Massad Ayoob — Founder, Massad Ayoob Group · Retired Police Captain · Expert Witness on use of force · Review date: October 31, 2026
Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)In addition to my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week, this guide was reviewed by Massad Ayoob of Massad Ayoob Group, whose opinion appears below. [Keep only if true — Chris: I handled the product(s) on this page myself. Details are in the test record at the end.] The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.
Students who drive for a living ask me some version of the same question before class lets out: where does the pistol go when I have to walk into a place I can’t carry? The glove box is not an answer. Neither is a console lid that doesn’t lock. What you want is one box that locks, rides in the truck, and comes inside to the nightstand at night.
That’s the job the HOLEWOR Handheld Biometric Safe is built for. My verdict: a roomy, lower-cost box with three ways in, a long steel cable and a USB-C backup port. It is not a rated vault and it runs shallow, so measure your gun before you order.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Specs from the manufacturer listing · owner feedback summarized and labelled · hands-on test notes being added · How we review
HOLEWOR Handheld Biometric Safe – Best Portable Biometric Pistol Safe Under $100
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, PIN and key access, a 40-inch steel cable and a USB-C backup port on a box that can go from the nightstand to the truck.
OUT OF THE BOX:
In the photos you can see a plain brown retail box marked Fingerprint Security Safe, and the safe inside its carton with the lid up and a sealed bag sitting on the foam. The close-up shows the steel cable and a few batteries bagged together. Another shot has the parts laid out: keys, the coiled cable, a white USB cable, a HOLEWOR card and the paperwork.
HOLEWOR’s listing doesn’t itemize what comes in the box, and it doesn’t say how many backup keys you get. Count them the day it shows up and decide right then where each one is going to live.
FRONT PANEL & DISPLAY:
Everything you touch sits on the front edge. On the version in most of the photos, that’s a small LCD on the left, a round fingerprint reader in the middle and five round number buttons to the right. In the low-light shots the buttons and display glow blue, which helps you find them in a dark room.
HOLEWOR says the display shows the inside temperature and humidity, the lock status, the battery level and the time, for about 10 seconds. The humidity reading is the part I’d pay attention to. Steel boxes sweat in a closed truck or a damp bedroom, and the seller suggests dropping a desiccant pack inside when that number climbs. That’s good advice for any gun box.
TWO PANEL STYLES:
Two of the photos show a different front: ten numbered buttons in two rows, the fingerprint reader off to the right, and a mountain logo pressed into the lid. It looks like HOLEWOR has sold more than one version under this name. Look at the current listing photos so you know which panel you’re buying, and set yours up from the manual that comes in your box.
FINGERPRINT READER & KEYPAD:
The seller says the reader holds up to 100 prints and the keypad up to 10 sets of 6-digit codes. Nobody needs 100 prints, but use the room. I teach the same trick for every biometric box: enroll the same finger several times at different angles, flat, tipped up and rolled a little each way. With your heart going and the lights off, your hand won’t land the way it did at the kitchen table when you set it up.
The code is your way in when your hands are wet, gloved or dirty, and that’s exactly when a reader is most likely to miss. Pick six digits that aren’t a birthday, a house number or 123456, and don’t hand them out to anybody who has no business in that box.
BACKUP KEY:
The key is the last way in when the electronics quit. I say it in every class: the key does not ride in the console next to the box, and it does not sit in the nightstand drawer beside it. Put it on your key ring or in a second locked spot, somewhere a child is never going to find it. A locked box with the key lying next to it is just a box with a lid.
If this box moves between the house and the truck, think about where the key is in both places. A key left at home does you no good at a rest stop two counties over.
INSIDE ROOM:
HOLEWOR lists the outside at 12.6 inches wide, 9.84 deep and 3.15 tall, and the seller bullets put the inside at about 11.3 by 7.2 by 3 inches. Look at those two heights side by side. That would leave almost nothing for the top and bottom walls, so I’d treat the inside number as rounded and give yourself some margin.
In the photos you can see egg-crate foam on the lid and the floor, an arm holding the lid up, and a hand lifting the foam pad out. The seller says it holds two full-size pistols plus extra ammunition. With about 3 inches of height, I’d plan on guns lying flat: two compact or mid-size pistols, or one full-size and its magazines. A tall red dot, a weapon light or a long threaded barrel may keep the lid from closing. Measure your gun at its tallest point with everything attached and check it against the box.
LIGHT & POWER:
The seller lists an interior LED, and the night shots show the inside lit blue with the lid up. That’s handy in a dark bedroom or a truck cab after sundown.
Here’s where the listing goes thin. The specs mention a battery but don’t say what type or how many. HOLEWOR does list a built-in USB-C port for backup power if the batteries die, so a phone charger or power bank can wake the reader and keypad back up. Keep a short USB-C cable and a small power bank near the box, not inside it. Don’t wait on the battery indicator, either. Put a reminder on your phone for the first of every month, and after any battery change, test the print and the code before the gun goes back in.
BUILD & CABLE:
HOLEWOR lists the body as alloy steel, and the bullets call it solid steel. No gauge is given, and no fire rating, burglary rating or warranty term shows up on the listing, so I won’t call this a vault. It keeps children and curious hands out, and it slows down a grab-and-go. That’s its job.
