Pacsafe Portable Travel Safe: Pacsafe Travelsafe Review

This blog post will review the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L portable travel safe we travel with and recommend to any other traveller looking for peace of mind and security in knowing your valuables are safe and secure.

If you are anything like us, when you travel you have certain valuables such as smartphones, a laptop, cameras, tablets, passports, and other items on you that would be devastating if you lost them or had them stolen. There are many times where you do not want to carry all of these items on your person, especially if you are out for the day sightseeing, having a swim at the beach, or heading out for dinner and some drinks.

How to keep valuables safe while traveling, especially as nomadic retirees, has always been a challenge….

We spent many hours researching this exact problem prior to starting our full time travels, and we found the solution – a portable travel safe.  

We decided on a Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L as it was large enough to hold our 15″ laptop plus additional valuables. Pacsafe is known for making quality anti-theft bags and accessories, and we can attest to this as we have several other smaller bags and retractable cable locks which we love. The Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L is perfect for travel as it weighs just 600 grams and when empty, it packs flat.

->CHECK PRICE OF THE PACSAFE TRAVELSAFE HERE<-

It is a drawstring type of bag with a stainless steel cable running through grommets at the top. You draw the cable to pull the top shut, secure with clasps and then run the cable around a fixed object such as the leg of a bed or closet rod and lock the clasps using the included TSA-approved combination lock or your own secure lock.

The Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L helps us feel secure in the knowledge that our valuables are locked away, regardless of what our accommodation or situation is. 

Why We Love (and Recommend) the Pacsafe Portable TravelSafe

• This portable travel safe has the best security features around. Additionally, 360-degree stainless steel wire mesh, cut-resistant poly canvas fabric protects against thieves, while a TSA-approved combination lock secures your valuables.
• At just 600 grams, this lightweight peace of mind is easy to take along. It’s collapsible for easy travel storage and has sturdy grab handles to make it perfect for travel scenarios like hotels, cruises and camping trips.
• This travel safe has a roomy 12L capacity. With room for at least two 15-inch laptops, phones, cameras and important documents you can be sure your priceless valuables are safe, organized and on the move.
• We love how the water-resistant fabric protects your belongings from rain and moisture. This portable, durable option makes it the ideal rugged indoor / outdoor safe, especially in climates where the weather may suddenly change.
• Using a portable travel safe encourages responsible travel habits, provides peace of mind by reducing theft risks, and suits various trip types, from leisure vacations, business travel to long term travel.
• For the utmost security, be sure to attach the safe to a stationary object when in use. Change your combination code regularly, and keep your combination stored in a discreet place to avoid drawing attention.

Factors to Consider When Purchasing the Best Portable Travel Safe for Your Needs

Depending on how you travel, types of accommodation you stay in, what items you want to keep secure, and your intended activities will determine what you should be looking for in a portable travel safe. When we were doing our research into portable travel safes on the market, these are some of the factors we took into consideration when weighing up the pros and cons of each:

Where Are You Planning on Using it?

Are you planning on using your portable travel safe when you are at the beach, out on a snorkelling trip, in a hostel, while sleeping during transit? Portable safes come in all different sizes, shapes, weights and levels of water-resistance.

If you plan on using the travel safe at the beach, then go for something with a high level of water-resistance, but if you intend to primarily use yours to keep your valuables safe in your hotel room, then you might want to pick a sturdy one with internal wire mesh infrastructure and a tough fabric covering.

We use ours for the latter, and this is why we chose the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe.

Items You Want to Keep Safe

Depending on the items you want to keep safe, you will need to choose a small or a large travel safe. It’s important to keep in mind that you have to stick to protecting just the essentials. Buy the size that allows you to fill your travel safe only with the items you really fear getting stolen.

• A 3L portable travel safe – keeps wallet, car keys, phone, passport, small camera, driver’s license secure at the beach, pool or gym.
• A 5L portable travel safe – keeps all of the above secure, plus will also fit an 11″ tablet.
• A 12L portable travel safe – holds 16” MacBook Pro, tablet, e-reader, camera, passport, cash, wallet and jewellery when you leave your room.

We have met many fellow travellers on the road that travel with two different size portable travel safes.

Transportability

A portable travel safe needs to have transportability as one of the main features. It needs to be not only lightweight, but easy to transport and fit into your suitcase or backpack i.e. fold, pack flat etc.

We looked for a portable travel safe that had carry handles to give an added layer of convenience, letting you easily grab it and carry it out the door. Whether you’re moving it between hotel rooms, transferring it onto a cruise ship, or taking it along on outdoor adventures, the handles make transportation effortless.

