8 Best Portable & Travel Gun Safes

If you travel regularly with your gun or any other valuables, you’ll need the best portable gun safe. This safe will help keep your gun away from prying fingers, whether in the home or when left in your car.

However, gun safes come in a wide range of features and prices. Some you open with a key while others you open with a biometric finger scanner.

To help you make the right choice, we hand-picked the best portable gun safes for this review.

Best portable gun safe: Overview

Best portable gun safe

1. Vaultek LifePod Portable Handgun Case

When searching for a portable safe, you should check how the hinges are made and if it provides you with ample storage. This is important as some models have the batteries and lock mechanisms taking a third of the interior space.

One of the safes that come with good hinges and ample storage space is the Vaultek LifePod Portable Handgun case.

The safe comes with a built-in lock that enables you to quickly lock it. It also features a backlit LED capacities keypad for entering the master code and ensuring quick locking and opening action.

This safe is neither too big nor too small. For a custom four to eight-digit code, this safe is compact and can be easily programmed.

Some latches are integrated on both sides to ensure that the case remains sealed and closed.

The Vaultek LifePod Portable Handgun case comes with a unique keylock feature that can help disable the front keyway and ensure that the lock isn’t picked open. It is powered by a 9 V battery (not included) and will work well under the water. 

There is a rubber keyhole cover at the front that hides a micro-USB port that can be used to power the unit when the battery dies.

Pros

• Sturdy and solid
• Small, compact, and lightweight
• Easy to program
• Affordable
• Dust and water-resistant

Cons

• Not very spacious

The safe will easily fit a handgun with one or two spare magazines. Made of a tough polymer, it is sturdily made and will, therefore, keep your valuables safe.

The safe has been drop-tested and is one of the sturdiest portable safes. Overall, this is a great unit. 

2. SnapSafe Keyed Lock Box

If you are searching for a large multipurpose safe that will prevent kids and intruders from accessing your gun, you should consider the SpanSafe Keyed Lock Box. As the name suggests, this is more of a lockbox than a safe.

However, it will still provide secure storage for your handgun, cash, jewelry, drugs, passports, and more when traveling.

It has been constructed with 16 gauge steel; the lockbox is fairly strong but will not prevent a determined person with a tool. However, with this thickness, you should not expect any deformation or wobbling.

The lockbox comes with a security cable that ensures extra security. To protect your valuables from scratches, it has four thick protective foam inserts.

The safe meets the TSA airline guidelines and has been approved by the California Department of Justice as a firearm storage box.

Pros

• Sturdy construction
• Key functions smoothly
• Meets the TSA guidelines
• Ample storage size

Cons

• The cable can be easily cut
• No-pre-drilled holes

The portable gun safe for cars will open and close easily and will remain closed even when not locked. It also comes with an enamel paint finish that feels tough.

The manufacturer would have made it better by making the cable sturdier and including pre-drilled holes.

But apart from these two downsides, which are not a deal-breaker, the SnapSafe Keyed Lock Box is a great safe that is worth the money.

If you are searching for a small stow away for a firearm or a travel case, this lockbox is a great option.

3. Hornady Lockbox

The Hornady Lockbox is another safe that is made of 16-gauge steel, making it one of the most solidly-built safe. It would be very difficult to pry this safe open.

It also features a recessed barrel lock that is pry proof unless you are dealing with a burglar with professional tools.

The lock box comes with a locking mechanism that consists of two flat steel beneath the lid, sliding into the eyelets at the base of the lockbox.  While it’s not very big, it will fit one or two full-size handguns and about two magazines. 

The safe comes with an optional cable attachment that enables you to anchor it to a stationary object. The cable is thick and comes with a rust-free coating on it.

On the inside of the lockbox is a dense foam that holds your valuables in place and protects them from scratches.

Pros

• Sturdily-made
• Easy to open and close
• Comes with a strong cable
• Inside foaming protects your valuables

Cons

• Little storage
• Not a fast access lockbox

If you are searching for a lockbox for your car or truck, the Hornady Lockbox is a great option that is worth the money. The key opening mechanism isn’t very fast and, therefore, this is a lockbox for fast access.

However, such a safe can be good for a home with children where fast access comes with the risk of your gun falling in the small prying fingers. Overall, this is a secure and durable lockbox that you should consider buying.

4. Vaultek VT20i

If you are searching for a large, sturdy, and easily accessible pistol safe, you may want to consider the Vaultek VT20i.  The safe comes with screws at the bottom and an included cable that enables you to either screw or anchors it to a wall.

It also features 2-point anti-impact latches that ensure that your valuables are protected in case of a fall.

The safe that is made of 16-gauge steel meets the TSA firearm guidelines. It comes with interior hinges that are tamper-proof from the inside.

The biometric fingerprint scanner that comes with the unit can store up to 20 user IDs. Unlike other safes that make noise when opening, this unit is completely silent.

On the inside is an adjustable LED light that ensures you can easily reach your gun in the dark. You can adjust the brightness using the Vaultek app that is available for Apple and Android devices.

What is even better is that you can access data such as power level, tampering history, and safety preference from the unit through Bluetooth.

