[Matt__]

Looking at getting an AlarmTag for my keychain but I’m wondering if the strobe light needs to be visible for it to work. Like if I clip it to my belt loop and my shirt covers it, is that a problem? I know the siren is the main thing but just curious how people carry it so the light isn’t blocked.

[Tom 2020]

Clip it on the outside if you actually want the strobe seen.

[Alex Fisher]

I actually use mine way more for the light than the siren. When I’m walking the dog at night I just leave it clipped outside my jacket pocket so cars can spot me, and it flashes through pretty well even if it’s not fully out in the open.

[Sara Williams]

I actually tested this exact thing when I first got mine because I was worried about the same issue. The strobe is bright enough that it still glows through thin fabric, like a t-shirt or a light jacket. I clipped mine to my belt loop under a hoodie once and you could definitely see the flashing through the material. It wasn’t as intense as when it’s fully exposed, but it was noticeable. With something thicker like a winter coat, yeah, that would probably block most of it. So it kind of depends on what you’re wearing. For a keychain setup though, I find that just letting it hang outside my pocket works fine and I don’t really think about it much. The siren is loud enough that the light almost feels like a bonus anyway.

[Greg T.]

I always figured the whole point of the strobe is that someone has to actually see it, otherwise it’s just a light show in your shirt. The siren is what’s gonna do the heavy lifting in most situations since people will hear that long before they spot a little flashing light. But if the light is buried under a jacket or a bag, it’s basically doing nothing for you. I’ve seen people clip these on the outside of a strap or a front pocket specifically so the flash is visible from a distance. If someone is looking for you in the dark, a covered light isn’t gonna help. That’s just how I look at it though. Placement matters more than people think.

[Ella Voss]

If the strobe is covered, nobody’s seeing it, so it’s basically just running for nothing. That said, the point of the thing is the noise, and 130dB doesn’t care what you’re wearing. I keep mine on a bag strap where it’s actually visible, but I don’t lose sleep over it if a jacket covers it sometimes.

[Linda Robinson]

The strobe itself doesn’t need to be visible to work, it will still flash either way. Whether anyone actually sees it is another story. I keep mine on my bag strap instead of a belt loop for that reason.

[Dana Lee]

I keep mine clipped to the outside of my bag mostly so the light isn’t hidden. Even a little bit peeking out makes a difference if someone’s looking your way at night.

[Jason Brown]

Mine sits on my keys in my pocket half the time and nobody’s seeing that strobe. Doesn’t stop the thing from doing its job though, the noise is what actually gets attention.

[Mike Steel]

Sticking it on a belt loop under a shirt is fine if you mostly care about the noise. I had mine on a jacket zip pull for a few months and the strobe caught my eye more than anything else when it went off. That little flash bouncing off a window was actually the first thing I noticed.

[Parker S.]

If the light is buried under a shirt, it’s not doing anything for you. The siren still works fine, but the strobe only matters if someone can actually see it. I’d clip it somewhere visible if you care about that part.

[Mike Hall]

I don’t think the strobe being blocked matters much at all. Half the value is just the noise drawing eyes toward you anyway, and once people look over they’ll spot the thing flashing wherever it is. Mine hangs off my bag strap and the light barely shows, still works fine for me.

[Mike Reynolds]

The strobe is a secondary thing, not a requirement. If your shirt covers it, you still get the siren and that’s what actually makes people look. I wouldn’t plan my whole carry setup around whether the light is visible.

[Emma_RD]

The strobe really does need to be visible to matter, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry the thing hanging out in the open all day. I got one for my mom last year because she walks early mornings before it’s fully light out, and she keeps it clipped to the strap of her crossbody bag. The light faces out, the bag sits at her hip, and it’s not covered by anything. That was kind of the whole point of picking that spot. She tried clipping it to a jacket zipper first, but the pull tab kept catching on stuff when she reached for things, so the bag strap ended up being the better setup for her.

If your shirt is over it, you’re basically just getting the siren, which is still the loud part. I don’t think there’s a magic answer for carrying it under clothes and still getting the light. Somewhere on the outside of whatever you’re already wearing or carrying is the only way the strobe actually does anything.

[Matt__]

Ended up just clipping it to my bag strap where it stays visible, works fine for me. Good to know the noise carries either way though, takes some pressure off getting the placement perfect.

[Author]

Posts