Pebblebee’s halo keeps an eye on my back and my luggage

I live in Los Angeles where I feel safe bringing pepper spray when traveling. The problem is, I don’t always remember to bring it, and it’s not allowed to carry it everywhere I go. Pebblebee and $59.99 Halo The Bluetooth tracker struck me as a suitable replacement because it doubles as a personal security device with a siren, and I can bring it anywhere.

A quick pull of its cap activates many safety features: its 130dB siren will sound, its LEDs will flash, and it will automatically notify up to five trusted contacts (Pebblebee’s. Alert Live service shares your location for 24 hours, or as a snapshot of a single location). Alert Live comes free for the first year, after which it costs $24.99 per year. If you choose not to do it again, what you’ll lose is real-time sharing and the ability to alert multiple people during a single emergency.

Halo supports Apple’s Find My network and Google’s Find Hub, as well Pebblebee’s more basic Clip 5,one of the our favorite Bluetooth trackers. Tracking is excellent, though it lacks the tracking accuracy you’ll find with Apple’s AirTags and other trackers with a wideband chip. The difference may be irrelevant to you, or it may be very important.

Connecting the Halo app to the Pebblebee took seconds, although it wasn’t as quick to connect to Apple’s Find My network as the company claimed; Pebblebee says five presses should start the process, but it took me a few tries. Once it started working, it was hard to integrate Halo into my life. It’s bigger than other Bluetooth trackers, but it stays on track when it’s placed in my bag.

I used the Halo during a panic attack on a recent evening ride when I heard a noise behind me. The light revealed a very confused, very cute raccoon in the bushes, so I stopped shying away from calling the big Halo siren. A false alarm this time, luckily, but I still appreciated how hard it was to be safe at this point.

I’d be happy to have the Halo instead of Pebblebee’s Clip 5 or any other Bluetooth tracker in extreme situations. Its bright lights and siren can stop a would-be attacker without harming him with pepper spray (or turning on me). The Clip 5 requires six presses of a button to activate the siren, while you simply grab the Halo and rip it off. It also makes Halo easier to design for less experienced users, or those with technical disabilities.

There is also a silent warning system, which I appreciate. A blaring siren and a flashing strobe may be useful in some cases, but quietly informing people you trust and sharing your location without drawing attention may be safer for others.

At $59.99, the Halo costs about twice as much as Bluetooth trackers like the Clip 5 or AirTag and other security devices like She is Birdie 3.0. But it has a nice design, is easy to use, and offers more features than its competitors.

I will still have the AirTag as my primary tracker for things like traveling and tracking luggage at the airport. And I’ll be strapping the Halo to my bag because it can do so much, including keeping me safe for everyday activities around town. Having two Bluetooth trackers on my person is enough, but I’d rather be that way than drop a pepper – assuming I don’t forget them at home.