Our History

Fox Labs has a reputation of seeking-out and providing factual information to the marketplace. In virtually every important area of our business we have been the leader in bringing this data to market along with product. We were the company who, in 1993-94, researched, developed and introduced the first true 2 Million Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) aerosol defense sprays to the marketplace (in 2% OC, 5% OC and 1% OC & 1% CS formulas). During this period most products were an ineffective 50,000 to100,000 SHUs. SHU’s determine the intensity and effectiveness of an Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray; the percentage of OC in a formula is not as important. No other company preached this ‘truth’ prior to the Fox product rollout. In 1998 and 2007 Fox Labs introduced formulas using resins that had never been used in defense sprays before. FIVE POINT THREE and MEAN GREEN ® were not only the first products of their kind, they remain the best products in the categories.

Today, over thirty years later, we continue to be the leading proponent of SHU’s over percentages and are still striving to overcome the misconceptions that have been extolled by others in our concerning percentages of OC versus SHU’s. Others put sales above safety when they sell percentages of OC higher than 6% in formulas.

Even the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, said that in terms of strength versus percentage, “…percentages may be misleading, because it is the strength of the OC in the spray that determines its effectiveness, not its percent of volume. Moreover, strength is usually measured in Scoville Heat Units: the higher the SHU’s, the greater the inflammatory capacity of the OC. Also, OC is an oil; to work, it must atomize into a fine spray. Because oily solutions do not break up as easily into a mist, solutions greater than 5 percent OC may not atomize as well.”

In July of 1997 the company changed its name to Fox Labs International, Incorporated, to reflect its growing global presence. In just over three years Fox product sales had spread throughout the United States into Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and South America–they had even been introduced into Russia. Everyone from sweet little old ladies to the US Army had used Fox products; their reliability continued to be unrivaled in all areas and the positive word-of-mouth testimonies continued to spread.

Not content to sit on their laurels and desiring to provide both law enforcement and the civilian markets with unparalleled education about aerosol defense sprays and decontamination products, Fox continued to explore new avenues to provide an aerosol defense spray that would make individuals even safer and more effective when using this type of product. In August of 1998, they succeeded and again established a new standard by introducing FIVE POINT THREE, a 2% OC formula using resin rated at a true 5,300,000 million SHU!

FIVE POINT THREE was a major breakthrough for law enforcement agencies because it afforded all of the unbridled stopping power of higher percentage formulas while reducing the recovery time and liability concerns associated with other aerosol defense sprays. Additionally, because the resin was so much purer, and it was used in a lower percentage, the formula worked faster, creating intense heat virtually instantly, meaning most subjects were compliant in 3 seconds or less! As training officers and other decision makers became aware of this new product and the real benefits it offered, it changed the face of the aerosol defense spray market just as the introduction of the FOX 5% formula did in 1993.

Fast forward to 2022, and Fox Labs International's brand and formulas were acquired by self defense industry leader Byrna Technologies, Inc. Byrna together with Fox Labs now offer a progression of defense, including Fox Labs Pepper Spray and Byrna's less lethal self defense. Byrna Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: BYRN) is a technology company specializing in the areas of Personal Security Devices, Military, Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Private Security. The Company develops and manufactures innovative, less lethal equipment and munitions.