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This survival kit is beloved by celebs—we had a mom put it to the test

Disaster preparedness is of most importance given today's climate

On left, Judy Survival Safe on countertop. On left, person smiling while holding pliers and wearing gloves. Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

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If there’s anything that the past couple of years have taught us, it’s that we should always be prepared. From a global pandemic, to raging wildfires, and destructive storms, the idea of personal safety and sustainability in situations where help may not be readily available, is a concept that many people have begun to explore and prepare for.

Always a bit of an over-preparer myself, I stacked a few cases of water bottles in my basement and purchased a couple flashlights, but beyond that I wasn’t sure what else I would need should a disaster affect the area in which I live.

But, when I was first introduced to The Safe, an emergency preparedness kit made by Judy, I immediately thought that it may be exactly the kind of survival kit that I’ve been looking for to ensure that no matter what the situation, my family will be prepared until help arrives. It’s beloved by celebrities from the Kardashians to Oprah, so we decided to try it out.

What is The Safe by Judy?

Judy Survival Safe in front of yellow background.
Credit: Judy

This all-in-one survival safe from Judy comes equipped with more than 63 life-savings items.

Designed by emergency preparedness experts, The Safe is an all-in-one emergency kit that is equipped to sustain four people, for up to three days, while they take cover or shelter in place from anything such as a hurricane to an alien invasion.

A sturdy 11.5 inch by 15.5 inch by 11 inch, waterproof, lidded bin containing 63 life-saving essentials, The Safe is bright orange in color so that you can quickly and easily spot it in an emergency. And, although it arrives filled up to the very top with supplies, it surprisingly weighs in at only 18 pounds, making it convenient to move around and store.

Judy also sells a few other emergency kits that vary based on need, including The Mover Max.

Here’s what’s in The Safe

On left, six boxes of emergency supplies on countertop.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

This top-rated kit is grouped into six different boxes, giving you peace of mind that everything can be found quickly in the event of an actual emergency.

The Safe includes six boxes, each one containing a different category of items: safety, warmth, first aid, tools, water, and food.

  • Safety contains two emergency whistles, one pair of gloves, four dust masks, four glow sticks, and four ponchos.
  • Warmth contains one candle, one package of waterproof matches, four rescue blankets, and four sets of hand warmers.
  • First Aid contains one package of wet wipes, one biohazard bag, one quick dry towel, one first aid kit containing 101 pieces, two hand sanitizers, and two packages of tissues.
  • Tools contains one multipurpose tool, one hand crank radio/flashlight and charger, two multipurpose bags, and a mini roll of duct tape.
  • Water contains 16 water pouches that have a 5-year shelf life.
  • Food contains 10 food bars with a 5-year shelf life.

What I liked

Its tools are legit

Tools from an emergency survival kit.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

The multipurpose tools included in this kit are heavy-duty.

Opening The Safe, I was immediately impressed with how clearly labeled all the boxes are, using both written words, as well as identifiable symbols. Eager to see what tornado or zombie apocalypse equipment I now had at my disposal, I decided that the box labeled “Tools” sounded pretty legit, and opened that box first.

Right away, I was impressed. The multipurpose tool is definitely not to be messed around with, offering an array of knives, screwdrivers, pliers, and more. Comparable to a high-end tool you’d purchase in a hardware store, it looks like it could stand up to the job if needed, and I was almost afraid I might slice my finger off if I messed around with it too much.

The hand-crank radio took only a few cranks of the handle before the radio signal came in loud and clear, and its combination flashlight feature was surprisingly bright. The included tarp seems pretty standard and the mini roll of duct tape gave me a good chuckle, because, step down hurricane-force winds, duct tape fixes everything!

The safety implements consider a variety of ‘disaster’ scenarios

Emergency preparedness items scattered on countertop.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

It's safe to say that the Judy Survival Safe covers most of the disaster and emergency bases.

The safety box was up next and again, I was impressed with the variety of items. The whistles screech loud and clear and the glow stick’s shine far exceeds the novelty glow sticks most people are likely more familiar with.

The dust masks bear an KN95 imprint and their thickness would lead me to believe that they would do well filtering out air contaminants such as ash and dust, while the rubber coated gloves are a nice touch that I could definitely see coming in handy in a natural disaster situation.

The warming items are forwarding thinking, despite a small flaw

On left, person holding up survival blanket and heating pack. On right, heating emergency objects.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

Since they weren't properly labeled, there was a bit of confusion establishing what the hand warming packets were, at first glance.

The warmth box is well thought out and contains a variety of useful items. The four warming blankets are clearly marked, as is the candle that I would assume is to have a continuous source for starting a fire (unless people often huddle around a candle for warmth).

There is also a box of fire-starting matches that are more impressive than what I have typically seen in the match department.

