Most people consider a bedroom the place where they feel most vulnerable in their home which is not surprising because it is a place where you sleep. That is why many gun safes manufacturers took a special care to provide you a good storage space for any type of firearm for the bedroom. The only thing that stands so close to you when you are sleeping which allows you to grab the gun without leaving the bed is a nightstand.
There is one rule you can apply when you are buying a nightstand gun safe – it has to be quick access safe. A quick access safe (mostly biometric) allows you to grab your gun without thinking where have you put the key or what the correct PIN number is. It allows you to react and defend you and your family.
That is why there are many nightstand gun safes that are specially designed to fit in a nightstand drawer or on the bedside table. This topic is all about gun safe nightstand security. I want to show you the best nightstand gun safe you can find and each one is special in its own way. That is why I am encouraging you to take a look at my personal best nightstand gun safe pick and see which one suits you best.
Best Nightstand Gun Safes
GunVault Speedvault Biometric Pistol Safe SVB500
This is one of the quickest gun safes on the market because it has a biometric lock that reacts in under a second. When you look at the design you are probably wondering why I have put this gun safe on the best nightstand gun safe list and the answer is simple. Its compact design and pre-drilled mounting holes allow you to mount it in any direction and you can easily mount it to the side of your nightstand.
The moment the lock reads your fingerprint it opens the drop-down drawer and you can grab the gun, all in under a second. This gun safe on the nightstand is made from the 18-gauge steel construction and it has room only for one handgun, but I think that is more than enough. Also, if you aren’t a fan of biometric locks you can buy the version with the digital combination lock.
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Ivation Under-Desk Gun Safe
This under-desk gun safe has a similar compact design to the SV500 which means you can easily mount it to the side of your nightstand too. The safe can store up to one handgun inside and the digital combination lock requires you 4-6 digit code to open. Depending on the size of your pistol, there is a chance you can put an additional magazine in the safe.
But, there is one catch. If you enter the wrong code more than 3 times, the gun safe will start beeping. That is good if someone really tampers with the safe, but it is bad if you want to stay hidden from intruders and you are grabbing the gun. The keypad comes with the LED light so you actually can’t enter the wrong code in the dark if you know what you have to press.
This doesn’t have a lifetime warranty but has 17 years of limited repair or replacement.
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SentrySafe Pistol Safe, Quick Access Biometric Gun Safe, Single Gun Capacity, QAP1BE
This is the second biometric pistol safe on this list and I can assure you it is not the last one. But, this nightstand gun safe has one additional lock and that is the digital combination lock. Since the biometric lock can store up to 4 fingerprints I suggest you scan your prints and share the code to the combination lock with the people you know and trust. That can be a family member for example.
The reason why this safe is a good nightstand gun safe is that it opens at the top. That means you can open the drawer, unlock the safe and grab the gun without moving the safe. The compression gas strut opens the door automatically the same second you unlock the safe so consider it a quick access nightstand gun safe.
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GunVault MV500 Microvault Pistol Gun Safe
Every gun safe on this list that is made to stay in the drawer of your nightstand has the same design like the one above because it is important that you can grab the pistol without taking the safe out of the drawer. So, this nightstand gun safe is made of 20-gauge high-quality steel construction which is more than enough to provide safe storage for the gun. The size allows you to store 1 handgun and a magazine inside.
The no-eye keypad is GunVault patented impressive feature and it allows you to enter the code on the combination digital lock without looking. That is easy because every button has a shape of one finger so you can’t miss if you place your hand correctly.
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Stack-On PDS-1500 Drawer Safe with Electronic Lock
This drawer safe is not a quick access safe but it is still pretty good gun safe for a nightstand. You can store 2 handguns in the safe with magazines (that depends on the size of the handguns). To unlock the safe you have to enter the right PIN number and if you fail 3 times the safe will lock for a couple of minutes, so don’t make mistake.
If you do, the safe comes with a backup key so you will be able to open it even if you missed the PIN number. This small nightstand gun safe is approved by the California Department of Justice which proves its quality.
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SnapSafe Combination Lockbox
SnapSafe lockbox is a great choice for people who are traveling and they want to feel safe because it meets the TSA and DOJ requirements. That is great if you want to feel safe even in your hotel room. Its size makes it perfect fir for every nightstand so you can have your gun near you while you sleep in a strange city. The combination lock requires a 3-digit PIN number from you and it doesn’t require rechargeable batteries which is great.
