Best Personal Alarms

on
Best Personal Alarms

Personal alarms are used to surprise attackers and attract attention from anyone nearby.

In truth, having a personal alarm always seemed like a great idea that just didn’t quite work as good as expected. The alarms were never loud enough to be painful, and in an emergency many would not even help attract the attention of people a few hundred feet away to your situation before it was far too late to matter. In a parking lot with other noises around you, all the siren from the alarm did was make you feel better by clutching it like an electronic safety blanket while you were an easy target.

But that was in the past. Electronics have improved incredibly over the last 10 years, and there are some really good personal alarms now. We are going to list the top 6 best personal alarms we would purchase to give to our grandmothers. We were going to provide reviews of 6 of the best alarms available anywhere, but we are way too picky at The High Tech Society and could not find a 6th personal alarm worthy of being on our list. We did find a lot of junk with an LED light, and LEDs don’t do much to help you in most situations.

All the personal protection devices in our list have the loudest volume, longest life, and most painful frequency range of anything on the market.  Most are loud enough to cause attackers to become disoriented, allowing you to flee safely.

Top 5 Best Personal Alarms

Here is our buyer's guide to the best personal alarms of 2024. You can read more about the pro’s, con’s, and features of each alarm in the reviews below.

1. She's Birdie

She's Birdie is a 130 dB pull-pin personal alarm that has been met with a lot of popularity and mixed reviews. We'll get to that in a minute, first the good.

The She's Birdie has a compact ergonomic design with a carabiner key ring. It's not designed to be another item you carry as much as your everyday key ring. The idea being that you will always have it readily available without thinking, and in the most vulnerable moments. For many people, that involves dark parking lots on the way to their car.

For those that prefer, and personally I would, you can attach the clip to your purse to allow for one-handed activation. With this setup, you just grab the alarm and pull.

The She's Birdie is water resistant and has replaceable batteries, while similar designs (that I otherwise like very much) do not. Battery life is 40 minutes of alarm activation, which is particularly impressive since it includes a particularly bright strobe light.

Now let's cover the problems. It appears some people are either getting cheap Chinese knockoffs or are getting the real version of She's Birdie but with the included batteries being low.

You should love it if you are careful to buy the original version from Amazon, sold by She's Birdie, and then install quality batteries.

Recommended Personal Alarm
Ease of Use:
Volume:
Dependability:
Price:
Pros
  • Great Keychain Design
  • Easy to Trigger SOS
  • Loud (130dB)
  • TSA Approved
  • Water Resistant
  • Replaceable Batteries
  • Multiple Attachment Options
Cons
  • Beware of fakes with this

2. BASU eAlarm+

First launched in 2016, the eAlarm+ became famous for its revolutionary design.  The alert is triggered more like a hand grenade. Keep it on your keychain, belt loop, bag, or purse strap, with your hand grasping it. Just pull the key ring on the case to activate the alarm.

When met with an unexpected danger or a sudden attack, the natural human reaction is to jump. The brilliance of the eAlarm+ product is how it exploits a natural reaction to sound a 130dB alarm so you do not have to think about turning it on or fumbling for a switch.

As a bonus, the eAlarm+ comes in a variety of colors.

With up to 5 years of battery life, not being able to change it is not a huge problem when you consider it is waterproof. Watch out for fakes with these alarms, as some copycats are real junk.

The real BASU eAlarm+ is a great personal alarm.

Ease of Use:
Volume:
Dependability:
Price:
Pros
  • Water Resistant
  • Easy to Trigger SOS
  • Loud (120 to 130dB)
  • TSA Approved
  • Fits Anywhere
Cons
  • Batteries cannot be changed
  • Beware of fakes with this

3. SLFORCE Alarm Keychain

While retaining the pin method of activation, this personal alarm has some of the classic looks of other famous models.  Because Siren Song uses a pin and lanyard cord, it can be easier to pull from your belt in an attack.

This personal security alarm is very loud and the sound will definitely draw attention.  These are the most ear-splitting, lowest priced, and highest-rated products for self-defense a person can buy.

I am VERY critical of low priced things made in China and expected to breeze past this. Instead, I found myself wondering why a 5-pack of these costs less than the She's Birdie personal alarm keychain in the review above, but the Siren Song is louder and has comparable construction quality.

demonstrating SLFORCE activation method

In the end, if I was on a budget, this is what I would give to someone I cared about. It comes in a 5-pack and has a pull-pin, so carrying 2 and activating both devices simultaneously is easy (put two straps on your wrist) and will attract more attention than anything else available.

Ease of Use:
Volume:
Dependability:
Price:
Pros
  • Loudest Safety Alarm (up to 130 decibels)
  • Cheap But Effective
  • Comes With A Pull Pin
Cons
  • Not a major brand
  • No Button to Press

4. Safety Siren

Safety Sire personal alarm

The Safety Siren personal alarm is a simple, rugged, and affordable device that can help you feel safer on your morning walk or any time you’re out alone. It has a 130dB siren to scare off potential attackers and draw attention to your situation. The bright LED light helps others see you at night, and can also be used to signal for help. The Safety Siren is easy to use, just pull the pin to activate the alarm and re-insert it to deactivate.

The keychain design makes it easy to keep the Safety Siren with you wherever you go. This is a solid mid-range alarm.

Ease of Use:
Volume:
Dependability:
Price:
Pros
  • Water Resistant
  • Easy to Trigger Alarm
  • Loud (130dB)
  • Not susceptible to accidental activation
Cons
  • Not a major brand
  • LED light is not very bright

5. Katana Safety Arc

Katana Personal Alarm

When I hear the words personal alarm, I have a tendency to think of a grandmother thinking that a loud sound is going to scare off a purse snatcher. Thankfully, this is very different.

