Personal safety is no joke. According to the FBI, there were over 11 million recorded crimes in 2022, the most recent data available. Most violent crimes decreased year-over-year, but robberies rose more than 1%. While the U.S. generally remains extremely safe for most people most of the time, most of us (and some more than others) are likely to be victims of a crime, violent or nonviolent, at some point.
Once a crime is in progress, there’s not much that can be done other than get out of it alive. That’s where safety-oriented people might consider trying personal safety alarms. These little devices, as their name suggests, are portable, easily activated, shrill sound-producing machines meant to shock potential attackers before they’re too close, drawing attention to users and giving them a chance to get away.
Unlike other personal safety tools, such as pepper spray or a stun gun, personal safety alarms require minimal training to use them effectively and they’re also among the cheaper available safety tools, running as low as $10 and as high as $30 “high-end” designs.
The Best Personal Safety Alarms: At a Glance
What the Experts Say
SPY spoke with four experts to get the facts on personal safety alarms, including Dene Josham, celebrity bodyguard and founder/lead instructor of Streetwise Defence; Joy Farrow, a former longtime deputy sheriff and coauthor of “Street Smart Safety for Women: Your Guide to Defensive Living”; David Nance, a personal safety expert and CEO of Sabre; and Jeff Ketelaars, personal security expert and co-founder of Security Guards Only.
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Experts were unanimous about one critical fact: Personal safety alarms are not weapons and will not help much or at all during an active robbery or assault. According to Nance, a personal safety alarm is an “entry-level” form of personal safety, great for young adults or seniors, but not great for an actively dangerous situation. Ketelaars echoes that, saying, “[Personal safety alarms] help people avoid falling victim to dangerous situations in plain sight. However, it will not help you if you are attacked or put in a situation in complete isolation unless the device can contact emergency services.”
That said, Farrow says a personal safety alarm is still much better than nothing. “These alarms are great for women, college students, teenagers, children, hikers, trail runners, and seniors who want an easy-to-use, no-fuss, one-handed alarm,” she says. “They also may not want to carry bulky self-defense items, or are flying, traveling, going to school where it’s prohibited, or aren’t comfortable with managing a pepper spray or feel more comfortable with a non-violent device.”
How to Use Personal Safety Alarms, According to Experts
According to Josham, the key is to activate the alarm “while you have a good deal of space between you [and the assailant]. This lets them know that you have noticed them and it could also attract attention from other people.”
Don’t buy personal safety alarms expecting a quick fix, but use them as the preemptive tool that they are. “If the attacker is close to you, do not waste time trying to grab and activate your alarm – it is too late,” Josham says. “At that stage, you need to be running away or preparing to defend yourself or even strike them preemptively if you strongly feel in danger.”
Situational awareness, or “safety intuition” as Farrow calls it, is also key. “What this means is that when you feel uncomfortable in a situation, you may feel physical signs like the hair on the back of your neck sticking up, an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach, chills, or anxiety,” she explains. “That’s your body throwing out all the stops to warn you to look around, pay attention to what’s going on around you, or leave if you didn’t plan to.”
Personal safety alarms are an affordable way to add a layer of defense to your arsenal, beyond common sense and awareness of your surroundings. Our experts confirmed that quality personal safety alarms are between $12 and $30. The best personal safety alarms at those prices feature piercing sounds, typically producing a ringing of 130 dB or more, loud enough to be heard, albeit quietly, across a football field; LED lights that flash when the alarm is activated; and long battery lives, with most batteries being replaceable.
Personal safety alarms are not a silver bullet and will likely not stop a crime once it’s begun, but when combined with adequate situational awareness, they can be a useful first step to taking personal safety seriously.
SABRE Personal Alarm with LED Light and Snap Hook
The Sabre Personal Alarm with LED Light and Snap Hook checks every box for the best personal safety alarms: It’s cheap but reliable, turned on with a simple pull of the pin, and plenty compact to discreetly attach to a backpack, purse, or even a belt loop. “This product is a good discreet option for anyone looking for a loud and far-ranging alarm to set off easily,” Ketelaars says. “You can attach it to your person, keys, or bag to have it easily accessible to push. It is also very affordable. I would say it’s a good option for anyone walking alone at night in big cities.”
