How to choose the right personal safety product

Personal safety while out running or walking has become one of the top things on women’s priority lists, and product developers have listened. With a wide range of personal safety devices on the market today, it’s essential to know which features to look for when choosing one that’s right for you.

Personal safety products can be anything from wearable alarms to whistles worn around one’s neck. As technology develops, there are more features included in personal safety devices. This guide to personal safety products will give you tips and tricks on what to look for when selecting a safety device and look at some of the pros and cons of some popular types of products today

Must have features for personal safety products

When it comes to your personal safety, you shouldn't have to compromise on the product you entrust. For this reason, there are several features you need to look out for when selecting your personal
safety device or product. Different products work better for different people, but there are some non-negotiables.

Securely fits on your body

If you're out for a walk or a run, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your personal safety device will go missing. For this reason, make sure that you purchase a product that fits onto your body securely. Safety products can either fit around your wrist like a watch or around your neck with the device tucking into your shirt. Either way, you need to be able to trust that the device will not fall off while you’re out. Devices such as mobile phones fit into your pocket with ease, making them an easy example of a product to take walking with you.

Cannot be used against you

In the event of an attack, you need to ensure that the attacker cannot use your personal protection device against you to inflict further harm. This is less likely with products such as whistles and wearables.

Easily Accessible

If you’re out walking on your own, you need to make sure that your personal safety product is easy and quick to access. An attacker will not wait for you to grab your protection device before they initiate violence, so the device needs to be within reach.

There are many mobile phone apps that you can activate to alert others that you are under attack. Phones are usually accessible and with us most of the time, which is why they have become so popular.

Digital devices are connected to social networks and authorities

Digital wearable protective devices are becoming increasingly popular in the personal protection device market. Many of these devices have the ability to track you and alert a select few friends and
family members to your whereabouts should you be attacked or trigger an alarm.

When choosing a digital device, it’s essential that it has the ability to send an alert to family members or friends as well as the local authorities so that help can come for you as soon as possible. Many wearable devices can trigger phone calls or push notifications to friends and police, however they require you to activate these triggers manually. This may not be feasible in the middle of an attack.

Pros and cons of personal safety product types

The main categories of personal safety products include alarms, whistles, and, of course, mobile phone apps. Each is effective in its own way if allowed to be used correctly. Before you consider buying a protection device, you need to weigh up the pros and cons.

Whistles

When being attacked or feeling in danger, you need to be able to make a loud noise. Whistles are popular with those who exercise outdoors. If something is wrong, they can alert people around you to the problem, attracting help.

Pros

Make a loud noise to alert others when used.
Easily wearable and generally lightweight.
Unlikely to be dangerous to you during an attack.

Cons

Not effective in quiet areas with no one around.
Requires you to blow into them, which may be impossible during an attack.

Attack alarms

Similar to a whistle, the purpose of an attack alarm is to alert others around you that you have a problem. These are usually discrete designs and are easily carried either in a bag or on your person. Some alarms can be very loud, which means that more people are likely to help you in the event of an attack.

Pros

A very loud noise is triggered to alert as many people as possible that you are in trouble.
Easy to carry on your person or in a handbag.

Cons

You have to trigger them yourself to sound the alarm, which may be impossible during an assault.
They may be difficult to access from a bag during an attack.

Mobile phone apps

Personal safety apps on mobile phones have become a very protective solution among the younger generation and smartphone users. These apps are usually linked with an individual’s social network and will send alerts to selected contacts should they be in trouble.

Pros

They can be linked to your phone’s contact list.
Apps can trigger phone calls to the authorities or emergency contacts.

Cons

Some apps require you to open them before they can be used. This may not be possible under certain circumstances.
It requires you to have your mobile phone with you, which may not be all the time.
You cannot secure your phone to yourself without a pocket or additional product.

New technology is on the rise

Although there has been a lot of progress in the world of personal safety devices, specifically geared towards those who like to walk and run on their own, there are downsides to them all. Mostly, many of these solutions require you to reach for them during an attack, which can be very difficult when in an unexpected scenario.

Epowar has developed a new app that connects to your mobile watch and triggers automatically in the event of an attack. The victim will not have to do anything, as the app monitors your distress signs in real-time with the help of AI. The app automatically triggers an alarm via the watch and sends an alert to your selected contacts, informing them of your location. Epowar also records the event, immediately turning the microphone feature on and uploads the data of the attack, including voice recordings and GPS locations, as well as your whereabouts, to the cloud. This provides evidence if you need to file a police report and will assist authorities in catching the perpetrators.

Read more about Epowar’s personal safety technology, or download the app from the App Store.

We will be launching on Android and other wearable smart devices later on in the year. So keep an eye out for further updates.