Abus Padlocks: Series Guide and Security Rating Comparison
Locked yourself out again? Handed your spare key to a neighbour you barely know? A key safe solves both problems from happening. It's a small, coded box fixed to a wall, holding a spare key that anyone you trust can reach without you needing to be there.
Some people ask for a key safety box rather than a key safe. Same thing, different name. What actually matters is where it's going and who's using it. We offer a range of secure key safes at Locks Direct, including everyday combination models from Squire and Abus alongside police-preferred safes for higher-risk situations. Not sure where to start? Here's how to pick the right one.
Contents
What is a key safe and how does it work?
A key safe holds a spare key behind a small door, and that door only opens once you've tapped in the right code. Most fix straight onto an outside wall near the door they're guarding, though a few are built to live indoors instead. You choose your own combination when you install it, and you can reset it as often as you like.
Cleaners, dog walkers, carers and family living further away can all let themselves in without you handing round spare keys or hiding one under a plant pot, which is still one of the first places a burglar is likely to check.
What does police approved mean?
"Police approved" and "police preferred" are terms often used interchangeably. Both refer to Secured by Design, the official crime prevention scheme run by UK police forces. A key safe carrying that badge has been properly attack-tested, usually against the LPS1175 standard set by the Loss Prevention Certification Board, and is rated as tough to crack as a decent front door.
What types of key safe are available?
Not every key safe is doing the same job. Some are guarding a garden shed, while others are guarding the only front door key to a holiday cottage that a dozen different guests will use this year. The difference in risk matters more than you'd think, and broadly, key safes split into three types.
Combination key safes for everyday use
These are the everyday option, and they're perfectly adequate for lower-risk spots like a shed or a static caravan. The Squire KeyKeep 1 uses a recodable 4-wheel combination lock with over 10,000 possible settings and comes with a weather-resistant cover. It's backed by Squire's 10-year guarantee and priced at £19.90 ex VAT.
Want a bit more flexibility? The Abus 767 lets you set a code of up to 10 digits instead of a fixed 4, for £34.58 ex VAT. Both are built for outdoor use, and both carry an on-site security rating (6 out of 10 for the Squire, 7 out of 10 for the Abus).
High-security and police-preferred key safes
Where a rental property has a rotating cast of key holders, or a carer needs regular access, a higher-rated safe is worth paying for. The C500 Pro Key Safe is built from hardened zinc alloy in a single piece and offers over 4,000 code combinations. It needs no power source and comes with a 5-year warranty, at £58.29 ex VAT.
The ark Tamo Maximum Security Key Safe adds another layer on top. It uses patented multi-push technology that lets a single digit repeat within the code, pushing the total combinations up to 9.7 million, and it adds anti-saw and anti-drill protection.
Indoor key cabinets
A key safe and a key cabinet do different jobs, and it's easy to mix them up when you're searching online. The Burg Wachter 42 Key Box holds up to 42 keys on a numbered hook strip, and it's meant for tidying a large bunch of keys inside an office or school rather than securing a single spare key outdoors. It isn't weatherproof and doesn't carry a combination lock of its own, so it needs to live somewhere already secure, ideally behind a locked door or inside a locked cupboard.
Which key safe suits your situation?
Here's how our five key safes compare side by side, so you can weigh price against security rating in one go.
| Product | Price (ex VAT) | Security rating | Weatherproof | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squire KeyKeep 1 | £19.90 | 6/10 | Yes | Sheds, low-risk outbuildings |
| Abus 767 | £34.58 | 7/10 | Yes | Family homes, holiday lets |
| C500 Pro | £58.29 | Not listed on-site; manufacturer cites LPS1175 A5 | Yes | Carer access, managed rentals |
| ark Tamo | £108.29 | Not listed on-site; manufacturer cites LPS1175 A10 | Yes | Highest-risk or insurance-sensitive properties |
| Burg Wachter 42 Key Box | £39.99 | n/a (indoor cabinet) | No | Offices and schools |
Product
Price (ex VAT)
£19.90
Security rating
6/10
Weatherproof
Yes
Best for
Sheds, low-risk outbuildings
Product
Price (ex VAT)
£34.58
Security rating
7/10
Weatherproof
Yes
Best for
Family homes, holiday lets
Product
Price (ex VAT)
£58.29
Security rating
Not listed on-site; manufacturer cites LPS1175 A5
Weatherproof
Yes
Best for
Carer access, managed rentals
Product
Price (ex VAT)
£108.29
Security rating
Not listed on-site; manufacturer cites LPS1175 A10
Weatherproof
Yes
Best for
Highest-risk or insurance-sensitive properties
Product
Price (ex VAT)
£39.99
Security rating
n/a (indoor cabinet)
Weatherproof
No
Best for
Offices and schools
Running a holiday cottage where guests let themselves in once a week? The Abus 767 strikes a fair balance between cost and durability.
If you've got carers coming and going all week for an elderly relative, the C500 Pro or ark Tamo are worth the extra money, simply because the code gets shared and reset so often.
Just want somewhere secure to keep your own spare front door key? The Squire KeyKeep 1 does the job without you overspending.
And if you're managing a whole bunch of keys for a school or lettings office rather than a single spare, the Burg Wachter key box is built exactly for that.
How do you install a key safe correctly?
Even the toughest key safe is only as good as the wall it's screwed to, so here's how to get it right:
1
Fix it into solid brick or concrete rather than render or breeze block, both of which can crumble under a determined attack.
2
Mount it at a discreet height, out of direct sight from the street or front gate where possible.
3
Use every fixing bolt supplied. A safe held by two screws instead of four is far easier to lever off the wall.
4
Choose a code that has nothing to do with your house number or postcode. A birthday isn't much safer, however personal it feels.
5
Change the code as soon as anyone with access no longer requires it, whether that's after a tenancy ends or a cleaner's contract finishes.
“
Get that right, and a key safe closes off one of the easiest routes into a home.
”Get that right, and a key safe closes off one of the easiest routes into a home. No more spare keys doing the rounds between everyone who might need one, and no more risky hiding spots by the back door. Paired with solid door and window locks, it lets you control exactly who gets in and when, without you ever needing to be on-site yourself.
Need a hand choosing between models, or want to talk through installing a key safe alongside other security upgrades? Get in touch with the team at Locks Direct. We've been selling security hardware in Lincolnshire for over 30 years, and we're happy to just talk it through.
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