This digital combination gun safe is so great that it is a great choice for cars, home, office, and even during traveling. If you think that someone can steal it from you due to its small size, you can always secure it with a special steel security cable that comes along.
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Vaultek VT20i Smart Pistol
Last but not least drawer nightstand gun safe is made by Vaultek and it is a very special gun safe. Besides having the same design as the rest of the drawer guns safes, it has a slim design and offers you great durability with 16-gauge steel construction. This Vaultek VT20i also comes with two locks, the biometric fingerprint sensor, and the digital combination but what makes it so perfect is the “smart” part of the title. It has long-lasting rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that keep you powered for months, and only need 2.5 hours to recharge using the included micro-USB charging kit.
This nightstand gun safe comes with a special application you can use to connect your gun safe with your smartphone. That way you can see the battery power status, who has opened it last, and where it is located.
It has a built-in LED light that provides visibility at night or in the dark. The backlit keypad illuminates via proximity sensor making it easy to navigate at night
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Home Defense Night Stand with Hidden Firearm Safe
The next gun safe I want to show you is the real nightstand gun safe because it has a secret compartment for your handgun and other belongings. The safe may look like a regular nightstand but you can open it on the side to reveal the hidden compartment. The combination lock is located at the side of the nightstand which means you can press it while laying in the bed.
The entire nightstand is made of solid maple wood and the hidden compartment is made of metal so you can be sure that the nightstand is both secure and durable.
Choosing the Right Nightstand Gun Safe
While it certainly helps to know which nightstand gun safes are currently the best on the market, you need to look out for a few things when picking out your safe. Simply knowing the best options is not enough because you have to consider your specific preferences and needs.
Generally speaking, a nightstand gun safe has to be easily accessible, secure, and highly durable. It’s probably going to be more of a challenge to pick out your gun safe than it was picking out the handgun you currently use.
Let’s take a look at some of the most basic security features you should be on the lookout for when selecting your next nightstand gun safe.
Quick Access
When you are picking out your next nightstand gun safe, you want to make sure that you choose one that allows for quick reliable access. Keeping your firearms reliable, secure, and easily accessible is a delicate balance of a wide variety of factors, and you have to take many more factors into account when choosing a bedside safe that can meet your needs.
In a defensive scenario, you generally want to be able to access your home defense pistol in a matter of one to two seconds. A lot of this has to do with the safe’s locking mechanism and how it opens up.
Adequate Protection
A secure and large safe will generally be able to house fewer used and more expensive firearms. Bedside gun safes are essentially there to deter smash and grab burglars or for keeping nosy guests out of your personal business.
Adequate protection for your gun safe also includes child safety and protection. You want to make absolutely sure that nobody who does not have permission is able to get into the safe.
Otherwise, thick solid steel construction and tight fittings are generally enough to make sure that your gun is safe and secure. If you’re looking for even more protection, we suggest that you consider installing a larger, more heavy-duty gun safe into your home.
Storage Space
You definitely want your bedside gun safe to be large enough to accommodate a full-size handgun, such as a Glock 17 or Glock 19. One of the main concerns that most people have with nightstand gun safes is that they are not able to fit a number of handguns, so if you are considering purchasing a slider model, be sure to check its storage capacity first.
Other than that, nightstand safes that are able to store one or two guns are generally more than adequate. Most standard bedside safes will be able to store one handgun and a small volume of extra ammunition, as well as other valuables like watches, cash, and passports.
Mountability
If the option is available, be sure to choose a small safe that you are able to mount high on your closet or nightstand drawer. This will make it much more difficult for your little ones to tamper with the safe. If you want to keep the safe hidden as well, you can mount it beneath a desk or nightstand.
There are many mountable nightstand safes on the market, but you need to make sure that yours includes a mounting plate. This will make the safe incredibly difficult to remove after it has been mounted, especially for burglars.
It’s also a good idea to invest in a bedside safe that comes with pre-drilled holes so that you can mount it on a flat surface for additional theft prevention. This is the best bedside option if you’re looking to mount your safe to the wall.
