Best key safes for carers, family and spare keys UK (2026)
A key safe is a small steel box on an outside wall that holds a spare key behind a code, so a carer, a relative or a neighbour can get in when you cannot get to the door: after a fall, a lock-out or a hospital trip. This page compares the boxes sold in the UK on what separates them: whether the security claim can be checked on a register, the wall they fix to, how the code works and how many keys they hold. We have not tested any of them ourselves; every figure is credited to the maker, a register or owners.
By Tom Calder · Updated 21 October 2026 · 8 products, all price-tracked
Our picks
Photo: AmazonKeySafe P500 Pro
Households where several people know the code and an accidental or unwanted code change would be a real problem.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Photo: Amazonark Tamo
Anyone who wants a memorable code with repeat digits (such as a date) and backlit buttons for use at night.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Photo: AmazonKeySafe C500 Pro
A family or care team who want a key safe with a security grade you can check on the LPCB register.
as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.All 8 compared
| Key safe | Security rating | Lock | Holds | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design · 12-button push, mechanical · 81 x 51 x 23 mm inside Households where several people know the code and an accidental or unwanted code change would be a real problem. | LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design | 12-button push, mechanical | 81 x 51 x 23 mm inside | £93.95 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The P500 Pro is the C500 Pro's sibling with a code-protection plate, a stainless back plate and a steel liner inside. It has the same A1 (SR1) entry on the LPCB register as the C500 Pro, so the extra build is about tamper resistance rather than a higher register grade. It has a smaller interior than the C500 Pro, which matters if you store a bulky fob. Best for Households where several people know the code and an accidental or unwanted code change would be a real problem. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: You only need a spare key shared with one relative: the C500 Pro gives the same register grade for less, and a simple Master Lock box is enough for a low-risk spare. Read the full review → | ||||
LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design · 10-button multi-push, mechanical · 93 x 58 x 21 mm inside Anyone who wants a memorable code with repeat digits (such as a date) and backlit buttons for use at night. | LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design | 10-button multi-push, mechanical | 93 x 58 x 21 mm inside | £128.95 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The Tamo lets a digit repeat in a code, which the maker says gives about 9.7 million combinations against roughly 4,000 on the older designs, and its buttons light up for night use. It is on the LPCB Red Book at A1 (SR1), the same grade as the KeySafe C500 Pro, so the gain here is the code space and the visibility rather than a higher register grade. It costs noticeably more than the C500 Pro. Best for Anyone who wants a memorable code with repeat digits (such as a date) and backlit buttons for use at night. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: The extra code space is not worth the premium to you: the KeySafe C500 Pro has the same register grade and is cheaper. | ||||
LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design · 12-button push, mechanical · Up to 6 keys; 108 x 52 x 25 mm inside A family or care team who want a key safe with a security grade you can check on the LPCB register. | LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design | 12-button push, mechanical | Up to 6 keys; 108 x 52 x 25 mm inside | £68.95 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched This is the long-running model from The Key Safe Company (the Supra UK business), and its second generation now appears on the LPCB Red Book at A1 (SR1) with Secured by Design backing. It is fully mechanical, so there is no battery to fail. It costs more than the plain Master Lock boxes and less than the P500 Pro, which adds an anti-tamper plate and a steel vault liner. Best for A family or care team who want a key safe with a security grade you can check on the LPCB register. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Your wall is render or pebbledash: the maker's rating does not apply there, so look at the ark Tamo (approved on render up to 20mm, per the Secured by Design register) or the Burton Keyguard XL. Read the full review → | ||||
 LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design · 12-button push with turn dial · Up to 10 keys; 95 x 50 x 40 mm inside A register-listed key safe at a lower price, for a household that wants room for several sets of keys. | LPCB LPS 1175 Issue 8, A1 (SR1); Secured by Design | 12-button push with turn dial | Up to 10 keys; 95 x 50 x 40 mm inside | £49.95 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The Pro-TEC from Solon Security's Defender range is on the LPCB Red Book at A1 (SR1), the same grade as the KeySafe C500 Pro, and Solon states Secured by Design recognition. It is more compact and a lot lighter than the KeySafe models, and the maker says it holds up to 10 keys. The trade-off is a 12-month warranty against the KeySafe range's longer cover. Best for A register-listed key safe at a lower price, for a household that wants room for several sets of keys. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: You want the longest warranty or the anti-tamper plate: the KeySafe P500 Pro covers both. | ||||
