What SoCal Defense tested
This is a 25-minute hands-on review of the Boosted Safe Elite by SoCal Defense, a YouTube channel, posted Jun 27, 2026 after about a week of ownership.
Video by SoCal Defense, on YouTube. Bought it himself. Not sponsored. Words below are ours, not theirs.
He made the video because earlier reviews left his questions open, so it stays on the details. He wanted somewhere for a firearm on the days the law keeps him from carrying it inside, and he did not want a cable or any change to his car. That is what pointed him to the LATCH anchors (called ISOFIX outside the US), the bars in the seat crease that hold a child seat. Firearms are stored unloaded.
The cover gets more of his time than anything else. Photos he had seen showed the metal box exposed along the side. His unit arrived with a fitted side panel that hides it, and he says he would have returned the safe without one: "This flap is essential." The catch is that a fitted cover takes some fiddling before you get to the keypad.
He rates the build well. The steel did not flex, the stitching held up, and after a week the safe sat still in his car.
His complaints are specific. Getting the hooks onto his hidden anchors was the hardest step of the whole setup. The lid opens to a fixed angle, which can get in the way under low headroom. The pluck foam works but is not the best he has used. He has also heard that exposed anchors may allow some movement, though that was not his situation. And he plans to add a tracker, in case the safe ever leaves the car. He stops short of any attack test.
A few details need updating. The prices and the promotion he mentions are from June, so compare the models for today's figures. The anchors are welded to the car's body. He remarks in passing about a child sitting on it, but the Elite is a safe and not a child seat. The range today is three families, each as an Elite or a Basic.
What to watch for
- 3:20. The side panel on the cover, and why it decided the purchase for him.
- 7:05. How the keypad is laid out, how it times out, and the low alarm after repeated tries.
- 11:48. The setup button hidden under a rubber plug, used for the code and for fingerprints.
- 14:49. A 16-inch MacBook Pro going in, and how much room is left.
- 23:35. The real effort of latching onto hidden anchors, and how still it sits once on.
The Boosted Safe Elite in his car
The Boosted Safe Elite opens by fingerprint, keypad or key. It fits a 16-inch MacBook Pro, which matches his test. 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.
The anchors come in US passenger vehicles from model year 2003, with exceptions such as heavy trucks, so check your vehicle first. You can see every car gun safe or read the reviews from other owners. For the mount, start with what ISOFIX is and anchors vs a security cable.
