Personal Safety Devices: Things to Consider

You’ve probably seen plenty of posts for personal safety products on your social media feeds and may even have thought about buying a bedazzled pepper spray or a multicolored kubaton. But before you click “order” on anything,first think about when you’ll be using it. Are you plan on having it with you every day? If so, chances are you don’t want to get something big and bulky because no matter how awesome it seems, you won’t bring it with you if it’s hard to manage.

Once you’ve picked out a device that works for you, you still need to do a little more research. Just because an online store will ship it to you doesn’t mean it’s legal for you to have it. More reputable stores will have restrictions on the product page or in their FAQ section. There are also sites like Lawrina and WorldPopulationReview which have complied information from all 50 states as to what is and isn’t legal with it comes to things like pepper spray or stun guns. Just remember to verify that the information is up-to-date for your city/state.

Now that you have your device in hand, you may think that you are good to go. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily the case. According to David Nance, founder of the SABRE Personal Safety Academy, “You need to be familiar with the product and know how to use it.” To help with that, the SABRE website has free how-to videos. They also sell practice cartridges so you can learn how to correctly use their pepper spray and gel and the academy also offers classes with trained instructors.

In addition to being familiar with a product, another of David’s tips is to “be sure you can access it easily and quickly.” So just having pepper spray or alarm somewhere in your bag won’t help you if you are unlucky enough to need it.