Master Lock Small Fire & Water Chest (H0100EURHRO) review
By Tom Calder
A sensible, affordable way to give paperwork and small valuables a fighting chance against fire and water. Treat it as document protection rather than a security safe, and it earns its place in the cupboard.
- Best for
- Keeping passports, deeds, cash and a backup USB safe from a house fire or burst pipe at home.
- Skip it if
- You want burglary protection or a safe for large amounts of cash and jewellery
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
- Genuine 30-minute fire rating and a water-resistant seal for the price of a weekly shop
- Compact and key-lockable, so you can grab it in a hurry or keep it out of sight
- Ideal home for passports, birth certificates, insurance papers and a backup drive
Worth knowing
- "Fireproof" is time-limited (around 30 minutes) and rated for paper, not delicate electronics or photos, which can still be damaged by internal heat
- Lightweight and not bolted down, so it offers little against a determined burglar who can simply carry it away
ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, PreparedBritain earns from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission when you buy, or a fee when you request a quote, through our links. When two products are close, commission can decide which one we pick. A clearly better product always wins. Amazon prices come from Amazon's own product data and show the date and time they were retrieved. Prices at other retailers are checked by us, less often. Prices and stock can change at any time, so always check the retailer's price before you buy.
Our review
The Master Lock H0100EURHRO is a small keyed chest, 4.9 litres inside, rated to keep paper below 177°C for half an hour at 843°C and to survive full submersion. It is a rescue box for passports, deeds and a backup drive, not a security safe: it weighs about 7.7 kg and Master Lock says plainly that it is not built to resist tool attacks.
What it is
Master Lock's product sheet gives a 4.9 litre capacity, two keys and a carry handle, at about 7.7 kg. European retailer specs list the outside as 362 by 330 by 156 mm and the inside as 305 by 187 by 86 mm, which takes A4 paper flat with a little room for a passport wallet and a USB stick. The fire rating is half an hour at 843°C with the interior held at or below 177°C, certified by ETL Semko, and the water rating is full submersion; Master Lock's US page for the same chest says ETL verified for up to 72 hours. The limited warranty is one year.
Master Lock's own description of its fire and water chests is worth quoting: they "provide basic protection and are not intended for tool attacks." The lock is a simple mechanical key lock, the box is light enough to carry away, and the lid can be forced. Its job is to survive the fire and the hose that follows, so that there is still something to pick up afterwards.
What to put in it, and where
Passports, birth and marriage certificates, the deeds or lease, insurance schedules, the will, a list of account numbers and a backup drive of photos and scans. The government's Be Ready checklist includes copies of IDs and documents among the things to have ready; our household emergency plan guide has a fuller list, and the house fire guide explains why you should never go back in for anything.
A half-hour rating is for paper. Photographs, film and most electronics are damaged at well below 177°C, so the box protects a USB stick less reliably than a sheet of paper; keep a second copy of anything digital elsewhere, ideally online. Put the chest on the ground floor, away from the kitchen, and tell one other adult where the keys are.
How it compares
The other items on the fireproof document bags page are fibreglass pouches rather than boxes. They are lighter and cheaper, fold into a drawer and are water-resistant, but none is rated for submersion and their heat claims are for brief surface exposure, not a timed interior temperature. The waterproof document case at the other end of the page keeps water out to IP65 but offers no fire protection at all. The Master Lock chest is the only one of the group with a timed, third-party-certified fire rating and a submersion rating, and the only one heavy enough to need a shelf of its own.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want the paperwork to survive a house fire and the water used to put it out, and you can live with a 7.7 kg box in a cupboard. Skip it if you want to protect cash or jewellery from a burglar, or anything that must survive longer than 30 minutes of fire: a bolted-down safe with a cash rating, or a longer fire rating, is a different product at a different price.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Master Lock: H0100EURHRO product sheet (PDF); Master Lock: H0100 fire and water chest technical page; Wasserman: Master Lock H0100EURHRO specifications; GOV.UK Be Ready: household emergency checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
You want burglary protection or a safe for large amounts of cash and jewellery. This is a document rescue box, not a security safe. For theft resistance, choose a heavier bolt-down or cash-rated model instead.
Key specs
| Size | Small chest, 4.9 litres |
| Fire resistance | 30 minutes at up to 843°C, UL/ETL verified (Master Lock's figures) |
| Waterproof | Yes: ETL verified for water 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 Keeping passports, deeds and certificates together in one grab-and-go pouch.
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.
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.Questions
What is the fire rating of the Master Lock H0100?
Half an hour at 843°C with the interior kept at or below 177°C, certified by ETL Semko according to Master Lock's European spec. That temperature is low enough to save paper, not necessarily photographs or electronics.
Is it really waterproof?
Master Lock says it is ETL verified for full submersion, and its US page for the same chest gives up to 72 hours. Close and lock it properly: the seal depends on the lid being latched.
Will it stop a burglar?
No. Master Lock says these chests provide basic protection and are not intended for tool attacks. At about 7.7 kg it can simply be carried off, so keep it out of sight and do not rely on it for valuables.
What fits inside?
The interior is about 305 by 187 by 86 mm, so A4 documents lie flat, with room for a passport wallet, a few small items and a backup drive.
Free alerts for your home
Home Alerts emails you when a power cut, a Met Office warning or a flood warning covers your postcode. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.
Start free →