Anti-Theft Technology

For us, this was one of the most important factors we considered when choosing a portable travel safe. Your travel safe needs to be strong enough to provide full protection of your valuables from any kind of theft. There are many new technologies out there now to support anti-theft technology including:

• Cut Resistant Technology – offers added protection against scuffs, scrapes and even ‘cut and run’ attempts
• 360 eXomesh Locking System – Lockable lightweight mesh stainless steel cage helps protect against pickpockets and thieves
• eXomesh Slashguards – Stainless steel mesh barrier deters cut and run theft

Lock Type

Portable travel safes come with two lock types: a key lock or a combination lock. This will boil down to personal preference so choose what fits you best. We recommend combination locks as they are much safer and harder to crack, and you don’t have to worry about losing the key.

Water-Resistance

Where do you intend to use your portable travel safe? If you are planning on taking yours to the beach to keep your valuable safe, choose a water-proof or water-resistant travel safe to give extra protection to your belongings.

Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe Specifications

Model / Product Code

10480100

Material

750D Recycled polyester (main material)

Brushed polyester laminated with EVA (lining)

Dimensions

52 x 35 x 3 cm (20.5”H x 13.8”W x 1.2”D)

Weight

595 Grams (1 Lb 31 Oz)

Capacity / Volume

12 Litres

Colour

Black

Warranty

5-Year Pacsafe Warranty

Features of the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe

• 360° stainless steel wire eXomesh® technology is highly cut-resistant
• Stainless steel locking cable to anchor your things to any immovable object
• Can be locked securely with TSA (Travel Sentry Approved) accepted 3-dial combination lock
• Fits a 15″ laptop, MacBooks, phone, iPad, camera, mobile phone , ID, money, credit cards, jewellery, passport, DSLR and other valuables
• The mesh material, as well as the fabric the portable safe is made from, are hard, resistant, but still extremely lightweight
• A soft-lined inner sleeve for extra protection
• Water-resistant exterior to protect your personal items
• Made of durable and easy to clean Nylon to ensure long-lasting usage

Suppliers of the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe

• Amazon

Pros / Benefits of the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe

• Folds flat for easy packing, making it a perfect portable travel safe
• Extremely light weight (only 600g) so can be taken everywhere with you without having to worry about adding extra weight to your baggage
• The stainless steel locking cable allows you to anchor your things to any immovable object (i.e. bed frame, piece of furniture, sunbed, fence, pole, bench, tree, spare tyre in the trunk of a car, plumbing in bathroom, etc.), keeping your laptop, passport and more protected, while you’re out embracing life’s adventures
• The locking cable is long enough to attach it to almost anything
• Peace of mind that your valuables are safe, no matter where they are
• Spacious so can fit a 15” laptop, as well as additional valuables
• TSA approved lock

Cons of the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe

• When we are on the road travelling fulltime, we love the fact it is quite spacious, but for a weekend or week long holiday, we have found it a little too big as we then don’t travel with our laptop. A solution to this problem would be to buy the Pacsafe Travelsafe 5L version. It has all the same fantastic features as the 12L version and its dimensions are ideal for a tablet, mobile phones, passports, and a small camera.

• If you think the 12L is going to be too small for your requirements, you could then upgrade to the Pacsafe Travelsafe X15. This portable travel safe is a bit larger than the 12L version coming in at 7 x 13 x 15 inches, so it is big enough to fit a 15” laptop, as well as a tablet.

• Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L is water-resistant, not waterproof, so we do not recommend you put this to the test as we have read reviews where people have reported that they have found some tiny holes through which water could flow in.

• If a would-be thief really wants to steal your valuables, I believe they will. However, we travel with the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L with the expectation it will act as a deterrent to any thief who has limited time and tools

FAQs – Portable Travel Safe

Now that you have read why we love travelling with our Pacsafe TravelSafe, you might still have a few questions. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions about portable travel safes.

In Summary: Do We Recommend the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L Anti-Theft Portable Travel Safe?

Which portable travel safe you buy and use depends on what you want to use it for.  If you are wanting to buy the best all round portable travel safe, then we highly recommend the Pacsafe Travelsafe 12L which are available for purchase through Amazon.

Overall, we have been extremely happy with this purchase. It has been used on almost a daily basis since January 2018 and it shows little to any signs of wear and tear. This portable travel safe has many more years left in it yet.

Do you have any questions, or have we missed anything we should add to this post? Feel free to contact us on Facebook or via email and let us know.

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