CheckMag | Safer: An attempt at making smart jewelry that would protect its female owner
Have you ever thought of what life would be like if safety features were built into incospicuous things you wear every day? What if your favorite piece of jewelry could double as a powerful safety tool?
This dream became a reality a few years ago, thanks to Safer — a smart jewelry line developed by Leaf Wearables that was meant to increase women's security without compromising on elegance.
Safer came into existence in 2015 in India. The products were designed for the modern urban woman who can find herself in all kinds of circumstances, including female students, working professionals, and travelers.
The idea was born out of a need to enhance women's safety in India, where a sexual assault reportedly occurs every 22.5 minutes. The founders of Safer were aware of this fact and decided to develop a device that would empower women by enabling them to call for help if in danger.
How it worked
Safer products allowed users to send SOS alerts to pre-selected emergency contacts with a simple double tap. This feature is invaluable in situations where making a phone call may not be possible or safe. The device had to be connected via Bluetooth to the Safer by Leaf app, available on both Android and iOS. Additionally, the Safer Walk feature allowed users to share their live location with trusted contacts while traveling, fostering a sense of security.
Having access to such features means a lot to many women who often feel vulnerable even when navigating public spaces, especially at night. By keeping friends or family informed of their whereabouts, Safer offered an extra layer of protection.
The jewelry was available for $52 to $74, and took only 15 minutes to charge for a week of use. The startup sold several thousand Safer gadgets, some of them in Turkey and other countries, some in India. The goal was to reach one million families by the end of 2017.
The team was exploring ways to make their products more advanced, possibly by incorporating a modem and a SIM card for direct communication. And then, apparently, something went wrong. Safer products don't seem to be available for purchase as of late 2024. On Facebook, the team's latest post was published in 2019.
The smart jewelry market is supposed to be worth way over $350 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2025 to 2030.
