The best personal alarm is loud, easy to carry, and comes with some extra safety features. It also doesn’t hurt if the device is cute too. That’s why She’s Birdie is our top pick for the best personal alarm. We’ve also rounded up some other personal defense winners that are perfect for different needs.
Why you can trust SafeWise
products considered
250+
research hours in 25+ in-home tests
10k+
years of combined experience
176+
homes and people protected
10M+
For over 11 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to create unbiased, human reviews. Learn how we test and review.
5 min readBest Personal Alarms
- : Best overall
- : Budget pick
- : Best alarm length
- : Best combo
- : Best for travel
Compare best personal alarms
Product | Best for | Price | Decibles | Light strobe | Alarm length | Learn more |
| Best overall | $29.95 | 130dB |  Yes | 40 min. | View on Amazon | |
| Budget pick | $17.99 | 140dB |  No | 50 min. | View on Amazon | |
| Best alarm length | $15.95 | 130dB | No | 5 hrs. | View on Amazon | |
| Best Combo | $24.99 | 130 dB | No | Not listed | View on Amazon | |
| Best for travel | $13.25 | 120 dB | No | 55 sec. | View on Amazon |
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Video: Pepper spray, personal alarms, and safety apps
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.
1. She’s Birdie: Best overall
Best overall
She’s Birdie is our pick for the best personal alarm. Unlike most on the market, it offers a bright strobe LED light as well as a 130db alarm, key ring, and carabiner.
Pros
Strobe light
Stylish design
Charitable support for women’s safety 
Cons
Not the loudest pick The sleek personal alarm comes in trendy colors like coral, lemon, indigo, charcoal, and aqua, but doesn’t stand out too much. So you may be able to convince the fashionable teen in your life to carry it.
Another thing that set Birdie apart is it gives 5% of its profits to organizations that support women’s safety.
2. Kosin Safe Sound: Budget pick
Budget pick
Kosin Safe Sound is amazingly affordable at under $20 for six personal safety alarms. This is the perfect pick if you want to protect a lot of family and friends without breaking the bank.
Pros
Loudest alarm
Range of colors
Mini light Cons
No strobe light While the Safe Sound personal alarm is affordable, it doesn’t skimp on the alarm. It’s the loudest one on our list at 140dB. That’s about as loud as a gunshot and sure to get people’s attention.
While it doesn’t have a strobe light like our personal safety alarm top pick, it does have a mini light you can use to help find the keyhole to unlock your front door.
3. Weten: Best alarm length
Best alarm length
The Weten personal alarm has one major way it stands out. Its alarm can run for five hours. This is a good feature for when you’re lost because it gives people time to find you.
Pros
Sounds for five hours
Range of colors
Mini light Cons
No strobe light Beyond that, the Weten has a mini light for finding your way in dark situations. Another nice feature is that the pin stays attached to the personal alarm after it’s pulled, so it doesn’t get lost.
4. Kuros: Best combo
Best combo
Kuros is the best personal alarm choice if you’re also looking for a pepper spray. This matching duo provides a whistle, alarm, and Mace brand pepper spray.
Pros
Pepper spray
Built-in whistle Cons
No light
Button activation There are two drawbacks. One, it doesn’t have a light. Two, you push a button to activate the personal safety alarm instead of pulling a pin. This could make it easier to accidentally activate the alarm, particularly if you’re around small children.
While you’re shopping, don’t miss our list of the top pepper sprays.
5. Sabre HS-DSA Wedge: Best for travel
Best for travel
The Sabre HS-DSA Wedge is a different type of personal alarm. It wedges under doors to prevent them from opening. When someone does try to open the door, it sounds an alarm for 55 seconds.
Pros
Keeps doors closed
Notifies of intruders
Multiple uses Cons
Alarm only sounds 55 seconds We can think of a bunch of places the Sabre personal alarm could come in handy. You could use it when you’re staying at a hotel, or when you’re using a gas station bathroom with a door that won’t lock. It could be good for when you’re staying at a friend’s house and they have a roommate you don’t quite trust. Teachers can use it to keep dangerous individuals out of classrooms. You can also use it to boost your home security.
Things to consider before you buy
There are a few things to remember before buying a personal alarm self defense. First, look for one that is loud. 120dB to 140dB is a good range.
Second, pin activation on a personal alarm keychain is best. To activate these types of alarms, all you have to do is pull hard on the device. This is great for when you only have one hand free, plus it’s harder to activate accidentally.
Third, look for a personal alarm device that adds an extra layer of protection:
- Strobe lights help get others’ attention at night.
- A whistle is a backup in case the alarm doesn’t work.
- Pepper spray can deter those not scared off by the alarm.
Final word
She’s Birdie is our pick for the best personal alarm for self defense because it’s loud, it has a strobe light, and it has an attractive design. We also love that they donate profits to help keep other women safe.
While you’re on the hunt, check out our list of top personal safety devices.
FAQ
It depends on the situation. Personal alarm keychains are handy for bringing attention to your circumstances, which may scare away a potential attacker or thief.
They can also help someone find you when you’re lost. Children can use them when they’ve lost sight of their parents in a crowd too. Personal alarm systems will alert people to your situation if you’ve fallen or hurt yourself and need help as well.
In our research, we’ve found that most personal attack alarms are around 130 decibels. That’s painfully loud for most people and just a little quieter than a jet engine.
You sure can. The TSA currently has no restrictions on personal security alarms. If the keychain alarm sets off the scanner, it may need to be examined though.
In our research, we found personal alarms that went up to 140 decibels.
Is an Apple Airtag tracking me?
Check out our Apple Airtag FAQ for steps on how to find out if an Apple AirTag is tracking you.
Image: Birdie
To pick the best personal safety alarms we relied on our decades of safety and security experience. We also researched customer reviews to see what people are looking for in a personal alarm. We compared the most popular brands to find the best picks, while also looking for brands that offer a different twist on the typical personal alarm.
To learn more about how we review products and services, check out our Safewise methodology page.
Related articles
Disclaimers
*Product prices and availability are accurate as of post date and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
Recent Articles
Best Apartment Security Systems of 2024
In 2024, we tested the best apartment security systems and cameras. They offer security solutions...
The Best Home Security Systems and Alarm Companies of 2024
After thousands of hours of tests and research, we picked Vivint and SimpliSafe as the...
Abode vs Ring: Which security system is better?
Abode reigns over Ring in this DIY system face-off, but it’s not a clean sweep....
The Best Smart Home Security Systems
We’ve tested and researched smart home security systems to help you find the right DIY...
