Top 16 Best Self-Defense Affiliate Programs to Help You Earn More

According to Grand View Research, the global self-defense products market, valued at USD 3.03 billion in 2024, is expected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.

This growth presents a prime opportunity for affiliates in the personal safety niche to earn high commissions by promoting self-defense products and training courses.

We’ve compiled a list of the top 16 self-defense affiliate programs, offering great commissions and attractive benefits. Find the best match for you and start earning today!

TL;DR

You can choose from many reputable self-defense brands to promote. Let’s explore the best programs with key details like commission rates and cookie durations.

• Byrna (Commission: 5%, Cookie: 45 days)
• Taser (Commission: 7%, Cookie: 30 days)
• The Home Security Superstore (Commission: 9%, Cookie: 60 days)
• Little Viper (Commission: 20-30%, Cookie: 120 days)
• Self Defense Keychain Store (Commission: 10%)
• Streetwise Defence (Commission: 50%, Cookie: 365 days)
• Gorilla Ammunition (Commission: 2.5%, Cookie: 30 days)
• Defense Divas (Commission: 5%)
• Defender Ring (Commission: 10%)
• Pretty Loaded (Commission: 50%)

Affiliate marketing allows brands to expand their reach while optimizing their marketing budget. With UpPromote affiliate software, you can set up an affiliate program in under 5 minutes. You can also easily recruit, manage affiliates and encourage them to drive sales.

16 Best Affiliate Programs for Self-Defense Products and Gear

Ready to get started? Discover the best self-defense affiliate programs and start earning commissions today!

1. Byrna

Byrna develops innovative personal security solutions, such as projectiles, self-defense aerosol sprays, and other accessories. Their flagship product, the Byrna Launcher, is a CO2-powered device that shoots pepper balls, rubber balls, and other non-lethal rounds.

This self defense affiliate program offers you a 5% commission rate for every successful sale made via your link. The cookie lasts 45 days from the customer’s first click.

The Byrna affiliate program is managed via CJ Affiliate, so you need to create an account on the platform to get started. You’ll also get access to many promotional codes and special offers to share with your audience.

2. Taser

Taser produces less-lethal personal protection devices for civilian use. Their devices use electrical pulses to temporarily disable an attacker by disrupting muscle control.

The brand pays you a 7% commission for each qualified purchase made through your link. The 30-day cookie window allows you to earn on sales completed within that period.

Their self defense affiliate program is managed through the Avantlink network. They provide a variety of eye-catching banners for your promotions. Their automated data feed will also keep you up-to-date with the latest product information.

3. The Home Security Superstore

The Home Security Superstore provides self-defense tools like Tasers, pepper sprays, wireless motion alarms, and security cameras. They also offer product reviews, safety tips, and detailed guides to help customers make informed decisions about personal and home security.

Affiliates can receive a 9% commission on each successful order when joining their self defense affiliate program. You also have a long cookie period of 60 days to earn on purchases from the customer’s first click.

The brand issues payouts via PayPal once your earnings reach a $50 minimum. You’ll have a chance to be featured on the brand’s social media or email list, helping you reach a broader audience and attract more potential customers.

4. Little Viper

Little Viper manufactures pepper spray self-defense bracelets. Their product is designed like a fitness tracker or watch and can be easily accessed in emergency situations.

When joining this self defense bracelets affiliate program, affiliates will earn a 20% commission for every qualified referral. This rate can increase to 30% during the launch promotion, which runs until May 31st. You can earn money on purchases made within 4 months of the customer’s initial click.

You can choose to receive your payouts monthly via PayPal or as a store discount coupon. However, a minimum balance of $50 is required for domestic transfers and $100 for international ones.

The brand provides various appealing product images, banners, and videos to support your promotions. They also send you product samples to create detailed content and video reviews to engage a larger audience.

5. Self Defense Keychain Store

Self Defense Keychain Store supplies over 200 styles of self-defense keychains and related safety products, such as pepper spray, stun guns, kubatons, personal alarms, and more. They aim to blend safety and everyday fashion with designs in pastel colors, animal patterns, and trendy add-ons like pom-poms and wristlets.

