Best Emergency Whistles | Tested & Reviewed
There are plenty of ways to use a whistle. Whistle while you work, give a catcall, or end the play on the field with a whistle. These are all useful, but one of the most useful ways to use a whistle is to stay alive. Emergency whistles were made just for that purpose: to help you survive if you end up needing to signal for help.
I’ve been testing whistles with a focus on survival for several years now. Besides carrying them in my survival kits and using them practically, I also tested them with equipment like decibel meters and measured them to get impartial data.
My top recommendation is for the SOL Slim Rescue Howler, which is very lightweight and inexpensive for a whistle that performs well in emergencies.
I also found the loudest whistle with the HyperWhistle, which maxed out the decibel meter and can be heard for miles. If you want something with a great tone for urban areas or an extremely lightweight option, I have those covered, too.
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In this update of the best emergency whistles, I’ve added many more pictures and show even more testing data. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Disclosure»
Best Emergency Whistle
SOL Slim Rescue Howler
Light, Loud, and Effective
Piercingly loud, but lightweight and small enough for any and every kit.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Also available to buy directly at SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer).
SOL makes plenty of outdoor products, but some of their simpler options are the most effective. The Slim Rescue Howler is an exceptional value, coming in a two-pack so you can pack them in several kits. The old adage ‘two is one and one is none‘ definitely applies when we’re talking about last-resort emergency whistles.
Specifications
- Loudness: 100 dB (I measured 117 dB)
- Frequency: 2700 Hz
- Effort to 84 dB: Low
- Weight: 6 grams
The SOL Slim Rescue Howler is extremely lightweight and much more compact than other 110+ decibel whistles. The quality and construction are solid and crush-resistant, making it our top pick for an emergency whistle. Grab this whistle for your kits, knowing that you are not wasting space, weight, or budget.
Loudest Whistle
HyperWhistle
Loud, Louder, and Loudest
This three-frequency whistle is the loudest on the market and can be heard for miles.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This ear-piercingly loud whistle took the crown about five years ago for the loudest whistle and moved the bar up pretty significantly. Before that, the Storm Whistle advertised that it was the loudest, but that is no longer the case. It’s more than loud enough to scare people and animals and to be heard for miles.
Specifications
- Loudness: 142 dB (It maxed out my decibel meter)
- Frequency: 2800 Hz
- Effort to 84 dB: Low
- Weight: 22 grams
The HyperWhistle is third-party tested to over 142 decibels, and corroborated by several testers, so it’s the real deal and not misleading advertising as we see all too often. It maxed out our testing limits but still proved to be the loudest of the bunch.
The whistle weighs under an ounce, can be used in any conditions (including underwater), is buoyant, and is high-visibility orange- all making it the ideal whistle for your survival kit.
Best Crowd Control Whistle
Fox 40 Sonik Blast
Classic, Loud, and Attention-Getting
The extremely loud, high-frequency sound can’t be overblown, making it ideal for sports, crowd control, or urban areas.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Fox 40 is one of the best-selling whistles on the market, and the Sonik Blast is the slightly improved model. The difference in the whistles isn’t just the ergonomic mouthpiece.
Specifications
- Loudness: 120 dB (I measured 122 dB)
- Frequency: 3400 Hz
- Effort to 84 dB: Low
- Weight: 10 grams
The Sonik Blast measured much higher on the decibel meter and screeches at a lower frequency compared to the 4kHz Classic Fox 40. Both are designed for a relatively closer audience with their higher frequency sound compared to typical survival whistles.
Still, the Sonik Blast packs a punch, scaling its loudness beyond the marketing in my tests until it nearly capped out our equipment. This makes it the ideal whistle for crowd control, referees, or urban safety.
It’s easy to sound, and it comes with a robust Fox 40-branded breakaway lanyard. Get a Fox 40 Sonik Blast if you are tackling an urban jungle instead of the wilderness.
