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.
Look at most nightstands and you’ll find the same pile: an alarm clock, a phone charger with its cord tangled behind the lamp, and sometimes a pistol in the drawer with nothing locking it. When a student describes that setup to me, I tell them they’ve got three gadgets and no safe.
The Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe tries to fold all of that into one box. Mboko sells it as a handgun safe with a fingerprint reader, a silent touch keypad and a backup key, plus a digital clock and a wireless phone charger on top.
My verdict: a tidy bedside box if you have an outlet by the bed and a handgun short enough to fit. It’s a poor pick for travel, or for anyone who wants a simple box with no electronics.
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
Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe – Best Biometric Nightstand Safe With A Clock And Charger
HIGHLIGHT:
Fingerprint, silent touch keypad and key access, in a bedside box that also works as a clock and a phone charger.
OUT OF THE BOX:
Mboko lists an adapter, a four-piece expansion screw kit, four non-slip rubber feet, a security cable, a manual and two keys in the package. In the photos you can see the Mboko Smart Safe retail box with the accessories still bagged inside the open drawer.
Lay everything out and count it before you do anything else. Then decide right there where each of those two keys is going to live. More on that below.
FINGERPRINT READER & KEYPAD:
Everything you touch is on the top. The close-up shows the round wireless charging pad, and under it a row of touch keys numbered 1 through 4 with a square pad in the middle, all lit blue.
Mboko says the scanner responds in up to 500 milliseconds and stores 30 fingerprints. It also publishes its own false-acceptance and false-rejection targets. Those are the maker’s numbers, not anybody else’s. I teach the same trick for every biometric safe: enroll the same finger several times at different angles, flat, tipped up and rolled a little to each side. Half asleep, your hand doesn’t land the way it did at the kitchen table when you set the thing up. Thirty slots gives you room to do that and still enroll the other adult in the house.
The keypad is listed as a silent touchscreen that takes a 4 to 8 digit code, and Mboko says pressing 1 turns the sound off. In a bedroom that matters. You don’t want the whole house hearing every time you open the gun box. With only four number keys in the photos, your code gets built from those four, so make it longer than four digits and don’t make it 1-2-3-4.
A touch panel can act different from real buttons with damp fingers, so read recent buyer comments on that before you order.
CLOCK & DISPLAY:
The front of the box carries a large LED display. Mboko lists a 12-hour clock, temperature and humidity readouts, and five brightness levels. The close-up shows the time, the temperature, the humidity and a battery-level icon across the screen.
Five brightness levels is a good thing. A bright screen a foot from your pillow gets old fast. I’d also keep in mind the humidity reading is information, not protection. It’ll tell you the room is damp. It won’t do anything about it.
WIRELESS CHARGER:
The round pad on the lid is a wireless charger for a compatible phone. Mboko says to line the center of the phone up with the center of the pad, and notes a thick case or a metal back can cut down how well it works. The listing calls it a 2-in-1 charging station, but the spec sheet says the watch data cable isn’t included, so a smartwatch may need an extra purchase.
From the photos, the gun comes out of a drawer in the front, so a phone on the pad shouldn’t have to move when you open the box. That’s the right way to build a safe that doubles as a phone stand. And keep that phone by the bed. If something goes bump at night, the first thing I want a student to do is call 911.
BACKUP KEY & POWER:
Mboko says the clock and display run continuously when the adapter is plugged in, and the wireless charger needs it too. The screen also shows battery level, so there’s some internal supply for when it’s unplugged, but the listing doesn’t say what type it is or how long it lasts. Read the manual to learn which features still work when the power goes out, and put a reminder on your phone to check it on the first of every month.
That’s why the key matters more on this box than on some. I tell every class the same thing: the backup key does not live on the nightstand, in the drawer under it, or anywhere a child can find it. Keep one on your key ring and one in a second locked spot. A safe with the key sitting next to it is just a clock with a drawer.
DRAWER & LIGHT:
In the photos you can see the front section slide out like a drawer from under the top panel, with the clock display riding on the drawer front. Mboko lists a built-in LED light, and the photos show the inside lit up with the drawer open, once in blue and once in white.
A drawer that comes toward you needs room to do it. Leave clear space in front of the box on your nightstand, and don’t park a water glass where the drawer will hit it.
INSIDE ROOM:
Mboko lists the box at 12.72 inches deep, 9.45 inches wide and 3.35 inches high, with 0.23 cubic feet of space. Depth is generous for most handguns laid flat. Height is the limit. Inside room is less than that 3.35 inches, so a pistol with a tall optic, a weapon light or an extended magazine may not clear. Measure your gun at its tallest point and check before you buy.
