LifeHammer Orange Original Emergency Hammer Review.
"Could Be a Lifesaver" 2006-09-01
By Jake Beckham (Dallas TX USA)
Car side windows are tough and almost impossible to break without a tool. This tool has pointed heads on the hammer which will cause the tempered glass in side windows (NOT the windshield) to shatter when hit with some force. As in all emergencies the key thing is to calm youself so you can think clearly. Mount this tool where you can easily reach it and then practice locating it and removing it from the mounting bracket with your eyes closed. With this tool you can fairly easily break the window and cut your seat belt if needed so you can exit the vehicle, hopefully before it sinks, if you have driven into flood water. You can also use it to rescue yourself or someone else trapped in a vehicle as a result of an accident that has jambed the doors where they won't open. The Today Show on NBC just recently had a segment on escaping a sinking vehicle and showed this tool in use.
"Actually Have Used This!" 2007-12-03
By Vanessa Caliendo (WI)
OK, so I buy 2 of these for my car and my husband's. He scoffs at it saying, "When am I ever going to use this??" Well, he hasn't needed to but I did!
Driving home to Wisconsin from Rhode Island with a friend and my 11 year old son. We're in Cleveland, on the highway in the middle of the night and my son in the back seat says, "Mom, my seat belt is stuck." Of course, I ask all the questions, "What are you talking about?" and just a lot of "What?'s" Simple right? Just unbuckle it and fix it.
After failing to solve the problem while driving and starting to hear some panic in my son's voice, I reluctantly pull off to the side of the highway. Just on a side note, this wasn't a part of the highway where there were exits for food or gas stations. In fact, the only exits were one's that I absolutely did not want to get off at fearing I would never get back on (no offense to Cleveland of course, we all have those stretches of highway.)
I get out of the car and open my son's door to find that the problem which I expected to be easily solved, was not solveable. Somehow while he was sleeping, he twisted and turned and double wrapped the seatbelt around him. And it gets worse. Because he had spent 15-20 minutes trying to get himself out and had already unbuckled the belt, he kept making the belt tighter and tighter, to the point where not only was there no belt room to get any slack back, he started having trouble breathing because it was wrapped around his lower stomach so tight I could not get my fingers underneath. I don't know if any of you can picture this because my husband could not when I explained it to him.
It dawns on me that I have this tool in my glovey, and I think it has a seat belt cutter on it. Do I actually have to use this? I couldn't believe that I did, but I tried every possible way to get my son out of this thing and just couldn't. So I cut it!
I didn't have a pair of scissors or anything else that would cut this thing. I surely couldn't pull off anywhere, so it really was my only option.
I truly believe this thing was a life saver! Although don't ask me how much it cost to replace the seat belt. Ugh! But definitely worth my kid's life!
"Lifehammer is a great tool" 2007-01-18
By G. Kamps (Battle Creek, MI)
It is good to know there is a safety tool like this on the market. Having had my mother killed in a car accident where she was trapped in her car, I have a better understanding of what might happen when you least expect it. I highly recommend this product. It is lightweight and well constructed, and the directions are easy to understand and follow. I hope everyone buys one.
"safety first" 2008-06-07
By D. Meyer (Orlando, FL USA)
I took a safety course with my local fire department. Part of it was escaping from a locked auto---you'd be surprised how difficult it was to break the window. Kicking it doesn't work nor does banging it with any thing you'd normally have in the car. On the 2nd attempt with LifeHammer in my safety course, I was able to escape in under 15 seconds. That sold me. Hopefully I'll never have to use this. For saftey, you can't get anything which is better. And this is not expensive---so buy it.
"Vital car safety equipment" 2007-12-31
By James R. Finley (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)
As seen tested on Mythbusters! This compact, inexpensive tool can save lives by helping you escape a car during a wreck if you can't release the seat belt latch or get the window down. It has a safety blade (cutting edge only on the inside of a hook)to cut seat belt webbing and a pointed hammerhead that will easily shatter a car window even when you can't break it without a tool. It's day-glow orange for easy visibility, is compact enough to fit in a glovebox or dash console and comes with a mounting bracket in case you want to put it somewhere else in your vehicle for easy access. I bought one for each of our vehicles.