Best Titanium Whistle
Vargo Titanium
Simple, Lightweight, and Durable
An indestructible whistle that you can wear, carry, or stash anywhere.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
When it comes to titanium survival gear, you may recognize the Vargo name at this point. They’ve brought us lightweight utensils and cookware in the past, but here is their simplest titanium tool so far: a whistle.
Specifications
- Loudness: 100 dB (I measured 110 dB)
- Frequency: 3200 Hz
- Effort to 84 dB: Medium
- Weight: 4 grams
It registered louder than advertised in my tests, but has a frequency that won’t carry as far as some other survival whistles. It also requires a good amount of effort to sound, so it could be hard to use in an emergency for hours on end. The cost isn’t bad for titanium gear- it comes in at half the price of some of the competitors.
The size, weight, and unbeatable durability make the Vargo Titanium Whistle ideal if you simply want to buy a whistle that’ll last a lifetime.
Comparison Table
| Emergency Whistle | Recommendation | Price* | Loudness | Frequency | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOL Slim Rescue Howler | Best Overall | $7 | 117 dB | 2700 Hz | 6g |
| HyperWhistle | Loudest Long-Distance | $18 | 124 dB | 2900 Hz | 22g |
| Fox 40 Sonik Blast | Best for Crowd Control | $10 | 122 dB | 3400 Hz | 10g |
| Vargo Titanium | Best Durability and Weight | $11 | 110 dB | 3200 Hz | 4g |
| Guardian 5-in-1 | $2 | 110 dB | 3100 Hz | 33g | |
| Whistle Paracord Buckle | $2 | 98 dB | 3400 Hz | 13g | |
| Zipper Pull Whistle | $2 | 96 dB | 3700 Hz | 4g | |
| LuxoGear Kayak Whistle | $5 | 118 dB | 2500 Hz | 9g | |
| Fox 40 Classic | $6 | 115 dB | 4000 Hz | 7g | |
| Orion Safety | $6 | 108 dB | 2800 Hz | 6g | |
| Storm | $9 | 123 dB | 2900 Hz | 20g | |
| Resqme Whistles for Life | $9 | 118 dB | 3100 Hz | 13g | |
| Tisur Titanium Whistle | $10 | 110 dB | 3600 Hz | 7g | |
| Windstorm | $11 | 121 dB | 2900 Hz | 14g | |
| Nitecore NWS10 Titanium | $20 | 112 dB | 3300 Hz | 5g |
How I Tested
I use equipment to measure almost everything about the whistles: a decibel meter for loudness and to identify the frequency. A small digital scale for weight and a ruler for dimensions. I rely on my industrial engineering background to look at quality/durability, checking plastic whistles for flashing and metal for sloppy crimps and welds.
Why Trust TruePrepper
Whistles can communicate long distances or be life-saving tools that help search and rescue teams hone in on your location. Whether you are in the wilderness or trapped under rubble from an earthquake, a whistle is an important emergency tool worth its weight.
I’m Sean Gold, and I’m the whistleblower- literally. I’ve been testing whistles for several years at this point and have learned more about decibels, resonance, and frequency than I ever thought I would.
I appreciate low-tech solutions like whistles because of their inherent simplicity. There are very few emergency or survival situations where a small whistle wouldn’t come in handy. Whether you are in a dire situation in the wilderness and need help, or are signaling to friends and family, whistles can help you communicate over longer distances.
Analysis & Test Results
The best whistles have several important features to look for.
- Value
- Loudness – 40% of the overall score weight
- Effectiveness – 30% weight
- Durability – 25% weight
- Versatility – 5% weight
When you get the right blend of these, you can find a reliable whistle that will help you reach help in the event of an emergency. Below, we break down what each of these features means for a truly dependable survival whistle:
What is the Best Value?
The amount of money you spend on something like a whistle shouldn’t blow out your budget. Having one is better than having none, but the same applies to other tools and gear you may need for an emergency. Budget according to your risk and your needs, rather than just spending lavishly.
On the flip side, you don’t want to go too cheap. A whistle designed for kids’ soccer doesn’t hold a candle compared with a survival whistle when it comes to distance. Don’t get stranded in the wild with a whistle that can’t be heard around the bend. When you are trying to signal somebody or get rescued, you don’t want to be relying on your dollar store find.
