SEKAM Large Fireproof Document Bag (17 x 12 in) review
By Tom Calder
A sensible, low-cost way to keep your key paperwork in one fire- and water-resistant place. Treat it as a layer of protection for a quick exit, not as a replacement for a rated document safe.
- Best for
- Keeping passports, deeds and certificates together in one grab-and-go pouch.
- Skip it if
- You're treating it as your only safeguard
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · 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.We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Inexpensive and light — an easy way to consolidate passports, deeds and certificates in one spot
- Roomy 17 x 12-inch size takes A4 papers and passports, with a reflective strip that's easy to find in the dark
- Silicone-coated fibreglass and a water-resistant, lockable zip give a reasonable buffer against short heat and splash exposure
Worth knowing
- Protection is short-duration only — it won't keep contents intact through a sustained house fire the way a rated safe can
- The zip is water-resistant rather than submersible, so standing flood water can still seep in
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Our review
This SEKAM bag is a 17 by 12 inch pouch of silicone-coated fibreglass with a water-resistant zip, sold to keep passports, deeds and certificates in one place you can grab on the way out. It is a useful organiser with some protection against a brief flash of heat and a splash. It is not a fire safe, and the rating it cites does not measure how long contents survive a fire.
What it is
The bag measures about 43 by 30 cm, with a 15 cm gusset, so A4 paper lies flat inside with room for passports and a small hard drive. The maker describes a double layer of silicone-coated fibreglass with a lockable zip and a hook-and-loop flap, and a reflective strip so you can find it in the dark. SEKAM has no website we could find, so every figure comes from the maker's own description and cannot be checked against a test report.
What the fire rating means
Bags like this cite UL 94 VTM-0. UL explains that UL 94 is a small-scale flame test for plastics that measures burning and afterglow times and whether the specimen drips, using three-second flame applications, and that VTM ratings apply to thin materials. In other words it tells you the fabric itself resists catching fire. It says nothing about the temperature inside the bag, or for how long paper stays below the 177 degrees Celsius internal limit that safe ratings use.
Rated document safes are tested differently. The EN 1047-1 classes S60P and S120P mean paper survives one or two hours in a furnace at 1,090 degrees Celsius plus a drop test; the UL 72 Class 350 ratings run for half an hour to two hours at 1,000 degrees. A fabric pouch has no such test behind it. Treat the maker's temperature claim as a property of the fabric, not a promise about the contents.
How to use it well
Its real job is the grab-and-go. Put passports, birth and marriage certificates, insurance documents, a USB stick of scanned copies and a list of account numbers in it, and keep it where you would leave the house in a hurry. Scan everything first: a bag is a convenience, and the digital copy is the backup. The zip is water-resistant rather than sealed, so in a flood it needs to be above the water, not in it.
How it compares
On our fireproof document bag page, the other pouches use the same fabric and carry the same rating, so the differences are size, pockets and zip quality. If you want tested protection for deeds and original certificates, a rated fire safe such as the Yale or Phoenix models elsewhere on the site is the next step, at many times the price and weight. A bag and a safe do different jobs, and plenty of households sensibly own both.
Our verdict
A cheap, light way to keep your key paperwork together and reachable, with fabric that resists catching fire and a zip that keeps out splashes. Buy it as an organiser for a quick exit, with scanned copies behind it. Skip it if you expect it to bring originals through a house fire; that is a safe's job, and no fabric pouch is tested for it.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: UL: UL 94 flame ratings for plastics; Simply Safes: fireproof safe buying guide (EN 1047-1 and UL 72 classes).
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you're treating it as your only safeguard — irreplaceable records still deserve digital backups or a properly fire-rated safe alongside it.
Key specs
| Size | XL: 17 x 12 x 5.8 in (about 43 x 30 x 15 cm) |
| Fire resistance | Double-layer silicone-coated fibreglass (UL94 VTM-0); the maker claims up to 2,000°F (about 1,090°C) for a limited time |
| Waterproof | Water-resistant; lockable zip plus a hook-and-loop flap; not rated for submersion |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for Grouping passports, cash and a USB backup in one grab-and-go pouch.
in stock when checkedas of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · 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.
Best for Keeping passports, deeds, cash and a backup USB safe from a house fire or burst pipe at home.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · 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.Questions
Is a fireproof document bag really fireproof?
No. The UL 94 VTM-0 rating these bags cite is a flammability test on the fabric, not a test of how long contents survive a fire. Rated safes are tested for an hour or more in a furnace; bags are not.
What fits in the 17 by 12 inch size?
A4 documents lie flat, with room for passports, a small hard drive and a USB stick. The gusset is about 15 cm deep.
Is the bag waterproof?
The maker calls the zip water-resistant. It will shrug off a splash but is not rated for submersion, so keep it above any flood water.
What should go in a document bag?
Passports, birth and marriage certificates, insurance and mortgage documents, a note of account and policy numbers, and a USB stick with scanned copies of all of them.
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