The warmth box also contains four sets of hand warmers, but unfortunately, they are not marked—surprising since The Safe does such a stellar job labeling nearly everything else—and I had no idea what they were until I popped one and it got warm. On the upside, the hand warmers work great.

What I didn’t like

The first-aid box confused me

First aid kit items scattered on countertop.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

The first aid kit that came included in the Judy Survival Safe focused mainly on wound care–which is problematic in the event of a fire or more severe ailment.

The first two boxes were so well thought out and stocked that I was admittedly a bit disappointed when I opened the First Aid box, especially when at first glance, I wasn’t sure what some of the items were.

There was a stack of folded plastic and a piece of cloth, that I assumed were a tarp and maybe material to be used as a sling, but upon reading the website description I realized they were biohazard bags and a quick-dry cloth. And again in honesty, I have no idea what a quick-dry cloth is and Google wasn’t any help.

The hand sanitizers appeared to be missing, but there was a package of wet wipes and two packs of tissues. The First Aid box also contains a mini first-aid kit in a handy little pouch, stocked with bandaids, gauze, Q-tips, cleansing wipes, and two safety pins.

Overall, I see where Judy was going with this, but I can’t help but wonder how useful q-tips will be if we are in a situation so dire that we are depending on an emergency kit to sustain us.

I would have preferred to see something along the lines of an Ace bandage, over-the-counter burn cream, or a tourniquet included for the type of injuries most often seen after natural disasters.

I spilled more water than I drank

On left, small child attempting to drink water out of a pouch. On left, pouches of water in a box.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

We found the lightweight box of water to be less accessible for young children than we anticipated.

The water box disappointed me, as well. While I can understand the thinking behind the water pouches (space saving, lighter for travel), I just can’t get behind the design, especially in a family setting. The pouches were difficult to drink out of, and, for my toddler, it was nearly impossible.

There’s also no way to set them down without spilling the contents so you have to drink the pouch all at once; another task that proved to be difficult for my children.

I wish that Judy had at least included a collapsible cup for young children, individuals with disabilities, or anyone who might have trouble drinking from a pouch or drinking all of the pouch at one time. Since hydration is a critical need during an emergency, this is a big issue for me.

The food box doesn’t work for people with gluten allergies

Meal replacement bar on countertop.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong

While it is comforting to know that the food items inside of this box have a shelf life of 5 years, it doesn't cater to those with gluten sensitivities.

I could not test the meal replacement bars in the food box at all, because they contain wheat, which I am allergic to. This is a big issue for a lot of people.

In fact, the meal replacement bars contain several common allergens, so anyone with food allergies who does invest in The Safe is going to want to replace these bars with something else.

Judy’s website claims that the company is working to change this, but as of now The Safe does not meet the standards of survival for allergy families.

That aside, my husband was pleasantly surprised at their flavor, and he readily admitted that he would be willing to eat them again.

A few items are mislabeled

I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the contents of The Safe as soon as it arrives, and as a rule, make a note to do so on a regular basis. Some of the included items’ uses may not be readily apparent to you and the last thing you want to do is panic or fumble in the dark through a box of items you aren’t familiar with.

Should you buy The Safe by Judy?

On left, six boxes of emergency supplies inside of emergency kit. On right, Judy Survival Safe in front of yellow background.
Credit: Reviewed / Eden Strong / Judy

The Judy Survival Safe saves you the hassle–and the costly price–of gathering individual items to add to your home emergency kit.

The Safe offers a convenient way to attain the safety and security that families need to be prepared for, by containing a variety of items that overall I can see being useful in an emergency disaster situation, all readily available in one convenient purchase.

It’s a huge time saver to be able to buy everything all together rather than shopping for all the items individually, and that alone may mean the difference between being prepared in the event of an emergency, or being left with an unfinished to-do list and a lot of regret.

Many of the items, such as the multipurpose tool and the fire-starting matches, are well made, and quite a few of the items, such as the rubber coated gloves, are things that I would not have thought of adding to a homemade emergency kit on my own, yet they serve a very important purpose. The items are organized and packaged in a way that is well adapted to an emergency situation, and the bright orange bin is not only perfect for storage, but also perfectly designed for locating and utilizing should an emergency occur.

Overall, you could save a little money by creating your own emergency preparedness kit by shopping and purchasing the items on your own, but if time-saving convenience is what you are after, Judy’s The Safe may be the perfect kit for you.

The bottom line is that we live in an unpredictable world and being prepared for situations that are out of our control is the best way to regain control in an unpredictable situation.

The Safe offers that security in the easiest way possible and if the price fits into your budget, I highly recommend purchasing The Safe by Judy.

Get The Safe by Judy from Judy for $295

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