If you’ve been researching Crimsafe security screens for your home, you’ve probably noticed that the range doesn’t come in a single option. There’s Crimsafe Regular, Crimsafe Classic, and Crimsafe Ultimate — and if you’re like most homeowners, your first question is: what’s actually different between them, and does the upgrade matter?
The honest answer is that all three are exceptional security products that exceed Australian Standard AS5039 by a significant margin. Choosing any of them is a sound investment. But the differences between the tiers are real, and depending on your home, your location, and what matters most to you, one option will suit you better than the others.
This guide walks through each product clearly and without the jargon — so you can make a confident decision.
Start Here: What All Three Products Share
Before getting into the differences, it’s worth understanding what makes all Crimsafe products fundamentally stronger than everything else on the market — because this is the foundation every tier is built on.
Tensile-Tuff® mesh Every Crimsafe product uses the same 0.9mm 304 structural-grade stainless steel mesh. At 0.9mm, it is 26.5% thicker in cross-section than the 0.8mm mesh used by most competitors. The strands are woven in a tight interlocking pattern so that each strand supports the ones around it — meaning the mesh distributes force across its entire surface rather than breaking at a single point.
Screw-Clamp™ fastening This is the patented technology that sets Crimsafe apart from every other security screen on the market. While other brands use plastic wedges, pressure retention or adhesive to hold the mesh in the frame, Crimsafe’s Screw-Clamp physically bites down on the mesh with a vice-like grip and locks it with tamper-resistant stainless-steel screws. When the screen is struck, energy is absorbed and dispersed around the entire frame — not concentrated at the point of impact.
Made to measure Every product across the range is custom fabricated to the exact dimensions of your doors and windows. There are no standard sizes. This is non-negotiable for security performance — a screen that doesn’t fit precisely cannot perform to its tested specification.
Australian Standard compliance All three tiers exceed AS5039, Australia’s national standard for security screens. The minimum requirement under that standard is to withstand five impacts of 100 joules. Every Crimsafe product far exceeds this benchmark — as you’ll see below.
Crimsafe Regular: Proven, Practical, Exceptional Value
Crimsafe Regular is where the brand started in 1996 and it remains the backbone of the range. “Entry level” is a relative term here — Regular is a genuinely outstanding security product that obliterates the AS5039 minimum requirement.
The key specs:
Impact resistance: up to 550 joules in a single impact — 5.5 times the AS5039 minimum of 100 joules.
Screw spacing: tamper-resistant screws at 125mm intervals around the frame perimeter, delivering consistent clamping force across the entire screen.
Frame: robust aluminium frame with Crimsafe’s standard profile.
Locking: triple locking system as standard on doors, with three secure points where the door locks into the frame.
Warranty: 10-year standard, extendable to 12 years with product registration.
What does 550 joules actually mean? The AS5039 Dynamic Impact Test uses a 40kg pendulum to simulate the force of an adult male kicking or shoulder-charging a screen. The test requires the screen to survive five consecutive 100 joule impacts without failure. Crimsafe Regular doesn’t just pass this — it can withstand a single impact of 550 joules. To put that in context, that’s the equivalent of being hit by that same pendulum at more than five times the test force, in a single blow.
Who is Crimsafe Regular best suited for? Regular is the right choice for most Sunshine Coast homes. If you’re securing standard residential doors and windows in a suburban setting, want the full Crimsafe protection and warranty, and are working within a defined budget — Regular delivers exceptional, independently verified security at the most accessible price point in the range.
It’s worth being very clear: choosing Regular is not a compromise. It is a deliberate choice of a product that has been protecting Australian families for nearly 30 years and remains among the strongest security screens available anywhere.
Crimsafe Classic: The Same Strength, Cleaner Lines
Crimsafe Classic is often the option that surprises people when they learn what it is — and isn’t. Classic does not offer more strength than Regular. The impact resistance is identical. What it does offer is a significantly refined aesthetic, achieved through a meaningful engineering upgrade.
What makes Classic different:
CF6 Carbon Fibre Screw-Clamp™ technology: Classic is the product that introduced Crimsafe’s next-generation carbon fibre reinforced Screw-Clamp. This CF6 system uses carbon fibre-reinforced composite materials with a strict “layup schedule” — a manufacturing specification that ensures every clamp is produced to exactly the same standard. The result is a clamp that is exceptionally rigid and consistent, with no visible external screws.
