Having a personal safety alarm could save you or your family’s life! Even if you are just going out for groceries or walking in an open street, there is always a chance you can get hurt. That’s why carrying a personal safety alarm at all times is a smart idea. It’s something you won’t wish to need; when that time comes, it can help you escape a dangerous situation and an unpleasant experience.
There are a lot of these gadgets on the market, from the technologically complicated to the cheap and simple; all of them are made to keep people safe. In this article, you will find some of the best personal safety alarms to use.
What Is a Personal Safety Alarm?
First off, let us start with the simple question – what is a personal safety alarm? Well, these are devices made to alert people that you need help. Depending on what its intended use is, it may automatically call the police or emergency services, alert family and friends (silent alarm), or it might just play a continuous loud sound to alert those around you (active alarm). Some also have additional features like GPS tracking, blinding LED flashes, and other personal defensive measures. Due to the difference between silent and active alarms, either of the personal safety alarms may be more effective in certain situations compared to the other.
Best Personal Safety Alarms and Devices for Everyday Use
Now that you know what these alarms are, we will get on with our list of the best ones! To help you choose, we will add some important things to note, like its brand, intended use, whether it is rechargeable, and other useful features.
Brand: InvisiaWear
Function/Intended Use: Silent Alarm
Rechargeable: No (InvisaWear supplied)
Features: Bluetooth connectivity, Sweat and Weather Resistant
Our pick for the very best alarm is InvisaWear’s Smart Jewelry. Designed to look like normal items at first glance, their Smart Jewelry line has a lot of different items. InvisaWear’s alarms have different designs, from necklaces and bracelets to smaller key chains. For this list, we chose their Gold Expandable Bracelet model.
When triggered, it automatically sends a text message warning about your distress with your GPS location to five pre-selected people. You can also set it to send a message to 911. Aside from that, you can link the bracelet to the InvisaWear app for iOS and Android phones. InvisaWear also offers an upgraded subscription version of their service where their agents actively collect more information on your predicament while alerting authorities.
Brand: Silent Beacon
Function/Intended Use: Silent Alarm
Rechargeable: Yes
Features: Bluetooth Connectivity
A classic example of the panic buttons you see in movies, the Silent Beacon Panic Button is exactly what it’s called. This personal safety alarm lets you call 911 or other pre-selected phone numbers in an emergency. When connected to your phone via Bluetooth, it can also send its real-time GPS location through text, email, or push notifications when set up on your phone.
The best part about this panic button is its rechargeable battery that notifies you when it needs charging. Compared to other products, Silent Beacon does not need monthly subscriptions for your security. Instead, once you buy it, the only upkeep it needs is battery charging!
Brand: ROMILE
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Compact and lightweight (ABS plastic construction), Built-in flashlight
Compared to the previous heavy-hitting silent alarms, this personal safety alarm from ROMILE is pretty basic. It requires three LR44 button batteries (equivalent to AG13, L1154, LR1154, and 157) to work. This Safe Sound works by playing an ear-piercing sound at 140 decibels that can reach up to 500 feet away. Small, light, and most of all, discreet, this ROMILE Safe Sound six-pack is a good investment for any family.
Brand: Flare
Function/Intended Use: Silent Alarm
Rechargeable: No (Flare supplied)
Features: Bluetooth Connectivity
A personal safety alarm with the same ideas as InvisaWear’s Smart Jewelry, Flare’s Safety Bracelets are stylish, long-lasting, and functional. The Gold Nova Cuff model, when activated, can automatically text 911 with your GPS location. When combined with their iOS-exclusive app, you can also set emergency contacts that the bracelet automatically messages when triggered.
Aside from that, the bracelet’s best feature is a way to get out of dangerous or awkward situations. Especially useful for women, the bracelet lets you activate a fake call that will ring your phone. Using this to your advantage, you can answer it to get out of those situations.
Brand: She’s Birdie
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (CR2032)
Features: Compact and lightweight
Another active alarm system, She’s Birdie’s alarm has a pretty unassuming appearance. While it looks like a lock or some fancy alcohol sprayer, this alarm would not look weird hanging from someone’s purse or bag.
She’s Birdie’s system comes in five fun popping colors: aqua, charcoal, coral, indigo, and lemon. It also comes with a nice metal carabiner to easily clip onto your bag. Once activated, this alarm does not just start screeching at 130 decibels; it also has a LED strobe light that can get attention in the dark. Its two CR3032 (equivalent to DL3032 and ECR 3032) can keep up their sound and light alarm for 40 minutes straight before needing replacement.
Brand: Alphahom
Function/Intended Use: Silent Alarm
Rechargeable: Yes
Features: Bluetooth Connectivity
Alphahom’s safety alarm is part of their overall home security alarm kit for women. It looks like a lipstick, so unsuspecting attackers won’t notice it’s a panic button.
Similar to the more expensive alarms on this list, the Alphahom also has Bluetooth connectivity. This device uses this connectivity to send real-time GPS information to emergency contacts registered with their Care Go app. The push alert service has no monthly subscription fee and works for iOS recipients even if their phones are on silent mode.
“Protectors” and emergency contacts can also use the Alphahom as a two-way person finder due to its real-time GPS positioning but requires a phone with Bluetooth 5.0 to use. Due to this, the Alphahom also works similarly to AirTags and other GPS trackers.