You can earn up to 10% commission on all successful purchases through your affiliate link. Your payouts will be processed via PayPal with a minimum threshold of $100.

The brand uses the Goaffpro software to manage their self defense affiliate program. They provide you with a smart tracking dashboard to monitor your promotional data. In addition, you can share coupon codes with your audience to increase engagement and drive more sales.

6. Streetwise Defence

Streetwise Defence provides self-defense classes, workshops, and courses both in-person and online. Their training programs help learners identify threats, avoid danger, de-escalate tense situations, and apply basic self-defense techniques.

You can get a high commission of up to 50% on every successful sale. This self defense affiliate program lets you receive credit for purchases made within 12 months of the customer’s first click on your link.

Being their affiliate, you can promote any or all of their on-demand online courses. Your commissions from all sales will be tracked and paid to your PayPal account once a month.

7. Gorilla Ammunition

Gorilla Ammunition produces high-quality ammunition and firearm components for training, target shooting, hunting, and self-defense. They are one of the few ammunition manufacturers in the U.S. with an in-house ballistics laboratory.

You’ll receive a 2.5% commission on every successful order when joining their self defense affiliate program. You can earn around $4 per sale with an average order size of $150. The cookie period lasts 30 days from the customer’s first click.

Affiliates will have access to various eye-catching ad creatives designed by their skilled graphics team. You’ll also receive the latest product details and promotional resources from their affiliate coordinators.

8. Defense Divas

Defense Divas sells self-defense products tailored for women, such as stun guns, pepper sprays, keychain knives, and more. Their “Pink Ink Self-Defense & Safety Awareness” blog shares practical tips to help women protect themselves from physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse.

With the Defense Divas self defense affiliate program, you can earn a 5% commission on each sale. You must set up a Venmo account to receive your payouts. They will process your commission payment if your balance reaches $50.

9. Defender Ring

Defender Ring is well-known for their unique personal protection jewelry. Their items are equipped with concealed blades, quickly deployed for self-defense or everyday tasks like cutting rope.

This self defense jewelry affiliate program offers a 10% commission for every completed purchase. They pay your commission via PayPal for a secure and convenient payment process.

Once approved as their affiliate, you’ll receive all the necessary links, logos, and media to promote Defender Ring’s products. You can also share unique coupon codes with your audiences to drive more sales.

10. Pretty Loaded

Pretty Loaded is a well-known personal safety and situational awareness training platform in the U.S. Their training covers identifying criminal behaviors, navigating high-risk areas, practicing safe driving, avoiding carjacking, and staying safe during food and alcohol delivery.

This self defense training affiliate program allows you to get up to 50% commissions on all online training purchased through your link. You’ll need a PayPal account since that’s how commissions are sent monthly.

You can leverage the brand’s logo in your promotions to build credibility and attract more attention. They also create a custom landing page to connect your audience directly to your Pretty Loaded email. Plus, you’ll receive a Facilitator’s Guide, folders, business cards, and other gifts to support your work.

11. Real Self-Defense

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: 10 days

Real Self-Defense provides a curated selection of discreet, dual-purpose self-defense tools. They also offer free tips via articles and videos, covering topics like mental toughness, physical conditioning, improvised weapons, and realistic threat responses.

12. Unbreakable Umbrella

• Commission rate: 5-10%
• Cookie duration: 10 days

Unbreakable Umbrella sells highly durable, wind-resistant umbrellas for both everyday use and self-defense purposes. They also create detailed videos and articles showing how to use their products effectively, along with general safety tips.

13. Olight

• Commission rate: 8%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Olight provides premium portable lighting solutions, including EDC gear, tactical lights, headlamps, and other accessories. Their tactical flashlights release an intense light that can briefly blind or confuse an attacker, giving users an important moment to escape or defend themselves.

14. The Self-Defense Company

• Commission rate: 40%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

The Self-Defense Company offers live, expert-led programs to teach practical personal protection skills. Members can access over 400 on-demand video lessons and drills, downloadable manuals, live online support, and a wide range of additional resources.

