There are a few things to look for when choosing a laptop safe. First, make sure the laptop safe is large enough to accommodate both the length and depth of your laptop. When doing this, it is important to consider the door clearance of the safe and how this compares to the measured width of your laptop. If the door clearance is not specified, it is usually a good idea to allow for it by making sure the inside width of the laptop safe is at least 2 inches wider than your laptop. Second, consider how the safe will be anchored to a fixed object at the installation location. In a security sense, the best way to secure a laptop safe to a fixed object is to bolt the safe to a concrete floor. If this is not possible, the safe may be bolted to a wood floor, to a wall, or tethered to a fixed object via a security cable. Security cables are the least secure option, but may be the only option when floor or wall anchoring options are not possible. Third, make sure the laptop safe comes with a mechanical override key. If the combination to the safe is forgotten, or if the batteries or electronics fail, the mechanical override key may be the only way to open the safe.

Some laptop safes are lined with fire-retardant material to protect your laptop from fire damage as well as theft. While somewhat more expensive, the extra cost of a fire resistant laptop safe will provide you with peace of mind knowing that your laptop safe will provide protection from fire damage. Finally, some laptop safe models come with an electrical access hole located at the rear of the safe.  This access hole is useful for charging your laptop and other electronic devices while they are safely secured inside the laptop. It should be noted that these models do provide a means of ventilating heat generated by laptops. For this reason, your laptop should be turned off when it is being charged inside the laptop safe.