"Is it worth buying a biometric lock?"

Once you figure out the safe you're going to buy, you'll need to decide what type of lock you want. The usual choices are a mechanical (spin dial) lock, or an electronic lock with a push button keypad. But what about one with a fingerprint option? Biometric locks have been gaining popularity with a lot of people in home security, and a gun safe is no exception. If you're considering this type of lock, here are the pros and cons they bring to the table.

The term biometric refers to using a physical characteristic to identify a person. Biometric scanning has been around for quite awhile. It can mean it scans either the fingerprint, the hand, the eye or even the whole face. We used to only see it in spy movies, but now it's commonplace on IPhones. The most common available biometric lock on gun safes by far are for fingerprints.

Pros

• The great thing about a biometric lock is, your fingerprint can't be stolen like an electronic lock code.

• The technology has come a long way. Like electronic locks in general, biometric locks have come to a place of dependable and reliable functionality. That means its dependable each time. There are some things that can affect how the fingerprint is read, but that has to do with the way the tech works, not whether it functions properly or not. We'll talk about that in the cons section.

• They're fast, and don't take a lot of thought to operate. If you're waking up immediately out of a dead sleep, you might not be in the frame of mind to press a 6 digit code effectively. The great thing about a biometric lock is, you just touch the scanner pad and the scanner does the rest.

• They can hold a lot of fingerprints, usually starting at 15 minimum and going up to 30. This is so you can register different fingers in case something happens to your most used one.

• They almost always have a keypad function as well. This gives you a choice of which way you want to open the safe, but the main benefit is if one option has any issues, you can always use the other.

Cons

• Quality brands make a difference. This applies to all electronic locks, but it really matters with biometrics. It's always a good thing to check online reviews of the lock you're considering. Pay attention to those that have bought the lock more than a professional reviewer or a company.

• Cuts and abrasions can affect the scan. Abrupt changes to the fingerprint, like a cut, can keep the scanner from reading your print.

• Smooth prints can be hard to read. If your fingerprint doesn't have a lot of definition, it can be hard for a scanner to read it. There are two main reasons for this. First, the person works a lot with their hands and the prints have worn away or become very fine. Second, sometimes elderly folks have very fine prints that the scanner won't read.

• Moisture can be a problem for the scanner. Moisture can change the prints by saturating the skin, like wrinkly fingers from staying in the tub too long. It doesn't take that level of saturation, but that should give your an idea of what we mean.

Biometric locks have come a long way and are a great option. Being aware of what they are capable of and not capable of can help you decide whether its worth investing in.