AllOutdoor Review: Vaultek LifePod – A Worthy Pistol Lockbox?
Travis Olander 10.23.23
Vaultek’s been making safes for quite some time. Most of their safes are designed to be portable and waterproof, focusing on providing a bit of traveling, all-weather security for firearms, photography equipment, tactical kit, and the like. The LifePod – now updated with a more spacious 2.0 version – serves as one of their smallest lockboxes. I bought one to keep curious hands away from a nightstand gun, and I wound up using it to transport my pistol to and from the range. Here’s a quick review of the Vaultek LifePod.
Vault & Safe Coverage on AllOutdoor
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- Steelhead Outdoors Unveils NEW Rustic Nomad 32 and Recon 32 Safes
- SecureIt “Beyond the Gun” Safe Training Course: Bringing Guns Full Circle
- Grey Man Tactical – New Gun Safe Organizer & Vehicle Locking Rifle Rack
Vaultek LifePod – Specifications
- Weight: 3.25 lbs
- Exterior Dimensions: 10.25″ x 7″ x 2.25″
- Interior Dimensions: 7.75″ x 6″ x 1.75″
- Locking mechanism: Electronic latch w/ keypad, backup keys, & biometric fingerprint scanner
- Passcode: 4 to 8 digits
- Biometrics: Stores up to 20 fingerprints/users
- Power: 9v Battery (sold separate)
- Battery Life: ~1 Year
- TSA Approved? Yes
Vaultek LifePod – Features
- IP67 Waterproof (submersible, floats)
- Advertised “anti-impact” lock mechanism
- Rubber gasket lid with compression latches
- Includes steel cable w/ anchor for theft prevention
- Rubberized exterior for wet grip and impact protection
- USB port for power-on w/ dead battery (not rechargeable)
- Canvas mesh and pockets for storing credit cards, IDs, papers
Vaultek LifePod – Review
The Vaultek LifePod is, at glance, an assuming little box. Nothing obvious gives up the fact it’s intended primarily for carrying firearms. Initial impression of the build quality’s favorable. It feels stout and solid when locked up. The latches and lids are metal, encased in a rubbery shell with polymer edges. The keypad is haptic, so there aren’t any tactile buttons to click – something I’d normally not like if I’m in a hurry. But the keypad’s responsive and it lights up, so accessing it in the dark is no trouble.
The weakest points on any portable lockbox are the lid and hinges. The tolerances between the lid and bottom are tight, so it’s not easy to get good leverage for prying. I’m certain that, with some patience and tools, you could wind up wiggling a pry tool of some sort in there — but this isn’t designed to be a completely attack-proof gun safe. It is, after all, just a lockbox.
The hinges and lid are built well, though. The hinge pin is stainless steel, encased in the polymer shell that makes up the rest of the exterior. The pin can’t be seen, but it seems robust, and relatively thick. I can’t easily warp or bend the lid nor hinges when it’s open.
Opposite the hinges are your back-up options: USB power for using the keypad with a dead battery, and a conventional tumbler lock with backup keys to pop the latch if you forget the passcode (or have no USB cable). These are nice-to-haves; I tend to avoid electronic safety devices and safes that don’t provide some sort of manual access.
Of course, LifePod apparently understands some folks are paranoid, and prefer not having any sort of manual access. So, you can disable the tumbler and prevent the backup from working altogether – if you really think someone’s going to take the time to pick your lockbox open.
Inside is the programming button which is an easy affair: Press and hold, watch for the keypad to flash and indicate it’s ready for setup, and enter your new passcode. You’ll have to repeat the press-hold-enter process a few times, but instructions are included. Then test your code out to ensure it’s saved. The program button works the same for entering your fingerprint, too. All told, it only took me 60 seconds, or so, to program my unit out of the box.
Power’s supplied by a 9v battery with the typical clip-on terminal hook-ups stowed behind a plastic door next to the program button and key lock. Be careful when hooking your battery up, though; I found the wires to be a bit short.
The battery should last a full year with typical use – opening and closing the box once or twice a day – and I’m happy to say that estimation is quite accurate. My battery lasted nearly about 12 months, though I didn’t open my box every day. I imagine with more frequent use, you should expect about 9 months of reliable power with a decent brand battery.
The compression latches do a great job securing the lids, making the LifePod properly waterproof. I did, indeed, test its advertised rating and found it watertight when submerged in at least a foot of standing water.
The LifePod is quite bouyant, even with a handgun and spare magazine loaded inside. The compression latches are made from aluminum and stainless steel. They provide solid lock-up and don’t feel flimsy.
Arguably the most important security on the LifePod, the buckle for the locking mechanism is quite stout. It’s also made from stainless, measuring about 0.25″ thick with a large metal base bolted down by four screws. You can also spy the inner composite lip that clamps against the waterproof gasket.
This lip is also made to mitigate prying. But with a flathead and some wailing on a hammer, you could probably work your way inside even still. But the lock and buckle are robust, and appear ready to put up a bit of a fight if anyone decides to try to attack your case and force and entry in a hurry.
For a bit of extra theft prevention, the LifePod’s fitted with a steel-reinforced anchor on the corner of the box, next to the lid. It’s here the flared, metal base of the security cable fits. The other end of the cable is an open loop that can be locked and fastened to anywhere you’d like. Sort of like a bike lock.
And finally, storage: The Lifepod easily accommodates most GLOCKs. It stows a G43X with a spare magazine, and a fair bit of room to spare. The base interior is cushioned with square pluck foam, allowing you to size up the interior for whatever gun or small gear you’d like to keep.
The 1.0 iteration of the LifePod does not fit full-size handguns, like a typical Government-profile 1911. But the 2.0 LifePod is just large enough to accommodate this pistol and a spare 7- or 8-round magazine. Unfortunately, you have to give up the biometric fingerprint entry function if you want the larger storage capacity found in the 2.0. The 2nd gen lockbox also comes with egg crate foam instead of pluck foam, so you lose a bit of that customization for a snug fit.
The lid provides some extra storage for flats, like IDs, passports, and paperwork, made from wallet-style ripstop fabric with a mesh liner also provided for pens and small bits.
Loaded up and stored away, the LifePod’s unassuming. It doesn’t scream “gun lockbox” or really even resemble a typical portable safe. It looks like some odd piece of lifestyle tech, which is a good thing. It’s not terribly bulky relative to its storage capacity, and it fits neatly in any drawer or nightstand. I always tuck mine under my driver’s seat when I’m traveling with it – something you can’t do with most gun cases.
Given its small size, I wouldn’t necessarily check the LifePod as its own luggage when flying – it stands a chance of getting lost in the maze of baggage at any airport. I’d store it in a larger checked bag or case holding other firearms and gear. If you’re looking for a waterproof, travel-friendly, relatively secure pistol lockbox, the Vaultek LifePod’s a great choice that has served me well for over a year. You can find the smaller verison with biometrics here, or the 2.0 version with more storage capacity here.
