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.
I tell my classes the best bedside safe is the one you can open without sitting up and turning on a lamp. If it takes two hands and a light, it’s the wrong box or it’s in the wrong place.
The HOLEWOR Drop-Down Biometric Safe comes at that problem from the side. It hangs on the side of a nightstand, under a desk or inside a bookcase, and when it accepts your finger or your code, the door swings down on its own.
My verdict: a slim, under-$100 mounted box for one handgun, with a big fingerprint memory, three ways in and an emergency USB-C port. It earns a spot by the bed if you mount it into solid wood and measure your gun first.
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 Drop-Down Biometric Safe – Best Mounted Biometric Pistol Safe Under $100
HIGHLIGHT:
A door that drops open by itself once it reads your finger or code, with memory for up to 100 prints.
OUT OF THE BOX:
HOLEWOR lists four mounting screws, a screwdriver and a cleaning cloth in the package, and says the four AAA batteries come with it. The close-up shows two small bags: one with a yellow screwdriver, screws and a packet of silica gel, the other with green batteries and some small parts.
Before anything goes on the wall, set the box on the table, put the batteries in and run all three ways in: finger, code and key. A problem is a lot easier to sort out at the kitchen table than with your head under a desk.
FRONT PANEL & FINGERPRINT READER:
The controls are on top: six numbered buttons in a ring around a round fingerprint reader, with the LCD screen just below on the front face. You can see that layout plainly in the photos.
HOLEWOR says the reader stores up to 100 fingerprints and the keypad holds 10 passwords. That’s more than any house needs, and that’s the point. Enroll your main finger several times at different angles: flat, tipped up, rolled a little to each side. When you reach for this box from the bed, your finger comes in at a slant, not the way it did when you set it up standing over it. Spend the extra slots on that.
KEYPAD & BACKUP KEY:
Dry, wet, cut or dirty fingers misread on a lot of sensors, so the code isn’t an extra. It’s the plan for when the finger doesn’t work. The seller says you can turn the beep off in the settings. In a bedroom, I’d do that. You don’t want to tell the house, or whoever just came into it, that you opened the gun box.
The backup keys are the last way in. I tell every class the same thing: the key doesn’t go on the shelf the box hangs from, and it never goes where a child can find it. A key taped under the nightstand is the first place anybody looks. Put it on your key ring or in a second locked spot.
THE DROP-DOWN DOOR:
This is the selling point. Once the reader or the code is accepted, HOLEWOR says the door swings down by itself. You don’t fight a latch or lift a lid while you’re holding a phone or a flashlight in the other hand. In the photos you can see the door hanging open below the keypad, and another shot shows a hand taking a pistol out of the opening.
Think about where the grip ends up when that door drops. Mount the box so your shooting hand gets to the grip without crossing your body or fishing around. Then practice: lights off, starting from lying down, five times in a row.
INSIDE ROOM:
HOLEWOR lists the outside at 15 inches tall, 7.5 inches wide and only 3 inches deep. The seller says it’s roomy enough for a large handgun, but no inside dimensions are given. With 3 inches outside, and the walls and door mechanism to take out of that, I’d plan on a slim or compact pistol and measure anything with a light, an optic or an extended magazine.
In the photos you can see a pistol with a tan grip sitting in a foam cradle with the door down. The seller says an LED comes on when the door opens and stays lit about ten seconds, and two of the shots show that blue light inside the box in a dark room.
BUILD & STEEL:
The seller calls the case thick metal and heavy-built, and the material field says alloy steel. What isn’t listed is the steel gauge, the hinge or any pry-resistance details, and there’s no fire rating or certification. So I read it as a lock against children and grab-and-run thieves, which is how the seller pitches it too. That’s a real job. It’s not a vault.
In the photos you can see the textured black finish with the HOLEWOR name on the front, sitting on a table before it’s mounted. HOLEWOR also lists a “capacity” of 9.5 pounds, which reads like a weight figure, not a size. Don’t use it to judge fit.
LCD & POWER:
The screen shows temperature, humidity and battery level. In the close-up it reads 75 degrees and 64 percent humidity, with a colored battery bar underneath. The seller suggests a desiccant pack when humidity runs high, and I’d take that advice. Steel and damp air don’t get along, and neither do guns and damp air.
