Boosted Safe vs Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe · checked Oct 23, 2026
Boosted Safe vs Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe: a wedge, or the anchors.
Hornady’s RAPiD Vehicle Safe sits on a mounting plate wedged into a seat gap by an air bladder, with a security cable around the seat frame. Boosted Safe clips to the LATCH anchors (called ISOFIX outside the US), the steel bars welded to the car’s body to hold a child seat. Here is the rest, from Hornady’s own manual.
The RAPiD Vehicle Safe next to ours.
Hornady’s website no longer lists a vehicle safe (checked Oct 23, 2026). The figures below are from Hornady’s owner’s manual for item 98210, which is still on California’s roster.
| Spec | Boosted Safe Elite | Golden Gate Elite | Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it stays in the car | Clips to the LATCH anchors welded to the vehicle’s body. The release is inside the safe. | Clips to the LATCH anchors welded to the vehicle’s body. The release is inside the safe. | A mounting plate wedged between the seat and console (or two seats) by an inflatable air bladder, plus a security cable around the seat frame. |
| Changes to the car | None. No tools, no drilling. | None. No tools, no drilling. | None, per Hornady’s manual |
| Body | 16-gauge steel | 12-gauge steel | Not published by HornadyRetailers list 14-gauge steel (unverified) |
| Inside (L × W × H) | 15.1 × 13.6 × 4.25 in14.3 L | 15.1 × 13.6 × 4.25 in14.3 L | 7.5 × 5.6 × 1.7 in1.2 L. Outside: 12.0 × 6.4 × 2.2 in |
| What it holds | Handguns (unloaded), a 16-inch MacBook Pro, gear | Handguns (unloaded), credentials, gear | One handgun that fits 7.5 × 5.6 × 1.7 in |
| Opens with | Fingerprint, keypad, backup key | Fingerprint, keypad, backup key | RFID tag (watch band, key fob or decal), keypad, key |
| Power | 4 AA, USB-C emergency power | 4 AA, USB-C emergency power | 12V car adapter (included) or 4 AAA batteries |
| Weight | 15.4 lb | 37.4 lb | Not published by Hornady |
| Looks like | A child’s booster seat | A child’s booster seat | A black box by the seat |
| California DOJ roster | Not listed | Listed: certified for firearms | Listed (98210) |
| Warranty | Lifetime, plus break-in replacement | Lifetime, plus break-in replacement | One year, per the manual |
| Price on Oct 23, 2026 | $399 today | $499 todayPre-order | Not on hornady.comRetailer prices vary |
| Source | Elite | Golden Gate Elite | Hornady owner’s manual, CA DOJ listing |
Hornady figures are from Hornady’s owner’s manual for the RAPiD Vehicle Safe (item 98210, dated June 2021), on Hornady’s own server. Hornady does not publish its steel gauge or weight there; the retailer figure is shown as unverified. California listings are from the California DOJ roster, checked October 23, 2026. Our prices are today’s live prices.
Fair is fair
Where the Hornady is the better buy.
If one of these is the job, buy the Hornady. We would rather you owned the right safe.
- It opens with a tag.Hornady’s RFID opens it with a watch band, key fob or decal, as well as a code or key.
- It needs no anchors.Hornady says its plate fits nearly any seat gap, front or side. Ours needs LATCH anchors.
- It sits up front.It wedges in beside a front seat. Ours takes a spot on the back seat.
- It runs on the car.It plugs into 12V power, with AAA batteries as backup.
Where we win
Where Boosted Safe is the better buy.
If the safe stays in the car while you don’t, these matter more.
- Anchors, not a wedge.Steel latches clip to the LATCH anchors welded to the car’s body, and the release is inside the safe. The RAPiD is held by a wedged plate and a cable.
- Twelve times the room.14.3 L inside against 1.2 L, by Hornady’s published interior. A 16-inch MacBook Pro fits ours.
- Thieves see a booster seat.Under its quilted cover it looks like a child’s booster seat.
- Lifetime warranty.Plus a break-in replacement guarantee. Hornady’s manual lists one year.
The tests
We tried to pull it out of the car.
The full pull test against cable lockboxes, and our own safe under the same tools. Tap any one for sound.
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Car safe pull test: cable lockboxes vs Boosted SafeSeveral cable-tethered safes came out of the car. The anchored one stayed.
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Elite raw test: setup, tool test, fit checkSetup, tools and what fits. Uncut.
Pick your safe. See everything you get.
Three safes, $199 to $464. Every one in 4 interest-free payments.
Mini EliteCertified booster seat
Smallest footprint, best disguise
Opens with your fingerprint
$742 of protection. Only $264.