Pros

• Sturdily-made
• Offers quick access to your gun
• The LED light offers visibility in the darkness
• Meets TSA guidelines
• Enables remote using your smartphone

Cons

• The fingerprint scanner doesn’t work very well
• Bluetooth technology drains the battery fast

The Vaultek VT20i is a great travel gun safe that will offer quick access to your weapon. It’s a good choice for keeping small items locked but easily accessible.

At its price point, I can recommend it.

5. AmazonBasics Portable Security Case

The AmazonBasics Portable Security Case is a great multipurpose safe that you can easily pack along when necessary to safeguard your valuables. It comes in a compact design that features high-quality anti-pry steel and an interior that is padded with foam to protect your items.

You can easily and discreetly slip this safe in your luggage, under a car seat, or in any other compact seat.

The security case has been certified by the California DOJ as a firearm lockbox. It also meets the TSA requirements for transporting an unloaded gun in your checked language.

To ensure added security, a zinc alloy combo is combined with non-pry steel. The safe also comes with a steel cable that enables you to attach it to a stationary object.

Pros

• Solidly-made
• TSA approved
• Easy to set up
• Well-padded on the inside

Cons

• Numbers are upside down and difficult to read
• The lock mechanism is a bit flimsy

The numbering on the safe seems to be poorly done. There is no reason why they decided to make the dial grey and the numbers black making it hard to read even in good lighting.

You can imagine the frustration when you try to read in the darkness. Overall, this is a good safe that is worth buying.

6. RPNB Gun Safe

The security of a safe is a key consideration when searching for one. With the RPNB gun safe, you can be assured of a secure and convenient safe as it comes with a code and an RFID tag.

The code and key fobs can be easily programmed. The gun safe comes with a cable that provides extra security and ensures it can’t be pulled away.

The cable measures 36 inches, something that some users find short.

The passcode that comes with the safe works perfectly well. It also comes with a key that you can use to access your gun in case of an emergency.

At the back of the unit are two mounting holes. The safe produces a beeping sound but there is an option to silence it. It is fairly large and will easily fit a full-size pistol and a magazine.

Pros

• Slim design
• Long battery life
• Fast access to your gun
• Secure
• East to set up

Cons

• The cable is a bit short

Made of 16 gauge steel, this safe is relatively strong. On the outside is a durable powder coat finish that ensures it doesn’t corrode.

It will easily fit a gun and an extra magazine well.  You will need 3 AA batteries if you will utilize all the three opening mechanisms. If the battery dies, you can still open using the key.

The gun safe comes with a warranty of one year.

7. Hornady RAPiD Gun Safe

If you need one of the best portable gun safe that you can open with a six-digit code or with an RFID, you should consider a Hornady Rapid Gun Safe.  It also comes with a barrel key that you can use when the safe runs out of battery.

Made of a 14 gauge steel, this is more of a lockbox than a safe and will not deter a determined thief.  However, on the inside are 2 internal hardening locking lugs.

The gun safe also comes with a cable to tether it to a stationary object.

The lockbox is easy to set up and should not take you more than ten minutes. Programming the device is also easy and should take about 5 minutes. 

The unit also opens fairly fast and you can easily access your gun in an emergency. The only part that will confuse you is the wrist part as you need to determine the location of the wrist band.

With the Hornady Rapid Gun Safe, you will not need to fumble with your fingers or code at night. All you need to do is to activate it and it will open in a short.

Pros

• Easy to set and program
• Well-built
• Offers quick access to your valuables
• Can be mounted on a vehicle
• The RFID device can be paired with other Rapid safe
• CADOJ and ASTM-approved

Cons

• Heavy for a portable safe
• Opens narrowly

The Hornady Rapid Gun Safe is a good choice for people looking for a solution to secure their valuables in their vehicles. The ability to secure it in your vehicle with a bolt or air bladder is great.

Overall, this is great safe.

8. Fortress Medium Portable Safe

The fortress medium portable safe is another well made safe that also seems super sturdy. Like the description says, this will fit two pistols and is, therefore, not a good choice for a handgun.

Even though it’s a bit small, it will work well for your purpose. The gun safe features are secure and come with foam- padded interiors and removable shelves.

The safe can be opened with an RFID lock, an electronic lock, or a Key Fob with a self-adhesive label. You can input a four-digit code to open and close.

It’s easy to set up and program the unit. When you enter the wrong codes, a security alarm will be triggered to let you know.

It also comes with a silencer that allows you to silence the keypad. The safe features a down door that is loaded with springs and pre-drilled mounting holes where you can secure your hardware. 

Pros

• Well built
• Easy to program
• Well-padded interior
• Offers quick access to your gun

Cons

• The box is an OK size but the shelves inside are slanted.
• Keypad is very slow
• A bit small

All the functions of this safe works as advertised. If you need a small safe for storing your pistols, this is the right option. But if you need something bigger for your handguns, you may want to consider another option on this list.

Conclusion

The best portable gun safe can go a long way in keeping your gun secure.  You don’t have to struggle to try to make the right choice as we have already done that for you. 

The units we reviewed above come with a tether cable ensuring that someone doesn’t walk away with the unit. Therefore, with one of the above options, you can store your gun securely while on the go.