15. Wonder Hoodie

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Wonder Hoodie is a pioneering brand in protective clothing, designing bulletproof and stab-proof apparel. They also donate one protective item to a teacher or student in at-risk communities for every 10 sold through their Safe Schools Program.

16. SABRE

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

SABRE is the leading pepper spray manufacturer in the United States. They support users with training videos and practical tips to ensure confident and effective use of their products.

How to Create a High-Trust Affiliate Program for Your Self-Defense Brand on Shopify

Today, there’s a quiet but powerful movement happening in our communities: people are taking control of their personal safety.

This growing demand for self-defense products isn’t just a feeling – it’s a multi-billion dollar reality.

This global market is projected to grow by nearly 6.5% every year through 2030.

For self-defense brands on Shopify, this is a chance to build a community and empower people. But you don’t have to do it alone.

Imagine you have a team of promoters who tell their friends and followers about your products.

When they send a customer your way who makes a purchase, you pay them a small commission as a thank you.

This performance-based partnership is exactly what affiliate marketing is.

It’s a win-win: the affiliate earns money for recommending a product they love, and you get a new customer.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to build a team of these trusted advocates. Let’s dive in.

Find the Right Affiliate Management Solution for Your Shopify Store

Running an affiliate program by yourself is a big risk. The real danger is losing your partners’ trust.

What if you track a sale wrong? Or pay them the wrong amount? You break their trust, and it is very hard to get that back. Good partners will leave if you don’t pay them right.

That’s why having an affiliate management tool you can trust is so important. UpPromote was built to prevent that exact problem.

With perfect, real-time tracking, every click and sale is recorded the moment it happens, so there’s no room for error.

This gives your partners peace of mind, knowing they will always be paid correctly and on time for their hard work.

But tracking is only half the story.

Your partners are all different, right? You’ve got your top self-defense influencers, your loyal customers, and maybe even local trainers and instructors.

UpPromote lets you build a unique program for each affiliate type. You can give your top performers the VIP commission while running a simpler referral program for everyone else.

The app is also intuitive and easy to use, so you can spend your time building relationships, not on confusing software.

And if you ever do have a question, the 24/7 support team is always there to help you find a quick answer.

You can start risk-free with their free plan or try any paid plan with a 14-day free trial to see how powerful it is for your store.

Set Up a Competitive Commission Plan

If you want the best experts to promote your products, you need to give them a great reason to choose your brand.

A fair and attractive commission plan shows them that you value their partnership and are serious about growing together.

We’ve looked at what other top Shopify self-defense brands are doing to help you get this right.

For physical gear like pepper spray or tactical pens, a 7-15% commission is a great starting point.

These products often have manufacturing and shipping costs. A lower commission range protects your profits while still giving affiliates a good reward for each sale.

Let’s say you sell a tactical flashlight for $80. It costs you $50 to make, so you have $30 in profit.

If you offer a 12% commission, you pay your partner $9.60. You still get to keep over $20. It’s a win-win!

For higher-ticket items, like advanced home security systems or comprehensive survival kits, a lower commission is still attractive.

Because the product price is high, your partners can earn a big payday from a single sale – even with a smaller commission rate of 8-12%.

If you sell digital products, like online self-defense courses or safety training ebooks, you can be much more generous.

It costs you almost nothing to sell one more course or download. That’s why you should offer a big commission, like 25-40%. This will get your partners really excited to promote your products.

One Shopify brand we know sells a digital women’s safety course.

When they raised their commission from 20% to 35%, they immediately saw twice as many affiliates sign up. Best of all, their affiliate sales grew by over 50% in just three months.

Select the Right Cookie Period

Choosing the right cookie period is an important step in creating an affiliate program for your self-defense Shopify store.

A fair cookie window makes sure your partners get paid for the sales they help create. It shows them you value their hard work.

If you’re not sure what cookie length to set, check out these suggestions.

