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.
When a student tells me he wants a gun safe he can open with his phone, I ask him one thing: what’s the plan when the phone is dead? Usually he hasn’t got one. That’s the right question to bring to the Fitsafe Bluetooth Biometric Safe, because it gives you four ways in, and the phone is only one of them.
My verdict: it’s a small, budget box for one handgun with fingerprint, keypad, keys and a phone app, plus a USB port for emergency power and a security cable. It’s a fair pick for a nightstand or under a car seat, as long as you cable it down and treat the app as an extra, not the lock.
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
Fitsafe Bluetooth Biometric Safe – Best Budget Bluetooth Pistol Safe Under $100
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, keypad, keys and a phone app on one small box, with a USB port to power it up if the batteries quit.
OUT OF THE BOX:
In the photos you can see the safe coming out of a plain brown box with the security cable and paperwork laid out beside it. The keys and the cable come bagged together, and the manual cover reads GS20 Biometric Portable Safe User Instruction Manual.
One thing you won’t find in the box is batteries. Fitsafe says it runs on four AAA batteries and points out they aren’t included, so buy a fresh set before it comes home. Read the manual through before you enroll your first print, and keep it somewhere you can find it again.
FRONT PANEL & FINGERPRINT READER:
Everything you touch is on the front edge: a round fingerprint reader on the left, a row of numbered buttons, and the key lock on the right. Fitsafe says the fingerprint area and keypad light up. In the photos you can see the reader ringed in red with the numbers glowing blue, and in another, a finger on the reader with it lit green.
Fitsafe says the reader scans and opens in under two seconds. I teach the same thing for every biometric box: enroll the same finger several times at different angles, flat, tipped up and rolled a little each way. Half asleep, your hand doesn’t land the way it did at the kitchen table when you set it up. If you enroll more than one finger, spread them across both hands.
KEYPAD & BACKUP KEY:
When a finger won’t read because it’s wet, cold or dirty, you go to the keypad. The close-up shows a hand on the lit buttons. Pick a code nobody in the house would guess, and practice it until your fingers know it without your eyes.
The title says keys are included as the mechanical backup. Where that key lives matters as much as the lock. Not on top of the safe, not in the same drawer, never where a child can reach it. Key ring or a second locked spot. A safe with the key beside it is just a box with a lid.
BLUETOOTH APP:
The fourth way in is the phone. Fitsafe says you can manage the safe and keep an eye on its activity through the Tuya app. That’s handy for checking when it was opened or changing settings without fiddling at the keypad.
I’d treat it as a convenience, not the lock. Read the app’s permissions before you install it, use a unique password for any account it asks for, and never plan on a charged phone to get to your gun. The listing doesn’t say which functions work without a connection, so find that out before you count on it.
INSIDE ROOM:
Fitsafe says it holds one handgun plus magazines, a passport and cash. That’s modest, and the listing doesn’t give inside measurements. A compact or subcompact will be easier than a full-size pistol wearing a light or an optic, but I can’t tell you what fits from the facts listed. Get the interior size from the seller and measure your gun.
In the photos you can see a holstered pistol lying inside, and a close-up of the egg-crate foam that lines the floor. The seller says the foam is detachable. Pulling it may buy you room for something bulkier, but you lose the cushion, so try your gun both ways.
Fitsafe also says a light comes on when you open the cover. One close-up shows the foam lit up, with a yellow button marked SET near the inside edge. Check the manual for what it does before you start pushing it.
BUILD & STEEL:
Fitsafe describes the body as welded, pry-resistant steel with anti-impact locking mechanisms. No gauge, thickness, weight or third-party rating is listed, so I won’t call it a vault. At this price, figure on a box that keeps children and curious hands out and slows down a quick grab.
In one photo someone holds it in both hands, and that tells you the other half of the story. A box this size goes wherever the person carrying it goes. That’s why the cable matters.
POWER:
Four AAA batteries run it, and Fitsafe says they aren’t included. Put in a fresh set before you rely on it, and change them on a schedule instead of waiting for trouble. I’d put a reminder on my phone to check it on the first of every month.
The built-in USB port is the backup to the backup. Fitsafe says it supplies temporary power to unlock by fingerprint or code when the batteries fail, or when the keys go missing. In the photos you can see a USB cable plugged into the safe. Keep a short cable and a power bank in the same room, not inside the safe, and try the emergency route once in daylight so you know how it goes.
