I wish, you (we) never have to use these devices.

But with the attacks on women runner rising, it is very much required to stay safe.

Any general piece of safety advice will not help and unfortunately, you should equip yourself for the worst.

Also, some of the safety devices like SABRE 3-IN-1 Pepper Spray are very effective in these kinds of situations

Best Personal Safety Devices for runners in 2023

#1

Katana Safety Arc

Check Price!

#2

VIPERTEK VTS-T01 – Aluminum Heavy Duty Stun Gun

Check Price!

#3

SABRE 3-IN-1 Pepper Spray

Check Price!

#4

Knuckle Lights Original

Check Price!

1. Katana Safety Arc

You will get three layers of safety with Katana. 

☑️ The first layer of defense has an ultra slim alarm and relay device containing two alarms.

The first alarm is a piercing audible siren which can be activated by the flick of the finger. Also, you can activated by an ingenious hidden wristband.

The second alarm is a discreet silent-alert which can be used in uncomfortable situations where a siren may not be appropriate.

☑️ The second layer of defense is the 24/7 Emergency Response Center. This layer is activated when you press the alarms and will bye pass your locked screen.

Response center will contact the local emergency services and/or up to 7 members chosen by you (Katana Circle)

☑️ The third layer of defense is your Katana Circle; a group of 7 members chosen by you. They will receive a map with your location in case of emergency.

Perfect for any kind of outdoor activities or travel.

You will never need to change the batteries.

2. VIPERTEK VTS-T01 – Aluminum Heavy Duty Stun Gun

This is a heavy-duty stun gun which is a flashlight as well. 

With this flashlight you will get 450 Lumen and 3 modes of operation.

They are High, Low, Strobe.

This flashlight is very durable as it is made from Type III aircraft-grade aluminum alloy body with anti-roll design.

You can safely use the light bulb for a maximum of 100,000 hours.

The batteries are rechargeable. So, you will not incur the recurring cost of battery replacement.

It is very handy as it has a size of only 7.5″

If you are in an unfortunate situation of being attacked, you can test fire it in the open air. The intimidating electrical sound is often enough to deter your attacker.

Otherwise a jolt from the stun gun will temporarily disrupt the message the brain sends to the voluntary muscles. 

3. SABRE 3-IN-1 Pepper Spray

You will get maximum protection as it has the maximum stopping power of 10 feet.

Also, its chemical composition is more effective whereas other brands have a failure rate of around 30%

As per the manufacturer it is a trusted brand by the police department of New York, Chicago PD, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s & U.S. Marshals.

You will get an adjustable hand strap which will help you to keep your safety device at your finger tips.

Also, it will prevent its accidental discharge from the canister, keeping you safe.

When you make a purchase, the package comes with link to free training video which teaches you, how to use this properly.

Also, you can get more safety instructions from the blog maintained by the manufacturer.

4. Knuckle Lights Original

You will get two lights as a set, one for each of your hands.These sits on your knuckles comfortably as they come with silicone bands.

You can easily adjust them as per your hand size as they come with adjustable straps.

It gives out a wide beam of white light f 150 lumens, which is enough for lighting up till 2 feet.

There are three settings for the lights. High, low and Strobe and are water proof.

You can use them in any kind of conditions like heavy rain, extreme cold or terrible heat. Also, you don’t need to charge them as they come with replaceable batteries.

Now why did I include them as a safety device? 

God forbid, if you have to deal with a close combat situation, then these hardened knuckles can deliver extra strong punch, while the light will temporarily blind the attacker. 

You will get enough time to flee from the situation.

FAQs 

What are the dangers that a women runner face and how to be safe?

There are many kinds of dangers that a women runner face.

Some are relatively nonviolent in nature, but causes serious emotional turmoil.

The problem is, you can run but you cannot escape sexism.

What are the best personal safety devices for runners?

In the later part of this post, I’ve reviewed some of these time tested devices. I pray to God that you never have to use these devices.

Here are the top ones. But before getting into detailed review of the devices, I would like to answer some important questions about runners safety.

