In-car safe test

Around 250,000 portable sat-navs were stolen from cars in 2006, according to latest Home Office figures. And with an average of one break-in every 19 seconds, it pays to have a little extra protection.

The easiest solution is to take valuables with you – although that is not always possible, particularly on holiday, when it may be safer to leave your gear in the cabin than carry it to the beach or pool. And while locking electronic kit in the boot helps, for top security a safe is best. It should keep opportunist thieves at bay even if they get into the vehicle.

We looked at eight products that are designed to be fixed to the car with a cable or permanently bolted in the boot, caravan or motorhome.

The test
Top priority here is size, as a safe is no use if it can’t take all your kit. Each product had to accommodate at least an iPod, a widescreen sat-nav and a mobile phone. Looking tough alone isn’t enough, so we attacked them using only basic, easy-to-carry tools such as screwdrivers – the kind of gear opportunist thieves wander round with. Price was our final consideration.

Verdict

For normal car use, we were left to choose between the Stoplock Strongbox or the RAC Compact Car safe. The latter took victory, as it’s a little easier to use and we were won over by the Thatcham rating. But the Stoplock is very impressive. And if you want something for your caravan or motorhome, the Mini Vault offers good security for a reasonable price.