How to choose a safe for your home in India
A practical guide to choosing a home safe or locker in India. How to pick the right size in litres, the right lock, how heavy it should be, and where to install it.
By the Maa Vihat Safe Lockers team · · 6 min read
A home safe is one of the few security purchases you make once and rely on for decades. The right choice depends on four things: what you store, how much space you have, who will open it, and how hard it is to remove.
1. Start with what you will store
List what will go inside. Typical home contents are:
- Gold and diamond jewellery in their boxes
- Cash kept for household or business needs
- Property papers, wills, insurance policies, passports
- Watches, silver and heirlooms
Jewellery boxes take far more space than people expect. Lay them out on a table and measure the area. It is the most reliable way to size a safe.
2. Convert that into litres
Safe capacity is quoted as internal volume in litres. As a rough guide:
| Internal volume | Typically suits | Maa Vihat model |
|---|---|---|
| About 50 L | Jewellery boxes, cash, a small document folder | MV-29 |
| About 95 L | A family’s jewellery, cash and A4 files | MV-36 |
| About 137 L | Larger collections, silverware, several files | MV-42 |
Always check the inside dimensions, not just litres. An A4 file needs roughly 12 inches (about 305 mm) of inside height or depth to stand or lie flat.
3. Choose a lock that fits your household
- Electronic password lock: quick daily access, and codes can be changed. Keep spare batteries.
- Combination or dial lock: no batteries or keys to lose. Takes a few seconds longer to open.
- Computer key lock: simple and dependable. Keep the spare key outside the house.
Using two locks together, for example an electronic lock plus a key lock, means a lost key or a leaked code alone is not enough to open the safe.
4. Weight and construction matter more than looks
A safe that can be carried away can be opened later, somewhere else. A light box can be lifted; a steel locker weighing hundreds of kilograms cannot. Look for:
- Door plate thickness. Maa Vihat safes use a 10 mm steel door plate.
- Body plate thickness. Ours is 3.15 mm steel.
- Fire-resistant construction for documents and cash.
- Professional installation, ideally anchored in place.
5. Plan where it will go
Before ordering, measure the narrowest door, staircase or lift on the way to the final spot, and check the floor can carry the load. A corner of a bedroom or a pooja room where the safe is not visible from outside is a common choice.
6. Ask about delivery, installation and warranty
A heavy safe needs trained handling. Maa Vihat delivers all over India with free installation and a 1-year warranty.
Not sure which size fits? Use our Safe Finder or send your list and room measurements to us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
What size safe do I need at home?
Most families storing jewellery boxes, some cash and important documents are well served by a 50 to 95 litre locker. If you also store files, silverware or several jewellery boxes, choose 130 litres or more.
Is an electronic lock or a key lock better for a home safe?
Electronic password locks are convenient and avoid lost keys, but need batteries. Key and dial or combination locks need no power. Many families combine an electronic lock with a key lock.
How heavy should a home safe be?
Heavier is harder to remove. A heavy steel locker of several hundred kilograms, installed by professionals, is far more secure than a light box that can be carried away.