Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

For the price of this item, I decided it was worth purchasing one to test out. If I was pleased, I was going to come back and purchase a few more. Instead, I hope I can convince you not to waste your money. Let's face it, you're looking to buy this item for one specific purpose - to protect your important documents in a house fire. So, I ran a simulation, both in documents and in the circumstances of a house fire in a den or office type room. To start with, I loaded the envelope with four pages of laser-printed paper to simulate password lists, wills, etc., as well as a glossy magazine page, a thin cold press page similar to those used in government documents, and a check to simulate the paper used on bonds and stock certificates. These items were placed flat inside, and the envelope was properly sealed. My hopes were up. Now, for the test setup. I wanted to simulate a house fire, which is neither gentle, nor quick. In fact, a house fire is quite hot, turbulent, and can last for days in my rural area. I filled my rubbish can with lts of paper and cardboard, and a little bit of plastic. You know, the kind of stuff you'd find in a filing cabinet where one might store this product. I did not use any chemical accelerants because I wanted to keep this test honest. There's no kerosene in my office, so none for this test. I lit the bottom of the stack and started a timer. By the time the flames reached the envelope, they started to climb quickly across the face of it. That's right, this "fireproof" envelope was coated with something flammable. I convinced myself that it was just the ink, and kept my hopes up while continuing the test. At 20 minutes in, I added another bag of paper and cardboard to the bin, simulating the collapse of a nearby wall or ceiling. At thirty minutes, what I considered to be the bare minimum of expectation for what's to be expected in a house fire, I put on my kevlar gloves and fished out what was left of the envelope. If it wasn't so disappointing, it would be laughable. Seriously, there was little recognizable left. Just some fiberglass ash fused into the aluminum liner, crackling and popping as it cooled down, and a few ashes somewhat recognizable as the papers I had initially loaded it with. No, this envelope did not protect my documents in a short, controlled burn. I have zero confidence in it surviving anything even remotely resembling a house fire. Heck, I wouldn't even trust this to hold a counterfeit ten dollar bill if I live next door to the firestation. The ony thing it's good for is laughing at my wasted money and moving on to some other product.