This is my second article in the series about the Pepper Blaster self-defense device. The first article made an introduction of this superior pepper spray system.

Let's say I want to buy a pepper spray for myself or my daughter, which one should I choose: a can of Mace or the Pepper Blaster?. Just a refresher: a can of Mace spray may cost anywhere between $12-$18 and the Pepper Blaster sells in $45-50 range.

My first reaction would be to say "Mace" but I will likely reconsider my choice and will go with the Pepper Blaster. Do you want to know why?

1: Under the weather.

Let's see what we've got. Pepper Blaster uses the same active ingredient as Mace does: the OC, Oleoresin Capsicum that is. Long time ago when Mace, the manufacturer, started making first defensive sprays, they used some other chemicals but right now it's mostly the same liquid pepper extract.So they are the same? Nope. Pepper Blaster uses pepper gel while regular mace canister using pepper spray. Spray is relatively light, and when sprayed from a canister, it is affected by weather conditions, like wind or rain.

Blow-backs and self-contamination comes to mind. These are industry terms meaning simply that wind can divert or even revert the stream of your pepper spray. You can miss your target or get it on yourself. Gels are harder to propel but 1 they do not stray from their course because they are heavier and thicker.

Point 2: Stickiness

Pepper gel is not just heavier but also stickier1. Pepper gel sticks to the skin of the attacker and is much harder to wash off. It means that the gel from Pepper Blaster will disable your attacker for a longer period of time. It also means that the Police will have better chance and more time to identify the assailant.

3: Going the distance

Regular aerosol pepper sprays, including those by Mace, deliver pepper spray at approximately 6 or 8 feet. PepperPepper shoots 13 feet of a straight shot. As you can appreciate when in danger every extra foot between you and the attacker counts.

Point 4: No Running, No Hiding From it

Remember boys' water squirting gun fight in a pool? Although the stream from a squirt gun is fast kids could duck it or block it with a hand, or just run away from it. It's the same deal with the stream from an aerosol can. It is slow enough for human to see it and react to it by dodging it or avoiding it in some other way.

Pepper Blaster is different! It shoots its charge with 90 mph velocity. One can not see the charge because it is a small transparent blob tht travels with the fast ball speed. So there is no running away, or dodging the shot. My money is on the Pepper Blaster.

5. Speaking of Money

All aerosol canisters have one common issue: they have their spray inside under pressure at all times. The pressure is needed to send the pepper liquid out of the canister. Sometimes the canister has a microscopic leak. The propellant gas leaks ever so slowly out of the canister from this tiny hole. It's never detected because it is so small but over the course of several months the pressure could be completely depleted. When you press on the release button, the canister just sputters and stains your finger. Zero protection when you need it the most. This happens quite often, so considering such a risk, it is generally recommended to replace your old canister of pepper spray/mace every 10-14 months.

Just replace it, like a battery in the smoke detector. Over the course of 3 years, the running cost of a Mace adds up to $35-$55.

The Pepper Blaster does not have any internal pressure to loose and it just can not leak anything out. It will fire its charge 3 years from now as efficiently as it would do today. So comparing 3 cans of Mace over 3 year period with only one Pepper Blaster scores just about even money wise but with much less hustle and risk. That's a no-brainer - I'd choose the Pepper Blaster.

Whether you dismiss all 5 arguments as biased and over optimistic or agree with them you should buy some self-defense protection for yourself. If you choose to dismiss them then buy a can of mace but if you consider all these points above you will get yourself a very nice dependable safe PepperBlaster.

Don't just trust what I say: check what other Pepper Blaster users said about it. Read my first article on the topic and see the videos (links below),