By Jake Beckham (Dallas TX USA)
Car side windows are tough and almost impossible to break without a tool. This tool has pointed heads on the hammer which will cause the tempered glass in side windows (NOT the windshield) to shatter when hit with some force. As in all emergencies the key thing is to calm youself so you can think clearly. Mount this tool where you can easily reach it and then practice locating it and removing it from the mounting bracket with your eyes closed. With this tool you can fairly easily break the window and cut your seat belt if needed so you can exit the vehicle, hopefully before it sinks, if you have driven into flood water. You can also use it to rescue yourself or someone else trapped in a vehicle as a result of an accident that has jambed the doors where they won't open. The Today Show on NBC just recently had a segment on escaping a sinking vehicle and showed this tool in use.
By Vanessa Caliendo (WI)
OK, so I buy 2 of these for my car and my husband's. He scoffs at it saying, "When am I ever going to use this??" Well, he hasn't needed to but I did!
Driving home to Wisconsin from Rhode Island with a friend and my 11 year old son. We're in Cleveland, on the highway in the middle of the night and my son in the back seat says, "Mom, my seat belt is stuck." Of course, I ask all the questions, "What are you talking about?" and just a lot of "What?'s" Simple right? Just unbuckle it and fix it.
After failing to solve the problem while driving and starting to hear some panic in my son's voice, I reluctantly pull off to the side of the highway. Just on a side note, this wasn't a part of the highway where there were exits for food or gas stations. In fact, the only exits were one's that I absolutely did not want to get off at fearing I would never get back on (no offense to Cleveland of course, we all have those stretches of highway.)
I get out of the car and open my son's door to find that the problem which I expected to be easily solved, was not solveable. Somehow while he was sleeping, he twisted and turned and double wrapped the seatbelt around him. And it gets worse. Because he had spent 15-20 minutes trying to get himself out and had already unbuckled the belt, he kept making the belt tighter and tighter, to the point where not only was there no belt room to get any slack back, he started having trouble breathing because it was wrapped around his lower stomach so tight I could not get my fingers underneath. I don't know if any of you can picture this because my husband could not when I explained it to him.
It dawns on me that I have this tool in my glovey, and I think it has a seat belt cutter on it. Do I actually have to use this? I couldn't believe that I did, but I tried every possible way to get my son out of this thing and just couldn't. So I cut it!
I didn't have a pair of scissors or anything else that would cut this thing. I surely couldn't pull off anywhere, so it really was my only option.
I truly believe this thing was a life saver! Although don't ask me how much it cost to replace the seat belt. Ugh! But definitely worth my kid's life!
By G. Kamps (Battle Creek, MI)
It is good to know there is a safety tool like this on the market. Having had my mother killed in a car accident where she was trapped in her car, I have a better understanding of what might happen when you least expect it. I highly recommend this product. It is lightweight and well constructed, and the directions are easy to understand and follow. I hope everyone buys one.
By D. Meyer (Orlando, FL USA)
I took a safety course with my local fire department. Part of it was escaping from a locked auto---you'd be surprised how difficult it was to break the window. Kicking it doesn't work nor does banging it with any thing you'd normally have in the car. On the 2nd attempt with LifeHammer in my safety course, I was able to escape in under 15 seconds. That sold me. Hopefully I'll never have to use this. For saftey, you can't get anything which is better. And this is not expensive---so buy it.
By James R. Finley (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)
As seen tested on Mythbusters! This compact, inexpensive tool can save lives by helping you escape a car during a wreck if you can't release the seat belt latch or get the window down. It has a safety blade (cutting edge only on the inside of a hook)to cut seat belt webbing and a pointed hammerhead that will easily shatter a car window even when you can't break it without a tool. It's day-glow orange for easy visibility, is compact enough to fit in a glovebox or dash console and comes with a mounting bracket in case you want to put it somewhere else in your vehicle for easy access. I bought one for each of our vehicles.
