Recommendations for a personal protection alarm please

MaiTai

Just checked with my other half who is a serving officer in the local constabulary as to what they would recommend 

1 Police approved (Secured by Design)

2 Sold Secure accredited to Gold Standard

3 Minimum 130/140 dB pin activated

4 Ease of use - to be attached to keys,bag,clothing etc

Readily available from Amazon,locksmith supplies,security equipment supplies and mobility stores.

An alarm meeting these criteria would typically cost £5-10.

Defender and Minder were brands that he recalled off the top of his head

elsien

£5 -£10 sounds acceptably cheap to me. 

As Pollycat said, her experience is that cheaper ones can work just fine. Can’t see any mistakes in someone posting their personal experience which after all is what the OP was asking for, despite other posters comments, 

My work one looks pretty basic as well but is still going strong (and loud), after several years of being carted around. Doesn’t seem to have a brand name though. 

JamoLew

I honestly can't see the relevance of:

https://designforsecurity.org/sbd-accreditation/

In helping anyone choose a suitable personal alarm

Googling it is probably better advice than giving irrelevant links



if you ask for personal advice or opinion on a public forum - that is exactly what you will get - advice and/or opinion from different people with different experiences.

It makes it neither right or wrong, but may help the OPs get a balanced viewpoint and come to a reasoned decision

BUT - it is a Public Forum, so within the rules people are allowed to post whatever they like.

There is no rule that says the reply has to be 100% helpful to 100% of people.

Not sure if there's even a rule that says post need to be 100% factual or true

There is however one about previously banned people creating and posting under a new account

Grumpy_chap

I can't recommend any particular alarm, but this is one item where cheap is probably as good as expensive - they are very simple devices.

What is worth checking is how the alarm is activated.  My Mum has an alarm but the cap is too stiff for her to pull off.  Pointless

justworriedabit

MaiTai said:

Just checked with my other half who is a serving officer in the local constabulary as to what they would recommend 

1 Police approved (Secured by Design)

2 Sold Secure accredited to Gold Standard

3 Minimum 130/140 dB pin activated

4 Ease of use - to be attached to keys,bag,clothing etc

Readily available from Amazon,locksmith supplies,security equipment supplies and mobility stores.

An alarm meeting these criteria would typically cost £5-10.

Defender and Minder were brands that he recalled off the top of his head

Excellent post and confirming what I have already stated.

It's no good going for a "cheap" one just becuse its still "working" for you. Those sold under the approved logo as I and you have tested have been tried and tested under stress and are the best out there as I have one from years ago and  same brand with logo accreditation were given out at work and someone had dropped their alarm and a van went over it and it was as good as new.  If you are still unsure, as I said and the poster quoted, speak with crime prevention via phone/email.

Oh yes, Minder was the ones we have about 2x2 inches very, very robust but the Defender is larger but as robust, the small Minder is 140db i think very loud.

Also seek self defence and awareness training, ie how to avoid, get out of dangerous situations.

justworriedabit

Grumpy_chap said:

I can't recommend any particular alarm, but this is one item where cheap is probably as good as expensive - they are very simple devices.

What is worth checking is how the alarm is activated.  My Mum has an alarm but the cap is too stiff for her to pull off.  Pointless

Hence the accreditation to the 'approved by design'  ones being effective and not just looking effective.

Silvertabby

justworriedabit said:

Silvertabby said:

Can't help with the alarm, I'm afraid, but happy to pass on a bit of advice I was given as part of a basic self-defence course many years ago.

That is, if attacked within earshot of other people, don't just scream or shout 'help' because those other people could just think 'kids messing about'.

Instead, shout 'FIRE' as loud as you can.  A. it should confuse the hell out of your attacker and B.  those other people will come running to see if their property is in danger or to see the fun.

Thanks - takes me back to the works self defence training days etc.

If I may add a bit - if followed, chased/attacked at night time especially, people, most people will be too fearful to come out at night for shouts of help - but if you bang on the roof of cars, vans, people, some should come out and hopefully the potential attacker runs away and you are safe. 


Another point - you are off out for a meeting/visit/trainig/etc, park your car during daylight on the road looks safe enough but you return back to it in the dark usually winter, no one about so scary - so especially in winter, think ahead where you park your car and what the area will be like when you return in the dark.

My self defence course dates back to when I was stationed at RAF Hereford - and let's just say that the instructor was an Army guy who hadn't travelled very far......

Some of the training can't be repeated here for obvious reasons.  Thankfully, I've never had to use it!

cbrown372

JamoLew said:

I honestly can't see the relevance of:

https://designforsecurity.org/sbd-accreditation/

In helping anyone choose a suitable personal alarm

Googling it is probably better advice than giving irrelevant links



if you ask for personal advice or opinion on a public forum - that is exactly what you will get - advice and/or opinion from different people with different experiences.

It makes it neither right or wrong, but may help the OPs get a balanced viewpoint and come to a reasoned decision

BUT - it is a Public Forum, so within the rules people are allowed to post whatever they like.

There is no rule that says the reply has to be 100% helpful to 100% of people.

Not sure if there's even a rule that says post need to be 100% factual or true

There is however one about previously banned people creating and posting under a new account

Check their profile this morning, gone again!