What safes are the hardest to break into?
The hardest safes to break into are Eurograde 6 and higher certified safes, which offer fortress-like protection backed by rigorous international testing and are trusted by insurers across Europe. These elite security safes are designed to protect the most valuable assets against advanced break-in attempts.
The Highest Security Levels: Eurograde 6-13
Eurograde 6 safes can protect up to £150,000 in cash or £1,500,000 in valuables, while the highest grades extend all the way to Eurograde 13, which can protect £3,500,000 in cash or £35,000,000 in valuables. These safes are commonly found in banks and financial institutions, luxury goods warehouses, high-value residential properties, secure logistics firms, pharmaceutical storage units, and government facilities.
What Makes Them Impenetrable?
Grade 6 safes must demonstrate resilience to mechanical and electronic tools, thermal and cutting devices, high-powered drills and grinders, and complex forced entry attempts. The construction is extraordinary: these units are often significantly heavier and constructed using composite materials, hardened steel, and anti-explosive barriers, with multi-layer construction featuring solid steel and reinforced barriers.
Eurograde 6 safes typically weigh over 1,000kg, making them enormous jeweller's grade safes, while grades 7-13 represent the heaviest safes available, beyond which there are only built-in vaults.
Eurograde 5: The Gold Standard for Commercial Security
Eurograde 5 safes represent the gold standard in burglary-resistant storage and are engineered to withstand prolonged and sophisticated attacks using industrial-grade tools. These safes are tested under the EN 1143-1 European standard and must withstand attacks using diamond-tipped drills, hydraulic cutting equipment, thermic lances, and circular saws and grinders.
Eurograde 5 safes can protect £100,000 in cash or £1,000,000 in valuables and are very heavy and strong, weighing 675kg or more. They are typically chosen by banks and currency exchanges, jewellers and luxury watch dealers, vault operators and secure logistics companies, art collectors and museums, and high-net-worth individuals.
The Certification That Matters: EN 1143-1
Eurograde safes have undisputed ratings and are universally accepted at the quoted rating, with certification that means they have been tested and the results documented and certified. The testing process involves engineers who bolt down safes, lock them, throw away the key or code, and use tools that burglars might use, such as drills, hammers, and prying tools like crowbars, to determine the resistive strength of the safe.
Grade 6 safes are tested and approved by leading certification bodies such as ECB-S (European Certification Body), VdS (Germany), and SBSC (Sweden). The test process simulates break-ins using powerful tools to meet specific Resistance Unit (RU) thresholds.
Advanced Security Features
The hardest-to-crack safes feature sophisticated access control systems. Common locking options include double-bitted high-security key locks (EN 1300 Certified), electronic PIN-based keypad systems, time-delay and time-lock configurations, dual custody mode requiring two users to unlock, audit trail-enabled locks for compliance tracking, and biometric readers for high-end applications.
Grade 5 safes typically feature dual or triple locking mechanisms combining high-security key locks, electronic PINs, and time-delay systems, along with anti-explosive and drill-resistant construction using multilayered walls with composite infill materials.
Why Lower Grades Don't Compare
The difference in security is dramatic across rating levels. At the bottom end, £1,000 cash-rated safes offer only superficial protection with no real resistive strength, while £1,500 rated safes can be opened with basic burglar tools. Even the EN14450-S1 rated safes at £2,000 cash represent only a marginal improvement, being just a little harder to open.
The first significant leap in security occurs at EN1143-1 Eurograde 0, rated at £6,000 cash or £60,000 valuables, which represents a large leap forward with heavier and stronger safes. From there, each Eurograde level increases dramatically in weight, strength, and resistance to attack.
Installation Is Critical
Installing a safe requires experience, understanding the various anchors that can be used to fasten the safe to the wall or floor, and understanding the various materials that the wall or floor are made from, which is why insurance companies will not recognize safes that are DIY-fitted or even fitted by a builder or handyperson.
Due to their considerable weight and insurance requirements, all Grade 6 safes should be professionally installed, including site assessment to ensure floor strength and access, secure anchoring into concrete or load-bearing substrates, and discreet delivery and positioning for confidentiality.
The Bottom Line
For those seeking the absolute hardest safes to break into, Eurograde 6 and above represent the pinnacle of security technology. These safes combine extreme weight, multi-layered composite construction, advanced locking systems, and certification proving they can withstand sustained professional attacks with industrial tools. While expensive and requiring professional installation, they offer uncompromising protection for the most valuable assets.