 8 × 4 cm does not match that envelope. A spare-part line says five years; the warranty field is otherwise not stated. It is a cheap outdoor dial for a spare you can afford to replace, not a care key safe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap outdoor dial for ordinary keys when you set the code before drilling.
Less suitable: A home key, larger fingers on the release, or anyone who might forget the code.
Specifications
Common questions
Which name is on the listing?
The title says Double Dragon. The brand field says XShield.
Can you get in if the code is lost?
There is no second way in. A review says a forgotten code cannot be recovered.
The Uniclife BG5162-BK-UK is an indoor 16-hook cabinet at £29.99 and 1.44 kg, with 4.6 from 313 reviews. The body is steel, 1 mm in the bullets, with a 3-digit code and 1,000 combinations claimed. A magnet holds the door. Bullets say up to eight bulky car keys in a row, plus 16 tags. Reviews like the labels and the room, and they also say the labels are small and that 16 hooks are more than a small home needs. One buyer found the setting tool missing and flicked the lever by hand, so check the tool is in the box before you close it up. The title size is 25 × 5.6 × 21.3 cm and the item line is 28 × 25 × 8.5 cm. An attribute says pedestal while the job is a wall cabinet. An outdoor rating is not stated. It is a labelled indoor cupboard. It is not an external box for carers.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An indoor wall cupboard for labelled house and car keys.
Less suitable: An outside wall, a night-time carer visit, or a household that only has a handful of keys.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this for an outside wall?
No. The listing describes an indoor key cabinet, not an outdoor lock box. An outdoor rating is not stated.
How do you set the code?
It is a 3-digit code, with 1,000 combinations claimed. A review found the setting tool missing and flicked the lever by hand.
The GRIFEMA GA1003-1 is a compact dial box at £10.49 and 277 g, with 4.5 from 10,704 reviews. External size is 115 × 95 × 40 mm and internal depth is 30 mm. Bullets claim up to five keys and one card; reviews say ordinary house keys fit and car fobs do not. The code is a 4-digit sequence with 10,000 combinations claimed, and no battery is described, although an attribute line says electronic. A second attribute says not water resistant while the bullets offer a slide cover for indoor and outdoor use. Reviewers call the screws and plugs soft, and they accept the box could be pulled off. Small dials can knock the next wheel. There is no hook and no accreditation. It is a discreet lockout box if you replace the fixings. It is not a police-preferred key safe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small, discreet lockout box for a couple of house keys if you bin the supplied plugs.
Less suitable: A car fob, a card you need to keep flat, or a home key an insurer has to accept.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the lock electronic?
The attribute says electronic. The bullets describe a 4-digit code and no battery. Treat the electronic line as an attribute clash.
Is it marked water resistant?
The bullets mention a slide cover for outdoor and indoor use. The attribute says not water resistant.
The Mohard 8109 is a wall-mounted 12-digit pad at £25.99, with 4.5 from 1,253 reviews and no accreditation on the listing. Reviewers like the larger buttons, the hooks, and a wider opening than a slim dial, and they say it fits with a hammer drill. The code works in any order, including hash and star, and the listing suggests you use 4 to 8 digits and photograph the code because there is no override. One review says it stopped working for carers. The included screwdriver is called useless, and the cover is hard to remove. The printed weight is 100 g, which is not plausible for a 6 × 9.5 × 15 cm box, so do not compare it by that figure. The lock attribute says Key while the bullets say a combination. It is a larger uncertified button box, not a substitute for a listing that shows Secured by Design.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An uncertified outdoor box when you want bigger buttons than a £10 dial and will photograph the code.
Less suitable: A care contract that asks for Secured by Design, or any comparison that uses the 100 g line.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the lock a key or a code?
The bullets say a 12-digit combination. The attribute line says Key.
Is there a way in if the code is lost?
No override is listed. The listing says photograph the code.
The KeySafe P500 Pro is £93.95 and 1.87 kg, with 4.5 from 833 reviews. The amazon.co.uk listing itself prints LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 and Secured by Design, and the bullets add an anti-tamper plate over the code card. The lock is mechanical. There is no override key, and the anti-tamper screw needs a Torx T15 driver. Reviewers like the long masonry screws and the heavier body next to a dial box, and they also say the legends are black on black and the instructions are tiny. The capacity line says 5, while a key count is missing from the bullets. One size line looks swapped against the C500, including an 18 mm chamber-depth attribute, and a portable attribute fights the wall-mount bullets. A 2024 review saw two years on the listing and five on the box. Choose it when you want that plate and the A5 line on the same page.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A home key when you want the A5 line and the anti-tamper plate printed on the Amazon page.
