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.
Every permit class spends a good while on vehicles, and that’s where the questions stack up. What do I do with my pistol when I have to go somewhere I can’t carry it? Loose in the glovebox or shoved under the seat is the wrong answer. A small steel box cabled to the seat frame is a better one, and the Younion Portable Pistol Safe is about as plain as those boxes come.
My verdict: it’s a cheap, battery-free steel box with a key lock and a cable, sized for one compact pistol. It’s a travel and vehicle box, not a bedside quick-access safe, and it does that smaller job fine if you keep control of the keys.
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
Younion Portable Pistol Safe – Best Keyed Travel Pistol Safe Under $50
HIGHLIGHT:
A steel lockbox the seller rates at 16 gauge, with a key lock, a steel cable and no batteries to go dead.
OUT OF THE BOX:
Younion lists keys and a steel cable with the box, and the seller says you get two keys. In the photos you can see a small bag of parts sitting on the foam of an open box, and the printed instruction sheet with the keys standing in the lock above it. The sheet has a section on securing the safe, with a drawing of the box on its cable.
One oddity on the listing: the capacity row reads 3.3 pounds. That’s a weight, not a size, so don’t read anything into it about what fits.
LID & KEY LOCK:
The outside is plain: a flat black lid with rounded corners and a round key lock near one end. One photo shows the Younion name and logo printed on the lid above the lock, and another shows the key standing in the lock.
Access is by key and nothing else. The seller says it opens quickly, but a key will never be as fast as a keypad or an RFID tag when the room is dark and your hands are shaking. For a box under a car seat or in a hotel room, that trade is fine. For the nightstand, I’d look at something faster.
The upside of a key lock is that it does the same thing every time. There’s no battery to die, no keypad to misread and nothing to program.
KEYS:
With no keypad or reader, the key is the whole security plan. The close-up shows the round lock with a number stamped on its face and two keys beside it.
I tell every class the same thing: a key left with the box turns a safe into a lunch pail. Keep one key on your ring and the other locked up somewhere apart from the box. Never in the glovebox, never taped to the lid, never where a child can find it. If you lose both, contact Younion about your options rather than prying on the lid.
A cheap key lock can be picked by somebody who knows how, and the listing doesn’t describe any anti-pick feature. Think of this as a way to stop casual hands, not a skilled thief.
INSIDE ROOM:
Younion gives the outside at 9.69 inches deep, 6.5 inches wide and 1.81 inches tall, and no inside numbers. With an outside length under ten inches, this is a box for compacts and subcompacts, not a full-size pistol with a long slide. In the photos you can see a compact pistol with a spare magazine lying in the foam, and another compact laid in on its side.
A weapon light or a red dot adds height, and at 1.81 inches outside there isn’t much to give. Measure your gun the way you’ll store it and compare. The seller also suggests cash, medicine, passports and jewelry, but with a pistol in there, room for much else is tight.
FOAM:
The seller lists four layers of protective foam and says the pads come out to make more room. In the photos you can see the empty box open with foam in both the lid and the base.
Leave the layers in for a snug fit around a small pistol, or pull some out for a thicker gun. I’d keep at least one layer under it so the finish isn’t riding on bare steel. In a moving vehicle, a gun that can’t slide around is a gun that isn’t getting knocked about.
BUILD & STEEL:
The seller calls the housing heavy duty 16 gauge steel, and the spec sheet says alloy steel at 2.6 pounds. Sixteen gauge is thinner than the 14 gauge some other boxes cite, which is about what you’d expect at this size and price. The listing gives no lid or hinge details and claims no pry-resistance standard, fire rating or child-resistance certification, so I won’t claim any either.
In the photos you can see the latch hook at the edge of the foam-lined opening, and the plain side of the box with two small holes in opposite corners. The listing doesn’t mention mounting holes, so I won’t guess what those are for.
The seller also mentions a 24-hour support line and 12 months of replacement parts. Read the exact wording on the listing before you count on either.
