I purchased and tested 6 popular SABRE brand pepper sprays and a practice spray. 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.

Keychain Pepper Spray with Quick Release

It feels good in hand. It has finger grooves. I’ve used pepper sprays without finger grooves and they work just fine. Having said that, these finger grooves work and they are not in the way. 

The range is 8 to 10 feet. That’s good enough for every day carry.

The keychain attachment is good. It has a release button. Pushing the button and pulling on the spray will release it.

The safety and trigger work as they should. They both have some resistance, but will move for any adult.

It shoots an orange spray. That color helps with aiming and seeing the spray on a target.

Pros

• Quick Release Keychain Attachment
• Decent Range
• Orange Spray

Cons

• Kind of Small

Conclusion:

If you must keep a pepper spray on a keychain, then this is a great pepper spray for you.

Tactical Pepper Gel with Belt Holster

This is a very good spray. I found from my testing that it will shoot the claimed 18 foot range. 

The holster works good. It will hold the can securely. The holster goes on a belt with a belt loop. Because of this, a belt must be removed to take off or put on the holster. I wish SABRE has included a holster with a metal clip. A clip holster can be taken off or put on without removing the belt.

Even though it comes with a holster, this spray will fit comfortably in a loose pocket.

If you want a pepper spray to carry in a belt holster, then this is a very good option.

Pros

• Long 18 Foot Range
• Wind Fighting Gel
• Good Belt Holster
• Pocket Carry an Option

Cons

• Belt Loop Holster / Not Metal Clip

Conclusion:

It’s great for carrying in a pocket or on a belt. It’s even better for users in windy areas because it shoots gel.

Pepper Gel Spray for Runners

Andrew testing a black one on a dummy

This is a good pepper spray for runners. The wrist holster holds the wrist and spray very good. The velcro and elastic are strong. The wrist strap was not immediately uncomfortable.

The range is 5 to 10 feet. This is a bit short, but it is good enough.

I sprayed a pack of dogs with this model. It worked. The dogs lost all interest in me.

The safety is easy to use and works as it should. If you are OK with a larger spray, then I recommend the mace sport model. It has a longer range and more juice. This spray is also available in black.

Pros

• Good Wrist Holster
• Decent Range from a Small Spray
• Wind Fighting Gel

Cons

• Kind of Small
• Bigger Wrist Pepper Sprays Exist

Conclusion:

Because I used this pepper spray on dogs, I know it will work on animals and humans. The Mace Sport Model is similar but larger and better.

Pepper Spray Pen

This is a mediocre pepper spray It has a small effective range that puts a defender just out of arms reach. Tiny cans like this have about a 5 foot range.

The spray patter is a large, foggy cone pattern. The benefit of this is that the general area around an attacker’s face will get hit. The downside to a foggy spray is possible wind movement or getting on the user.

If you must have a disguised pepper spray, then consider getting this SABRE pepper pen. Otherwise, you should purchase and carry a larger pepper spray with a longer range. I think all pepper sprays should have at least a 10 foot range.

Pros

• Looks like a pen or Sharpie
• Large, Foggy Spray Pattern

Cons

• Tiny Range
• Requires Two Hands to Remove Cap and Fire
• Cross-contamination Risk
• Wind Movement Risk

Conclusion:

It’s an OK option for someone who needs a disguised pepper spray. It’s better to get a larger, more effective spray if you don’t need a disguised spray.

Lipstick Pepper Spray

This is a decent disguised pepper spray. The top comes off and on easily. The top functions as a safety. 

The range is 5 to 8 feet. I recommend getting a larger spray. This spray’s range and liquid content are too low for me.

The trigger has an extended lip. This allows a user to put their thumb on the trigger and get the spray ready to use without looking at it.

Also, I don’t see the point of having a pepper spray look like lipstick. If it’s going to sit in the bottom of a purse, then disguising is unneeded.

Pros

• Good Trigger
• Almost Good Range
• Disguised as Lipstick

Cons

• Requires Two Hands to Remove Cap and Fire
• Short Range

Conclusion:

The best disguised pepper spray I have tested, but it’s still not great. There are better pink pepper spray.

Advanced 3 in 1 Compact Pepper Spray with Clip

This is a good little pepper and tear gas spray. The clip makes a belt or pocket good spots to keep it. It has the standard swivel safety that so many pepper sprays have. It’s easy to use. 

The clip is strong. It might do minor damage to the back of a belt. It did that to my belt.

The range is 8 to 10 feet. That’s the shortest I think an EDC pepper spray should shoot. 

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

There is UV marking die. That’s useful for law enforcement. The UV die, tear gas, and OC chemical make this a “3-in-1” pepper spray.

Pros

• Tear Gas
• Pocket or Belt Attachable
• Good Range

Cons

• Kind of Small
• Clip Might Damage a Belt

Conclusion:

A good little pepper spray. Most pepper spray this small don’t have tear gas. If you value having an extra stopping compound, then is a good spray for you.

Practice Spray Canister

The practice canister is very similar to the real pepper spray. It shoots water. It the same range and safety as the pepper spray. 

This comes bundle with the above spray. However, it’s not an exact copy of the one above. It’s short and it does not have the clip. Having a clip on this would allow a user to practice drawing and spraying at the same time.

Pros

• Shoots Water
• Safety and Trigger Like a Real Pepper Spray

Cons

• No Clip
• Kind of Small

Conclusion:

This is a good product for learning how to use pepper spray.

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.