The 10 Best Air Horns
Editor's Notes
July 01, 2020:
While many of our previous selections still proved relevant through this round of updates, we did decide on removing the K3 Brands Premium Signal Horn, Safety-Sport Personal 911 and SeaSense 8oz, all due to availability issues. Some of our new picks this time around include the QYPM Party — a disposable model that’s affordable enough for you to get one for everybody on the guest list, the Aceshin Train Kit — which uses a combination of four trumpets to replicate a train’s whistle, and the Wolo 496 — which isn’t truly an air horn, but rather a battery-powered alternative that might save you money in the long run.
A few things to think about for this category:
Purpose: What’s this air horn for? Our selections for this category are unified by their common cause, to generate loud noises with the push of a button, but to what end that noise is intended to be used can vary considerably. Air horns for trucks – like the Aceshin Train Kit and Kleinn Air Horns – can make a great replacement for or supplement to your factory horn, but if you prefer to manoeuver through traffic on an electric bike or mountain bike then their size will make them a prohibitive choice for you, and you should instead consider a bike horn like the Delta Cycle Airzound Bike.
Canister models offer a bit more flexibility, even if they’re marketed as purpose-specific selections. So, while the SeaSense Ecoblast is intended for boat safety and the Safety-Sport Dog Horn XL is intended as a security tool for hikers and pedestrians, in practice they can be used interchangeably.
Reusable vs. Disposable: The pros and cons line up for this consideration similarly to the way they do in most categories: Reusable options – like the Delta Cycle Airzound Bike and SeaSense Ecoblast – can save you money in the long run and reduce your environmental footprint, while disposable options – like the Safety-Sport Dog Horn XL and QYPM Party – can save you money in the short term and tend to be more convenient. As a tireless advocate for long-term savings and the environment, my tendency is to recommend reusable options where appropriate, but it’ll be up to you to decide, based on your personal circumstances, what the best choice is for you.
Size: While this consideration does bear some relevance in the case of canister models – small models like the QYPM Party and Falcon Safety Sonic Blast won’t last as long as some large alternatives – but for the most part I mention size here in reference to the air horns for trucks that we've listed, which can vary considerably in size, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve got enough space handy to install the model you’re considering.
While options like the Aceshin Train Kit, which are powered by a bulky compressor, might be difficult for some vehicles to accommodate, other options like the Gampro Single Trumpet use a small air pump, and therefore might be easier to find space for. Other times, as in the case of the Kleinn Air Horns, no onboard air system is included with the horn, and therefore will need to be purchased separately, so watch out for that extra cost.