Best Pepper Spray For When You Are In Danger (Reviews)
There are plenty of effective non-lethal weapons out there, but pepper spray is one of the best. If you’re planning on buying pepper spray, you’ll want to know what the best pepper spray is.
Doing your research and purchasing a pepper spray that is effective and meets your needs will enable you to not only keep yourself safer, but keep those around you safer as well.
Since pepper spray is such a popular product, it can be hard to figure out exactly which one you should buy. I have taken the guesswork out of it for you and created a list of the best pepper sprays.
SABRE
SABRE is one of the most popular brands of pepper spray currently on the market. The company was founded in 1975 and initially sold tear gas before moving into the pepper spray market.
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SABRE’s pepper sprays are tested at an in-house HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) lab to ensure that the company’s sprays never fail as the result of a bad batch.
The quick-release key ring allows you to quickly detach your pepper spray from the rest of your keys if you ever need to use it. This means less keys jingling around and the option to use your pepper spray even if your key is already in a lock.
Key Features
- 4-year shelf-life
- Quick-release key ring
- Safety tips included in package
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Police Magnum Faux Leather Holster
This Police Magnum Pepper Spray comes in a faux leather holster with a key ring. One order gets you two .5oz pepper spray canisters that are a blend of pepper spray and UV dye.
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The combination of each canister’s safety top and the faux leather holster provides pretty good assurance that you will not accidentally discharge this spray, which could be beneficial if you plan on having it around children.
Key Features
- Safety top
- Faux leather holster with key ring
- UV dye/pepper spray blend
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Mace Pepper Spray Gun
Mace Security has been around since 1970. The company is headquartered out of Cleveland, Ohio and sells pepper spray and a variety of other self-defense items. The company provides educational programs and warranties on products.
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The Mace Pepper Spray Gun is (unsurprisingly) shaped like a gun. This not only makes it cool to look at, it also makes it highly accurate and easy to use. The gun uses pepper spray cartridges that can be replaced once they run out of pepper spray.
This pepper spray gun is also equipped with an LED light, which is trigger-activated. The light helps you aim the gun and disorients a would-be attacker.
Key Features
- Pepper spray/UV dye formula
- 20-ft range
- Fires from any angle
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Police Magnum OC
This Police Magnum OC Pepper Spray comes in a .5oz canister inside of a pink molded keychain. The pepper spray features a safety top to prevent accidental discharge and its .5oz size makes it easy to carry due to a lack of bulk.
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The molded keychain is equipped with a key ring and belt clip, which enables it to be carried on a key ring, on a belt, or clipped to the inside of a pocket. This versatility can provide easy access regardless of your carry preference.
Key Features
- Safety top
- Key ring
- Belt clip
- Pepper spray/UV dye blend
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SABRE 3-in-1
SABRE has been around since 1975 and is one of the most popular brands of pepper spray on the market.
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What’s special about the SABRE 3-in-1 pepper spray is (you guessed it) that there are three ingredients in the formulation: pepper spray, CS military tear gas, and UV marking dye.
This pepper spray also comes with a clip that you can use to attach it to a pocket or another location. The benefit of this is that it allows quick, easy access to your pepper spray because it’s not attached to your keys.
Key Features
- 3-in-1 formulation
- Pocket clip
- Strong ballistic stream
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Defense Technologies First Defense OC Stream
Defense Technology is a subsidiary of the Safariland Group. The Safariland Group started making gun holsters in California garage in 1964. The Safariland Group is now a term used to refer to the 19 brands operating under its umbrella.
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Defense Technology’s First Defense OC Stream Pepper Spray comes in a 3oz size that is able to deliver 20-25 bursts of spray at a 10-12 foot range. More bursts of spray translates to more time for you to disable an attacker and reach safety.
This pepper spray is rated at 1.3% major capsaicinoids, which basically means IT BURNS. An independent laboratory tests all of Defense Technology’s major capsaicinoid percentages to ensure accuracy.
Key Features
- 3% major capsaicinoids percentage
- 10-12 foot range
- 20-25 bursts of spray per canister
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Fox Labs Flip Top Stream
Fox Labs International was founded in 1992. The company seeks to provide law enforcement personnel with the best possible products to enable them to serve effectively. This focus translates into a high-quality product for civilians as well.
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The Fox Labs Flip Top Stream Pepper Spray is equipped with a flip top component, which keeps it from spraying when you don’t want it to.
It also has an impressive 17-20 foot range and provides about 18 half-second bursts of spray. Again, more range + more bursts of spray = better chance of you stopping an attacker.
Key Features
- Flip top
- 17-20 foot stream
- Roughly 18 half-second bursts of spray
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Mace Personal Defense
As I mentioned earlier, Mace Security has been around since 1970 and sells not only pepper spray, but also a variety of other self-defense products.
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The Mace Personal Defense Spray is formulated with a mixture of OC spray and UV dye. The benefit to this is that, if your attacker is able to get away after being sprayed, he (or she) will be coated in dye and easily identified.
This defense spray comes with a flip-top, a pocket clip, and a small chain, which gives you the option to attach it to your keys or keep it in your pocket.
Key Features
- OC spray and UV dye formulation
- Pocket clip
- Convenient size
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Mace Pepper Defense-Jogger Model
Mace’s Jogger Model of its Pepper Mace Defense Spray provides 18 grams of pepper spray in an easy-to-carry package. The pepper spray canister is located within a plastic casing.