CABLE & MOUNTING:
The mounting type is freestanding, so the steel cable is how you hold it in place. Under a car seat is the example the seller gives. Loop the cable around the seat frame or another fixed point, and keep the box clear of the pedals and the seat rails. Don’t leave it baking in a hot vehicle for long stretches.
As an old lawman, my first thought about any gun left in a car is the fellow who breaks a window and grabs what he can in under a minute. A box cabled to the seat frame makes him work for it. The cable can be cut with the right tool, but most smash-and-grab thieves aren’t carrying one.
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. When you travel, check the rules for every state you’ll cross or stay in, and your carrier’s policy if you’re flying.
NO BATTERIES:
There’s no power requirement at all. No battery to replace, no charging port, no emergency USB plan. For a box that may sit in a car through summer heat and winter cold, that counts for something. The trade is that you give up every convenience: no keypad, no silent mode, no backlight, no interior light.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY:
Where it earns its keep: Works well for portable or car use, fits discreetly under a seat with the included security cable, is sturdy enough to deter children and casual theft, and is a solid budget option for a compact pistol in a vehicle.
Where it falls short: It is a tight fit for a pistol with an optic or anything larger than compact, the included cable is thin enough to cut easily, and the hinge can be defeated with basic tools by someone determined.
Who it’s for: Anyone wanting an affordable, portable lockbox to keep a compact pistol out of a child’s or opportunistic thief’s reach while traveling; skip it if you need true pry resistance or a snug fit for a full-size pistol with an optic.
WHAT TO WATCH:
Key-only access is slow, and a lost key means no way in. The listing gives no inside measurements and no security or fire rating. Know your gun’s size and where both keys are before you rely on it.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT:
Buy it for under-seat, hotel-room or suitcase storage when simple and cheap matter most. At the time of writing it sat in the under $50 range. Skip it if you want fast bedside access, a keypad or fingerprint reader, or if keys tend to wander off in your house.
SPECS AT A GLANCE:
| Spec | What Younion lists |
|---|---|
| Outside size | 9.69″ deep x 6.5″ wide x 1.81″ high (no interior size listed) |
| Weight | 2.6 lb |
| Body | Alloy steel; seller cites a 16 gauge housing |
| Lock | Key lock (two keys, per the seller) |
| Mounting | Freestanding, steel cable included |
| Lining | Four-layer protective foam, removable |
| Capacity row | Listed as 3.3 pounds (unclear) |
| Power | None |
PROS & CONS:
Pros
- No batteries, charging or electronics to maintain
- 16 gauge steel housing, per the seller
- Steel cable and two keys included
- Removable foam layers to fit the gun
Cons
- Key-only access is slower than a keypad, RFID or fingerprint box
- No inside measurements listed
- No fire, pry or child-resistance rating listed
$22.89 & FREE Returns on Amazon (as of Oct 31, 2026, 12:05 AM EDT – details)
Setting up the truck? See my best car gun safes 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 | Younion Portable Pistol Safe |
| Protocol (plan) | Cable it to a seat frame, open and close it with the key repeatedly, and check the fit of a compact pistol. |
| To measure | Record open time with the key, the cable length and attachment points, and the largest pistol that fits. |
| What failed or disappointed | |
| Photos from the tester | Our community |
Younion Portable Pistol Safe FAQ
What size handgun fits the Younion Portable Pistol Safe?
Younion lists the outside at about 9.69 by 6.5 by 1.81 inches and gives no inside size. It suits compact and subcompact pistols. Pull foam layers for more room, and measure your gun before you order.
Does the Younion pistol safe use batteries?
No. It’s a keyed box with two keys, so there’s nothing to charge or replace. The trade is slower access than an electronic box, and a lost key means a locked box.
How do I secure the Younion safe in a car?
It’s freestanding and comes with a steel cable. Loop the cable around the seat frame or another fixed point, keep the box clear of the pedals, and check your state’s rules for a gun in a vehicle.
Is the Younion pistol safe fire rated?
No fire rating is listed, so don’t assume one. Keep papers you can’t replace in a separate rated container.
Can I remove the foam?
Yes. The seller says the four-layer foam pads can be taken out to make more room. Keep at least one layer under the gun to protect the finish.
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.