Sexism in Fitness

Women have come a long way from being a home-maker to be President and Prime Minister of countries.

Yet, we have to deal with Sexism in every field including self-care and fitness.

You simply cannot feel safe when you are running alone. The time of the day doesn’t matter.

Though I’ve said in new runners feel self-conscious for apparently no reason, that is not the whole truth.

My Gym instructor (male) have told me many times, that I should not run alone and especially in the early morning or in the evenings.

I’m not safe.

I cannot blame him as there have been incidents in the neighborhood against the lone women runners.

I wanted to tell him that, it is virtually impossible to gather a crowd every-time I want to run.

And this is strange because, male runner never have to think about this or are never advised to do this.

It is simply a mentality, that women should not run. Though statistics show that 57% of runners are women and more than half my readers are women.

What are the other form of sexism that I’ve faced?

• Cat-calling
• Some wierdo following me in the car. I still get chills down my spine when I think about it. I cut my run short and came back home early that day.
• Random people will ask you out or ask for your phone number
• Winking by random people or other lewd gestures.

Apparently, these men get aroused by everything and anything.

Fortunately for me, these situations never aggravated to a point where I got physically hurt.

But some women are not as fortunate. And there are many news about how lone woman runners get abducted, raped and killed.

How to stay safe while running alone?

If you follow these tips there is no guarantee that you will be safe, but it may increase your chances of survival.

• Run in a crowded place – This is a cliche but can’t help. We have to adapt to survive. You can visit a joggers park or sorts. While it will not stop all those catcalling and winking, but it will reduce the chance of getting abducted.(I’m really sorry that I had to write this)
• Don’t take the same route – Don’t let the attackers know your pattern. That way, they will not have a way to plan ahead. So, don’t take the same route everyday.
• Research the area – If you are planning to take a new route, research it ahead of time.
• Avoid headphones – If you must use music, get small wearable speakers like Zulu Audio Wearable Bluetooth Speakers. These will get attached to your running gear and is very easy to carry around.

How to research a new running route for safety?

If you are thinking of taking a new running route, you must first research the safety of the route.

Try following these steps:

1. Use a Crime Mapping Service:

CrimeReports and SpotCrime are two services that you can use to verify crime reports

You can enter the addresses where you plan to run, and you can get a complete list crimes committed in the vicinity.

They also provide the dates and types of crimes.

You can also compare neighborhoods for lowest crime rates.

2. Check the National Sex Offender Public Website

U.S Department of Justice maintains a database of National Sex Offenders

National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW)  allows you to enter a particular address and give you the details of sex offenders living near by.

3. Talk to the runners already using the route

Finding these runners will be tough. But if you do some research, you may find some running groups in those routes.

Approach them and try to talk. You will get a pulse of the route. This is enough for a ‘yay’ or ‘nay’.

What else can you do?

Educate the men in your lives.

Men are mostly less sensitive to these issues as they most of the times don’t have to face similar kind of situations.

And the society trains them to think differently.

But since they care about you and want to keep you safe (an evolutionary thing…can’t help), they will be more open to adapt.

Request them to make their friends and colleagues aware of the same. 

The more awareness we can bring to this issue, the safer we will be. Also, this applies for lone male runners also.

They just don’t speak up as they think of it as a weakness and suffer in silence.

Can Safety Devices Help when you are running alone?

Yes, to certain extent they can. But again there is no guarantee. 

However, they will definitely help you in case of violent attacks.

Here is a list of my best personal safety devices for runners.

References

https://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/

https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20815587/the-problem-is-not-women-running-alone/

https://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/214159/woman-opens-up-about-dangers-running-alone

https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/running/tips/running-alone-safety/

https://www.scarymommy.com/molly-tibbetts-running-women/

https://www.active.com/running/articles/6-running-safety-tips

https://runnersconnect.net/women-runners-safety-while-running/

https://www.womensrunning.com/2013/09/safety/i-will-never-run-alone-again-a-survivors-story_15583

https://cityfitgirls.com/blog//tips-to-staying-safe-while-running

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/well/move/running-while-female.html

Recent Posts