Curbside Comparison: Vandal Resistance

Mailbox vandalism is almost an art form in some parts of the country, where kids use baseball bats or other blunt objects to smash mailboxes “for fun”. If you go to great lengths to make your mailbox standout, or your mailbox is on a rural road, you are probably at greater risk.

Mailbox vandalism typically refers to deliberate acts of destruction, but for the purpose of this comparative analysis, we will include non-deliberate destruction of mailboxes as well: collisions with vehicles, snow plows, trailers, and more.

The level of vandal resistance depends mostly on the strength and durability of the mailbox. Obviously, heavy gauge steel construction is going to provide greater protection against vandalism than a thin aluminum or plastic.

However, thoughtful design can increase vandal resistance, too. You may notice some mailboxes mounted on levers or swivels so they can handle the impact from a snow plow, for example.

Comparing the strength and durability of construction and design, the Mail Manager provides a high level of protection against vandalism, while the Mail Boss and the Package Master provide the ultimate defense:

The Mail Manager, made of 14- and 16-gauge galvanized welded steel, provides very good protection against mailbox vandalism. Weighing in at 23 pounds, your average baseball bat attack is not going to destroy the Mail Manager. The side of the mailbox may suffer some cosmetic damage, but the mailbox itself should still be fully functional. However, the Mail Manager would probably not be functional after being hit by a car or truck.

By contrast, the Mail Boss and the Package Master provide the very best level of protection against all forms of vandalism. Made of 12- and 14-gauge galvanized welded steel, and weighing in at 40 and 53 pounds respectively, a baseball bat will do almost no damage to either of these heavy duty curbside mailboxes. In addition, due to the innovative Fast-Trak design, both of these mailboxes are very likely to “survive” impact with cars, trucks, snow plows and more. (To learn more about the design and why this is so, click here).

Here is an example of a Mail Boss after being struck by a Ford Ranger at high-speeds. As you can see, the Mail Boss did more damage to the vehicle than visa-versa:

So, in conclusion, if you are looking for a locking mailbox that can take a serious beating, the Mail Boss or the Package Master are your best bets. If you just need a mailbox that can stand up to mailbox baseball, the Mail Manager will meet your needs.