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The casing is equipped with an elastic strap that wraps around your hand, a belt clip, a flip-top, and a keychain loop. This pepper spray has a range of 8-12 feet and provides 10 one-second bursts of spray.
Key Features
- Elastic hand strap
- Flip-top
- 8-12 foot range
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Kimber Pepper Blaster
Kimber began in 1979 as a gun manufacturing company. The company still manufactures firearms but is also widely known for its production of the Kimber Peppe rBlaster.
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The PepperBlaster is shaped similarly to a pistol and utilizes a trigger mechanism to discharge a “blast” of pepper spray gel. The benefit of this mechanism is that it reduces the risk of blowback that often comes with more traditional pepper sprays.
Each PepperBlaster provides two shots of liquid that are discharged at a rapid speed. Its familiar shape, ease-of-use, and limited risk of blowback make it an effective choice.
Key Features
- 90mph discharge
- Low risk of blowback
- Familiar shape/trigger mechanism
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Pepper spray really is an effective tool to have in your arsenal. When properly used, it can stop an attacker without seriously injuring them and allow you to reach safety.
Do you carry pepper spray? Why or why not? Have you ever used pepper spray or had it used on you? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments section.
How to Select the Best Pepper Spray?
These are some considerations to keep in mind when you looking to buy a pepper spray
Size
Size is highly important when selecting a pepper spray. The obvious thing to point out is that smaller canisters will provide less spray, whereas larger canisters will provide more spray.
Do you want to carry your pepper spray with you every day? If so, you will likely want a smaller size that can fit in a pocket or a purse. If you are planning on keeping your pepper spray in the same location, then you can opt for a larger size.
Purpose
What do you plan on using your pepper spray for? Home defense? Self-defense in public? Protection from stray dogs? These factors will affect the type of pepper spray that you should buy.
If you are planning to use your pepper spray for home defense, you can opt for a larger canister and a fogger type discharge.
If you are planning to use your pepper spray for public self-defense or protection from animals, you can get a smaller canister that provides a stream or spray type discharge.
Budget
Budget is the limiting factor for most people looking to make any purchase. Be realistic about the amount of money you can spend on your pepper spray. Understand that the purchase is an investment in your safety, and as such, demands that you spend an appropriate amount of money.
How much is your life worth? Spending a few extra dollars on a high-quality product that is unlikely to fail is worth it!
FAQs
How do I use pepper spray?
Using pepper spray is a pretty simple task. It is important to know the range of the spray you buy; for example: if your pepper spray has a range of 8 feet, you wouldn’t want to spray it if you were 15 feet away from an assailant.
Make sure the safety on the pepper spray is off, put your thumb on the trigger, aim at your target (the attacker’s face), and press down. Move to the side after discharging your pepper spray to stay clear of the attacker.
If you are using something like the Mace Pepper Spray Gun or the Kimber PepperBlaster, the process is the same, but instead of pressing down on the trigger with your thumb, you will pull the trigger with your index finger.
How long does pepper spray last?
Pepper spray is generally effective for 2-4 years after the production date. Most pepper sprays have an expiration date somewhere on the canister. Make sure to check this date and replace your pepper spray as necessary.
What is the difference between mace and pepper spray?
Mace and pepper spray are the same thing. They are both oleoresin capsicum (OC) sprays designed to incapacitate a threat. Mace is simply a brand that produces pepper spray products.
How should I store pepper spray?
Ideally, store your pepper spray at room temperature. If you store your pepper spray in areas above 120 degrees fahrenheit or below 32 degrees fahrenheit, you run the risk of the canister leaking or exploding. That being said, it’s not safe to store pepper spray in your car.
How is pepper spray strength measured?
Pepper spray strength is measured in a few ways: MCs (major capsaicinoids), OC content (oleoresin capsicum content), CRCs (capsaicin and related capsaicinoids), and SHUs (Scoville Heat Units). Here are the general ranges for these types of measurements (each of these measuring methods has its quirks and there is some interplay between SHUs and OC content):
MCs: 0.5%-2.0%
OC content: 2%-18%
CRCs: 1% and up
SHUs: up to 5.3 million SHU
Types of Pepper Spray
These are the three common types of pepper spay
Stream
These types of pepper spray provide a direct stream and can have a range of around 20 feet. The stream sprays in a direct line, so aiming does require some skill. Most gel and foam pepper sprays utilize the stream discharge method.
Fogger
Fogger pepper sprays have a shorter range than stream pepper spray and spray a fine mist, effectively creating a “fog” of pepper spray. This type of pepper spray is easier to aim, but due to the fine mist it creates, has an increased risk of blowback.
Cone
The cone discharge method is similar to that of fogger pepper sprays, but rather than creating a “fog” around the attacker, this method sprays a mist at the attacker. There is more risk of blowback than with stream pepper sprays, but less than that of fogger sprays.
Tips for Pepper Spray Use
Spray downwind if possible. This will reduce the risk of blowback and ensure that you do not get sprayed with the pepper spray that you intended to hit an attacker with.
Replace your pepper spray periodically. Pepper spray does have a shelf-life; this is generally 2-4 years from the date that it was produced. Make sure to check the expiration date on your pepper spray and replace when necessary. This becomes especially important if you have discharged your pepper spray.
Aim for the face. Pepper spray produces a burning, irritating sensation, and its effects will be most pronounced when it hits the eyes, nose, and mouth of an attacker.
Practice using your pepper spray. No matter how good your pepper spray is, it’s useless if you can’t get it out quickly enough or are unable to use it effectively. Make sure you are comfortable with quickly accessing your pepper spray and hitting a target.