No visible screws: The CF6 system and a precision-engineered clip-in cover mean the fastening system is entirely concealed. From the outside, Classic has a smooth, clean frame with no visible hardware — a markedly different visual to the Regular profile.
Contemporary square-edge frame: Classic uses a newly engineered frame profile with clean, modern lines that sit flush and understated against any door opening.
Impact resistance: identical to Regular — up to 550 joules.
Warranty: 10 year standard, extendable to 12 years with product registration.
Who is Crimsafe Classic best suited for? Classic is the natural choice when the appearance of the screen at your home’s facade matters as much as the security it provides. If you have a modern home with clean architectural lines, a heritage home where heavy-frame screens would look out of place, or high-visibility entry points like a front door or main living area where you’d prefer the security to be as unobtrusive as possible — Classic delivers the full Crimsafe protection in a noticeably more refined package.
The price difference between Regular and Classic is typically modest. For many Sunshine Coast homeowners — particularly those with newer builds or homes where street presentation is important — Classic is simply the more satisfying choice.
Crimsafe Ultimate: Maximum Strength, Maximum Longevity
Crimsafe Ultimate is the premium tier, and the engineering differences that separate it from Regular and Classic are significant rather than marginal. If Regular and Classic are exceptional, Ultimate is extraordinary.
What makes Ultimate different:
Double the screws: where Crimsafe Regular uses tamper-resistant screws at 125mm intervals, Crimsafe Ultimate doubles the fastening density to screws at 62.5mm intervals. That’s twice as many points of clamping force holding the mesh to the frame — which translates directly to greater resistance against every form of attack.
Concealed fastening system: like Classic, Ultimate has a clip-on cover that completely conceals the screw clamp system. This eliminates any opportunity for an intruder to identify and target the fastening points, and also protects the hardware from the elements.
Wider, stronger frame: Ultimate uses a broader aluminium frame profile specifically engineered for greater rigidity and resistance to jemmy attacks. The wider frame makes it significantly harder to lever a gap between the screen and its frame — one of the most common real-world attack methods.
Impact resistance: up to 750 joules — 40% stronger than Regular and Classic, and 7.5 times the AS5039 minimum requirement.
Corrosion resistance: Ultimate has been tested to 3,000 hours in a salt spray chamber — the equivalent of 30 years of environmental exposure — with no corrosion, blistering or loss of adhesion. The industry standard test is just 1,000 hours. For coastal Sunshine Coast homes, this is directly relevant.
Warranty: 10 year standard, extendable to 15 years with product registration — the longest warranty available in the Crimsafe range.
Who is Crimsafe Ultimate best suited for? Several situations make the upgrade to Ultimate a particularly clear decision:
Coastal and near-coastal homes. The Sunshine Coast’s salt-laden air is relentless on exposed metal components. Ultimate’s superior corrosion resistance — tested to three times the industry standard — and its concealed fastening system (which prevents salt and moisture accumulating in the screw seats) make it the most durable long-term choice for homes close to the beach or any tidal waterway.
High-priority entry points. Your front door, any door accessible from a concealed side passage or back yard, or any opening that represents a higher-risk entry point — these are the locations where Ultimate’s additional strength provides the most meaningful additional protection.
Homes where long-term value matters. The extended 15-year warranty is the longest in the Crimsafe range. For homeowners who are renovating or building with a long view — and who won’t want to revisit door security for well over a decade — Ultimate is the most future-proof investment.
Investment properties and higher-value homes. The upgrade cost from Regular to Ultimate is typically modest relative to the overall investment. For a property where security, longevity, and finish quality all matter, Ultimate is a straightforward decision.
Families with specific safety priorities. Ultimate’s patented U-groove profile design and wider frame add meaningful resistance to jemmy attacks — a common real-world forced entry method. If you’ve had security concerns at a previous property, or simply want the highest achievable level of protection, Ultimate delivers it.
