David Ogden, Founder and CEO at The Key Safe Company shares his perspective on growing market confusion and how the industry can strengthen trust through higher security standards.
Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) tests and certifications have raised public expectations and customers are increasingly looking for independent, police preferred certified products.
At the same time, there is a growing focus on risk management, particularly among business customers and homeowners seeking higher-security products.
Even with recent falls in burglary rates, overall property risk remains significant.
Operational efficiency is another driver.
Key safes provide a secure point of access that saves time and reduces costs for facilities management and social care providers.
With more out-of-hours work, key safes allow businesses to streamline operations, while multi-provider access reduces reliance on local authorities.
Systems that need to scale and offer universal access also benefit from key safes.
People are also looking for access control products that are secure enough to withstand increasingly tougher environments.
Key safes are now used in areas where they were not traditionally deployed, from small businesses to high-street brands and outside residential properties, where footfall is high and products are clearly visible.
Alongside this, there is a rising demand for clearer standards and transparency behind accreditations, helping consumers distinguish high-security from low-security products, which has contributed to the increased public attention.
There is considerable confusion between key safes and key boxes.
The internet allows people to access more information but also spreads misinformation, so it is crucial to focus on attack standards and security certifications.
Low-cost, non-accredited products with no attack testing are key boxes, not key safes.
Key boxes are only suitable for internal use and are not secure for storing keys outside a property.
Using a non-accredited key box externally undermines security and may invalidate insurance.
A key safe only deserves the word ‘safe’ if it’s an accredited product.
You should look for LPCB certification at a minimum, ideally with a police preferred Secure-by-Design (SBD) standard.
This ensures the product has been independently tested against attack standards and legitimately earns the ‘safe’ label.
When shopping for a secure key safe, there are some simple checks you can make to ensure quality.
Physical fixings are critical and supplied fixings less than 60mm is not likely to achieve any standard.
Secure wall installation is also essential and forms part of any attack standard; if a safe can be removed easily it could be compromised elsewhere using heavy duty, loud tools, allowing the perpetrator to return with the key.
Check the weight. Typically, the heavier the key safe the stronger and more durable the product.
Many sellers list key boxes online and then purposely misuse terminology and standards to drive their sales.
Products are often labelled ‘police approved’ or ‘police recognised’ when they are not.
Currently, around 25 products online claim to be failsafe without any testing or accreditation.
If it doesn’t carry the SBD logo, it is not police preferred, not certified and should not be purchased or trusted for use outside a building.
Much confusion arises because customers assume any product marked as ‘secure’ has been attack tested, when in fact it hasn’t unless verified by LPCB or another independent body.
The industry must simplify and clarify standards.
A key safe should meet at least the LPS1175 Issue 8 A5 standard, which requires a five-minute attack resistance.
The SBDlogo indicates independent testing and police preference, which is what end-users must look for.
Products claiming to be police approved without the SBD logo creates further confusion.
The industry can help by ensuring standards and certifications – like LPCB and SBD – are clearly displayed on packaging and marketing, with no ambiguous claims.
At The Key Safe Company, we also provide links to Redbook Live so customers can verify certification and buy with confidence.
Clear labelling significantly boosts consumer confidence by helping buyers distinguish certified products from non-certified ones.
Clarity about what a product has achieved reduces misleading claims and ensures that any product marked as secure genuinely meets required standards.
Trust is reinforced when an accreditation is easy to verify at the point of purchase.
Badges such as SBD and LPCB logos on products and packaging make a real difference.
At The Key Safe Company, all physical products carry these marks for complete transparency.
Clarifying risk levels is also vital.
Consumers need to know what threats a product is designed to protect against, particularly whether it is suitable for exterior use.
Products really need to be clearly governed and labelled for indoor use to help prevent misuse, which unfortunately is becoming increasingly common.
Familiar standards, such as TS standards, BS standards or the Kite Mark, would also help consumers recognise trustworthy accreditations.
The industry should continue improving how products are marked so customers can be confident that what they purchase is fit for installation and performs as expected.
Consumers should pay attention to the performance of the products they buy.
The level of risk must match the product’s resistance to threats.
Ultimately, we protect property and the people relying on secure access.
Our products are measured against the same LPCB standards used for front doors, as there is no specific key safe standard. We ensure our products meet minimum standards and exceed them where possible.
This gives consumers confidence that the key safe they buy will enhance, rather than weaken, security.
We ensure our products perform at all levels, from minimum requirements to high-security standards.
Certification matters. For consumers, the SBD logo is the most important indicator that a key safe meets independent testing and police preferred standards.
Key boxes should not be sold for exterior use ever.
The difference between key boxes and key safes is significant and the market should not treat them as interchangeable.
Only certified key safes – products independently tested – should be allowed for sale and this should be enforced by clear standards.
Some online platforms copy globally recognisable key boxes using cheaper materials while marketing them as originals.
They appear metallic from a distance but are actually plastic and cost around £7.50.
Consumers cannot easily tell the difference and these platforms exploit that vulnerability.
Products without an LPCB or Secured-by-Design accreditation are not recognised for insurance purposes, so if a property or business is broken into, the owner may not be covered.
At The Key Safe Company, we take this responsibility seriously: We ‘pack the customer’s parachute,’ ensuring end-users have secure, accredited products they can rely on.
The industry collectively should be lobbying the government to ensure products can only be listed if they meet recognised standards.
Anything below should not be sold, as unsuspecting buyers placing a key box outside are misled.
Collaboration with insurance companies, certification boards and industry influencers is also key to educating consumers and preventing misuse of terminology.
As innovators of the key safe, calling out substandard products can appear negative, but it is necessary.
We take the role of security at key safe seriously and as the Founder, leading by example is essential for raising industry standards.
When I introduced the key safe to the UK 30 years ago, there were no standards.
Working with discerning customers, we developed the first police preferred key safe in 2008.
A recognisable accreditation scheme, similar to TS standards, would be a major step forward.
Pursuing recognised standards – like TS standards or kite marks – and developing a dedicated key safe standard would be a game-changer.
Currently, we rely on door standards like LPCB, but a dedicated standard would give consumers clear guidance and push the industry to meet benchmarks.
We are also driving broader adoption of high-security standards across the insurance sector.
We work closely with insurers to educate them on products they should endorse and recognise, continually raising the bar through verified certifications like LPCB and SBD.
Innovation extends to product development.
Our ark Tamo range has recently launched successfully after extensive development, selling thousands of units.
These products feature a patented multi-push lock mechanism and robust mechanical reliability.
They are often used to let paramedics and emergency services into vulnerable homes, so they must be flawless, secure, identifiable and installed close to the door so they can be used day and night.
With over three million key safes installed in the UK and millions more worldwide, they are heavily used in the care industry, helping to deliver approximately three and a half million hours of care per week.
This underscores the importance of clarity, trust and reinforcing that not all key storage solutions are secure.
This article was originally published in the January edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