Brand: BASU
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: Yes
Features: Weatherproof
Quite similar to the She’s Birdie Personal Safety Alarm, BASU’s eAlarm is a little better due to its rechargeable battery. It has similar active systems like its 130-decibel siren, LED strobe light, and one-second activation. Aside from the batteries, there are not a lot of differences from the She’s Birdie system. If you want to rid yourself of the hassle of replacing batteries every 40 minutes of use, we suggest getting this BASU instead of She’s Birdie.
Brand: MaxxmAlarm
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Battery replacement kit included
The MaxxmAlarm Replaceable Battery SOS Alert system is another active alarm that combines an ear-piercing 130-decibel siren with a blinding LED flashlight. Its double LED light can pierce through 30 to 50 feet ahead, depending on weather conditions. Compared to the other active alarms on this list, it is pretty ergonomic with an oval shape that is perfect for holding. Other features include free accessories, including a metal carabiner, a 19-inch breakable lanyard, and a 3-in-1 battery replacement kit.
Brand: Stinger
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Built-in seatbelt cutter and window breaker
The Stinger Personal Alarm is not just an alarm as it also doubles as an emergency razor blade. If you need to get out of your vehicle in a hurry, this device will help you escape. From breaking windows to car crashes and other accidents involving seat belts, this blade comes in handy. Aside from these life-saving features, it does not disappoint in its main purpose. It has a strong ear-piercing siren going at 140 decibels that will surely alert anyone to your distress.
Brand: SoftVox
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (CR2032)
Features: Double speaker system
An active personal safety alarm system with a twist, SoftVox’s Self Defence Siren has two speakers instead of one. While it does only put out a siren that reaches 130 decibels, there are two speakers in both the front and back of it. Aside from this feature, this is pretty standard with an LED strobe light and a replaceable coin battery. It does have a far smoother battery replacement procedure due to its obvious screw placement.
Brand: Spartan Defense
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: Yes
Features: Exceptionally strong LED strobe light
Spartan Defense’s alarm has one striking feature, its LED strobe light. It can pierce the darkness up to 100 feet away in good weather conditions. Aside from its deceptively small size, it also has a rechargeable battery. Sadly, this device uses the older Micro-USB standard instead of the newer USB-C standard.
Brand: Vigilant Personal Protection
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Built-in whistle
A veteran in self-defense and personal protection devices, Vigilant Personal Protection is more known for its pepper spray. Partly due to this popularity and the obvious red color of this personal alarm, it is not a good device to have in certain situations. For everyday use, however, it is perfectly fine to use. Its main advantage over other items on this list of personal safety alarms is its built-in whistle. This means that you can still call for help even with a drained battery!
Brand: VIGOROAD
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Toy-like design
The best active personal safety alarm to give your kids is probably the VIGOROAD Safe Sound. Functionally similar to our best choice pick, the ROMILE Safe Sound, its main difference is its design. The VIGOROAD is designed to look like a toy that any child would place on their bag or on a key chain. This similarity may allow it to be ignored by attackers until it is triggered.
Brand: KOSIN
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Compact and lightweight (ABS plastic construction), Built-in flashlight
The first of our clone-like personal safety alarms, the KOSIN Safe Sound is visually similar to the earlier ROMILE Safe Sound. While it is a little more “egg-like” than the ROMILE, its functions are almost the same. It has a 140-decibel siren, runs on LR44 batteries, and has similar alarm triggers. Due to this similarity, we suggest getting the ROMILE 6-pack due to its slightly cheaper price.
Brand: SLForce
Function/Intended Use: Active Alarm
Rechargeable: No (LR44)
Features: Compact and lightweight (ABS plastic construction)
The last personal safety alarm system on our list is SLForce’s device. This is a similar personal safety alarm that works and functions like our Best Value pick — the ROMILE Safe Sound and KOSIN Safe Sound. With similar batteries and capabilities, the SLForce is functionally and visually similar to the earlier Safe Sounds. It is just a little bigger than the ROMILE but uses the same plastic construction.
What You Should Look for in a Personal Safety Alarm
Below are the things to consider when buying a personal safety alarm.
Intended Use
The first thing to consider when buying a personal alarm is how you intend to use it. There are personal safety devices that are specifically made for extreme adventures, while there are some for everyday use. Choose the one that fits the occasion. This leads us to the next consideration, durability.
Durability
The first thing you should look into is how durable the product is. An alarm from more established and known companies should have better quality control and standards for their devices. If you can handle the product physically, test it out before fully committing to buying it.
Battery Capacity and Charging
Battery capacity and charging are vital parts of personal safety alarms. Aside from the one from Vigilance, most alarms on this list end up being useless if their batteries are drained. A higher battery capacity is a must for alarms that use disposable batteries, while rechargeable batteries need to have short charging times to allow for daily use.
Cost
The last main factor in getting a personal safety alarm is its cost. While the cool Bluetooth-capable and GPS-equipped ones are nice, they may not fit your budget. In that case, cheaper and active alarm systems might be the better choice. In the end, your pick should be a balance between what you need and what you can afford.
What Next?
There you go, 15 of the best personal safety alarms currently on the market. If you want to learn more about cool gadgets like these, you might be interested in checking out the best GPS trackers. Others that want more functional tech might also be interested in the best tactical smartwatches instead.