The Sneaky Place You Should Be Storing Your Valuables For Extra Security

Our homes are keepers of many things — they hold our loved ones, our belongings, and our most prized possessions. When it comes to keeping those possessions from being stolen in the event of a break-in, we often think of using a run-of-the-mill safe. Unfortunately, as technology gets better, those safes — which often just require a combination to open — are no longer the most effective way to keep our items out of harm's way. It's equally important to focus on the location of your safe, rather than just the mechanism used to hold the items.

The best place to install a safe in your house is usually in your closet or basement, but if you want to get really sneaky with your safe placement, you need to think outside the box. Instead of putting your safe in plain sight, consider installing an air vent safe — a safe that looks just like one of the air vents you have all over your home, but holds a much more important purpose.

Air vent safes are a great option to keep your important items out of sight, whether you are going on vacation or just want to rest easy knowing your belongings are always secure; but keep in mind, air vent safes can be a bit of work. The most basic kinds available — like the one we found on Amazon for about $75 — can be great options, but they require DIY installation, including cutting the drywall. Plus, this type of safe cannot be locked, so while it is secure in the sense of its inconspicuousness, if you are hoping to lock something away from those who may know about the safe, it isn't your best bet.

If you do want something you can lock, there are plenty of air vent safes like that out there, but they will cost you. This one from Home Self Defense Products comes with an RFID (radio-frequency identification) locking system, which allows you to lock the air vent safe and can only be opened using the RFID (which is usually a fob of some sort), but at $300, it is an investment you must be willing to make.