Low-priced items: 15-30 days

For affordable self-defense products, the sale happens fast. When someone is buying a simple item like a tactical pen or pepper spray, they typically decide within a few days to two weeks.

These are simple, affordable tools that don’t require a lot of research. This window rewards affiliates for sales that happen relatively soon after their referral.

For example, a Shopify store selling personal safety devices uses a 30-day cookie.

A follower can click an affiliate’s link on a Monday, think about it for a week, and make the purchase the following Tuesday.

This way, the affiliate still gets full credit for their effort.

High-priced, complex items: 45-90 days

But what happens with more high-priced items like a bulletproof backpack or an advanced security camera network?

People need to take more time to read reviews, compare technical specs, and save up.

This is where a longer cookie becomes important. It ensures affiliates do not lose out on their commission on these sales.

For example, the Home Security Superstore sells security, surveillance, and self-defense equipment. They set their cookie to 60 days, giving their partners more time to earn commission.

Select Ideal Partners for Your Affiliate Program

Now that your program is set up, it’s time to find the right people to promote your products.

Identify the Right Partners

First, you need to create a clear picture of your ideal partner.

1. The Self-Defense Influencers

Let’s say your brand sells a popular personal safety alarm or a tactical pen. Your ideal partners are the online creators who focus on reviewing this kind of gear.

Instead of just saying they like your product, they will show it in action.

Imagine a YouTuber creating a video “Testing the [Your Brand’s] Safety Alarm.” They’ll demonstrate how loud it is, compare it to other alarms, and talk about how easy it is to carry.

Finding these creators is straightforward.

You just need to go to social media platforms and search for keywords like “best self-defense tools for women” or “tactical pen review.”

When you find a creator you like, check the comments on their posts. If people are asking lots of questions and the creator is answering them, that’s a sign of an engaged community.

To save you time, we’ve found a few popular self-defense influencers to get you started:

• @NickDrossos (566K subscribers)
• @THEMARTIALMAN (313K subscribers)
• @jenncassetta (2.14K subscribers)

2. The Bloggers & Review Sites

Next, you have the writers. These are the bloggers and review sites that make helpful guides and “best of” lists for people who are ready to buy.

Instead of a quick video, they write detailed articles that compare products side-by-side.

Let’s say you sell a high-end bulletproof backpack. A blogger might write an article like, “The 5 Best Bulletproof Backpacks for Commuters.”

They’ll compare your bag to others, looking at things like weight, protection, and price. They answer all the common questions and then share their affiliate links for the ones they like best.

Their articles attract people who are serious about buying and just need one last bit of expert advice.

To find these bloggers, just go to Google and search for things like “best tactical gear reviews” or “[your competitor’s brand] review.”

The websites on the first page are the big names in this space, and their readers already trust their advice.

3. The Online Self-Defense Instructors

Finally, what if you sell special gear, like training pads or tactical equipment? Your best partners here are the online instructors who teach self-defense to their loyal students.

Instead of just reviewing a product, they use it as part of their actual teaching.

For instance, an instructor filming a lesson on how to block a punch. They’re using your brand’s training pads, showing their students that your gear really works.

Since students have already paid for the course, they really trust the instructor’s advice. The teacher can then point them to a “Gear We Use” page on their site with their affiliate link.

This is the best kind of promotion. Your product isn’t just an option; it’s a necessary tool for their training.

To find these instructors, just look where they teach. You can search on Udemy, Teachable, or Kajabi for “self-defense courses.” Then, check out the instructors in the search results.

You should watch some of their videos to see if their style matches your products. You should also read the comments to make sure they have an engaged audience.

How to Approach These Target Affiliates?

When you’ve already found your potential affiliates, it’s time to say hello.

1. Reach Out Directly

Direct outreach is a fast and personal way to connect with them. It gives you the chance to explain why you think they’re a great fit.

For a more formal approach, you can contact them through email.

To make it easy, here’s a simple template you can start using right away:

Or you can send them a direct message (DM) on social media:

2. Create an Affiliate Application Form

Instead of you having to find every partner, you can let them come to you. The easiest way to do it is by creating a sign-up page on your website.