You never want to spend too much money on one resource, especially something like a whistle. It’s better to diversify your tools and preparedness gear to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios. There is a sweet spot where you get high value out of the best features with not too high of a price, which is where our top pick sits.
Loudness
How loud a whistle sounds depends on how hard you can blow into it, but it also depends on the design of the whistle. Loudness for whistles, like many other things, is measured in decibels. There is a wide range that you can find, but you want one on the high end of the spectrum since loudness usually corresponds with distance (but more on that below).
We used the Decibel X iPhone App positioned 10 feet from the whistle to determine how loud each one was. The limits of the iPhone mic were pushed with the top-end whistles, so these decibel comparisons are only useful for this review, not stand-alone data like an SPL meter would provide.
Just because a whistle is loud doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the most effective or the best to use in an emergency, though.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of whistles and various pitches and tones over distance is still something that is researched today. Loudness, in decibels, is certainly a large contributor to whistle effectiveness, but it isn’t the end-all, be-all measurement.
Frequency
In our research, we saw that the resonance of the ear canal is 3,000-4,000 Hz. Lower frequencies carry further, so that 3kHz is used as the target frequency response peak. The whistles I tested all hit slightly above and below that line. Whistles above 3kHz sound higher-pitched and do not carry as far as the whistles below.
Because we need distance, the 2700 Hz – 3000 Hz range is ideal for the whistle range. The whistles that hit that window are perceived as the loudest and carry the farthest distance.
Here are a handful of whistles in the ‘sweet spot’ frequency range:
- Windstorm – 2900 Hz
- Storm – 2900 Hz
- Orion Safety – 2800 Hz
- HyperWhistle – 2800 Hz
- SOL Slim Rescue Howler – 2700 Hz
These whistles carried the furthest distance in our tests, hitting the ideal frequency window for ear canal resonance and lower atmospheric absorption.
Tone
Many emergency whistles use multiple pitches by varying the airflow distance inside the whistle. Dual-tone whistles included the LuxoGear, Orion, and SOL. Tri-tone chambers were only used by HyperWhistle and Resqme.
A few, like the Resqme Whistles for Life, use a ‘pea’ that rattles around inside the whistle to make it warble between pitches. These changes in the whistle tone let the whistle be separated from other noises over long distances and make the whistle more effective overall.
Required Effort
Whistles are human-powered, at least the emergency models that we considered were. To get some sound out of a whistle, you have to blow into it.
Of course, that’s common sense- but how long and how hard can you blow a whistle? That depends on the whistle.
In our baseline test, I was able to whistle a little louder this year at 84 decibels from 10 feet with my mouth alone. Whistling that loud takes significant effort, and a whistle should be able to go louder. With that 84 dB as our ‘minimum loudness’ needed from a whistle, I proceeded to measure the amount of effort needed by blowing into each whistle we tested to pass that threshold.
Low effort is preferred- you can sustain whistle blows for hours with low-effort whistles. Medium and high-effort whistles will wear you out much more quickly. Here is where they stood:
| Low Effort | Medium Effort | High Effort | Very High Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox 40 Classic | Zipper Pull Whistle | Guardian 5-in-1 | Mouth Whistle |
| SOL Slim Rescue Howler | LuxoGear Kayak Whistle | Compass Whistle Buckle | |
| Storm | Resqme Whistles for Life | Tisur Titanium Whistle | |
| Fox 40 Sonik Blast | Windstorm | ||
| Orion Safety Whistle | Vargo Titanium Whistle | ||
| HyperWhistle | Nitecore NWS10 Titanium |
Durability
One issue with whistles that use the separate ‘pea’ inside is that the pea can become saturated with spit or water, making it less effective, or in worst cases, can cause jams for the whistle. This can be a durability concern, along with the material type of the whistle and the construction method. Plastic whistles need to be thick and weather-resistant to avoid cracking and deterioration in the elements.
