Criminals are looking for easy targets. In this article, we will look at some weapons that will not kill an attacker but will force them to change their minds about making you a victim. A little goes a long way with the best non lethal self defense tools.
National Increase in Crime
While the data for analyzing national crime averages is hard to hammer down, it is clear to the average person that there is more violent crime now. The best FBI crime data can look at the year 2010 to the year 2020 and measure how things have been going.
Using that data, we can quickly recognize that crime is up in most categories when speaking to the national average.
Overall Crime: +12%
Murder and Manslaughter: +26%
Rape: +38%
Aggravated Assault: +29%
Data like this scares people and for good reason. It means that the threats to our way of life are growing. Lots of Americans want to take some kind of action to protect themselves.
In 2020, being the wild year that it was, we saw massive growth in the number of gun owners in this nation. Self-defense was the reason. People see and feel the threats increasing and they take action. FIre arms are self-defense tools but they have serious consequences. More people should consider the efficacy of the best non lethal self defense tools
Consequences of Lethality
You might assume that having a firearm is the best move you can make. However, the firearm gives you very few options. If you reach a point where firearms are being used then you are being as lethal as it gets.
Guns are not designed to injure people. They are designed to punch holes in them and kill them.
There are consequences of lethality and while you might not agree with them it doesn’t matter. Simply put, if you pull your firearm out and shoot someone who you perceive to be a threat you might go to jail for that!
You have to exhaust all your options when it comes to retreat. In other words, if you can run from someone trying to do you harm it is your responsibility to do so before using lethality. Your efforts will then be put in the hands of a judge and a jury of your peers. We gotta be very careful
The best non lethal self defense tools give you an option to deal with a threat that does not end life. These weapons will get you out of harm’s way and most likely keep you out of the courtroom. If there is a dead body then it has to be investigated but if a criminal is stopped in his tracks by pepper spray there is a good chance he won’t go to the cops.
Best Non Lethal Self Defense Tools
We are going to take a look at some of the best non-lethal self-defense tools on the market in 2022. This is a booming market as more and more people are recognizing the issues that we face as a nation.
These tools have drastically improved. There is a lot more out there than your run-of-the-mill mace.
1. Byrna
The Byrna is my top pick for the best non lethal self defense tools. The Byrna looks like a handgun but it shoots a .68 caliber kinetic and pepper projectile that can disable targets as far as 60 feet away. It looks just like a handgun but is powered by CO2.
When it comes to addressing threats from a vehicle, at a distance, or even dealing with someone who is closing the distance, the Byrna launches a less than lethal projectile at 300 fps which will knock the wind out of your target if it hits your chest and then you will have the pepper to deal with.
2. VKS PepperBall Carbine
Another one of the best non lethal self defense tools is the VKS Carbine. If you like the sound of the Byrna but would like something with a little more firepower and a little more tactical appeal, the VKS Carbine is an impressive self-defense weapon that acts just like the Byrna.
The big difference is that this looks like a carbine i.e. an AR15. It fires more rounds than a Byrna, too.
The problem with this VKS Carbine is that it is so big you cannot conceal it before or after a dangerous situation. It is not as convenient as a Byrna that could be stuffed into a purse or into your waistband. This might be a great weapon to store in your car or at your home.
You don’t wanna fire 5.56 rounds out of your window during some kind of civil unrest situation. Kinetic pepper balls on the other hand might be just what you want to keep people away from your home.
3. Extendable Baton
There are some serious benefits to being able to deter a target from a distance. However, what happens if you do not have the time to pull out your firearm. If you have a melee weapon like an extendable baton then you can protect yourself even at close range.
The extendable baton is also around 100x more affordable than the VKS Carbine. If you are on a tight budget you can get a quality extendable baton with a holster for around $20! This is one of the most affordable options on this list of the best non lethal self defense tools.
If you connect with that baton on someone’s knees then they are likely not going to be able to chase you anywhere. You have to be careful though because an extendable baton can go from less than lethal to a lethal weapon depending on where you hit someone.
4. Pepper Sprays
There are so many different variations of pepper weapons on the market today that it is worth breaking them down.
Compact Pepper Sprays
These smaller pepper sprays are some of the best non lethal self defense tools because they are as big as a finger and can hang on keychains or slip-in pockets without any space concerns. These compact pepper sprays are going to hold less spray than larger containers but if you can get the pepper on target then you will have success.
The smallest sprays can even be built into decoy items like pens or lipstick.
Pepper Gels
Pepper gels are a lot like pepper spray but they fire a thicker gel-like pepper mixture that sticks to the skin, clothing, and face. This stuff is even harder to wipe off and will spread all over your body if you try to wipe it off with your hands.
Pepper Guns
This is another one of the best non lethal self defense tools. If you aren’t a fan of the index finger depress and the canister style pepper spray, they do make pepper guns. These shoot a stream of pepper spray using a gun-like mechanism with a handle and trigger.
Of course, the danger of pulling a gun-like weapon on a person is that they might pull their own weapon. However, if you are at risk of being assaulted then you are already at risk.