CABLE & PLACEMENT:
No mounting holes are mentioned. The steel security cable is the only anchor Fitsafe lists, for a bedside table, a desk or a vehicle. In the photos you can see the cable coiled beside the safe with the paperwork.
Loop it around something solid that doesn’t come apart, like a bed frame or a seat bracket, and leave only enough slack to open the lid. As an old lawman, my first thought is that a cable won’t stop a man with bolt cutters. It will stop the quick grab-and-go, and that’s the theft I’d plan for with a box like this.
One photo shows it sitting in a drawer, which is a good spot if the lid clears. Think about where your hand lands in the dark and whether the cover swings free of the lamp or the wall. If it rides under a car seat, check your state’s rules for carrying a gun in a vehicle, and never leave it where it can be seen through a window.
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: It feels heavy and well made, offers fingerprint, key, passcode and phone-app access, has room for a pistol and a magazine, and is easy to keep out of a child’s reach.
Where it falls short: The rechargeable battery can stop holding a charge within weeks or months, which disables biometric and app access and leaves only the key, and the fingerprint sensor can stop recognizing enrolled prints on some units.
Who it’s for: A portable, multi-access EDC safe for anyone comfortable falling back to the key if the electronics fail. Skip it if you need long-term battery and biometric reliability; both can fail within the first year.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The missing numbers are the big one. No dimensions, weight, steel gauge or fire rating in the listing, so get the interior size before you order and don’t keep papers in it expecting them to survive a fire. Batteries aren’t in the box, and there’s nothing to bolt it down with, only the cable.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want one handgun at the bedside or in the car, you like having several ways in, and you’ll keep fresh batteries in it and the cable on it. At the time of writing it sat in the under $100 range. Skip it if you want a heavy bolt-down box, a published steel gauge or a certified rating. Step up to a heavier nightstand safe for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Fitsafe lists |
|---|---|
| Ways in | Fingerprint, keypad, backup keys, Bluetooth (Tuya app) |
| Capacity | 1 handgun plus magazines, a passport and cash |
| Power | 4 AAA batteries (not included), USB emergency power port |
| Body | Welded, pry-resistant steel with anti-impact locking mechanisms |
| Security cable | Included, for a bedside table, desk or vehicle |
| Interior | Detachable foam, light when the cover opens |
| Extras | Backlit fingerprint area and keypad |
| Not listed | Dimensions, weight, steel gauge, fire rating |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Four ways in: fingerprint, keypad, keys and phone app
- USB emergency power port if the batteries fail
- Security cable included
- Backlit controls and an interior light
Cons
- No dimensions, steel gauge or fire rating listed
- Batteries not included
- No bolt-down holes mentioned, only a cable
$59.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Want something heavier at the bedside? See my Hornady RAPiD Safe Night Guard review.
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 | Fitsafe Bluetooth Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Cable the box to furniture or a seat frame, pair one phone, enroll two fingers per adult, then open it in the dark by fingerprint, code, key and app; remove the batteries and confirm the USB emergency port opens it. |
| To measure | Record open time per method, failed fingerprint reads out of a set number of tries, whether the USB port powers the lock with dead batteries, and the largest handgun that fits. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Fitsafe Bluetooth Biometric Safe FAQ
What batteries does the Fitsafe Bluetooth biometric safe use?
Fitsafe says it takes four AAA batteries, which are not included. A built-in USB port can supply temporary power to unlock by fingerprint or code if the batteries die, so keep fresh spares and a USB power source nearby, outside the safe.
How do I open the Fitsafe if the fingerprint reader fails?
Use the keypad code, and if that won’t do it, the backup key. Enroll the same finger several times at different angles to cut down on misreads, and keep the key away from the safe.
What fits inside the Fitsafe Bluetooth biometric safe?
The seller says one handgun, magazines, a passport and cash. No interior dimensions are listed, so get them from the seller and compare them with your pistol, especially if it carries a light or an optic.
Can the Fitsafe be mounted or secured?
It comes with a steel security cable for a bedside table, desk or vehicle. No bolt-down holes are mentioned. Loop the cable around something solid and keep the slack short.
What does the Bluetooth app do on the Fitsafe?
Fitsafe says you can manage the safe and monitor activity through the Tuya app. It doesn’t detail every function, so review the app’s permissions and treat the fingerprint reader, keypad and keys as your main ways in.
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.