All of our suggested whistles are thick-walled plastic, sacrificing metal durability for performance and lighter weight. Durability is not a concern, with military, LEO, and survival applications having already proven all three picks.
Versatility
Being able to use your whistles quickly and in a wide variety of situations gives us versatility. Having the versatility to add your whistle to a keychain, lanyard, or pull string is expected. Being able to use it underwater, like the Windstorm and HyperWhistle, is an even more unique versatility. Versatility adds layers to your preparedness.
Accessories
Many whistles come with multiples in a pack, but we factored that into our value analysis using the cost per whistle. Some also come with lanyards, clips, and keychains to help you carry and keep track of the whistles.
Breakaway lanyards are always nice- you don’t want a whistle lanyard to turn into a garrote.
Some whistles are designed with the whistle being the secondary function, like with the zipper pull, buckle whistle, and the 5-in-1. While the 5-in-1 was louder than we expected, we still haven’t come across a multi-use whistle worth carrying.
Size & Weight
Profile and weight are always important considerations for survival kits. Luckily, whistles are all relatively compact and lightweight, even the accessory-laden 5-in-1 we mentioned above.
Still, we measured and weighed each whistle and factored those into its versatility scores.
How to Use an Emergency Whistle
There are plenty of ways to communicate or get some attention over long distances, and an emergency whistle is a simple and effective last resort option. Sure, a cell phone is the most convenient. Satellite phone, if you can swing it. Two-way radios work great as well. But when circumstances call for it, sometimes you just need a really loud noise.
People have been whistling to communicate over long distances for a long time, using just their mouths and fingers. Of course, engineers had to do one better, so they designed metal whistles (and eventually plastic) and then tuned the airflow and frequency to increase the decibels. Hand-held whistles are easy to use, too, since you just blow into them.
You may want to use some hearing protection (or cover your ears) with a few of the louder whistles, like the Storm or HyperWhistle.
Here is a nice demonstration of where the Storm, Windstorm, and HyperWhistle clock in on an SPL meter:
Who Needs an Emergency Whistle?
Everyone can use an emergency whistle. Plenty of women keep loud whistles in their purses, but it’s not just for the ladies, fellas. When you are outdoors, loud noises have always been a good method to get attention or even communicate over distances, and a solid survival whistle can fit the bill.
Whistles are small and lightweight, so it’s no surprise that emergency whistles show up in several of our survival kit checklists.
We highly suggest putting one in these kits:
You should consider adding a whistle to these kits:
Whistles are useful beyond emergencies, too, of course. A solid emergency whistle can be used at sporting events, while hiking or boating, and anywhere else where you may want to be heard outdoors.
Sources & References
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best emergency whistle is useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical military and prepping experience:
Bong-Young, K., et al. (2018). A Study on Sound Transfer Characteristics of Whistle and Voice. International Information Institute (Tokyo). Volume 21, Issue 8, Pages 2149 – 2156. (Source).
Flamme, G., et al. (2013). Sports Officials’ Hearing Status: Whistle Use as a Factor Contributing to Hearing Trouble. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Issue 1, Pages 1 – 10. (Source)
Gladiné, K., et al. (2018). Average middle ear frequency response curves with preservation of curve morphology characteristics. Hearing Research. Volume 363. Pages 39 – 48. (Source)
Shadle, C. (1983). Experiments on the acoustics of whistling. The Physics Teacher. Issue 21, Page 148. (Source)
Conclusion
Whistles have been used for thousands of years for long-distance communication. When it comes to safety and survival, you want to keep it simple and effective- and it doesn’t get better than a proven emergency whistle.
To go along with your whistle, you should also consider a few other tools that can help you communicate outdoors:
- The Best Survival Walkie Talkie for Emergencies
- The Best Signal Mirrors for Prepping and Survival
- Bug Out Bag List | 44 Essentials
See more of our expert-written guides, resources, and reviews in your search results – add TruePrepper as a preferred source.
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I love your post. I’m also writing a story about whistles – may I link to this?
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Sure thing, Leon. Glad you enjoyed the write-up!