Walking home alone in the dark is never a good thing. Neither is placing extensive ornaments in your yard without an alarm or even opening your garage in the dead of night. One of the best ways to dissuade a criminal from taking advantage of a victim is through the use of sound.
Mini alarms are pocket-sized alert devices capable of making piercing sounds, letting others know your presence and what’s happening. The best personal safety alarm products are shown below, all built to function as expected in the event of an emergency. Let’s take a look!
Education
A high decibel personal alarm is simple, powered by a small battery that can in some cases last for over an hour.
The standard battery for replaceable safety alarms is the LR44. It’s alkaline and uses power slowly. You’ve probably seen them before in watches and small remote controls. If you sparingly activate a safety alarm, the battery should last for up to a year or longer without needing a replacement.
The replacement batteries are LR44. Just type in LR44 into the Amazon search box and you will find several order options.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Personal Alarm Device
Sound level
Many high decibel personal alarm products use a pin for pre-activation. Others will turn on with or without a pin. If you’re looking at one with a pin, don’t assume that it only turns on when the pin isn’t in the body of the alarm itself. You don’t want to find yourself in an embarrassing situation by having the alarm go off in, say, a church, board meeting, or library.
Battery
Additionally, how do you plan to use the safety alarm? Some people might be better off with rechargeable batteries instead of replaceable LR44s.
If you carry a laptop on your person or have USB ports in your vehicle, you can charge the alarm before stepping outside. Some alarms are more like notifications. These will put you in touch with your contact in an emergency situation, or notify them of your GPS coordinates.
GPS notification
Alarms with GPS notifications are popular for children and the elderly since they activate at the press of a button. Some brands may even personally contact you or those who listen as contacts on their respective applications.
Best Personal Safety Alarms:
She’s Birdie–The Original Personal Safety Alarm for Women by Women
The She’s Birdie is aqua color. That alone lessens the chances of you losing it. It comes with extra batteries, each lasting about 30 minutes with nonstop alarm activity.
Look at a pocket guardian review, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone with an unfavorable experience with the product. In the dark, some found the alarm to be hard to make out from the LED light button. Just remember that the light is on the left side, and the alarm is on the right.
Pros
- Its white body is easy to find during loss
- Three extra batteries included
- Two-way activation by pin or button
Cons
- Hard to distinguish the alarm and light buttons in low visibility
KOSIN Safe Sound Personal Alarm
The Kosin is one of the best personal alarms for college students. There are six featured in one pack. If you’re a student, teacher, or part of a fraternity/sorority, pass them out to your friends. You never know when it might come in handy!
Reviewers praise the Kosin for having good color options and its fast-paced sound, which others can distinguish from other loud noises.
Pros
- Comes in a pack of six, enough for a group or large family
- Bright, flashing light that can clearly be seen at a distance of over 20 feet away
- Easy to distinguish from other loud sounds, such as a car alarm
Cons
- Must be handled carefully to avoid breaking; frail design
The Original Self Defense Siren Keychain for Women
The Thopeb Self Defense Siren makes a noise that others will hear clearly at a distance of more than 200 feet away from you. It has a keychain, so you can link it to your car keys and grab it quickly from your pockets/purse.
Take a look at birdie safety alarm reviews, and you’ll find that it and the Thopeb are frequently compared. However, users found the Thopeb better for the money and equally as durable, thanks to the matte finish.
Pros
- Piercing that’s audible at a range over 200 feet away from the device
- The keychain hook doesn’t bend when force is applied
- Matte-finished makes it safe to place on outdoor fixtures
Cons
- Batteries must be changed every two-to-three months
Ripple Safety Personal Monitoring Button
Most personal panic alarm devices aren’t built with smartphone compatibility. Ripple Safety isn’t one of them. Link to your smartphone, download the brand’s application, then add three trusted contacts.
In an emergency, press the front of the device and you’ll receive a call from a Ripple associate to check on your safety. If you can’t be reached, the contacts you listed in the app are notified instead.
A majority of ripple safety reviews through the product were worthwhile but noted the lack of a sound alarm. As such, try the other devices evaluated for that. But if you or someone you know (like the elderly or disabled) needs a way to locate their whereabouts during an emergency via GPS, it’s the perfect tool to consider.
Pros
- About the same size as a travel lock
- Alerts Ripple security immediately upon pressing the button, then a call from a contact that’s listed on the Ripple application
- Safe to wear in wet environments; waterproof
Cons
- The user must have an active cellular data plan or Wi-Fi connection for the device to connect to a smartphone
SABRE Personal Safety Kit with Pepper Spray and Personal Alarm
The Sabre Personal Safety Kit travels easily doesn’t bulk out of the pockets, and is easy to activate. A small can of pepper spray is included, with about 25 bursts possible before the can empties.
Sabre alarm reviews indicate devices with sensitive configuration, though this isn’t a problem with the spray. If you have lots of items on your keychain, it’s recommended for you to take some of the loops off before adding this to the primary loop.