Less suitable: A buyer who already has a sound brick wall and does not need the plate, or anyone fitting on render.
Specifications
Common questions
What accreditation is on the listing?
The listing says LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 and Secured by Design. A maker note says the Pro is A5, and an earlier P500 was described as A3.
Is there a spare key?
No override key is listed. The anti-tamper screw needs a Torx T15 driver.
How many keys does the listing allow?
The listing says 5. A key count is not in the bullets.
The ark Tamo is the heaviest outdoor box here at 2.1 kg and £128.95, with 4.5 from 144 reviews. The lock is mechanical multi-push: the listing claims over 9.7 million combinations and says a button may be used up to four times. Lit buttons, listed as 7 mm, are the practical difference at night, and a review says the CR2032 powers those lights rather than the lock. Reviewers praise one-handed opening, two hooks, and masonry screws that cut into brick, and they also say the first set-up is easy to get wrong. An Airbnb host found any-order entry awkward for guests who expect a PIN. The title says police preferred and the bullets say independently attack tested, but the listing prints neither A5 nor A10. Buy it for the lights and the counted presses, not because the Amazon page proves a higher grade than the C500.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A home key where you want large lit buttons and can explain a multi-push code.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the LPS code printed on the amazon.co.uk listing, or a lockout spare under £15.
Specifications
Common questions
Is an LPS rating printed on the Amazon listing?
The title says police preferred and the bullets say independently attack tested. The listing prints neither A5 nor A10. Maker pages do not agree, so this comparison does not assign a grade the listing omits.
Can a button be pressed more than once?
The listing says a button may be used up to four times, and claims over 9.7 million combinations.
What is the battery for?
The lock is mechanical. The listing names a CR2032, and a review says the cell powers the lights.
The OFFOF VSH-63 is a 12-digit mechanical pad at £23.23 and 600 g, with 4.3 from 675 reviews. Accreditation is not stated. Reviews say it is easy to set, feels solid for the price, and holds several keys, and they also say the code works in any order. A full-pad press can open a code that uses every button, which limits how you set it. The cover is the other complaint: if it does not stay shut, rain gets in. One review says the code failed after a few uses, so longevity is not established from the reviews on the listing. The bullets claim 5 to 8 keys and 240 cubic centimetres. Use it only as an uncertified spare-key box, and leave at least one button out of the code.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An uncertified outdoor spare where you will leave buttons unused and check the cover.
Less suitable: A key that opens a home, or a code that presses every button.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it Secured by Design?
No. The listing does not print Secured by Design or an LPS code.
Does the order of the buttons matter?
Reviews say the code works in any order. A full-pad press can open a code that uses every button.
The ARK GUARD PRO XL Mk2 is a larger 4-digit box with an override key, at £24.95 and 575 g, with 4.3 from 84 reviews. It is not the ark Tamo. Capacity is given as 300 cubic centimetres, with keys up to 10 cm claimed, and the listing adds a Faraday claim for car-key signals, which we did not test. Reviewers like the extra room, the twist handle, and the spare key, and they also say the cover hinges snapped when the box was dropped. Short screws and poor plugs are a repeated fitting complaint. Specification lines do not show Secured by Design or an LPS code, even where a review says police approved. Instructions need work, and the warranty line is not stated. It is the box in this set if you want a mechanical override and more depth than a slim dial. It does not carry the accreditation line the C500 listing does.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A larger uncertified outdoor box when you want a spare key in case the code is forgotten.
Less suitable: A home key that needs Secured by Design, or a cover you might drop on the path.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it the same product as the ark Tamo?
No. The manufacturer is Emerger Brands. It is not the ark Tamo.
Does the listing show Secured by Design?
Accreditation is not stated. Reviews say police approved. The specification lines do not.
Is there a spare way in?
Yes. The listing includes an override key as well as the 4-digit code.
On 16 October 2026 each score starts from the amazon.co.uk star line times 20. A 4.6 becomes 92. Points then come off for a thinner review count, and points are added or removed for what the listing prints about Secured by Design and LPS 1175. A spec line that fights the bullets, a weather clash, soft fixings, a cover fault, or a code that failed in reviews is taken off once. There was no attack test and no laboratory score. Price is not inside the score. It is used only to name the best value after the listing is read.