HOLEWOR lists four AAA batteries and an emergency USB-C input. If the batteries die and the key isn’t handy, you plug in a power source and open it with your finger or code. The seller is clear that the port doesn’t charge the batteries. So keep a short cable and a small power bank where you can reach them, and try it once while the batteries are still good. Then put a reminder on your phone to check the battery bar on the first of every month.
MOUNTING:
This box has to be mounted. HOLEWOR lists three ways to hang it, left, right or top, and includes four screws. The seller suggests a desk, a bookcase or a nightstand. In the photos you can see it tucked into a narrow gap beside furniture, mounted beside a wall, and even mounted beside a car seat. The listing doesn’t mention vehicles, so if you go that route, check your state’s rules for guns in a car first.
Four screws are only as strong as what they bite into. Go into thick wood or solid framing, not a thin particleboard side panel. As an old lawman, my first thought on any small box is the burglar who unscrews it and carries it off to open later. Make him work for it. If you rent, check before you drill.
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 mounts easily beside a nightstand, the custom foam insert fits a Glock with a flashlight attached, it offers PIN, biometric and key access, and the footprint is slim and discreet.
Where it falls short: A pistol with an optic does not fit, which the listing does not mention; sizing runs small for larger handguns; the bracket can let the safe swing a couple of inches when hung from the top; and fingerprint enrollment can take ten or more attempts.
Who it’s for: A slim, three-way-access bedside safe for a standard pistol without an optic. Skip it if your handgun wears an optic or you need rock-solid top mounting.
WHAT TO WATCH:
The missing numbers come first: no inside dimensions, no steel gauge and no fire rating. The emergency port only helps if the cable and power are already where you need them. And since it’s mounted, it isn’t a box you move from room to room.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want one handgun in a fixed spot beside the bed or under a desk, you like a door that drops open on its own, and you want to stay under a hundred dollars. Skip it if you want a freestanding case you can carry, your pistol wears a light or a tall optic, or you need a rated safe for papers and valuables. Step up to a heavier bolt-down box for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What HOLEWOR lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 3″ deep x 7.5″ wide x 15″ high |
| Material | Alloy steel (no gauge listed) |
| Ways in | Fingerprint, passcode, backup keys |
| Memory | Up to 100 fingerprints and 10 passwords |
| Mounting | Left, right or top; 4 screws included |
| Power | 4 AAA batteries; emergency USB-C input (does not charge) |
| Display | LCD for temperature, humidity and battery |
| Extras | Automatic drop-down door, silent mode, interior LED |
| Included | Mounting screws, screwdriver, cleaning cloth |
| Not listed | Inside size, steel gauge, fire rating |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Door drops open on its own once it reads you
- Up to 100 fingerprints and 10 passwords
- Mounts left, right or top in tight spots
- Emergency USB-C input and a battery readout
Cons
- No inside dimensions listed
- No steel gauge, fire rating or certification
- USB-C port doesn’t charge the batteries
$65.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Comparing slim mounted boxes? See my RPNB RP311F 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 | HOLEWOR Drop-Down Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Mount the safe into solid wood at bed height, enroll two fingers per adult, then open it from a lying position in the dark by fingerprint, code and key; remove the batteries and confirm the USB-C port opens it. |
| To measure | Record dark-room open time per method, failed fingerprint reads out of a set number of tries, whether USB-C power opens the lock, and the largest handgun the compartment accepts. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
HOLEWOR Drop-Down Biometric Safe FAQ
Does the HOLEWOR drop-down safe fit a full-size handgun?
The seller says it’s roomy enough for a large handgun, but no inside dimensions are listed and the box is only 3 inches deep outside. Measure your pistol with any light or optic on before you order.
Can it be opened if the batteries die?
Yes, two ways. The backup keys work without power, and the seller says an emergency USB-C input lets you open it with a finger or code. That port doesn’t charge the batteries, so keep a short cable and power bank handy and replace the AAAs on a schedule.
How is it mounted?
It’s a wall-mount design that can go on the left, right or top, and four screws are included. Use thick wood or solid framing, and check the instructions for the orientation you want before drilling.
How many fingerprints and codes can I store?
Up to 100 fingerprints and 10 passwords, according to the seller. Enroll your main finger a few times from the angles you’d really reach with to cut down on misreads.
Is the HOLEWOR drop-down safe fire rated?
No fire rating or certification appears in the listing, so don’t assume it has one. Keep papers you can’t replace in a separate rated container.
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.