Locking Mechanisms
As far as locking mechanisms go, a safe can be locked in three different ways: digitally, mechanically, or biometrically. Of course, there are exceptions to this where cases have several types of locking mechanisms, but it’s very rare that you’ll find more than one on your average nightstand gun safe.
Digital Locks
Digital keypad locks are one of the most common electronic locking mechanisms for gun safes. Locks with digital locks work as a combination of mechanical and biometric fingerprint scanner systems. With digital lock keypads, your bedside pistol safe can be customized with ease through code resets and multiple codes while also offering shorter access times.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to have to remember a PIN to a pesky electronic four-button keypad entry method, you can use an RFID badge. These are essentially badges with RFID chips that act as the key to your safety, so you’re going to want to keep it on you at all times.
It’s important to mention that both PIN and RFID digital lock safes require a power source to keep the safe locked.
Mechanical Locks
Mechanical button locks are certainly the most reliable locks that a safe can be fitted with, and pretty much every bedside gun safe uses a mechanical lock with master keys. Nevertheless, some safes use a mechanical entry system rather than digital handgun safes, which means that no power source is required to keep your gun safe.
That also means that there’s no room for an electrical malfunction, which is a huge bonus.
Biometric Locks
Finally, we have biometric-style locks, which require an authorized user’s fingerprint to open. They are a great option if quick access is your priority, but they are also the most finicky and susceptible to problems.
You’ll need to choose whether you want your biometric gun safe to scan just one fingerprint or multiple fingerprint IDs simultaneously. What’s more, you will have to prepare, in advance, programming for multiple users if you want more than one person to be able to access your gun safely.
If there’s an emergency situation, we strongly suggest that you don’t provide the code to your safe to anyone else. Biometric safes allow you to access your firearm in the shortest amount of time and eliminate the need to remember a PIN or keep a key around.
Of course, biometric locks are not without their drawbacks. They have to be powered constantly, or you won’t be able to access your firearm, and, as we mentioned before, they are the most prone to malfunctions.
Types of Nightstand Gun Safes
As you already know, there are a number of different types of gun safes. Let’s take a quick look at each of them.
Slide-open pistol safes
These safes provide easier access to your firearm than their lidded counterparts, which makes them an excellent choice for anyone looking for easily accessible bedside safes. Furthermore, they eliminate the need to rifle through your safe’s interior in search of your gun – it’ll always be right in front of you.
Pistol safe with door/lid
The majority of gun safes on the market are those with doors or lids. They allow for ease of access to your handgun via a hydraulic arm that pushes the door/lid open when you need to take your firearm out.
Lidded gun safes sometimes don’t have hydraulic arms, in which case you will have to open the lid manually. This is generally a little more convenient than having to wait for a hydraulic door to open.
Smart Features
Many modern gun safes have extra features, such as those that allow you to pair the safe with an app. When you do this, you’ll receive a notification each time someone tries to access the safe, as well as a battery warning when the safe’s battery is running low or is having a battery failure. Some safes even have an auto-open lid that opens up when it detects your phone nearby via Bluetooth.
While the tech-savvy population might find these safes useful, they sometimes can be a little overwhelming. Technology has a strange habit of constantly malfunctioning, and smart safes have a tendency to misbehave and cause issues.
The key takeaway here is quality – your safe doesn’t need to be smart to be high-quality. Sometimes, a simple lock and key will do just the trick.
Tamper Alerts
Not many safes have tamper detection features, but they are out there. When a tampering alert is triggered, you might hear a loud beeping sound, or, if you’ve got a smart safe, you may receive a message on your phone if you’re not at home.
Getting a safe with a tamper alert can be a smart investment, especially if you have kids or frequently host guests. The tamper alarm will immediately shut off as soon as you enter the correct PIN.
FAQs
Why Do You Need A Bedside Gun Safe?
Bedside handgun safes are useful if you prefer to have your firearm in close proximity in the case of a burglary. They’re also a great option if you don’t have space for a full-sized gun safe in your home.
Where to Install a Bedside Gun Safe?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to install your nightstand safe on your nightstand. You can, instead, install it above your nightstand, below it, or even near it if it’s mountable. The key is to have the safe close to you so you can easily access it in the event that there is an emergency.