Amazon star line
40%The base is the star average times 20, rounded half up. A 4.7 becomes 94, a 4.6 becomes 92, a 4.5 becomes 90, and a 4.3 becomes 86.
Review count
20%Points come off that base by the review count on the same ASIN, from nothing at 5,000 reviews or more down to 30 points under 10 reviews.
Accreditation on the listing
25%Secured by Design plus an LPS 1175 code on the listing adds 10. Secured by Design, with the LPS code only on the maker datasheet, adds 8. A title that says approved or police preferred, with neither printed, loses 6.
Listing faults
15%Each of these is taken off once: a spec that fights the bullets, two size lines that disagree, a weather clash, a lock that needs batteries, soft or missing fixings in reviews, a cover or hinge fault, or a code that failed or opened on a full-pad press.
Decide the job before the brand. An outdoor spare for care, a lockout dial, and an indoor hook cabinet answer different questions, and a high star line does not turn one into the other. In this amazon.co.uk set the shelf prices run from about £7.48 to about £128.95. Accreditation, the wall, and who has to open the box come before that price. Tell the insurer what you are fitting.
A key safe, as UK councils use the words, is a wall-mounted box that holds spare keys behind a code so a carer or relative can get in when you cannot reach the door. amazon.co.uk also uses the name for indoor cabinets with hooks. Those are a cupboard of labelled keys, not a box on the path. Quality for an outdoor home key is the accreditation on the listing, not the star count. Secured by Design is the police scheme. It does not run the laboratory test itself.
A 4.6 from thousands of reviews is a customer score. It is not LPS 1175 and it is not Secured by Design. Councils name the police scheme. A title that says approved, and names no body, is not that scheme.
The C500 and P500 line is stated for brick or concrete and the supplied screws. Reviewers on cheaper dials call the plugs soft or missing. Do not put rawlplugs behind screws that are meant to cut into masonry, and do not trust a plug a review has already rejected.
Many push-button boxes open in any order and do not repeat a digit. A weather cover is a shield. The C500 attribute says not water resistant while the bullets claim a resistant cover. An inside bolt or a chain still stops the carer, even when the code is right.
Secured by Design is the police scheme. It does not run the laboratory test itself. LPS 1175 Issue 8 pairs a tool category with minutes. A5 is Category A tools for at least five minutes, one person, tools up to 2.5 kg. In this set the C500 Pro listing shows Secured by Design, and the maker datasheet cites certificate 1062g. The P500 Pro listing prints both LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 and Secured by Design. The ark Tamo title says police preferred, and the Amazon listing prints neither A5 nor A10.
Large push buttons beat tiny dials when a carer uses the box in poor light. A mechanical lock does not depend on a battery. The KornerBatl cabinet does: it needs batteries, with USB emergency power and backup keys mentioned in reviews. Many push-button boxes, including the C500 and the P500, open in any order and use each button once. People who expect a phone PIN get that wrong. The Tamo listing says a button may be used up to four times.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are arranging care and need a mechanical outdoor box, with the insurer told and the door not bolted from the inside. The KeySafe C500 Pro is about £67.96, with 4.6 from 1,525 reviews and Secured by Design on the listing. The stated LPS line needs brick or concrete and the supplied screws.
You want a resettable dial for one or two ordinary keys, not a police-preferred box. The Master Lock 5401EURD is about £14.99, with 4.6 from 27,113 reviews and about 3 cm of interior depth. The listing states no Secured by Design or LPS rating.
An office, garage, or home cupboard needs hooks, not an outdoor carer box. The KornerBatl is an indoor cabinet for up to 65 tagged keys at about £60.99. The electronic lock needs batteries, and only 74 reviews sit behind the 4.7.
For a spare key to the home, the KeySafe C500 Pro is the top pick: Secured by Design is on the amazon.co.uk listing, the lock is mechanical, and the price is about £67.96. The stated LPS 1175 Issue 8 A5 line still needs brick or concrete and the supplied screws, and the weather attribute says the box is not water resistant. For a lockout spare, the Master Lock 5401EURD is the best value at about £14.99, with a true 4-digit sequence and the largest review count here. It is the wrong box if a council or insurer has asked for a police-preferred specification.
Master Lock 5401EURD
About £14.99 and 4.6 from 27,113 reviews, for a resettable dial rather than a care key.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources on Secured by Design, LPS 1175, fitting, and insurance. Listing prices, star lines, and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk pages for these twelve ASINs. Prices move.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores start from the published star line and are adjusted for review count, accreditation printed on the listing, and listing faults. They are not an attack test.
