In a rush? Here’s our top choice!
Vaultek Essential Series Quick Access Handgun Safe
It’s a real safe, very durable, provides genuine security, is thin enough for any drawer and will do the job of keeping your gun safe while offering quick access.
Contents
Ever Thought About A Nightstand Gun Safe?
A nightstand gun safe is for your peace of mind. Not only can you store your gun close to where you sleep – so you can get a quick hold of it should you believe you have intruders – but they often come with hidden compartments for jewellery and other valuable items, which is secure should your home be broken into when you are absent.
The thought of night-time intruders is one that can strike fear into people, and sadly these days break-ins after dark are not unusual, but having a gun nearby can also bring added peace of mind. We took a look at five nightstand gun safes to see if we could find one that is suitable for you, without needing night vision goggles! So without further delay, let’s have a close look at them.
Our 5 Best Nightstand Gun Safe Recommendations
1. Casual Home Lincoln Nightstand with Concealed Compartment
While the purpose of a nightstand gun safe is to hold a gun in a secret place, one that is accessible in an instant, you also want a nice-looking and stylish piece of furniture that is not obviously out of place in the room. This design, from Casual Home, is a very nice ‘Lincoln’ style bedside cabinet that looks the part and that features an innovative, easy-access compartment directly below the top.
The space is felt-lined for protection, and a clever magnetic lock system that requires just one swipe from the ‘key’ to open it means you can be in there in a second. It’s a decent sized space, too, so you could put more than one gun in there, or other valuable items that you might want hidden. This is a solid wood item – it’s good quality – so it’s not cheap, but it is a nice design.
You also get two good-sized drawers and a fold-out tray for storage, it is finished in mocha, and it is a traditional design so would fit in with most décor. Measurements are 20”x25”x27” and it requires home assembly. As for customer reviews, it’s a mixed bag: some have given it 5 stars and commented on how attractive it is, others have cast doubt on the level of security the locking system provides – the choice is yours!
Features:
- Traditional stylish design
- Hidden compartment locks by magnet
- Easy opening with single swipe
- Two large drawers
- Compact size
2. Castle Creek Gun Concealment Table
Another design that takes the traditional look as its cue, this one is made from MDF – although it looks the part – and is a little less lavish than the one above. It’s finished in wood-look brown and is designed with two drawer fronts with a space for magazines or storage below, but the hidden compartment in this one is quite clever.
The hidden draws – there are two of them – are inside and behind the main upper drawer. In effect, they are two mini hidden draws that you can only see if you bring them out. We won’t go into the opening mechanism of the hidden compartments in full detail here – that would be to defy the object – but we will say it works, although there is one major flaw: it doesn’t lock, not at all. It’s not, therefore, one we’d want to rely with young kids in the house.
It requires assembly – a couple of buyers have commented that it is quite complex but the instructions are easy to follow – and it measures 18”x18”x24” high, so is reasonably compact, and is a decent-looking piece of furniture. We’re just not sure it provides the necessary security.
Features
- Two hidden drawers
- Made from MDF
- Assembly required
- Plain but quite stylish
- Compact
- Does not lock
3. Casual Home 615-15 ‘Kennedy’ End Table
The two items above have taken the form of bedside cabinets. This one, another from the Casual Home brand, is a table, but it’s a table with a clever hidden compartment that can be accessed in a very simple fashion. You simply remove a ‘stopper’ that drops the underneath hidden compartment. This has met with some criticism, as it is very easy to do, but it’s also favoured by some buyers for giving instant access.
It’s a simple, yet stylish, wooden end table that measures 23”x20”x24” high, and it looks rather neat and modern so would fit in most rooms without standing out. It’s made from solid wood, and is very nicely made, and while the hidden compartment is hidden, nobody could know it was there.