5. Stun Guns
Stun guns are another category of the best non lethal self defense tools. Some people are arguing whether or not you can call stun guns completely less than lethal. However, they are not firearms and will not carry the same consequences as a firearm.
Flashlight Stun Gun
There are a number of different brands out there making metal flashlights that also have stun guns at the end of them. These weapons are often small, discreet and a great tool for catching an attacker off guard.
The flashlight stun gun acts as two important tools using the light from the flashlight and the stun gun itself. For size and concealability, this is one of the best non lethal self defense tools.
Melee Stun Gun
The concept of the flashlight stun gun has been expanded even further to create a much larger and sturdier weapon/stun gun in the Melee Stun Gun. These are something like a blend of our baton and the stun gun. This weapon has all kinds of threats and keeps attackers at a distance.
You can stab at an attacker with the stun gun on but you can also simply hit an attacker with the hard metal portion of the stun gun. Of course, you can do any kind of combination of the two in order to convince the bad guy to leave you alone.
These come in a variety of makes. You can get smooth weapons that look like little baseball bats or weapons with little spikes all over them for doing maximum damage.
Stunbrella Stun Gun
This is one of the best non lethal self defense tools because it is a weapon that uses the element of surprise. The stunbrella looks like an umbrella but it is really a stun gun in hiding. When you are approached by someone they will only see you holding a closed-up umbrella.
In this scenario, you might appear to be an easy target but if they get too close you can hit them with the stunbrella. This kind of surprise attack is very valuable in a self-defense situation. The stunbrella also gives you a sizeable weapon that you can carry around discreetly.
Stun Cane
A criminal loves a person with a disability. A cane means you cannot stand on your own two feet. It means you’re injured. It means you cannot outrun them. It means, in the face of bad people, you’re easy. You never want to be an easy target.
You have seen the despicable stories of crimes being committed against our elderly. This should be a protected population in a sane society. Instead, they are being beaten, robbed, and even broken under the feet of criminals in cities like San Francisco and New York.
The stun cane works and looks just like any other walking cane except that it separates to reveal a popping and crackling 1 million volts of electrical shocking power. The noise itself is enough to scare someone away!
Shooting Taser
I want to highlight one shooting taser in particular, one of my personal favorite best non lethal self defense tools, because I think it is the best for civilian use. The TASER® BOLT 2 SHOOTING LED STUN GUN W/ AXON PROTECT APP is such an incredible self-defense tool and takes all kinds of things into consideration.
I am a big fan of DISTANCE between you and an attacker. If you can back up and fire a weapon before escaping that is perfect. This weapon allows that because it fires barbed probes up to 15 feet! It also has a 210-lumen flashlight to make aiming in the dark easier. This powerful light is going to at least make the attacker squint if not force them to throw up their hands.
When you fire the weapon 20-30 small confetti-like anti felon ID tags attach to the attacker. This will help the police identify them upon capture if they try to flee. This weapon pumps a powerful charge into the attacker for 30 seconds allowing you to get away to safety.
Using this best non lethal self defense tool will also send an alert to your phone through Bluetooth and the Axon App will then direct law enforcement to your location using phone GPS.
This thing is impressive!
Combine the Best Non Lethal Self Defense Tools with Personal Safety Alarms
There are a variety of deafening alarms that you can use in tandem with your best non lethal self defense tools. The purpose of a personal alarm is to draw attention to your situation. Remember, criminals, are looking for victims.
They like those who seem helpless and pose little threat. If they can get a person like this in an isolated situation then that is the perfect scenario. If no one can see or hear what is happening then the crime can be committed quickly and the perpetrator can get away without anyone else seeing them.
What the personal safety alarm does once you turn it on is strobe light and send out a deafening alarm that will draw all kinds of attention to you. At night the strobing light combined with the loud noise is impossible to ignore. This kind of noise and light could scare off an attacker on its own.
By combining your best non lethal self defense tools with personal safety alarms you really start pressuring the bad guy with all kinds of reasons to abort the mission. Suddenly, this predator who was stalking you is facing bodily harm from your weapons and a loud alarm sounding, and the strobing light that will bring people to your location.
The purpose of all this is to make the prospect of running away even more alluring than whatever they thought they would steal or the rewards of the crime they were planning to commit.
Wrapping up the Best Non Lethal Self Defense Tools
Are you prepared to act if confronted by a criminal? Avoidance is different than preparedness. The people of this nation have to be as much a deterrent to crime, if not more, than the police. We can be strong, aware, and prepared for a very low cost.
The list of the best non lethal self defense tools in this article are all viable options. However, throwing a can of mace in your pocket is not enough. You have to be aware of the world around you. You have to get your head out of the phone and look people in the eyes. There is no better victim than someone who is frail, hunched over, quiet, and completely distracted by the glowing screen shining on their face.
If you’re also considering carrying a knife for self defense, check out this list of The 6 Best Combat Knife Choices for Survivalists.