This is the first personal alarm with truly new technology to hit the market in years. And it’s a bit of a game changer.  Although it lacks fall detection, the Katana Safety Arc can be used to summon help both inside and outside the home thanks to mobile technology.

The Katana Arc connects to the back of your smartphone (or cell phone case). It just sticks on with adhesive, with no wires and no connectors. There is a lot of peace of mind in knowing that it’s not another device to keep up with because it’s on the device you always carry. This option is well suited for children and active women thanks to its unique design.

Alarm Activation

This alarm goes beyond making a loud noise and hoping that an annoying sound will save your life when you are alone.

When you need help, a 24/7 response center is contacted and your exact GPS location is given to authorities.  A piercing 125 dB alarm can be triggered to alert others, if you choose to do so.

An alert can be sent to 7 of your contacts with a map of your location. If your wife is out jogging, this will give her a lot of peace of mind as she comes home at night.

3 methods of use for whatever situation you find yourself in:
  • Using the lanyard around your wrist, simply pull the cord and the alarm activates.
  • Traditional Push-Button Available.
  • A silent call button contacts a call center but makes no sound.

Conclusion

Katana Safety Arc alarms are more expensive than a simple noise maker, but that’s because noise makers can’t literally call for help automatically.

If you can afford it, this is the best product on the market but this alarm is #5 on our list due to the cost.

Update: Katana Safety Arc has had a series of technical and usability issues. While it is a great idea, I do not feel that it is currently implemented in such a way that I can recommend this product.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the best alarm for self-defense?

The best alarm for self-defense is the Katana Safety Arc. It has key advancements that help the product provide significantly better protection in case of attack. BASU offers the best traditionally designed product.

Are personal alarms effective?

Personal alarms are effective when used correctly. They are more effective in situations where an attacker is depending on not being noticed and they are designed to be used when you want people to come to help you. For example, activating an alarm in a busy parking lot may make a kidnapper turn and run, as the perpetrator would know that they will not succeed without having witnesses.

How much should I spend?

Portable personal alarms should cost less than $30. Better options, those that contact help automatically, are considerably more expensive. The BASU eAlarm+ and Vigilant 130 dB Keychain Alarm are both reliable and safe.

What is a personal alarm?

A personal alarm is a small electronic device that emits a loud piercing sound when activated in an emergency. Ideally, these should be small to easily fit in a pocket and strong to withstand accidental drops. Some personal alarms also have the ability to use your cell phone to call for help.

What is a personal alarm system?

A personal alarm system is a multi-layered system like the Katana Safety Arc. It is comprised of a pull-pin trigger, which activates an alarm and contacts a remote call center for help. Optionally, it can also contact multiple friends or family with a map of your GPS coordinates.

How loud is 140 Decibels?

The sound of a jet engine at takeoff is approximately 140 decibels (dB). It should be noted that the type of sound makes as much difference in how it is heard as the volume. For example, an ambulance siren is approximately 120 Decibels but it is more piercing than a sound with more bass. Humans are very sensitive to sounds in the 2 kHz to 4 kHz range.

Important Features

In addition to quality and size, there are several important features to look for when buying a personal alarm. An LED flashlight is not one of them.

Everyone wants to have protection that will make an attacker’s ears bleed. That’s all fine and nice, but the items below can be even more important to consider than the decibel level.

Durability

Good safety alarms need to be durable to withstand the numerous bumps of normal life and smacking against the keys in your pocket. Ideally, it should be able to withstand a drop on concrete. It will eventually get dropped and you need to still have confidence in it protecting you when you pick it up.

Activation System

Perhaps the most important aspect of any item for personal protection is being able to use it easily. You will want something compact and portable, whether you are putting it with your keys or it will be attached to a backpack.

When walking to your car, pulling the pin out needs to be a reflex action. If you have to fumble with it to turn it on, it could be worse than having nothing by making an attacker mad rather than surprised.

The ideal device is easy and intuitive for you to activate, but not easy to set off by accident.

Design

The design of many products seems to overshadow more important features.

Choosing a small keychain alarm because it has a cute design is the easiest mistake to make when buying safety alarms. Too often, women opt for cute alarms or a parent gets something that looks like their kids would choose.

Remember that your self-defense isn’t about fashion, it’s about your personal security and protection. Nothing else matters!

Don’t worry with trying to disguise your personal security alarm like it’s a decorative charm or teddy bear. A personal alarm is not a gun. No one is going to fear it if they see it hanging off of a purse. Buy something substantial and with some kick to it to take someone off their guard.

Battery

While some devices use rechargeable batteries, many use AAA or watch batteries and a couple of models can not be charged or changed.

Personally, I prefer a model with batteries that can be changed. Maximum voltage output is always higher than the rechargeable options, and it just takes a couple of minutes for your device to be back to full power.

Conclusion

You may see personal security alarms that have a backup whistle, built-in flashlight, or other extra features. Avoid these products, as these features drain the battery with every use and rarely provide real value. You are better off carrying a little flashlight if you need a flashlight and keeping your personal alarm charged and ready to go.

You need to feel comfortable that the alarm will draw attention from anyone around and give you time to run away. However, the most effective defense and way to ensure your safety is to pay attention to your surroundings, especially at night.

About The Author
Katrina O'Reilly is a 35-year-old technology writer from Jaynesfield, Wisconsin, specializing in cell phone data recovery, cybersecurity, and parental control apps. A proud mother and holder of certifications like CompTIA Security+ and CISSP, she has extensive knowledge of Android and iOS development. Known for her clear and informative writing, Katrina is dedicated to demystifying complex tech topics and helping individuals safeguard their digital lives.