What Frank Latella tested
This is a 12-minute review of the Boosted Safe Elite by Frank Latella, a gun shop owner and firearms instructor, on his Self-Protection Network YouTube channel, posted Aug 9, 2025.
Video by Frank Latella's Self-Protection Network, on YouTube. He says the company gave him a discount on the unit for the review, and he shares a viewer code. Words below are ours, not theirs.
He starts from a question customers bring to his shop: where does the gun go when you have to leave the car and cannot take it inside. He says most of what he found while researching looked like a gimmick. Firearms are stored unloaded, and he treats this as storage for the times you step away from the car.
He reviews it as a buyer would, opening it for the first time on camera and reading the manual afterward. That shows. He guesses at the cable's purpose before checking, and he works out the setup step by step. What surprises him most is the volume. After trying a revolver, he packs two handguns, spare magazines and a knife, and says a laptop, phone and wallet have room too. Those are his items, so measure yours against the interior.
The car test is simple. He latches it to the LATCH anchors (called ISOFIX outside the US) in his Subaru, shoves it back and forth, then braces and pulls with his legs. It stays on. This is a hand test by one person, with no tools, and he also cites a company video of someone stronger trying. Under the cover, he says, "it actually blends in pretty well".
He has little to complain about, and he is clear this is his first time using it. You will not get long-term wear here.
A few things to set straight. The anchors are welded to the car's body. The fit rule he gives needs its limits: US passenger vehicles from model year 2003, with exceptions such as heavy trucks. He jokes about using it as a booster seat, but the Elite is a safe and not a child seat. The prices and code date from 2025, so compare the models for today's figures. The Basic opens with a code and a key.
What to watch for
- 1:05. The customer question that prompted the review.
- 4:16. The first look at how much space there is.
- 6:53. Programming a fingerprint from the button inside.
- 8:53. The pull test, by hand and by leg.
- 9:39. The full load, and his point about everyday items.
The Boosted Safe Elite in his Subaru
The Boosted Safe Elite is 16-gauge steel and opens by fingerprint, keypad or key. The release is inside the safe. It comes off the anchors only after it has been opened. With enough time and tools nothing is secure. The job is to raise the time and the tool count.
The Elite in this video is a theft safe in 16-gauge steel. If firearms are the main job, the Golden Gate Elite is the model certified for firearms, in 12-gauge steel, on pre-order. Shipping: November.
You can check your vehicle, see every car gun safe or read the reviews. For the question he opens with, see where to put your gun before a gun-free zone. For the claims about pulling, see the pull test and do car gun safes stop thieves.
