Ear-Piercing Emergency Whistle

With a screech more ear-piercing than a 5-year-old girl’s, the to-be-released Fox 40 Sharx whistle is said to be heard for miles over ambient sounds. Whether or not those ambient sounds include the noise of downtown New York or the serenity of a mountain lake is unknown. But at 120 decibels — a household smoke alarm is about 100 decibels — it’s bound to be heard. (It was certainly shrill in our test.)

The company’s pea-less whistle — no loose plastic sphere inside — uses a dual-chamber design to emit its painful sound. The Fox 40 Sharx whistle, which will be available in four colors by December, retails for $10. www.fox40world.com

—Ryan Dionne