There is some home assembly required and full instructions are given, and there are cheaper items on the market, but unlike some this one is designed not just as a security device, but also as a nice occasional end table that is unfussy and therefore usable. One point to note is that a few customers have mentioned the drawer has a tendency to drop out; we hope Casual Home has rectified this issue as otherwise it is a nice piece.
Features
- Table design
- Hidden space underneath
- Easy opening mechanism
- Solid wood design
- Compact
- Customer complaints about drawer breaking
4. Benjara Benzara Wooden Nightstand
This model is another that is very much in the traditional style – in fact, for some people, it may be a little too decorative – and comes with a very dark wood finish. It is made from solid wood, rather than MDF, and is nicely finished and for a solid wood nightstand is actually rather well-priced. It does require home assembly to some extent, but is quite easy.
The hidden drawer is a simple one; it is behind the upper fascia of the nightstand, above the two drawers, and while neat it is a bit of a cliché where hidden drawers are concerned being the first place a thief will check. On the plus side, it’s easy to get to your gun quickly. The two drawers and the hidden compartment are decent sizes, so no problems there.
This one measures 21”x16”x24” high so is quite compact, and it would look good in a bedroom decorated in a simple yet traditional style. It doesn’t lock, however, so we wouldn’t be happy leaving a gun in the compartment with young kids around, but otherwise it’s a nice piece of furniture.
Features
- Solid wood
- Well made
- Hidden drawer at the top
- Compact
- Nice design
- Doesn’t lock
5. Vaultek Essential Series Quick Access Handgun Safe
Our final item is this one, from Vaultek, and if you’re looking for an item of furniture with a hidden gun compartment, you might think this is not for you. It is, though, an actual, compact safe with a quick access system that you can put inside your hidden draw, one that provide genuine security for your handgun, above and beyond all others on the list.
It’s made from 18-gauge carbon steel for strength, and is made even stronger by Vaultek’s noted and proven construction, plus it is designed to be thin enough to drop into a drawer. It measures 10.5”x8.5”x2.125” and will easily fit a decent-sized handgun inside, if not a full-size one. The backlit five-button LED combination is easy to see even in poor light, thanks to responsive technology, and you have more than 40,000 combinations to choose from.
Battery power lasts for up to 4-months and is rechargeable in 2.5hours by USB. If we’re to be honest, this is a must if you want to keep a gun by your bed, especially if you have kids in the house, no matter the choice of bedside nightstand gun safe you choose, as it is the only one that offers genuine security.
Features
- 18 gauge steel and specially durable construction
- Five-button combination
- Backlit buttons
- Very secure
- Thin enough to fit in a drawer
So, that’s five items that may do the job or may not, but which do we recommend you buy? Before we go on to give you a conclusion, let’s have a look at a quick buyers guide.
Our Buying Tips
1. Security
The be all and end all is the security afforded to your gun. You don’t want it to fall into the hands of criminals, and nor do you want it to be accessible by others in the home, especially young children. In truth, only one of the above items offers the level of security we believe to be acceptable.
2. Looks
If you’re buying one of these for looks, fair enough, but make sure security comes above it as a priority. In fact, we’ll cut to the chase now, and give you our honest verdict, straight up.
Our Top Choice!
The simple fact is you want to have your gun close to hand at night, easy to get to, and yet inaccessible to burglars or others in the home. The only item that offers genuine security is the Vaultek Essential Series Quick Access Handgun Safe.
Now, fair enough, we know it’s not an item of furniture, but it is a safe. Put it in the drawer of your bedside nightstand – not necessarily one of the above – and it’s there for you when you need it, at night. For added security, by day you can put it away in your home safe, or in your secure gun cabinet.
If you do want to buy one of the nightstands, the one we like best is the Casual Home 615-15 ‘Kennedy’ End Table which is very stylish, simple and elegant, nicely made from solid wood, but keep in mind those comments about the draw misbehaving!
So, final word from us: please consider the virtues of the Vaultek safe very carefully, as it’s the only item here that will truly give you quick access while genuinely, securely storing your gun.