The close-up shows a foam floor in the drawer, and another shot shows the drawer open with items inside under the light. The description mentions soft pads and magnetic positioning but doesn’t explain how either works. The seller also lists jewelry and car use. With an adapter feeding the clock and charger, I see it as a bedside box first.
BUILD & MOUNTING:
Mboko lists alloy steel and an alarm system. No steel gauge, no description of the locking bolts and no security or fire rating is given, so I won’t pretend this is a vault. It keeps kids and curious hands out and slows down a smash-and-grab. At 11.9 pounds it’s heavier than a lot of small boxes, but as an old lawman my first thought is still that a burglar can tuck it under his arm.
It’s listed as a floor-mount safe with the screw kit, the rubber feet and a security cable. Screw it down or loop the cable around something solid like a bed frame. The rubber feet keep it from scratching a nightstand, but a loose box is an easy target. In the photos you can see it on a nightstand beside a bed and on top of a dresser, which is about where most folks will put it, within reach of an outlet.
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 Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe feels heftier and nicer than its price suggests, with heavy solid steel, a silent keypad, and a nightstand display showing clock, temperature and humidity with adjustable brightness.
Where it falls short: The fingerprint scanner can be touchy and slow to register, so the PIN works better as the primary method. The front display or LED light sometimes stops working, and the latch can break after months of use.
Who it’s for: A solid-feeling bedside safe with a useful clock and temperature display, for someone who will set a PIN as backup rather than rely on the fingerprint scanner from day one.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Three things. The 3.35-inch height will turn away some guns with optics or lights. The clock and charger need the adapter, so the box has to sit near an outlet. And the battery type and runtime aren’t listed. No fire rating is listed either, so don’t keep papers in it expecting them to come through a fire.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it if you want one device on the nightstand instead of three, you have an outlet by the bed, and your handgun fits under 3.35 inches. At the time of writing it sat in the $100 to $200 range. Skip it if you want a box to toss in a car or a suitcase, a simple box with no electronics, or a rated safe. Look at a mechanical or travel-style box for that.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Mboko lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 12.72″ deep x 9.45″ wide x 3.35″ high |
| Capacity | 0.23 cubic feet |
| Ways in | Fingerprint (30 prints), silent touch keypad (4-8 digits), 2 keys |
| Body | Alloy steel (no gauge listed) |
| Weight | 11.9 lb |
| Mounting | Floor mount; 4 expansion screws, 4 rubber feet, security cable |
| Extras | 12-hour clock, temperature and humidity display, wireless charging, 5 brightness levels, LED light |
| Power | Adapter included; internal battery type not listed |
| Not listed | Fire rating, watch charging cable |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- Three ways in: fingerprint, silent keypad and key
- Clock with five brightness levels and temperature and humidity readouts
- Wireless charging pad for a compatible phone
- Cable, screws and rubber feet included
Cons
- 3.35 inches high outside, so tall pistols may not fit
- Clock and charger need the adapter and an outlet
- Battery type, runtime and fire rating not listed
$119.99 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Rather have a box that doesn’t need an outlet? Read my StopBox USA 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 | Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Set the safe on the nightstand with the charger in use and open it by fingerprint, silent keypad and key in the dark; cut mains power to confirm battery and key behavior; measure what fits. |
| To measure | Record open time by method, keypad noise, fingerprint failure rate and behavior during a power cut. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe FAQ
Will my handgun fit in the Mboko Bedside Biometric Safe?
Mboko lists 12.72 inches deep, 9.45 inches wide and 3.35 inches high. Depth suits most handguns laid flat, but height is tight. Measure your gun at its tallest point, optic and light included, before you buy.
Does the Mboko safe need to be plugged in?
The seller says the clock and display run continuously on the adapter, and the wireless charger needs it too. The internal battery type and runtime aren’t listed, so check the manual for what works without power.
How is the Mboko safe mounted?
It’s listed as a floor mount, with four expansion screws, four rubber feet and a security cable in the box. Screw it down or cable it to something solid, within reach of an outlet.
What if the fingerprint reader doesn’t read my finger?
Use the silent keypad with your 4 to 8 digit code, or one of the two keys. Keep the keys away from the nightstand and out of children’s reach, and practice each way in.
Can it charge a smartwatch?
The listing calls it a 2-in-1 charging station, but the spec sheet says the watch data cable isn’t included. Check the Amazon page against your watch model before you count on it.
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.