Fire boxes
Protection from theft, or protection from water?
Both state a thirty-minute UL rating, neither a class with an internal temperature. The BURG-WÄCHTER is the only box in this hub that bolts to the floor, the answer to a fire box being the easiest thing in a house to carry off. The Master Lock is waterproof and floats, which matters in a basement that floods.
The count and the ratings point different ways here. Master Lock L1200 wins more rows below, and BURG-WÄCHTER FP 22 K carries the higher rating. The count weighs every row equally; the rating comes from each product's own page and weighs what the product is for rather than how many claims it wins. Read the rows, not the totals.
| Compared on | FP 22 K | L1200 |
|---|---|---|
| Fire rating | UL 72, 30 min, certified | UL classified, 30 min at 843 °C (1,549 °F) |
| Internal temperature class | Not stated | Not stated |
| Digital media | Not stated | ETL verified for CDs, DVDs and USB drives, no Class 125 |
| Construction | Double wall, plastic with fire-resistant fill | Not stated |
| Capacity | Not stated | 5 L (0.18 cu ft), 15.5 × 36.2 × 28.4 cm (6.1 × 14.3 × 11.2 in) |
| Anchoring | To the floor | Not stated |
| Water | Not stated | Waterproof and floats, no depth or duration published |
| Lock | Key | Privacy key lock, 2 keys |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
Buy the FP 22 K if the box will hold anything a thief would want. It is the only fire box in this hub that states floor anchoring — but its plastic body offers little resistance to force, even bolted down.
Buy the L1200 if water is more likely than fire: a basement near a river, a house prone to sewer backup. A sealed box that floats does not fill up; Master Lock does not, however, publish an immersion depth or duration.
Because it is small, has a handle, and contains exactly the documents worth stealing. Fire protection and theft protection are separate properties, and almost every fire box offers only the first.
In a flood or a basement backup, yes: a sealed box that floats does not sit under water. Against firefighting water, being sealed matters more. The review states the downside itself: a floating box can drift off with the water.
Not under a standard homeowners policy, which excludes flood. Flood cover is a separate policy, through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, usually with a waiting period before it takes effect.
With care. Master Lock states ETL verification for CDs, DVDs and USB drives, but no Class 125, the rating that keeps the inside below 125 °F. BURG-WÄCHTER states nothing for media. An off-site copy remains the safer answer.
Double-walled · certified UL 72 fire protection, 30 min · key lock · bolts to the floor
A double-walled fire box with certified UL 72 fire protection for 30 minutes, from a safe manufacturer, and the only one in this hub that can be bolted to the floor.
Best for: Papers that need both fire protection and not to leave the house under somebody's arm.
≈ $425
UL classified, 30 min at 843 °C (1549 °F) · fire, flood and float protection · key lock
Master Lock states a UL classification for fire resistance — half an hour at 843 °C (1549 °F) — with water protection and a design that floats, secured by a privacy key lock.
Best for: A flood-risk property, where water is at least as likely as fire.
≈ $140