Nance also adds that the alarm can be heard up to 1,250 feet away. Farrow notes, “If you want to scare someone away, this ear-piercing siren has the potential.”
And that’s the only goal: An alarm so loud it jolts would-be attackers and that comes in a discreet package that goes anywhere. It also features an alarm-activated light, which can also be used alone as a flashlight.
For its just-under $13 price, buy more than one and throw these Sabre personal safety alarms anywhere they could be needed. Plus, if they ever do run out of power, they take widely available LR44 batteries.
Birdie Personal Alarm
The Birdie is among the most popular personal safety alarms, especially amongst women, for its safety-first attitude, but the sleek design can protect anyone. “This personal safety alarm is a good option that blends in nicely with other key chains,” Ketelaars says. “It also has a light that is easy to use and is quite durable.”
But what makes it a runner-up beyond the basics — a loud 130 dB alarm, easily replaceable CR2032 batteries, an alarm-activated flashing light, and an easy-to-use pull-pin design — is all the supporting resources She’s Birdie provides. For one, She’s Birdie produced a video showing exactly how to replace the batteries on the alarms. Though it’ll take a long time for the batteries to run out, this is exactly the kind of support that explains, if not totally justifies, the alarm’s nearly $30 price.
Testing Notes: A SPY tester noted that this small, handheld device fits easily in a coat pocket and gives a lot of comfort and security on solo walks home. They described the device as easy to use, not unnecessarily complicated, and something that would be realistic to deploy in an emergency, unlike pepper spray or calling 911. They also love the bright color options and keychain design that makes this an easy everyday carry solution for men, women, and young people (or their parents) looking for an added layer of safety.
SABRE 2-in-1 Personal Alarm with LED Light & SOS Button
Maybe it’s just a symptom of the rechargeable lithium-ion age, but replacing batteries is a pain in the butt, even when the item is a simple flashlight. Though batteries have the advantage of always having power between uses until they run out, people who have no problem keeping devices charged might prefer the rechargeable Sabre 2-in-1 Personal Alarm.
Nance notes that this model relies on a built-in carabiner clip instead of potentially more faulty mechanisms and uses an emergency tap button instead of a pull-pin (twice to activate, once to deactivate). Sound testing and online reviews don’t strongly support claims of the sound being heard from 1,800 feet away, but up close, the alarm is more than loud enough and flashes enough light to startle a robber. And really, it’s the rechargeability that’s the unique benefit here, and the primary reason for its $15 to $21 price, as the vast majority of personal safety alarms stick with single-use batteries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Safety Alarms
Why Are Personal Safety Alarms Useful?
Personal safety alarms are good for preemptively deterring crime before it occurs, but shouldn’t be relied upon as one’s only line of defense, experts say. “They can help draw attention to you during a dangerous situation, but that alone may not scare off an attacker,” Nance says. “Be ready to defend yourself and take other countermeasures.”
“The more counter-defensive items you have, the better,” Farrow advises. “It’s not good practice to rely on one self-defense tool: What if you dropped it, forgot it, or it’s not functioning? Have a backup plan.”
How Much Should I Pay For a Personal Safety Alarm?
For consumer-level personal safety alarms, no less than $10 and no more than $30 is a safe range. Any devices less expensive than that may malfunction when they’re needed and devices more expensive could have extra features not strictly related to the alarm.
How Do Personal Safety Alarms Compare to Other Self Defense Tools, Such as Pepper Spray or a Stun Gun?
Experts say all of these tools are useful and serve a purpose, but they are just the beginning of personal safety because they can always fail. Josham says, “Self-defense gadgets and weapons have a place, but there’s always a chance they’ll let you down – either by them not working or you fumbling and dropping them or you not having them easily accessible.”
Put another way, the tools are only as good as their ability to be used, and because tech is inconsistent and human error is a thing, a lot can go wrong.
So while self-defense tools can be helpful, personal safety always comes back to situational awareness and mental preparedness. For people seriously concerned about personal safety, Josham says there’s always actual self-defense as a last resort. “Learn how to physically defend yourself with just your hands – that way if you can’t access your alarm, spray, or Taser, you aren’t in a panic and you know exactly what to do,” he says.
