Pepper sprays in their present form have been around since the late 1980’s when the FBI approved the use of them for their SWAT agents. The FBI has been doing testing on pepper sprays for years, but finally found them very effective. Some form of chemical weapon has been used for centuries since the Chinese first started throwing bags of hot spices at their enemies. Chemical warfare was used in World War I and World War II.
But modern-day defensive sprays are relatively new. They are the most widely used self-defense product there is. They are legal in all states but some states have restrictions. They are especially popular for female self-defense and the personal security and personal safety of women who love defensive sprays.
But not all pepper sprays are created equally. Some are more potent or powerful than others.
It doesn’t help when there’s no set criteria for hotness or potency. There are several measurements that are accurate but no standard has been set. There’s Scoville heat units (SHU) which is a measurement of hotness. There is the percentage of OC in the spray. And finally CRC or capsaicin and related capsaicinoids are the actual heat-producing elements in the spray that may be the best measurement of all but are the most obscure.
On another level the range of a pepper spray could be considered very important for potency or power. And another consideration is the speed with which the spray travels.
Here are the top most potent pepper sprays, in our opinion, for personal security and personal safety.
When it comes to range for a self-defense product there is none better than the pepper gun by Mace. It has a range of 25 feet. No other pepper spray even comes close.
The pepper gun by Kimber is in a class by itself because of the speed with which it projects the spray- close to 90 miles an hour. It shoots out with such force that is the only spray that can withstand windy or rainy conditions.
And finally by the sheer strength or potency of the product, the Streetwise 23 products have 87% more potency than competing brands with an equivalency of 5 million SHU’s or the Fox labs sprays that have 5.3 million SHU’s. We will call that a tie.
When you’re looking for a defensive spray for female self-defense or for your own personal security and personal safety, consider the force of the spray needed in outdoor conditions, the range needed for long distance defense or the strength of the concentration as measured by Scoville heat units. These are the most powerful pepper sprays in the marketplace today.
Streetwise 23 Sprays claim to be 87% more potent than the competition.
Our Fox Labs Sprays are 5.3 million SHU’s and used by police departments all over the country
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