5 Best Self-Defense Keychains

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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Self-defense items come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes. There is a near-limitless number of options available to people looking for tools to defend themselves. With all of the exciting and “cool” choices open to you, it is easy to overlook a self-defense keychain as something worth investing in.

However, the truth is that a good self-defense keychain might be the only item you have on you if you are attacked while going about your day. We have all left the house without a firearm or a knife—busy lives cause people to make mistakes—but it is much harder to leave the house without your keychain.

Since this is an area of armament that many people haven’t thought about, we decided to put together a quick primer on what options are out there when it comes to self-defense keychains. By the end of this article, you should have a much better idea as to why a self-defense keychain is an excellent item to own and what pieces on the market are actually worth your time.

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Why Buy a Self Defense Keychain?

While a self-defense keychain may not offer the efficacy, lethality, or intimidation factors that knives, guns, or batons may have, they do have a role to play in general readiness and EDC checklists. Self-defense keychains make up for their limited abilities by being an item you can easily conceal and always have on you.

Guns, knives, and other weapons are incredibly effective but are often restricted in places we want to carry them. This is doubly so for those who live in states like Hawaii or California. Showing up to a high school soccer game with a pistol or knife on your hip can lead to a large amount of unwanted attention.

There is also a tactical reason for wanting such a discreet and easy-to-hide tool; it makes you less of an overt target and gives you a better chance of surprising an attacker. A solid defense keychain can also be a decent backup weapon.

Self Defense Keychains are Useful Because:

They are discreet. You are not an obvious threat.
You can have them at all times, often even in places like airports where other self-defense items are forbidden.
They are a small but effective backup weapon should you have a gun jam or a knife drop during a struggle.

These are obviously not a perfect solution for your daily defense needs. Still, they can be a formidable and versatile tool to have in various unorthodox or public situations. As any good prepper knows, over-preparation is always better in a survival scenario than being underprepared.

What to Look for in Self-Defense Keychains

A good self-defense item maximizes damage potential in a small and easy-to-carry device. You want to look for an item that will work synergistically with your skill-sets. A keychain that can act as a makeshift pair of brass knuckles or spikes can be highly effective if you have a good set of striking skills. This can include Kubaton style items or defense spike shapes.

For those of you who are not skilled at throwing strikes, these items may not work too well. In those cases, it may be better to also have an option for pepper-spraying or as a stun-gun. While pepper spray and stun guns are not optimal options for most self-defense scenarios, they give those without the ability to throw strikes a chance to at least stop an attacker in order to facilitate an escape.

It may also be worth it to throw in an alarm as a secondary item, something you can press during an attack to try and attract assistance or to ward away an attacker who doesn’t want to draw any more attention. You want to get a deafening alarm and not a whistle since a whistle can be easy to thwart—either by grabbing you or simply taking away the whistle. An alarm is something you can activate, and the attacker will likely have to waste a good deal of time figuring out how to deactivate it, or you can simply throw it into a nearby bush so you know that they won’t be able to turn it off anytime soon.

No matter what type of device you opt for, you want to ensure that you are comfortable taking it with you at all times. This is the whole point of having such a self-defense item, as a last resort tool that you know you will have on you at all times. Also, ensure you familiarize yourself with the tool; buy a second one you can practice with. Familiarity is key to being able to use it effectively when adrenaline hits.

A good example of non-keychain EDC items that follow this same type of thought are things like the Gerber Money-Clip Knife.

5 Self-Defense Keychains You Can Buy Today

There are literally hundreds of options for self-defense keychains on the market today. These are five solid examples of items that could be effectively used under the right circumstances. Make sure you take the time to search for the item that is perfect for your unique needs.

1. Kubaton Keychain

The Kubaton keychain is a tried and true tool for augmenting your ability to do damage with a punch or hammer-fist. This is a good tool when you need something that can help you deliver damage, giving you a better chance to escape and survive.

A powerful punch to the face while wielding one of these items can easily stop an attacker in their tracks, likely disabling and injuring them. If you are trying to buy yourself a few seconds to escape against an armed or dangerous assailant, this device is much better than trying to do so with your naked fists.

While a Kubaton may not be that useful for those who are untrained in striking, in practiced hands, a blow from this can be truly devastating.

2. Self-Defense Key

The self-defense key is very similar in application to the Kubaton, with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Like the Kubaton, this key allows you to significantly augment the damage you are able to do with your hands, but its key shape will make it more difficult to wield and a bit more awkward to hold.

However, this key shape also makes it difficult to detect, allowing you to wield it without drawing attention, and letting you take it into areas like airports where you would normally not be allowed to have obvious weapons on your person.

3. Sabre Pepper Spray

Pepper spray is a tried and true method for harming attackers helping even the odds. This spray allows you to deliver a corrosive liquid from multiple feet away, making it a good tool if you are able to get it out and aimed before someone is able to close the distance. A good dose of pepper spray to an attacker’s eyes will severely limit their ability to move and chase you effectively.

4. Stun Gun Keychain

Unlike pepper spray, you don’t need to worry about spraying yourself with a stun gun if someone is grabbing you, and the powerful shock this delivers is enough to at least break a grasp or stun an assailant. For those who don’t have any striking skills but fear getting grabbed by an attacker, a stun gun can be the perfect tool for making space and giving yourself an opportunity to escape. The loud crackling noises it makes can also help attract nearby people’s attention and ward away bad guys.

5. Self-Defense Siren

A self-defense siren is useful because you can turn it on during an attack, and it can be difficult to turn it off if the bad guy is not familiar with how they work. If you are unable to scream or want to attract immediate attention, this siren may be your last resort for getting help.

Do You Really Need a Self-Defense Keychain?

The truth is, there are no “best” self-defense items. The item that is best for the moment will depend on the circumstances, the location, the wielder, and the nature of the attack. The items we listed here are all good in their own way, but you must take the time to evaluate their pros and cons based upon your own needs and abilities. The only universal truth in self-defense is to be prepared, and having a tool you are familiar with will always be better than being caught empty-handed.

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