For self-defense brands on Shopify, UpPromote makes it easy to build a professional affiliate registration page.

Everyone can start with the standard ‘Basic’ template.

If you want your page to look more professional, you can choose the ‘Trendy’ or ‘Comfort’ template to really impress your affiliates.

Moreover, you can add your logo and use your brand’s colors to make the page feel welcoming and trustworthy.

Here’s an example of what a sign-up page looks like using the simple Basic template.

Besides basic information, you can also add custom questions to learn more about your applicant before approving them.

Here are some questions you can add to your sign-up form:

• What specific topics do you focus on within the self-defense/safety niche? (e.g., women’s safety, concealed carry, emergency preparedness)
• How do you plan to promote our products? (e.g., YouTube reviews, blog post tutorials, Instagram stories)
• Do you have any certifications or professional experience related to self-defense?

By understanding an affiliate’s promotional strategy, you can see if they align with your brand’s mission. You will also know if they can speak about your products with real authority.

Moreover, asking about their experience will help you find the true experts. A recommendation from a certified instructor is much more powerful than one from a general influencer.

Share Promotional Tools with Your Affiliates

You can save your affiliates a lot of time and effort by giving them ready-to-use marketing materials.

This way, they can start promoting your brand right away without having to create everything from scratch.

First, you can give your affiliates high-quality visuals like banners and product photos.

With UpPromote’s Media Gallery, you can create a central library of all your approved content.

You can upload as many banners, photos, links to videos, or even helpful PDF guides as you want.

Your partners can then just log into their account, grab what they need, and share with their audience in a few clicks.

Next, you can offer them a powerful tool that customers love: coupon codes.

This is a powerful motivator because most shoppers actively look for a deal before making a purchase.

When an affiliate can offer their audience an exclusive discount, it makes their recommendation much more compelling.

It creates a simple win-win: the customer feels like they got a special deal, and your affiliate makes a sale more easily.

For instance, imagine you want to boost sales for a new line of tactical flashlights. With UpPromote, you could create a unique 15% off coupon code for your top affiliates.

Encourage Your Affiliates to Boost Sales

If you want to get more affiliate sales, you need to keep your partners excited about your program.

Offering bonuses for their hard work is one great way.

You can give your affiliates a reward when they reach a specific target, like making a certain number of referrals, total sales, or commission.

UpPromote can help you set up these bonuses with ease. For example, you can set up a $75 bonus for any affiliate who brings in 25 sales in a single month.

Cash is great, but sometimes the best reward is the product itself.

Imagine you’re launching a new tactical flashlight; sending one to your top partners is a smart way to get the honest reviews you need to get more sales.

This is where the UpPromote Gifts makes your life easy and gives you full control.

You can decide how your partners receive the gift, whether it’s completely free or at a special discount, like 50% off.

UpPromote also lets you decide who pays for shipping. With a simple checkbox, you can choose to charge your affiliates for the shipping fees.

Conclusion

Setting up a high-trust affiliate program is one of the best things you can do for your self-defense brand. By following these steps, you can connect with authentic experts who will share your products with the people who need them most.

You have the game plan. Now, let’s go build your program and watch your community grow.

FAQs

Q: What products are typically allowed in self-defense affiliate programs?

Usually non-lethal, lawful items (personal alarms, flashlights, safety apps, door/window devices, approved sprays where legal), home-security accessories, and training (situational awareness, de-escalation, martial arts classes). Always confirm what each merchant permits.

Q: Can I promote weapons?

Only if they’re legal in your audience’s location and the merchant/network and platform allow it. Many platforms restrict firearms, knives, or “weapons” ads—stick to safety-first, non-lethal gear unless rules explicitly allow otherwise.

Q: What is a self-defense affiliate program?

A: A self-defense affiliate program is a partnership where a business (the merchant) pays an individual or company (the affiliate) a commission for generating sales, leads, or traffic to their self-defense products or services. The affiliate promotes the merchant’s offerings through a unique link, and when a customer makes a purchase through that link, the affiliate earns a percentage of the sale.