SentrySafe H3300 Small FireSafe Review

SentrySafe H3300 Small FireSafe

The SentrySafe H3300 is a small safe designed to offer as much protection as a standard sized safe but in a more compact model. It has gradually gained popularity with many family households and especially with people who have limited space.

It is the perfect choice for anyone who is looking to protect their valuables from fire, water and theft. Due to its size you cannot consider this to be a high security safe but it certainly provides full fire and water protection for all manner of small items.

Through vigorous testing the H3300 has proven to be one of the top safes in the area of water and fire protection. If fire damage and water damage are one of your main concerns for your home then this is the safe you should be looking into.

Interior Spacing

This is a good sized safe with an interior measuring at 11.5 x 13.9 x 14 inches with a capacity of 1.3 cubic feet. You will have no issues finding a space to put your valuables and critical documents.

It is not huge but certainly big enough and deep enough for storing passports, jewelry, keys, diaries and various important small items.

If you happen to have a lot of files and folders and want an organized and secure place to hold them then you should note that there is an option to have a “hanging files” set up. Simply place your files and papers in the appropriate filing section of the holder. This will keep everything in order and in one place.

Without the hanging files set up you will find ample room for all kinds of things including CDs, DVDs, money, USB sticks, external hard drives and more.
As far as safes go this Sentry Safe H3300 fits under the category of the small safe and is beneficial for people looking to protect their documents and smaller items.

Trustworthy Locking Mechanism

This small safe has a Tubular key lock for extra security. This is otherwise known as a barrel lock and is specifically designed to make any kind of lock picking attempt a very difficult and time consuming task. As an important note, at first you may find it tricky to open and close but this does get a lot easier with practice.

This is all explained in the SentrySafe H3300 Small Safe instruction manual, but if you are like me and never read those things then I will save you the bother.

There is a water-tight gasket around the opening of the box which is quite large. In order to open or close the box you must push down on the lid itself with one hand and push the latch release button with the other. This may sound as though it could be a little fiddly but it really isn’t so bad at all.

Let me stress, this is not a flaw in the overall design of this fireproof safe. The Sentry Safe H3300 open and close gasket was created to keep the lid shut down as tight as possible in order to prevent any leaks in the event of water damage to your home. Some may find it a pain but I think it is a plus because it shows Sentry Safe’s dedication to designing safes that do what they say on the box.

Solid Construction

Now this is why SentrySafe are known for creating top fireproof safes for homes. Even though it is a small safe it still is pretty tough. It looks and feels like a quality built product and even weighs quite a bit more than you would expect at around 75 pounds.

Depending on your needs, the weight could be seen as a positive or a negative. In general, as long as you don’t plan on moving from home to home on a regular basis then this small safe should be just fine tucked away in a closet somewhere.

Rest assured, if a burglar does decide to pick the safe up he or she will have a tough time making a fast getaway! If you are worried about this you could purchase a special high strength steel cable to secure the safe even further.

The SentrySafe H3300 has a half hour proven UL rated Fireproof and waterproof approval. The fire protection is verified for CD’s, DVD’s and USB drives in fires of up to 1550ºF.

Protection against water damage is also very important which is why this safe has been certified waterproof by ETL. Many homeowners may only consider a safes fireproof or burglar resistance rating when shopping for one but water damage is just as destructive. You wouldn’t want your critical documents, files and valuables to survive a fire, only to be destroyed by the water used in putting one out.

Conclusion

The SentrySafe H3300 is a very solidly constructed safe that has been vigorously tested for fireproofing and waterproofing. It is a great choice for anyone looking to protect their valuables whether it is from burglars or the unfortunate event of a house fire.

Bear in mind it is part of a range of small safes and so it probably won’t be the best choice if your priority is high security. Of course this safe will offer security in the event of a burglary but is limited due to its size.

A determined burglar with enough time and the right tools will eventually get into the safe in just a few minutes. This is to be expected with all small safes which is why the H3300 focuses mainly on fire and water protection.

The safe has a fair amount of storage space and the hanging file rack certainly makes for better organization if you have lots of important documents that need protecting. It sells for under $150 which is very reasonable considering its fireproof and waterproof features

Features

Specifications

Latch And Lock Operation

As mentioned in the above review due to the nature of the design of this small safe closing and locking the lid does require some getting used to.The waterproofing gasket that has been set around the inside of the lid needs to be compressed in order for it to function correctly.

Without the gasket this safe would be just another safe with no waterproofing features.

So, to unlock and open the SentrySafe H3300 you need to first turn the key in the lock counterclockwise. Then apply some downward pressure or push down on the top of the lid while releasing the latch.

To close the lid you just need to reverse this process. Close and push down on the lid, secure the latch and then insert the key turning it clockwise to lock the box.

SentrySafe H3300 Small Safe User Manual

If you have lost the original operating instructions that came with the safe then feel free to download a copy of the manual: Here