There has been much contention in the world recently but one thing we can all agree on is the need to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. There are many ways to achieve this goal. We can educate ourselves, modify our behaviors, and utilize the array of services and products that are offered by security experts. We are increasingly turning to technology and “smart” devices to provide the sense of safety that we seek, but often we neglect the basic option that is the personal safety alarm.
Most adults have heard of a rape whistle, but personal safety alarms take this concept to a new level. They are generally discreet, easy to use, and emit tones upward of 130 decibels. For reference, 70 decibels is the noise level of your average packed nightclub, 80 decibels is enough to cause hearing damage, and 110 is the beginning of the pain threshold. These devices pack quite the punch and can go a long way toward simultaneously deterring an attacker and attracting help. There are many devices on the market with their own unique features and benefits, but these are the top products we would recommend.
Vigilant 130dB Personal Alarm
Vigilant is a well-known and trusted brand in personal safety alarms. This particular device is one of their best selling and features an alarm that sounds at a painful 130 decibels. It is on the large side but unlike disposable or smaller devices it uses replaceable AAA batteries as its power source, which is what allows the alarm to run for up to an hour, about twice as long as similar personal alarms. It has a lanyard instead of a clip attachment, but can be easily worn on the wrist or attached to items like belts and backpacks. Pulling the lanyard removes the grenade style activation pin to trigger the alarm, and replacing the pin stops it. This device also includes an LED mini flashlight which can be used in a pinch. Vigilant includes a 1 year warranty with all their products, so if there are any problems they will replace the device free of charge.
Kyson Personal Alarm Keychain
The Kyson personal alarm device is camouflaged as a ladybug and offers many features not found in other products. The alarm style is a human voice shouting “help” twice, followed by an oscillating alarm that sounds like a police siren, maxing out at 130 decibels. It also flashes blue and red lights while alarming and includes an LED flashlight for general use. This unique alarm type has an advantage over the traditional monotone alarm sound as it is more likely to catch the attention of bystanders and scare off an attacker. Though it is activated by the traditional keychain-pin pull, for owners who are concerned about accidentally triggering the alarm it also comes with a secondary accessory in the form of a small lanyard. This lanyard can be attached on the opposite end of the device and used to fasten it to bags, belts, et cetera. without accidentally pulling the pin loose. The Kyson alarm also doubles as a speaker and comes with an auxiliary cord for that purpose. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery which can sustain 60 minutes of alarm or 4 hours of continuous music playback when being used as a speaker. It comes with a USB charging cable and has an indicator light that lets the owner know when it needs to be charged. Though on the pricier end, it is often on sale on Amazon and makes a perfect companion for teenagers and young adults.
Mace Brand 130 dB Personal Alarm
This personal alarm comes from Mace, a longtime recognized leader in the personal defense product industry. Instead of a pin activation, the 130 decibel alarm is activated by a button on the front and deactivated by a “hidden” button on the back. This makes it an easy to handle and intuitive device, a great fit for children and the elderly. It comes with a clip style attachment on a keyring so it can easily be fastened wherever it is needed. Unlike other devices on this list, if the replaceable alkaline watch battery fails for some reason, there is a backup whistle on the bottom which can be blown manually in an emergency.
EPOSGEAR Metallic Mini Minder
The most affordable device on this list is unsurprisingly the most basic, but even with no frills the 140 decibel alarm emitted by this Eposgear device undoubtedly gets the job done. There is both an attachment cord and a pin activation chain so in an emergency the pin can be tossed with the device still attached to the wearer. At just under seven dollars and coming in a wide variety of colors, it seems almost inexcusable for anyone to not own even a rudimentary personal security device such as this.
Revolar Instinct
The Instinct by Revolar is a very different product from everything else on this list. Instead of simply emitting a tone to scare off attackers and attract attention, the Instinct is a panic button that pairs with an app on your iPhone or Android to send various custom alerts and live location information to contacts of your choice. Based on the number of times the user presses the button it can send notifications that they are safe, uneasy, or in an emergency. The app and device are easy to set up and very reliable. There are no fees, unlike popular medical panic devices, and the replaceable battery lasts for a year. The GPS tracking and simplicity of use make it an ideal device for all ages, especially seniors, hikers, and anyone who needs to be discreet in seeking help.
Regardless of the environment, safety is not something to take lightly. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves and our loved ones as safe as we can. With the wide variety of choices in personal safety alarms, there is a device out there for everyone from yourself to your children and your elders.