Pros
- Not a burden to carry around
- Includes a pepper spray canister with up to 25 bursts
- Black and pink color options
Cons
- Sensitive controls; the alarm goes off by slightly touching the button if the keyring loosens
BASU eAlarm Plus 130db Emergency Alarm
Clearly, the BASU eAlarm Plus gives some of the best protection for women, at least when it comes to sound alarms. Decibel levels are similar to the beep of a vehicle but unique in pitch. Anyone nearby will hear where the sound is coming from.
Reading some tigress alert reviews shows that consumers like the alarm trigger, but thought its orange strap was easy to accidentally pull off. It’ll store better on an outer strap of your purse, but don’t bundle it with lots of small items inside a bag.
Pros
- The flashlight is bright and can illuminate the user’s periphery in dark, outdoor environments
- Carries the same amount of decibels as an emergency vehicle (when in close proximity)
- Not too sensitive; must be firmly pressed when the pin is removed to sound the alarm
Cons
- The pin resembles a belt strap
Vigilant PPS-32BL130dB Personal Protection Alarm
The Vigilant PPS-32BL130dB has a red and white LED light. The white is for general-purpose use and the red is an emergency hazard light. If you travel at night or in a location near lots of road traffic, it’ll make things safer for you during a random tire change.
The alarm has a high volume, and batteries were easily replaced by owners of the PPS-32BL130dB. The keychain loop is a bit small. Change it for a larger one if linking to your car keys.
Pros
- Two LED lights instead of one (one white, one hazard)
- Batteries are replaceable
- Safe to take with carry-on luggage
Cons
- Small keychain loop
Kimfly Safesound Personal Alarm
The Safesound Personal Alarm Siren is a bit different than the other safety alarms. It contains a rechargeable lithium battery, which hooks up to a USB/USB-C cable from the female port.
A majority of Safesound users bought it for its ability to work without the worry of changing the battery. Just charge it up periodically, and the sound will work when you need it to.
Pros
- Rechargeable with the included USB/USB-C adapter (Thunderbolt)
- The alarm activates with either one hand or two hands by either pressing the front button twice or removing the pin
- Turning off the alarm isn’t as simple as pressing the activation button once (must be held for three seconds)
Cons
- Accidental activation of the alarm is possible when placed in pockets with other objects
Guard Dog Security Heartbeat Keychain Alarm for Women
Safety devices for women are numerous, but few are better in appearance than the Guard Dog Security Heartbeat. At a distance, it resembles a locket. Hook to your backpack, pocketbook, or purse and no one would notice the piercing sound it’s capable of producing.
The Guard Dog’s users court it as one of the prettiest personal alarm necklaces sold. There are no features more or less unique to the other products, so pull the chain or press the button for sound. Basic isn’t always a bad thing.
Pros
- Three color choices, red-pink, and black
- 350-foot hearing distance
- Has no resemblance to the standard safety alarm
Cons
- The alarm button takes a firm press to turn on (not the link chain)with other objects
Guard 120dB Emergency Personal Alarm
The Guard Emergency Personal Alarm doesn’t stand out, so it won’t look odd for you to carry on your backpack or belt buckle. It’s very small and won’t accidentally go off when placed in locations with other nearby items.
People familiar with the Guard found its high-decibel sound acceptable, but note how easy to sound could be blocked by a piece of cloth or other fabric material. Still, it works as advertised, so give it a try if don’t need anything that’s complicated to operate.
Pros
- Inconspicuous; resembles a normal keychain ornament
- A small size that doesn’t get in the way of other items in the pockets
- Sounds for up to one hour (before the battery is drained)
Cons
- Covering the speaker with a piece of cloth will reduce the noise
Personal Safety Alarm – FAQ
Will a rape alarm keychain lower the chances of me being the victim of a crime?
They can, but this is heavily dependent on the city you’re in the neighborhood and your personal wits. Remember, prevention is the best medicine, so avoid walking on dark streets alone. Let others know about your whereabouts before leaving home or work, and stay up-to-date on the local news.
If you want to know where to buy personal alarms the easiest, stick to what’s available online. You’re guaranteed to get a useful product this way, and most purchases made on the net are easy to return when defective.
When going out in an area where you believe the alarm might be needed at some point, keep it within grabbing length. Place it on the side of your backpack, hook it on your keychain, or simply throw it in your pocket. Practice how quickly you can get it out and turn it on at home. That way, you’ll instinctively know what to do in a predicament that warrants its use.
Summary
Did you find the safety alarm that’s right for you? If not, understand that there’s no such thing as the best personal security device. Each possesses features that are useful, though most operate about the same. Still, the first and second products’ features warrant a look before the rest.
These are the Thopeb and Guard 120dB. Need something with a more specific list of features that aren’t provided by the first two? The others would definitely be worth a look then. But when you’ve made your decision, keep yourself safe when you’re out and about!