 Sold Secure Bronze (SS315:2022); Secured by Design · 12-button push, mechanical · Up to 6 keys; 70 x 50 x 20 mm inside Homes with a rendered outside wall, where the KeySafe models' fixing rules rule them out. | Sold Secure Bronze (SS315:2022); Secured by Design | 12-button push, mechanical | Up to 6 keys; 70 x 50 x 20 mm inside | £59 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched The Keyguard XL is a Burton key safe sold through Solon Security's Defender shop. The Secured by Design register lists it, as the Keyguard Digital XL, with Sold Secure Bronze to SS315:2022 and approval for rendered walls. Sellers still quote LPS 1175 grades (A3 or A5), but it is not on the current LPCB Red Book, so rely on the Sold Secure rating. It suits render better than the KeySafe C500 Pro, which has the stronger LPCB-listed record on brick. Best for Homes with a rendered outside wall, where the KeySafe models' fixing rules rule them out. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: You need a rating you can look up on the LPCB register: pick the KeySafe C500 Pro or Defender Pro-TEC, unless your wall is render. | ||||
 4-digit resettable combination · 115 x 77 x 40 mm inside A low-cost spare-key box for a relative who needs a simple way in and no insurer requirement applies. | — | 4-digit resettable combination | 115 x 77 x 40 mm inside | £28.21 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched A zinc-bodied, resettable four-digit box that Master Lock lists as weather resistant, with a roomy interior. Master Lock's page states no Sold Secure, LPCB or Secured by Design rating for this model, and the listings that cite a scheme name France's CNPP rather than a UK one, with no certificate linked. That makes it a low-risk spare-key box rather than one for a door an insurer asks you to protect. Best for A low-cost spare-key box for a relative who needs a simple way in and no insurer requirement applies. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: Your insurer asks for a rated key safe or the box guards a main door: choose one of the register-listed models above. | ||||
 4-dial resettable combination · Up to 5 keys; 90 x 60 x 30 mm inside A small, light spare-key box for a holiday let or a relative's low-risk spare set. | — | 4-dial resettable combination | Up to 5 keys; 90 x 60 x 30 mm inside | £14.95 at Amazon as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · DetailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.In stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched A compact grey dial box from Solon Security's Defender range, holding about five keys with a dial cover over the code. It carries no security rating, and at 455g it is the lightest option here. It is the lower-cost route if you accept that it is for convenience, and the Pro-TEC is the step up if you need a rating. Best for A small, light spare-key box for a holiday let or a relative's low-risk spare set. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: You need a rated key safe for carers or an insurer: pick the Defender Pro-TEC or a KeySafe model instead. | ||||
Combination (3-digit per Wickes) · Up to 20 keys; 200 x 160 x 80 mm outside Keeping many spare keys tidy inside a care home, office or hallway, rather than on an outside wall. | — | Combination (3-digit per Wickes) | Up to 20 keys; 200 x 160 x 80 mm outside | £22.99 at Yale Store Checked 21 OctIn stockCheck price → |
Our verdictOur verdictResearched This is a steel key cabinet for indoor organisation, with 20 numbered hooks, tags and fixings for a wall, not a weather-rated outside key safe. Yale does not state a security rating or a weather rating on its page. It suits a block of flats store or a hall cupboard, and it sits alongside the outdoor boxes as a different kind of product. Best for Keeping many spare keys tidy inside a care home, office or hallway, rather than on an outside wall. Good
Worth knowing
Who shouldn't buy it: You want a key safe for carers on an outside wall: choose one of the outdoor models above. | ||||
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Before you buy
Start with the register, not the listing.
Three schemes matter in the UK. LPCB tests key safes to LPS 1175 and lists the ones that pass in its Red Book with a grade such as A1 (SR1). Sold Secure, run by the Master Locksmiths Association, tests to its SS315 standard and grades from Bronze upwards. Secured by Design, the police security initiative, awards Police Preferred Specification to products holding one of those certificates. Police approved on a listing means nothing until the product appears on the Secured by Design site or in the Red Book. Every rating on this page is backed by a link to its register entry.
Then look at your wall, because the grade only applies to the wall it was tested on.
The Secured by Design entries for the KeySafe C500 Pro and P500 Pro cover masonry, and the Defender Pro-TEC's covers brick or blockwork; The Key Safe Company keeps its accreditation only on flat brick, blockwork or good concrete. The ark Tamo entry extends to render up to 20mm thick, and the Burton Keyguard XL (listed as Keyguard Digital XL) is approved for rendered walls. Fix into brick, not a mortar joint, with the supplied fixings; avoid cladding and plasterboard.
