Last month, we unveiled a new product to the Concealed Nation world by a company called Vara Safety. Their product, called Reach, is expected to start shipping in the coming months.
About The Product
Reach- the fastest home protection safe designed like a holster.
Designed for immediate access and safe storage, Reach is fast as a holster and secure as a safe. It uses an ALS-style fingerprint sensor for access under 0.5 seconds, unlocking for authorized users when you naturally grab the gun and draw.
Reach comes with a charging mount that allows you to secure it to a bedside table, desk or vehicle console. The safe will not run out of battery with its mounted power cable and also has a backup internal battery for power outages.
“We wanted to create a premium product to provide the best home protection for families with firearms. After several years of development and over 1500 testers, including various law enforcement departments, Reach is finally available for launch.”
– Founder, Timmy Oh
Visit varasafety.com for an exclusive $100 discount for early sign-ups.
MSRP: $299
EXCLUSIVE: WIN A Vara Safety Reach& $500 Towards A Firearm
If you need to catch up more on what the product is, hit this link and then come back here.
Interview With The Designer And Creator
Timmy Oh (pictured at the top) is the creator of this ingenious design, and I wanted to dig a little more to see how it all came together. I asked Timmy a few questions to get the ball rolling, and he provided me with some great insight into how the Reach became what it is today.
1. What drove you to create the Reach? What was the influence behind the idea?
To be completely honest, I never imagined of starting up a business and dropping out of college. My goal going into college was getting my engineering degree and having a secure job at a defense corporation like Raytheon or Northrop Grumman. But when I started a project exploring if there was a way to prevent child firearm accidents, I found a passion and a supportive community that took my life in a completely different direction. Through the hardest times, the belief that this solution may be able to prevent a child firearm-related accident was the greatest influence that kept me going. It was a mission bigger than myself.
2. How did you find the technology to use? What did the research look like?
Timing was really lucky for me. With smartphones rapidly driving the development of biometric technology, we started developing our product with a fingerprint sensor that would be faster, reliable, and finally suitable for something as important as unlocking your handgun in an emergency. The other product development aspects came together through countless prototypes that I developed with the feedback of over a thousand gun owners. I had to get over the fear of failure and being ok with negative criticisms, but that allowed me to get really valuable feedback in making a product people would want to use.
3. Explain as much as you’d like about the technology that you’ve chosen.
The single most important factor for gun owners was how easily they could unlock their handgun. The expected scenario for a home protection situation is usually in the dark, when you are woken up in the middle of the night. Disorientation, loss of fine motor control from adrenaline and stress are real reasons why getting to a locked gun may be almost impossible to do quickly.
After all, the traditional steps are: (1) get to your safe (2) input code or key (3) open the box/lid (4) grab the gun out (5) obtain a proper shooting grip.
We wanted to make this process as easy as (1) grab the gun in a proper shooting grip and it unlocks.
We built our technology around making this function as intuitive and reliable as possible. I adhere to the KISS mentality, “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.
EXCLUSIVE: WIN A Vara Safety Reach& $500 Towards A Firearm
What The Process Looked Like
Here is a look at how the development process went. Timmy documented the adventure as he went through different prototypes and headaches.
It’s definitely an exciting time for Timmy and the company, as their product will be ready for shipping in the next few months.
They’ll also be at the NRA show in Indianapolis at the end of April. If you’re planning to attend, make sure that you stop by their booth!