Side-by-Side: The Key Differences at a Glance
Impact resistance Regular: up to 550 joules Classic: up to 550 joules Ultimate: up to 750 joules
Screw spacing Regular: 125mm Classic: concealed CF6 system (comparable to Regular density) Ultimate: 62.5mm (double the density)
Visible screws Regular: yes Classic: no — concealed by clip-in cover Ultimate: no — concealed by clip-in cover
Frame profile Regular: standard Crimsafe aluminium frame Classic: contemporary square-edge frame with clean lines Ultimate: wider, heavier-duty frame with U-groove profile
Corrosion testing Regular: 1,000 hours salt spray Classic: 1,000 hours salt spray Ultimate: 3,000 hours salt spray (30-year equivalent)
Warranty (with registration) Regular: up to 12 years Classic: up to 12 years Ultimate: up to 15 years
Best for Regular: reliable everyday protection, great value Classic: same protection with a cleaner, more refined look Ultimate: maximum strength, coastal homes, priority entry points, long-term investment
A Practical Approach: Mix and Match by Location
One approach many Sunshine Coast homeowners find useful — and one our team often recommends — is to choose different tiers for different openings based on risk and priority.
For example: Crimsafe Ultimate on the front entry door, back door, and any ground-floor windows accessible from a concealed area. Crimsafe Regular or Classic on secondary windows and upper-floor openings where the risk profile is lower.
This approach lets you allocate budget intelligently — concentrating the highest level of protection at the most vulnerable points — without needing to apply the premium tier uniformly across the entire home.
When we come out for a free measure and quote, we’ll walk through each opening with you and give you an honest recommendation about where each tier makes the most sense for your specific home, aspect, and priorities. That’s the advantage of dealing with a local licensed manufacturer rather than an online catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crimsafe Regular strong enough for most homes? Yes. Crimsafe Regular withstands up to 550 joules of impact force — 5.5 times the AS5039 Australian Standard minimum. It has been protecting Australian homes for nearly 30 years and remains one of the strongest security screens on the market.
What is the main difference between Regular and Classic? The strength is identical. The difference is aesthetic — Classic uses the CF6 Carbon Fibre Screw-Clamp and a concealed clip-in cover so there are no visible screws on the frame. It also uses a more contemporary square-edge frame profile. If the look of your screens matters as much as the protection they provide, Classic is worth the typically modest price difference.
How much stronger is Ultimate than Regular? Ultimate is 40% stronger than Regular and Classic in independent testing, withstanding up to 750 joules of single impact force compared to 550 joules for Regular. It also uses twice the number of tamper-resistant screws, a wider frame, and has three times the corrosion resistance of the other tiers.
Is the Ultimate worth the extra cost? For coastal homes, high-priority entry points, or homeowners who want the best available product and the longest warranty, yes — the additional investment is typically well justified. For secondary and lower-priority openings, Regular or Classic may be the more sensible choice. We’re always happy to give honest guidance on this during a measure and quote.
Can I use different tiers on different doors and windows? Absolutely, and this is common. Many homeowners use Ultimate on their primary entry points and Regular or Classic on secondary openings. All three tiers use the same Tensile-Tuff® mesh and are manufactured to the same Crimsafe standards — they work perfectly alongside each other.
Does the warranty really extend to 15 years? Yes, for Crimsafe Ultimate and iQ with product registration and Crimsafe Regular and Classic can be extended to 12 years with registration. The standard warranty across the range is 10 years. Registration must be completed within 60 days of installation.
Which Crimsafe product is best for a coastal home on the Sunshine Coast? Crimsafe Ultimate is the strongest recommendation for homes close to the coast. Its 3,000-hour salt spray resistance — the equivalent of 30 years of environmental exposure — is three times the industry standard, and its concealed fastening system prevents moisture and salt accumulating in the hardware. For homes further from the water, Regular or Classic are excellent choices with appropriate maintenance.
Not Sure Which Tier Is Right for You?
That’s exactly what a free measure and quote is for. As a licensed Crimsafe manufacturer on the Sunshine Coast, our team will walk through every opening at your home, discuss your priorities and budget, and give you a clear, honest recommendation — with no pressure to upgrade beyond what genuinely makes sense for your situation.
We manufacture the full Crimsafe range in-house, so we know every product in detail and can answer any question you have on the spot.