Mini EliteSmallest footprint, best disguise$264
Break-in replacement guaranteeA thief damages it or beats it, we send a whole new safe.FREE · $264 value
Lifetime warrantyDefects covered for as long as you own it, plus parts and support for life.FREE · $149 value
Steel security cableIncluded with every safe. Loop it through a seat frame for a second tether.FREE · $20 value
Faraday bagFits a 16-inch laptop, an iPad or a phone.FREE · $25 value
Three-layer foam insertPick-and-pluck, egg-crate and a base layer. Shape it around your pistol, camera or laptop.FREE · $20 value
Boosted Safe EliteBest seller
Fits a 16-inch MacBook Pro
Fingerprint, keypad and key
$1,066 of protection. Only $399.
Boosted Safe EliteFits a 16-inch MacBook Pro$399- Break-in replacement guaranteeA thief damages it or beats it, we send a whole new safe.FREE · $399 value
- Lifetime warrantyDefects covered for as long as you own it, plus parts and support for life.FREE · $149 value
- Steel security cableIncluded with every safe. Loop it through a seat frame for a second tether.FREE · $20 value
- Free shipping, in a plain boxOn every order of $299 or more.FREE · $29 value
- Faraday bagFits a 16-inch laptop, an iPad or a phone.FREE · $25 value
Black booster-seat coverThe disguise. Quilted, black, fits like upholstery.FREE · $25 value- Three-layer foam insertPick-and-pluck, egg-crate and a base layer. Shape it around your pistol, camera or laptop.FREE · $20 value
Golden Gate EliteCertified for firearms
12-gauge steel · 37 lb
Fingerprint · CDOJ certified gun safe
$1,196 of protection. Only $464.
Golden Gate Elite12-gauge steel · 37 lb$464- Break-in replacement guaranteeA thief damages it or beats it, we send a whole new safe.FREE · $464 value
- Lifetime warrantyDefects covered for as long as you own it, plus parts and support for life.FREE · $149 value
- Steel security cableIncluded with every safe. Loop it through a seat frame for a second tether.FREE · $20 value
- Free shipping, in a plain boxOn every order of $299 or more.FREE · $29 value
- Faraday bagFits a 16-inch laptop, an iPad or a phone.FREE · $25 value
- Black booster-seat coverThe disguise. Quilted, black, fits like upholstery.FREE · $25 value
- Three-layer foam insertPick-and-pluck, egg-crate and a base layer. Shape it around your pistol, camera or laptop.FREE · $20 value
Almost everyone picks the Elite. Compare every model
Boosted Safe vs Hornady RAPiD: straight answers.
What is the difference between Boosted Safe and the Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe?
How it stays put and how much it holds. The RAPiD Vehicle Safe sits on a mounting plate wedged into a seat gap by an air bladder, with a security cable around the seat frame, and holds one handgun. Boosted Safe clips to the LATCH anchors welded to the car’s body, holds several handguns (unloaded) or a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and looks like a booster seat.
Is the Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe still sold?
Hornady’s website does not list it, or any vehicle safe, as of Oct 23, 2026. Some retailers still list it. It remains on California’s roster as item 98210.
How does the Hornady RAPiD Vehicle Safe mount?
Hornady’s manual says the large mounting plate wedges between the seat and the center console, or between two seats, and an inflatable air bladder firms it up without modifying the vehicle. The security cable loops around a solid anchor, typically the seat frame (owner’s manual).
Is it on the California DOJ roster?
Does a laptop fit in the Hornady?
No. Hornady lists 7.5 × 5.6 × 1.7 in inside. The Boosted Safe Elite is 15.1 × 13.6 × 4.25 in inside and fits a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Will a Boosted Safe fit my car?
US passenger vehicles from model year 2003 have LATCH anchors. Heavy trucks over 8,500 lb GVWR and some two-seat vehicles can be exceptions, so check your vehicle.
Is either one theft-proof?
No. With enough time and tools nothing is secure. The job is to raise the time and the tool count. Bolt cutters go through a cable. Steel anchors welded to the car’s body take more of both. Watch the pull test.
Can I keep a gun in a Boosted Safe?
Yes, handguns, stored unloaded. For California, the Golden Gate Elite is the one certified for firearms. Laws differ by state: see where it is legal to keep a gun in a car.
What comes with a Boosted Safe?
30-day money back. Lifetime warranty. Break-in replacement guarantee. Free shipping on orders $299+. The quilted cover, a steel security cable and foam are in the box, and every Elite comes with a Faraday bag that fits a 16-inch laptop, an iPad or a phone. Buying for two vehicles? Buy one, get one half off: 25% off every safe when you buy 2 to 9, 30% off at 10 or more, all six safes counted together. It does not stack with other codes.
Lock it to the car. Not to a seat gap.
Boosted Safe clips to the anchors your car already has. 10,000+ orders in all 50 states.