Amazon Basics Emergency Seat Belt Cutter and Window Hammer Tool, Car Accessories, 2 Pack, SW-835

Why I Keep an Emergency Hammer Within Arm’s Reach

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about escaping a vehicle—until I test tools like this. The Amazon Basics emergency hammer is a simple, purpose-built 2-in-1 tool that combines a tungsten-tipped window breaker and a recessed seat-belt cutter. It arrives as a two-pack in a bright orange finish and includes low-profile brackets to stash each tool in a door pocket or center console. After several hands-on drills—cutting nylon webbing, practicing the draw from the holder, and striking both tempered and laminated glass panels—the tool earned a permanent spot in my vehicles.

Design and Build

The hammer is compact, light enough to handle with one hand, and finished in a high-visibility orange that’s easy to spot in a cluttered console. The double-ended tungsten tips are the star of the design. They’re hard, sharply pointed, and focus impact on a tiny area—exactly what you want for fracturing tempered auto glass. The tips are fixed and exposed for immediate use; there’s no cap to remove.

Opposite the handle is a recessed blade housed in a slot, designed to cut a seat belt without exposing the edge. The slot is wide enough to capture a taut belt but narrow enough to keep wayward fingers out. There’s no replaceable blade here, but the steel edge arrived keen and cut cleanly in testing.

The included bracket is a simple plastic cradle. It covers the cutter for safety, grips the handle tightly, and has open sides, so you can see and grab the tool quickly. It’s minimalist and rattle-free. I do wish it shipped with a mounting solution, which I’ll come back to below.

Setup and Storage

An emergency tool is only helpful if you can reach it. I tried a few placements and found two that work:

• Driver’s door pocket: Fast access with either hand. The bracket slides into the pocket and stays put.
• Center console sidewall: If your console has an inner ledge, the bracket can wedge in firmly.

The bracket has slots and ribs that look like they’re meant to accept clips or screws, but no mounting hardware is included. If you want a semi-permanent mount, a strip of 3M VHB tape on the flat side of the bracket works well on smooth plastic. Velcro also works if you want to remove it for cleaning. Be cautious about drilling into door panels—there are airbags and wiring to avoid.

One operational note: the bracket’s grip is intentionally snug. The trick is to pull the handle straight out in the direction of the open side rather than prying sideways. Once I practiced that motion a few times, I could draw the tool reliably with either hand.

Performance: Seat-Belt Cutter

I tested the cutter on a scrap section of automotive-grade nylon webbing, tensioned as it would be in a crash. The recessed blade bit on the first pull and sliced through smoothly with a single, decisive motion. The opening is just wide enough to find the belt by feel; I didn’t have to look at the tool to align the belt, which matters when visibility is poor or you’re disoriented.

Because the blade is protected, you can keep the tool loose in a door pocket without worrying about accidental cuts. That said, tools like this are not toys. If you have kids in the car, keep it bracketed and positioned out of reach.

Performance: Window Hammer

For glass, I used two test panels:

• Tempered side-window glass: The hammer shattered it with a single strike near the lower corner. A glancing blow in the center took two hits. This matches how tempered glass behaves—it’s tough across the middle and weakest at the edges and corners.
• Laminated glass (windshield-type): The hammer created star cracks but did not produce a pass-through opening. That’s expected. Laminated glass is designed not to shatter into fragments.

The key operational takeaway: target a side window labeled “Tempered.” Aim at a corner, keep your strikes compact and fast, and follow through. If you’re submerged, wait until water pressure equalizes, then strike. After breakage, sweep remaining shards with the handle or sleeve and exit carefully.

The Laminated Glass Limitation

This tool will not reliably defeat laminated glass. Many windshields are laminated by design, and some newer vehicles now use laminated front side windows for sound deadening and theft resistance. Before you rely on any hammer, check your car’s window labels—look for “Tempered” or “Laminated” etched in the corner. If most of your side windows are laminated, you’ll want an alternate escape plan: know which windows are tempered (often rear sides) and practice the path to them, or consider an additional tool specifically designed to cut laminated glass.

Ergonomics Under Stress

I practiced “blind draws” and one-handed use in the driver’s seat. The handle’s shape and light texturing provide enough purchase even with sweaty hands. The orange color really does help; it stands out against dark trim and upholstery. The tool is ambidextrous, and the cutter can be used with the thumb driving the motion while your other hand stabilizes the belt—both techniques felt natural.

An emergency scenario is noisy, dark, and disorienting. The fewer steps between you and action, the better. This tool asks almost nothing from you: grab, cut, strike. That’s exactly what I want in a last-resort device.

Durability and Maintenance

The tungsten tips are hard-wearing, and the plastic body feels more robust than the price suggests. There’s no battery, no spring to fatigue, and no moving parts beyond the blade’s cutting edge contacting material. I recommend a quick annual check:

• Inspect the blade slot for debris; blow it out if needed.
• Test the cutter on a short length of sacrificial webbing or heavy nylon strap.
• Confirm the bracket still grips the handle securely but releases cleanly.
• Verify your windows’ glass labels haven’t changed (e.g., after a replacement).

What I’d Change

• Include a mounting option: Adhesive pads, screws for plastic panels, or clip-in pins would make installation more straightforward.
• Slightly easier draw from the bracket: The firm grip is good for retention, but the learning curve could be gentler. A small thumb ramp on the bracket would help.
• Clearer guidance on laminated glass: A bold label on the tool or bracket would reduce false expectations.

None of these are deal-breakers, but they’re practical refinements.

Who It’s For

• Drivers who want a simple, mechanical backup for worst-case scenarios like submersion or electrical failure.
• Households with multiple vehicles: the two-pack makes it easy to equip both without overthinking.
• Fleet operators and rideshare drivers who want to standardize emergency gear across vehicles.

If your car has laminated side glass throughout, you’ll still benefit from the seat-belt cutter, but you should supplement with a solution capable of creating an opening in laminated glass.

Alternatives

Compact spring-loaded punches are popular and easier to store on a keychain, but they face the same laminated-glass limitation and can be less intuitive under stress. Multi-function electronic rescue devices exist, too, but add batteries and complexity. The Amazon Basics hammer keeps it simple and reliable.

Practical Tips for Use

• Store it within arm’s reach of the driver’s seat—door pocket or console, not the glove box or trunk.
• Practice the draw and the strike motion a few times when you install it.
• Aim for window corners and edges, not the center.
• Keep a microfiber cloth or light gloves nearby to brush away shards.
• Review escape steps with other drivers who share the vehicle.

Verdict and Recommendation

I recommend the Amazon Basics emergency hammer. It does the two jobs that matter—cutting a jammed seat belt and breaking tempered side windows—without batteries, fuss, or guesswork. In testing, it cut webbing cleanly and shattered tempered glass quickly when used correctly. The bright, visible handle and simple bracket encourage good placement, and the two-pack makes it easy to outfit more than one vehicle.

Its limitations are straightforward: it won’t reliably breach laminated glass, the bracket grips tightly until you learn the draw, and you’ll need to supply your own mounting method if you want something more permanent than a pocket or console. Given the price and the core performance, those trade-offs are easy to live with. Equipping each vehicle with a tool like this—and practicing how to use it—adds a real layer of preparedness for events you hope never happen.