Personal safety alarms, like other self-defense tools, aren’t foolproof, but they are compact, simple sirens that can deter attackers and alert people nearby to come to your aid. Since I moved to New York City, my personal safety alarm brings me ease at a comfortable size and price. Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you After seeing the Birdie Alarm by She’s Birdie blow up on social media, my mom gifted it to me for my college graduation. And even though I thankfully haven’t had to use it yet, she’d argue – and I’d have to agree – that it’s the best $30 she’s ever spent. Upon first glance, the Birdie is unassuming. Sleek, lightweight, and available in five trendy colors, you’d think it’s a purse charm or high-tech luggage tag. When the two-piece body is pulled apart, however, it sets off an ear-piercing 130dB alarm and jarring strobe light. Review: This tiny keychain is a mighty tool for your personal safety Again, I’m lucky that I haven’t had to truly put the alarm to the test, but the company says the battery lasts up to 40 minutes after pulling out the pin, ideally giving you ample time to attract assistance or get out of harm’s way while making a scene. If you use your Birdie for more than even ten minutes, however, I recommend replacing the two lithium metal batteries to be extra safe. While the carabiner is a tad on the longer side for keychain attachments, it’s easy for me to twist off and transfer the alarm from bag to bag, but not intuitive for an onlooker to clip off my bag. Plus, the brass is durable and adds to the overall safety-chic aesthetic. Given the Birdie has essentially become an appendage of my bag, I’m glad it’s TSA approved, so I have a safety alarm whether I’m running down New York’s West Side Highway or traveling to Texas. Following the success of the original Birdie alarm, the company recently rolled out a more compact, feature-rich successor, the Birdie+. The Birdie+ embodies the sleek look and fun colors of the original, and it has the same pull-apart pin-activated alarm function. But being 0.25 inches shorter, it’s even more compact. Unlike the 1st-generation alarm, the Birdie+ uses Bluetooth and an app connection (both for iOS and Android) to enable 24/7 internet connection with access to a live emergency support line. The line can dispatch first responders directly to your location or just remain on the phone with you until you feel safe as a precautionary measure. Additionally, you can request an “excuse to leave call” to swiftly remove yourself from sketchy situations while immediately sharing your location with designated contacts. With one discrete tap on the button, you’ll get an immediate pre-recorded excuse-to-leave call. The Birdie+ may have ditched the circular strobe light, but the tap-to-control button provides easy access to the live support features, so you won’t have to fumble through the phone app. The Birdie+’s upgraded connectivity does come at a price – on top of the $39.95 for the hardware, there’s an added $89.99 annual or $8.99 monthly subscription fee. If you ask me, however, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind and on-demand assistance. It’s also worth noting that She’s Birdie says that the app subscription will activate 30 days after purchase. Having a personal safety alarm is no use if it’s dead. And while I love my Birdie, how much battery I have left is a facing concern – hence my suggestion to replace the batteries after a 10-minute use. That’s where the Vantamo Personal Alarm comes in. To prevent your alarm from dying when you need it most, it features a low battery indicator and USB charging port. The company claims that after one charge, the battery lasts a whole year. This is also true about the light, which is notably smaller and a little less bright than other options, like the Original Birdie alarm. Speaking of its similarity to the Original Birdie, the Vantamo comes with a twist-off carabiner and keychain, has the same two-piece pin activation function, and features fun, fashion-forward colors along with staple black and white options. Because the alarm comes with two loops on each end, many customers have reported that they’ve used it as a trip wire around their camp, as a tent alarm, or as something to secure kayaks on a trailer when venturing out to go on a hike. At 0.64 ounces, the Basu is also lightweight and easy to clip onto a hiking pack and take on the go to alert people nearby in case of emergency. Powered by 2 lithium metal batteries, the company claims the battery is long-lasting with a five-plus year shelf life. You may be thinking that the Guardian TND personal safety alarm looks like an Apple AirTag. It actually serves the same function as a location-tracking device – but not just for iPhones and Apple devices. The Guardian TND alarm itself doesn’t fire off a loud sound like the others on this list. Instead, it connects to our smartphone to track your location exclusively during an emergency, making it a great option for those who value both location privacy and personal safety. To activate, all a user needs to do is touch the tag to the back of their phone, select certain people as “Guardians” to receive alerts, and press the “emergency now” button for an alarm to sound from both your and your guardian’s phone. Unlike AirTags, the Guardian doesn’t give you unnecessary – sometimes annoying – updates when someone is moving, and it only contacts your network in the case of an emergency. This is an especially great feature if you’ve become somewhat numb to constant passive tracking. Guardian TND claims the tag lasts 10 years, so you can continue getting from “point A to point B,” as the company calls it, without worrying about fragile battery life. You may also notice that all the alarms on this list either have a pull-pin activation or are activated via a smartphone. While other alarms out there are activated via a button, I’ve heard horror stories of someone accidentally pressing the button or the flimsy side pin falling out the minute they dropped their keys. Therefore, I also heavily considered design and durability.
