Red pepper spray is, by all accounts, a serious and nasty weapon that should be reserved for use in an extreme emergency (and no, getting the last toy for your child on Black Friday is not an emergency).
For those with children, this iPhone case is not advised. Children are naturally curious and are irresistibly attracted to iPhones. Since the case does not child lock the spray, the likely result would be very painful for everyone.
Keep in mind that having pepper spray with you is like having a knife as far as the TSA is concerned. If you decide to purchase the SmartGuard case, leave it at home when flying, unless you love drama.
Another issue worth noting is if you leave the pepper spray in your car during the summer or live in an extremely warm climate, there is a good chance the seals of the container might leak. A leaking event is sure to be inconvenient, and possibly even disastrous if you are operating machinery or on a first date (first impressions tend to be negative when your date is crashed by the hazmat team).
The SmartGuard iPhone case is available at Sabre Red for $34.99
Given the potential for accidental discharge if mishandled, we feel the SmartGuard would not be a good choice for the majority of iPhone users. It might be attractive to a college student who has to walk to her car at night, however, that same college student is likely to have friends who will want to see what it does at a party.
On one last note, if you buy the SmartGuard case and have the unfortunate opportunity to need it, be certain that the wind is blowing away from you, or you might be disabled before your attacker.
We would be remiss if we did not mention at least one app that could scare someone away. On AppAdvice Daily, Robin Rys reviewed both iTazer and Air Horn (Free!). While iTazer was a prank, Air Horn (Free!) emits a loud sound which could be a possible deterrent to a would-be attacker. Not perfect, but less likely to come back and cause you pain than carrying pepper spray in a vial close to your face.