MSAFE PSB Safe Line Review
Looking to secure documents, jewelry, cash, or other items in your home? The MSAFE PSB line is a smart choice.
You may recognize MSAFE from our top picks for the best home safes. In the review, we selected one of the PSB lines as the best safe for apartment dwellers. We'll expand on why in this full review.
We'll look into the PSB line of safes, meant specifically for home burglary protection. They also have a line of fireproof safes, but that's for another day.
In our hands on review with the PSB 220 (the smallest size in this line), we were seriously impressed with the construction quality. While it's not specifically advertised as a fireproof safe, it does offer 20 minutes of fire protection on top of its main focus of keeping prying hands off your valuable items.
As we used the safe, the lock in particular stood out as being very secure and well made. You can really feel the difference when you lock and unlock the PSB vs the other brands we've tested. The reassuring click as all the various bolts slide into place leave you feeling as though your items are truly secure.
Despite the clear level of quality, the PSB is surprisingly light. The PSB 220 is just 31 pounds, and then next size up (the PSB 300) is 57 pounds. Given their manageable weights, these smaller sizes are fantastic for folks living in apartments or moving often.
Looking back, the one thing we would change would be opting for the PSB 300 instead of the 220. Bumping up one model would give the extra space to store standard sized documents without needing to fold them at all.
Nerd Pros
The PSB line of safes have an electronic, high security ECBS Class A lock, manufactured to the S2 burglary resistance rating (in accordance with the European standard EN 14450).
Nerd Cons
The price on the PSB line of safes may initially seem high. We thought so too, at first. However, given the construction quality and high grade of burglary resistance, they're actually quite well-priced. We were just (like you probably are) used to seeing low-cost, cheaply made safes.
PSB Line Safe Specs
MSAFE offers a variety of sizes for their PSB line of safes, but all of them have several things in common.
Flush ring pull handle: All the PSB safes have a sleek, modern design to the front keypad. The ring pull handle sits flush, taking up even less space than other safes.
S2 burglary resistance rating: We'll spare the technical details here and just give the short version. The European standard EN 14450 gives requirements and testing criteria for "secure safe cabinets". These standards aren't in place everywhere, and in the US, you're allowed to call any box with a lock on it a "safe", even if it's actually very unsafe.
Three way locking bolts: Similar to the point above, this makes the safe door more secure, and also helps protect against drilling attacks on the lock integrity.
Bolt down holes: The PSB safe line includes holes to bolt the safe down for added security. We noted in our hands-on review of the PSB 220 that there's also a bolt hole in the back wall of the safe. This makes it ideal for folks in apartments. Many lease agreements prevent drilling into the floor, but not the walls.
PSB Line Options
Here’s a rundown of the different options in the PSB safe line:
MSAFE PSB 220
- Exterior Dimensions: 8-5/8″ H x 13-3/4″ W x 11-3/4″ D
- Interior Dimensions: 5-1/2″ H x 10-5/8″ W x 7-5/8″ D
- Weight: 31 lbs.
MSAFE PSB 300
- Exterior Dimensions: 11-3/4″ H x 17-3/4″ W x 15-3/4″ D
- Interior Dimensions: 8-5/8″ H x 14-3/8″ W x 11-1/2″ D
- Weight: 57 lbs.
MSAFE PSB 350
- Exterior Dimensions: 13-3/4″ H x 17-3/4″ W x 13-3/4″ D
- Interior Dimensions: 10-5/8″ H x 14-3/8″ W x 9-5/8″ D
- Weight: 64 lbs.
MSAFE PSB 600
- Exterior Dimensions: 23-5/8″ H x 17-1/2″ W x 15-3/4″ D
- Interior Dimensions: 20-1/2″ H x 14-3/8″ W x 11-1/2″ D
- Weight: 95 lbs.
The Bottom Line
If you're primarily looking at a safe for burglary protection, the PSB line from MSAFE is a great choice. It's not going to be the cheapest option on the market, but the cost is getting you a higher quality construction than we've seen with any other safe we've reviewed.
The smallest option (the one we currently have sitting in our home) is ideal for renters, given its small size and easy to manage weight. We do, however, recommend looking at the next size up if you need to store documents.
If fire protection is a main concern, their PF of PFB lines are likely more in line with what you'll need.
About the Author
Kristen Bolig
Kristen Bolig is the founder of SecurityNerd. When Kristen and her husband moved from Philadelphia to North Carolina, they bought their very first home. A month after moving in, a security system salesman knocked on her door selling a system that she had seen signs for all over her new neighborhood. Turns out - it was a bad deal. Kristen started SecurityNerd to help others and ensure they have all the info she needed before signing that two year commitment.