The Scoop: Mace is the original pepper spray brand. The company has manufactured pepper sprays, stun guns, and other personal safety products since the 1960s. The Mace mission is to create non-lethal forms of self-defense that protect users without perpetrating violence in communities. Mace has a wide selection of products that singles can use to feel more confident and date more safely. 

There’s no doubt about it – dating can be nerve-wracking. Singles on a first date can experience awkward silences, uncomfortable conversation topics, or the dreaded side hug at the end of the night. All of these are common experiences and, as uncomfortable as they may be, are simply par for the course in the dating scene.

While dating can be stressful, it should never be scary. Concerns around personal safety on dates are common and valid, especially since the advent of online dating. Horror stories of stalking, physical attacks, and other forms of interpersonal violence have given many daters pause and can rightfully cause anxiety for those going on first dates.

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Mace® is an industry leader in nonlethal self-defense tools.

That’s why it’s important to have a self-defense plan as a dater. Knowing how to react and use defensive tools can make all the difference in a dangerous situation. Daters today should develop a high situational awareness and even knowledge of hand-to-hand self-defense. Daters can be even more proactive about their safety by carrying self-defense tools. 

Daniel Brass, Channel Sales Director for Mace®, said that having access to self-defense tools and the training to use them are essential parts of a dater’s safety toolbox. Mace®, a company founded in 1970, is a manufacturer and provider of personal safety and security products. Mace gained notoriety as the original trusted brand for personal defense sprays, and its reputation has only grown from there.

Daniel sat down with us to tell us about how daters can improve their safety using Mace® products. He said singles can take different steps to ensure their safety, but having a defensive tool is an invaluable resource. “There are direct ways to improve your personal safety,” Daniel said. “And one of them is self-defense products.”

Dating Safety in the Modern Age

Meeting up with strangers you’ve met on the internet is no longer a far-fetched thing to do. Actually, it’s how a lot of people meet their romantic partners nowadays. Dating apps and social media allow people to connect virtually before ever meeting in person. Self-defense tools aren’t necessary in online interactions, but there are strategies singles can use to stay safe throughout their dating experience.

pepper spray in the pocket of pants
Self-defense tools like pepper spray can make all the difference in dangerous situations.

First, vetting people before meeting up with them on dates is essential. It’s alarmingly easy to pretend to be someone else online, so online daters should at the very least speak on the phone before agreeing to meet someone in person. Daniel said having high situational awareness is also essential.

Situational awareness allows singles to make safer choices in potentially dangerous situations. Singles should avoid poorly lit areas at night, and they should have a friend drop them off and pick them up. And they should always share their dating plans with someone close to them. Having a safety plan that takes into account a variety of dangerous situations helps singles remain alert.

Interpersonal violence is never the fault of the victim. With this in mind, Daniel told us that how singles carry themselves can make them less-desirable targets and deter attackers. According to Daniel, a great way singles can carry themselves with more confidence is by carrying self-defense tools.

Having a self-defense tool at easy access often makes people feel more confident. This confidence translates to the way they carry themselves, and clearly displayed self-defense products often function as an effective deterrent on their own. “Bad actors could see pepper spray or a stun gun and decide to steer clear,” Daniel said.

Security Alarms, Sprays & Kits Empower Singles

Mace® creates products that give daters confidence and security. Now synonymous with pepper spray, Mace® is the trademark name for self-defense products and eventually became a common term in the American vernacular. When daters buy products from Mace®, they are investing in the original, high-quality safety products that have been keeping people safe for decades.

woman points pink pepper spray at camera
Mace®’s pepper sprays are conveniently sized and easy to use.

Sprays and gels are among the most popular choices offered by Mace®. Sprays come in a variety of sizes, all of which can be attached to a keychain or purse. Daniel urges Mace® users to keep their personal safety tools close at hand and visible, as this visual deterrent can protect them before an interaction happens.

Sprays come in 10-foot and 12-foot spray radius varieties. Most pepper sprays come with keychains, but the style designed for runners includes a velcro strap for easy attachment to a shirt or pants. Mace® also makes a pepper spray gun, which is high volume and includes the hottest pepper spray allowed by law. The pepper spray gun is ideal for home or car defense, as it is larger and may be difficult to carry in a bag.

Pepper gel is the stickier version of pepper spray, and can travel 18 feet. Mace® sells nearly all of its products in a variety of colors and also offers spray refills and cases. Besides sprays and gels, Mace® also sells personal safety alarms.

red personal alarm in front of pocketbook and keys
Personal alarms are small but mighty self-defense devices.

Personal safety alarms are easy to use – simply press a button or pull a trigger and a 130-decibel alarm will sound. These alarms can be heard from long distances and often scare off attackers by drawing attention to the situation. Personal alarms are discrete and easy to carry on a keychain, making them simple and affordable options for self-defense.

Mace® also produces stun guns. While stun guns are intimidating and very useful, Daniel reminded us they are only useful for up-close defense. Mace® offers palm stun guns, compact stun guns, and larger stun gun styles. Value kits are also available for purchase from Mace®, and include a variety of personal safety products that can be used in tandem or independently from each other.

Mace®: Building Safer Communities

Regardless of which Mace® device a customer chooses, the company’s website provides an extensive online library of how-to videos that help customers learn the ins and outs of their devices. Pepper spray and stun guns are only effective if users are confident when operating them and have a thought-out plan for their use.

pepper spray, sunglasses, and lipstick in purse
Mace® products are reliable self-defense tools perfect for any dater’s safety toolbox.

Daniel himself appears in many of these videos and provides detailed yet simple instructions on how to use the devices. He encourages customers to practice with their Mace® devices, so if there ever is a situation where they need to use the product, they are familiar and practiced. 

Mace® is committed to empowering its customers by providing them with the tools they need to protect themselves. Non-lethal forms of self-defense not only keep the user of the device safe but the community safe by reducing the presence of lethal forms of defense, like firearms. Unlike a gun, pepper spray and stun guns are designed to allow those in danger to get away and seek help, not mortally wound a person.

a list of charities Mace has worked with
Mace® is committed to improving its community through charitable donations.

Mace® has partnered with LGBTQ+ support organizations, homeless shelters, and other groups to uphold their dedication to improving communities. Mace®’s headquarters are located in Cleveland, and much of its outreach is focused in the Cleveland area, with previous efforts supporting the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

When it comes to the effectiveness of Mace® products, take it from Daniel who said he has been pepper sprayed and stun gunned by Mace® products, and fully attests to their efficacy. Concerning stun guns, Daniel said, “It’s basically like getting stung by a hornet nonstop. It’s very, very unpleasant.” After he was sprayed with Mace® pepper spray, he said he had to keep his eyes under the faucet for 20 minutes.

Personal safety has many facets. No one device is going to protect anyone fully from dangerous or violent interactions, but they do provide a sense of security and confidence. This sense of security can be a game-changer for dating singles. Daniel said, “Even though our products give people a sense of confidence when it comes to protecting themselves, that sense of confidence can help in other aspects of life– including dating.”