Decide how the code should work.
Push-button boxes are mechanical, so the lock never goes flat (the Tamo uses a coin cell only for its backlight). The classic 12-button design accepts each digit once in any order, giving a few thousand codes; owners on the Alzheimer’s Society forum note the code buttons can look cleaner, so change it occasionally. The ark Tamo allows repeated digits, which its maker says lifts the code space into the millions, and its buttons light up. Dial boxes are cheaper, and the Master Lock is the roomiest outdoor box here, but none carries a rating, and anyone close can read a dial.
Size it for what will actually go inside.
A car fob or a chunky bunch of keys will not fit a small interior, and the internal dimensions in the table are the makers’ own figures, so measure your bunch first. The Master Lock dial box has the most room outdoors and the Defender Pro-TEC the most among rated boxes, while the P500 Pro’s liner makes its interior smaller than the C500 Pro’s despite the same outside size. Weights run from under half a kilo for the small Defender dial box to more than two kilos for the Tamo and Keyguard XL.
Finally, treat the code like a bank PIN.
Give it in person or by a message you trust, never to someone who phones and asks for it, however plausible the reason; our family safe word guide covers that habit. Change it when a carer leaves or an agency changes shifts, and never write it on the box or by the door. Tell your insurer the box exists and keep the register evidence with your policy. If you rent, or the wall is communal, get permission before drilling. Every few months, open the box and check the key still turns, so it works when needed in a hurry.
We verify every product's specifications against at least two independent sources, re-check its UK price and stock on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and cross-check safety-relevant claims against official guidance. Every review is labelled Researched or Used and reviewed by us: where we've bought a product, or been sent it free, and used it ourselves, its review says which; where we haven't, our verdict is a considered spec-and-evidence comparison, not a hands-on test — and commissions never change a ranking either way. Read our full methodology →
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Common questions
Which key safes are police approved in the UK?
Police approval means Secured by Design's Police Preferred Specification, and you can check it yourself: the product should appear on the Secured by Design website under its maker's name. Secured by Design only lists key safes that hold a test certificate, in practice LPCB LPS 1175 (the Red Book) or Sold Secure SS315. On this page the KeySafe C500 Pro and P500 Pro, the ark Tamo, the Defender Pro-TEC and the Burton Keyguard XL have register entries; the dial boxes do not.
Will a key safe affect my home insurance?
It can. Comparison sites and insurers say that where a policy allows a key safe at all, the insurer will usually want it to meet a recognised standard such as Secured by Design, LPS 1175 or Sold Secure. Separately, many policies only cover theft involving forced or violent entry, and a burglar who lets themselves in with a key from a box may not be covered. Tell your insurer before you fit one, and keep the register listing with your documents.
Can I fit a key safe to a rendered or pebbledash wall?
Only with a box whose approval covers it. The Key Safe Company says its C500 Pro and P500 Pro keep their accreditation only on flat brick, blockwork or good concrete, which rules out render and pebbledash. The ark Tamo's Secured by Design entry covers render up to 20mm thick, and the Burton Keyguard XL's entry (as Keyguard Digital XL) states it can be fixed to a rendered wall. On thick or loose render, a fitter may need longer fixings into the brick behind, so ask before you buy.
Does the council provide key safes for carers?
Sometimes. Where a care package or a telecare alarm is arranged through the council or the NHS, a key safe is often part of the assessment, and some local authorities or care providers supply or fit a specified Secured by Design model. Policies differ by area, so ask the social worker, occupational therapist or care agency before buying your own. If you do buy, choose a register-listed push-button box, since that is the type most providers accept.
Are the cheap dial key safes any good?
For a low-risk spare key, such as one for a relative or a holiday let, a dial box is a reasonable buy: no battery and a resettable code, and the Master Lock has a roomy interior. What it lacks is a tested security rating, so skip it where an insurer or care provider asks for a rated box. A dial can also be read by someone standing close, so turn the wheels away from the code after each use.
Where should I put a key safe?
On a solid masonry wall, fixed into the brick rather than the mortar, at a height the people who need it can reach. Carers and owners often advise keeping it out of the direct line of sight from the street and the pavement, so a side wall or a recessed porch is often better than beside the front door, as long as your carer or relative knows where it is. Avoid cladding, plasterboard and fence posts, and keep it clear of anything a visitor could stand on to attack it.
