I consider myself and my team to be self defense experts. That considered we are always interested in investigating and researching the effectiveness of self defense products. Over the last few months the volume of our personal alarm sales has been astonishing. With that said I would like to explain personal alarms, what they are, how they work, and their effectiveness at deterring crime.
Personal alarms are small hand-held electronic devices with the functionality to emit a loud siren-like alarming sound. Many have activation buttons that when pressed sets the siren off, some have a pull pin or a sprint that when pulled sets the siren off. The device can be thrown away in one direction, and the sprint in another direction such as into a bush.
These safety devices are used to deter criminals. It is used when attacked by an assailant or when in danger to scare off the assailant and attract attention.
The sound emitted can have the effect of distracting, disorienting, and surprising the assailant.
It is certainly a good idea to test the alarm monthly to ensure that the battery has a good charge and the unit is working properly.
The volume vary from model to model, some models have 130 decibel alarms and features such as strobe lights or mini flashlights.
Below I have listed some examples of common sounds and their decibel levels, but first First, remember that the decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit, meaning that you cannot add and subtract dB like ordinary numbers. For example, an increase of 3 dB is a doubling of the "strength" of the sound, and an increase of 10 dB means that the sound is 10 times as loud; i.e., 70 dB is 10
times as loud as 60 dB.
Ordinary speaking voice.................60 dB
Heavy traffic...............................85 dB
Power lawnmower up close............90 dB
Motorcycle (rider)........................90 dB
Chainsaw...................................100 dB
Rock music at concert..................110 dB
Jet plane takeoff at 100 yards........120 dB
Threshold of pain..........................140 dB
Our personal alarms emit between 110 - 130 db depending on the model.
So are personal alarms effective? You better believe it! They are extremely effective as a self defense tool because the are easy to operate, very inexpensive, and they emit a loud ear piercing frequency that is sure to startle or even disorient an attacker while signaling to others that you need help.
By far the most beneficial use is their ability to draw attention. Criminals don't like an audience as you can imagine, so in most cases the attacker is going to turn and run when the alarm is activated.
Personal alarms are not weapons, therefore we recommend a second layer of defense such as pepper spray or stun guns. This way you have two layers of protection. Should an attacker continue an assault after sounding the alarm you have the pepper spray or stun gun to fall back on. I can assure you that anyone who has ever been sprayed or shocked will attest to the almost immediate effectiveness of pepper spray and stun guns.
For less than $30 dollars you can arm yourself with a personal alarm and pepper spray or stun gun. $30 for piece of mind, thats a steal! We offer a huge selection of self defense products including personal alarms, stun guns, and pepper spray.
You owe it to yourself and family to be proactive and prepared should some form of crime come your way!
