I purchased and tested 5 popular Mace brand pepper sprays. There is good and bad with each of them. 

What pepper spray you rely on for your safety is a personal choice. Read this article find out what pepper spray features will serve you best. You can watch me test the sprays in the video below.

Watch the video to see these sprays tested and reviewed.

Police Model with Tear Gas

This is one of the best pepper sprays I have tested. It has tear gas, a good range, great belt clip, and the option to attached to a keychain.

Some people are not affected by the OC pepper spray chemical. With tear gas, there are two powerful chemicals helping someone defend themselves.

The built-in belt clip works perfectly. It has an angled tooth. Here is a picture of the tooth.

A belt slides through the tooth without effort. Once on a belt, the clip’s tooth prevents the spray from coming off the belt. To remove the spray from the belt, it just takes a good firm pull of the spray.

It can be attached to a keychain. This would add a lot of mass to a keychain. You might like this though especially if you aren’t wearing this spray on a belt.

It shoots a clear spray. It looks like water. This makes aiming while spraying more difficult than it should be. It also makes it harder to see the spray on an attacker’s face. Many other pepper sprays shoot colored spray, and this model should do that too.

Pros

• Good Size and Range
• Excellent Belt Clip
• Tear Gas included
• Keychain Attachable

Cons

• Clear Spray

Conclusion:

An very good pepper spray for belt or keychain carry

Pepper Gun with Strobe

Mace’s pepper gun is one of the most powerful pepper sprays on the market. It shoots a large can and it comes with a light.

The large can allows it to spray up to 20 feet. When I shot this spray, it went a long way. I think it can shoot the full 20 feet. The GIF below shows me spraying it.

The light is plenty bright. It will illuminate out to the range of the spray. The light has two modes. It alternates between solid and strobe each time the trigger is pulled. With short trigger pulls, the light mode can be changed without firing the spray. Once a user has the desired light mode, the trigger can be pulled more to fire the spray.

The trigger, safety, and chamber open lever are easy to use.

A water practice cartridge is included. This is great for getting a feel for how to use it and building confidence.

The Mace pepper gun is large. It’s about as large as my subcompact pistol. You can try carrying it in a front pocket. This might be uncomfortable especially when sitting. A holster or bag might be the best places to carry this pepper gun.

This is my favorite pepper gun.

Watch the video above to see me shoot this in day time and at night.

Pros

• 20 Foot Range
• Dual Mode Strobe or Solid Light
• Lots of Spray
• Refillable
• Practice Canister Included
• Ambidextrous Safety

Cons

• Large
• Holster or Bag Carry Solution Might Be Needed

Conclusion:

It’s long range and light make this a powerful pepper gun. If you can handle the inconvenience of a large pepper gun, then get this spray. 

Night Defender

My umbrella light is reflecting off the can

I really like this spray. The light is one of the most practical and over looked features a pepper spray can have.The range is good. The package says it has an 18 foot range. When I tested this, I found it would go the full 18 feet. The light reaches the effective range of the spray. You can see the spray being testing in daytime and nighttime in the video.The spray is transparent. It would be better if it had color. That would make it easier to aim and see it on a target.The safety goes up easy. The trigger has ridges on top. This gives the trigger traction and makes it feel like nothing else on the spray. As a result, it is easy to grab and place a finger on the trigger without looking at it.This spray is on the big size. It might be a tad uncomfortable in a front pocket. Consider off-body carry or getting a holster for it.This is one of my favorite every day carry pepper sprays. I have tested more than 22 pepper sprays and this is a top tier spray.

Pros

• Long 18 Foot Range
• Bright Light
• Wind Fighting Gel

Cons

• Kind of Big

Conclusion:

This is a great pepper spray for low light self-defense. It’s also a good option if you are in a windy area.

Sport Model

This pepper spray is a good balance between comfort and effectiveness. It has enough juice for at least 2 assailants. You can see the spray getting used in the video. 

The wrist strap is good. It holds a wrist and the spray well. It’s not the most comfortable thing, but neither is it uncomfortable. I would feel confident jogging with this for miles. The spray easily comes out of the strap.

The safety is easy to lift. A toddler could lift the safety so keep this spray away from children. It’s not child proof.

This spray is part of Mace’s “empower” brand of products. Mace donates some of the purchase price of this spray to domestic violence awareness and prevention.

Pros

• Good Wrist Holster
• Good Range
• Donation for Domestic Violence Prevention

Cons

• Big for a Wrist Spray

Conclusion:

It’s an excellent pepper spray for running or other outdoor activity.

Mini Model

This little pepper spray is a good pepper spray to put on a keychain. It’s super small. 

There is a tab below the cap and on the opposite side of spray hole. The tab lets a user get this spray ready to use without looking at it. This spray could be ready to use in a pocket without anyone seeing it.

The range is very short. It’s about 3 to 5 feet. That’s as far as a can this small is going to go. This puts a user within grabbing distance of an attacker.

Because this spray’s range is so short, I recommend only using it as a backup to a larger pepper spray.

Pros

• Tiny
• Keychain Attachable
• Orientation Tab

Cons

• Very Short Range
• Very Little Spray

Conclusion:

If you must have a tiny pepper spray, then this is a good option.

Pepper Spray FAQ

Why Carry Pepper Spray?

There are many reasons to carry pepper spray.

One of the most important is that it’s non-lethal. Most self-defense situations involve non-deadly force aggression. As a result, a non-deadly force self-defense tool is more frequently needed than a deadly force tool.

It’s a crime to use deadly force on an attacker who is using non-deadly force.

How to Use Pepper Spray?

There are two things to always do when using pepper sprays.

Pepper spray should be sprayed at one ear and to the other with a continuous stream. This will get the spray in an attacker’s eyes and noise. The result will be involuntary eyelid closure and painful breathing.

Also, vertical, canister type pepper sprays should be shot using the thumb. This will insure a strong grip with 4 fingers grasping the canister. Shooting with the index finger will result in only 3 fingers gripping the can. The picture below shows the right and wrong way to hold.

To learn more about how to use pepper spray, click the underlined text.

Does Pepper Spray Expire?

Yes, pepper sprays lose their effectiveness over time. They are always leaking pressure. After the expiration date, a pepper spray might not effectively shoot it’s contents. To be super safe, you can replace your pepper spray a year before expiration.

Can Minors Carry Pepper Spray?

In many jurisdictions, it is legal for people under 18 to possess and use pepper spray for self-defense. For example, California permits 16 year olds to carry pepper spray in public. It is often illegal for minors to purchase pepper spray.

What’s the Difference Between Mace and Pepper Spray?

Mace is a company that makes pepper sprays. Just like the word “Xerox” was used to refer to copying documents, some people use “Mace” to refer to pepper spray.