Best Car Window Breaker: Emergency Escape Tools for your Vehicle
When you buy a new vehicle, one of the main concerns is geared towards safety. You want a car that comes with the latest airbags systems, ABS, high-end brakes, and a top-notch security system that doesn’t let intruders in.
But we never think (or rarely do) about how difficult it would be for us to get out in case of an emergency. There are numerous cases when the passengers of a vehicle that was involved in an accident died because they remained trapped in the car.
These deaths are tragic and could have been avoided if the passengers had easy access to the best car window breaker. This is a tool that helps you break a vehicle’s windows in case of emergency and get out in time.
So, if you truly want to be prepared in case of an emergency, have a look at the products we reviewed below. Also, don’t forget to read our buying guide section and check out our tips and tricks for safe car travel.
1. Resqme The Original Keychain Car Escape Tool
This emergency breaker makes it incredibly easy to install it within reach inside the vehicle, on your keychain, or on your backpack. It is small, lightweight, and comes equipped with a bracket so you install it on the visor.
The Resqme (to be read “rescue me”) tool is a spring-loaded window breaker and a seatbelt cutter and does both jobs exemplarily. This means that you only need to press the tool against the window the spring will activate sending the tip through the glass (there’s no need for swinging motions).
The biggest selling point of this tool is its level of performance. It is small, but it works with extreme accuracy, which is why even professionals (firefighters, first responders, and so on) use it in rescue situations.
However, it’s best to make sure the spring is working before leaving for a car ride. The tool is durable, but the spring mechanism can break after several uses.
2. Swiss+Tech BodyGuard Auto Emergency Escape Tool
The Swiss+ tool is more than a window breaker! It’s also a seatbelt cutter, it can be used to signal for emergencies using a red-colored signal, it emits a loud sonic alarm that can be heard by a distance, and it’s a flashlight.
Now, with so many features you may think this is a heavy and bulky tool, but this is not true. It is compact, lightweight, and uses a spring-loaded system to deploy the hammer. The Swiss+ emergency window breaker can be used by both men and women, and the seatbelt cutter is designed to avoid any accidental injuries while using it.
However, there is one downside when it comes to keeping this tool close. Because of the design, it doesn’t sit well on a keychain and can’t be mounted on the visor. Also, it doesn’t have any other special mounting features and it’s easy to lose track of it if you drop it.
3. Lifehammer Brand Safety Hammer
The Lifehammer Brand Safety Hammer is, as the name says, a hammer design. This means you’ll have to use a swing-like motion to break a window, but the steel tips (it has two) can easily break through almost any vehicle window.
The tool is equipped with a seatbelt cutter that’s installed in the handle and supports razor sharp blades. Also, it comes with mounting brackets, so you can install it wherever you want, and has a fluorescent pin that glows in the dark. This is incredibly useful for identifying the tool in an emergency where you can’t see (it’s night or the vehicle is submerged in water, for instance).
Overall, the materials used for this tool are of the best quality, but some drivers find it a bit small to use especially in a situation where you may not have full use of your fingers or hands.
4. Futuresky Car Safety Hammer
This is a 6-in-1 tool that comes with the standard window breaker and seatbelt cutter and adds a flashlight, whistle, magnet, and an alarm lamp. It is big enough to fit in your hand and has a texturized grip, so it won’t slip if your hands are wet.
However, some people may consider this too bulky for pushing through a car window, especially since it has to be used as a hammer (no spring-loaded design).
5. INGEAR autoXscape
This is one of the most badass rescue tools you can have! Designed with military-grade aluminum and an impact-resistant shell, this is a window breaker, seatbelt cutter, and flashlight in one tool. The seatbelt cutter comes with a sharp hardened carbon steel blade and is easy to use, while the flashlight has three different modes among which an SOS mode.
The tool requires you to use some swing-like motions in order to increase the force of the tip, but the tungsten steel tip is very efficient, so it won’t make you work too hard. Also, the middle part of the tool is covered with a texturized rubber-like material that prevents the tool from slipping from your hands.
While it’s true that the autoXscape tool is a bit pricey, the producer offers lifetime guarantee and they mean it. If the tool breaks or gets damaged in any way, they will replace it, no questions asked!
Best Car Window Breaker: Buying Guide
As you can see from our reviews and Google search, there are plenty of colors, designs, and shapes for this type of products. Still, these are features that talk more about style than utility, so we want to point out the ones that truly make a difference.
Type
Window breakers can be categorized into two: hammers and spring-loaders. Hammer designs look like a small hammer and have a sharp tip that is used to break the glass. But, in order to use it, you need to be able to move your arms, because it requires a swing-like motion and quite some force. In this case, if your hands are injured or your moves are blocked or limited, it can be quite difficult to make the most out of the tool.
Spring-loaded designs don’t need the swing-like motion because the sharp end is powered by a spring that pushes it with enough force to pierce the glass. To use it, you only need to activate the spring, place the tool on the weakest area of the glass, and let the spring do its job.
Versatility
Most survival tools (seatbelt cutters, window breakers, and so on) come as a kit. This means that you can get a seatbelt cutter and a window breaker in one tool. But some producers go one step further and include other tools in the kit such as LED flashlights, light signals, and more.
So, to make sure you are covered in all possibilities, we recommend a tool that can be useful in a wide array of emergency or survival situations.
Size & Convenience
Since this is a tool that needs to be easy to grab, it needs to be small, lightweight, and easy to hang/use as a keychain/ install it in the car. Some tools come with a hook for the car’s vizor, others have a metallic ring so they’ll easy to hook on keys, zippers (on backpacks) or in the car.
Ideally, you should select a mounting system that works for your needs.
Durability
Under no circumstances do you want to have your window breaker fail to do its job when your life and the life of your loved ones is on the line!
You need a tool that’s sturdy, made from high-end materials, and has proven its efficiency in a wide array of situations. That’s why you should always read reviews from real users, not just the producer’s presentation of the product.
Furthermore, the price is a clear indicator of quality and usability. This is not something to be stingy about!
How to Use a Car Window Breaker?
Now, besides having the right tool in an emergency situation it’s important to also know how to use it. As such, after reading our reviews and learning more about the features that matter when selecting a car window breaker, it’s time to learn how to use it.
Each tool (either hammer or spring-loaded) comes with instructions and there are plenty of YouTube videos you can watch to educate yourself. Ideally, you should use the tool 2 or 3 inches from the edge of the car window on the lower front corner (right beside the mirror), since this area is designed to shatter more easily.
However, to be truly prepared for this, it’s best to practice using it when you are not in any danger. To do this, try to find a car junkyard and talk to the owner to let you try and break the window(s) on a vehicle that’s being recycled. Of course, if you have an old vehicle around that you don’t use, it can also be fantastic for practice.
This way, you’ll have the experience of breaking a car window (which is not exactly easy to do) when adrenaline is pumping through your veins and/or your moves are restrained.
Do I Really Need a Car Window Breaker?
Some people don’t like buying such a tool because they feel they’re tempting fate. I.e., if you buy a car window breaker, you’ll be put in the situation to use it.
While prevention is indeed the best policy, and you should always check the tires, battery, and inspect the brakes before leaving for a long trip, it’s best to be prepared for any scenario.
Please keep in mind that this is a survival tool, and in order to be effective, it needs to be easily accessible. So, it won’t be of any use if you buy a car window breaker but leave it at home because you don’t like the constant reminder that something can go horribly wrong at any moment.
As you can see from our reviews, a car window breaker is not big, and some can even be kept on your keyring. But there are other options such as the glove compartment or somewhere on the central console where you can reach it if you became trapped by the seatbelt.