Harvard-Stanford Study Features Byrna as the Exclusive Product Used to Measure Shift in Gun-Owner Attitudes Toward Non-Lethal Personal Defense

Rhea-AI Summary

Byrna Technologies (Nasdaq: BYRN) was the exclusive non-lethal device used in a national study by Harvard, Stanford, and Harvard Business School released Oct 8, 2025. The randomized study surveyed ~6,000 U.S. adults (ages 18-64) and found that exposure to Byrna's SD significantly increased willingness to pay for non-lethal devices, openness to substituting them for lethal firearms, and support for policies favoring less-lethal options.

Key metrics: 43% of respondents preferred a device that incapacitates rather than kills; only 21% of firearm owners had heard of Byrna, indicating awareness upside.

Positive

• 43% of respondents preferred incapacitating over lethal firearms
• Study exposure significantly increased willingness to pay for non-lethal devices

Negative

• Only 21% of firearm owners had previously heard of Byrna, indicating low brand awareness

Insights

Market Research Analyst

Harvard–Stanford study exposure raises measurable demand for non‑lethal devices, validating a sizable addressable market for Byrna.

Byrna served as the exclusive non‑lethal device in a large randomized experiment of ~6,000 U.S. adults, released Oct 8, 2025, showing meaningful shifts in preferences. Exposure increased willingness to pay for non‑lethal devices and openness to substitute them for lethal firearms. The finding that 43% of respondents preferred incapacitating over lethal capability is a clear market signal rather than anecdote.

The result depends on study design, sample representativeness, and the specific information treatments used; the company notes it had no role in design or funding. Awareness remains limited: only 21% of firearm owners had heard of Byrna, indicating upside from marketing and education but also a dependency on sustained outreach to convert attitudes into purchases.

Watch adoption metrics and concrete sales conversion over the next 6–18 months, plus any replication or peer review of the study methods. Track brand awareness lifts, willingness‑to‑pay estimates, and policy signals that could encourage less‑lethal adoption within a 6–18 month horizon.

Groundbreaking national research finds exposure to Byrna’s products significantly increases Americans’ openness to non-lethal protection and willingness to support policies promoting safer alternatives

ANDOVER, Mass., Oct. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Byrna Technologies Inc. (“Byrna” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BYRN), a personal defense technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions, announced its inclusion in a landmark, independent study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and Harvard Business School.

The study, titled “The Universal Pursuit of Safety and the Demand for (Lethal, Non-Lethal, or No) Guns,” was released on October 8, 2025 and was published through Harvard’s Social Economics Lab. It is among the most comprehensive academic investigations to date on firearm ownership and attitudes toward non-lethal defense. The researchers targeted a total sample size of approximately 6,000 U.S. adults aged 18-64 across a nationally representative sample, using randomized information treatments to measure how Americans’ safety beliefs shape their preferences for lethal versus non-lethal protection. The study was conducted independently by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Harvard Business School, with no involvement from Byrna in its design, execution, or funding.

Within the experiment, the Byrna SD served as the exclusive non-lethal firearm (NLFA) used to evaluate how exposure to such products influences Americans’ safety beliefs and preferences measure these shifts in attitudes. According to the authors, exposure to Byrna’s technology significantly increased respondents’ willingness to pay for non-lethal devices, their openness to substituting them for lethal firearms, and their support for policies encouraging adoption of less-lethal options. In fact, 43 percent of respondents said they would prefer to own a firearm capable of incapacitating rather than killing someone, underscoring the growing public interest in non-lethal solutions and the sizable market opportunity for products like Byrna.

“This study highlights what we’ve seen firsthand. Americans are rethinking what responsible self-defense looks like,” said Bryan Ganz, CEO of Byrna Technologies. “Byrna sits at the forefront of a major cultural and market inflection point where safety and responsibility go hand in hand. Gun owners are finding us and choosing us because they want effective protection without lethal consequences.”

The study found that both firearm owners and non-owners identify protection of family or self as the top rationale related to firearms, and that information about non-lethal alternatives shifts preferences toward options that incapacitate without killing. Notably, only 21% of firearm owners in the study had previously heard of Byrna, suggesting strong potential for further education and awareness.

The authors characterize encouraging demand for non-lethal alternatives as a potential “harm reduction” approach that can expand access to personal protection while reducing social and legal risks associated with lethal weapons.

For Byrna, inclusion in this October 2025 research reinforces its role as a leader in the growing shift toward responsible self-defense and safer personal security solutions.

About Byrna Technologies Inc.
Byrna is a personal defense technology company specializing in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative less-lethal personal security solutions. For more information on the Company, please visit the corporate website here or the Company’s investor relations site here. The Company is the manufacturer of the Byrna^® CL, Byrna^® LE, and Byrna^® SD personal security devices, state-of-the-art handheld CO2 powered launchers designed to provide a less-lethal alternative to a firearm for the consumer, private security, and law enforcement markets. To purchase Byrna products, visit the Company’s e-commerce store.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking, including statements regarding market trends in non-lethal self-defense, potential consumer awareness and adoption of non-lethal alternatives, Byrna’s position in the market, and the potential impact of independent research on attitudes toward non-lethal products. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others, changes in consumer preferences, the effectiveness of marketing and education efforts, competitive dynamics, regulatory developments affecting the sale or marketing of less-lethal products, supply chain constraints, third-party distribution decisions, potential product defects, litigation or regulatory actions, macroeconomic conditions, and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The order of factors is not indicative of importance. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:
Tom Colton and Alec Wilson
Gateway Group, Inc.
949-574-3860
BYRN@gateway-grp.com

FAQ

What did the Harvard-Stanford study involving BYRN find about non-lethal device demand?

The study found exposure to Byrna's SD significantly increased willingness to pay for non-lethal devices and support for policies favoring them.

How large was the sample in the Oct 8, 2025 study that used BYRN products?

Researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of approximately 6,000 U.S. adults aged 18-64.

What percentage of respondents preferred incapacitating devices in the study featuring BYRN?

43% of respondents said they would prefer a firearm capable of incapacitating rather than killing.

What does the study imply for BYRN (Nasdaq: BYRN) brand opportunity?

With only 21% of firearm owners previously aware of Byrna, the study suggests meaningful potential to increase brand awareness and market adoption.

Was Byrna involved in designing or funding the Oct 2025 study?

No; the study was conducted independently by researchers at Harvard, Stanford, and Harvard Business School with no involvement from Byrna in design, execution, or funding.