Compact vs large portable safes - which one fits your lifestyle?
A portable safe very much fits the image of the 21st century product. The increasing use of ‘smart’ solutions means we want products that have multiple uses and which work efficiently to make our lives easier. The portable safe is a great example of this, because it keeps our valuable items safe, while also enabling us to travel around outside the home or workplace and take important valuable items with us.
However, within the category of ‘portable’ safes there are differing descriptions and it is important to find the right portable safe to suit your needs. Security of your valuable items is an essential need, but it has to be practical and effective, otherwise you run the risk of losing or forgetting your safe, or it being stolen by an opportunist thief. So this guide aims to explain the different types of portable safe available, and which might suit your individual lifestyle.
Understanding the different types of portable safe
- The lightweight portable safe
This is a lockable case that is similar in style and size to a glasses case, and hence can easily be picked up and transported with you as you go about your day. This type of portable safe is used to keep everyday valuable items together, such as a smartphone, house keys, car keys and maybe a wallet. It can be used for other small documentation, such as a driving licence or passport, but cannot accommodate much more than that. This lightweight portable safe is usually accessed via a four-digit code inputted on a rotary dial.
A cashbox is a slightly larger type of portable safe, and is effectively a metal case with a top-hinged opening, and usually includes a removable tray insert and has a top-lid carrying handle. This type of portable safe is usually accessed using a small key or by inputting a unique four-digit code. A cashbox, as the name suggests, is often used by commercial businesses as a small petty cash safe, but is also used by any small business which operates outside or at an external event. This includes markets, fairs, festivals, concerts and street food events. In addition to cash and coins, a cashbox can accommodate other small items such as keys and a smartphone.
When would you use a lightweight portable safe instead of a cashbox?
While the lightweight portable safe and the cashbox have a very similar purpose – a method of keeping valuable items safe while you transport them around as you go about your day – one is more suitable than the other, depending on your lifestyle.
- A person on the move – The lightweight portable safe is ideal for someone on the move all day. It can easily be kept in your bag and in a locker when you go to the gym, for example, or while you are shopping. And while you are at work it can be kept with you in your office or by your workstation, easily hidden away from view.
- A person on holiday or travelling – In this situation, the lightweight portable safe is ideal, as it is discreet and easily transportable. If you don’t have a hotel safe or are moving between locations, you can keep everything with you. A cashbox is too bulky for this, even if it is not too heavy. A cashbox is not designed to be kept in a bag or suitcase where items will be dislodged and can move around.
- A person running a small business – Where you need to carry a small float of cash and change in order to serve customers, a portable cash box is ideal. This would normally be transported to a venue in a vehicle along with your product and equipment. Even if you have a permanent shop or a pop-up shop, a cashbox can be used to serve customers during the day and taken home with you overnight at the end of business. The cashbox is ideal for storing small amounts of cash and the takings from a day’s business, before you then transport that cash into a static safe at home or in an office, or into the bank.
Choose the right portable safe for your needs and order online at MB Direct
So you can see how portable safes can serve different needs for people who have small valuable items, and wish to keep them safe and on their person during the day. If you need further advice on our portable safes and cashboxes, then talk to our experts and then you can order online with MB Direct today.