The cable is the more important security feature on a box you carry around. The seller lists a 40.16-inch steel cable to anchor the safe to a table, a drawer or a vehicle. The listing names floor, nightstand and car placement but doesn’t mention screws or a bracket, so plan on the cable as your anchor. In the photos you can see it coiled inside the box as it ships.
HOLEWOR lists the safe at 8.5 pounds. As an old lawman, my first thought is that a thief can carry that off under one arm if it isn’t tied to anything. Loop the cable around a seat bracket in a vehicle or a bed frame at home, not a drawer pull. It won’t stop a man with bolt cutters. It does stop the quick grab, and that’s the kind of theft I saw most in my years wearing a badge. Check your state’s rules for keeping a gun in a vehicle before you rely on the truck setup.
If you have children in the house, this part isn’t optional. North Carolina’s safe-storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) can put you in court if a child gets hold of a loaded gun you left within reach and something happens with it. Other states have their own versions.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: The fingerprint scanner is fast and consistent on most units, construction is sturdy with a smoothly opening door, the LCD temperature and humidity display is useful, and the original batteries can last for years.
Where it falls short: On a portion of units the lid or lock behaves unpredictably and the sensor is unreliable under real pressure, the keypad has a slight input delay on first use, the interior is smaller than advertised, and the default code cannot be changed.
Who it’s for: A feature-rich handheld safe with multiple access methods for everyday use. Skip it if you need dependable fast access in a genuine emergency.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Three things. The inside is shallow, so tall optics and lights may not fit. The listing doesn’t state the battery type or how many keys you get. And the footprint, about 12.6 by 9.84 inches, is bigger than a slim bedside box, so measure your drawer or shelf for width and depth before you order.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want one box that sits on the nightstand at night and rides in the vehicle by day, with a fingerprint, a code and a key to get in, and you want to stay under a hundred dollars. Skip it if you want a box bolted in one spot, a fire rating, or a rated safe for an insurance policy. A heavier bolt-down safe is the better tool for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What HOLEWOR lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 12.6″ wide x 9.84″ deep x 3.15″ high |
| Inside size | About 11.3″ x 7.2″ x 3″ (seller bullets) |
| Capacity | Described as fitting 2 guns |
| Ways in | Fingerprint (up to 100), 6-digit PIN (up to 10 codes), key |
| Body | Alloy steel (no gauge listed) |
| Weight | 8.5 lb |
| Security cable | 40.16″ steel |
| Power | Battery (type not stated), USB-C backup port |
| Extras | LCD with time, temperature, humidity, battery and lock status; interior LED; foam lining |
| Not listed | Fire rating, burglary rating, warranty term |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, 6-digit code and key
- Display reads inside humidity, so you know when to add a desiccant pack
- USB-C backup power and an interior light
- Long steel cable for the house or the vehicle
Cons
- About 3 inches of inside height, so tall optics and lights may not fit
- No steel gauge, fire rating or burglary rating listed
- Battery type and key count not stated
$63.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Still comparing boxes? See my best gun safe picks.
Hands-on test record
Protocol prepared for Chris. Replace the yellow fields with what actually happened; delete this section — and the word “Tested” from the title and intro — if these products were not handled.
| Who tested | Chris Raper, NRA-certified instructor |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 31, 2026 |
| Products on this page | HOLEWOR Handheld Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Cable the box to a truck seat frame and to a nightstand in turn, enroll two fingers per adult, then open it by fingerprint, PIN and key in the dark and from the driver's seat; retest after heat and cold exposure and confirm the USB-C port opens it. |
| To measure | Record open time per method in both locations, failed fingerprint reads after heat and cold, cable hold under a hard pull, and the tallest pistol that closes in the shallow interior. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
HOLEWOR Handheld Biometric Safe FAQ
Does the HOLEWOR Handheld Biometric Safe fit two pistols?
The seller lists the foam-lined inside at about 11.3 x 7.2 x 3 inches and says it holds two full-size pistols plus extra ammunition. With only about 3 inches of height, measure each gun with its light or optic on and compare before you order.
What’s the backup if the batteries die?
HOLEWOR lists a built-in USB-C port for emergency power, and a backup key comes with it. Keep a short cable and a power bank near the safe, and keep the key away from the safe and out of children’s reach.
How do I secure it at home or in a car?
Use the 40.16-inch steel cable around something solid, like a seat bracket or a bed frame. The listing doesn’t mention screws or a bracket. Check your state’s rules for keeping a gun in a vehicle.
How many fingerprints and codes can it store?
The seller says up to 100 fingerprints and 10 six-digit codes. Use a few of those print slots to enroll your main finger at different angles for fewer misreads.
Is the HOLEWOR safe fire rated?
No fire rating, burglary rating or other certification appears on the listing. Treat it as a box that keeps kids and casual hands out, not as a place for papers you can’t replace.
Chris Raper
Chris Raper is the founder and lead reviewer of Conceal & Carry Network. A retired North Carolina law-enforcement officer with more than 40 years of service and a U.S. Air Force Security Police veteran, he founded Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. in Elm City, NC in 2006 and has taught the state-approved NC Concealed Handgun Carry class there ever since. He is an NC Department of Justice certified Firearms Safety Instructor, an NRA Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Instructor, an NRA Range Safety Officer and a graduate of Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute. He reviews the carry guns, holsters, safes and sight tools his students ask about every week.