Hearing Protectors
 

I need to buy some hearing protectors, mostly for shooting but also for general workshop use.

I've never had "electronic" muffs, normally shoot with regular cheapo muffs over earplugs.

Should I try electronic muffs, do they work for power tools as well as for shooting, and any recommended model/brand?

I can't speak to how they work for power tools but the go silent at almost the trigger pull. I was really impressed with the set my brother loaned me when we were shooting.

The last time we talked about hearing protection, Seahawk recommended some, which I’ve bought but never used. I don’t recall the name but it was like the name of a person, with a first and last name. If I was at home, I could look in the closet.

I need to get to the range more!

I had some cheap ($15-20) ear muffs for shooting. I discovered that they were REALLY nice to wear when using power tools. When I first bought them, they mostly sat in a bag waiting for a trip to the range. Now I wear them when using power tools, riding the zero turn mower, etc...

If you wanted to listen to music, I supposed electronic would be good, but I'll stick with my passive/dumb ear muffs.

OK, brands/models?

I'm open to new advances.

I'll ask my brother and let you know. A good friend also has some custom fit noise cancelling ear plugs that weren't terribly expensive. I'll see if he knows the name of them. I've considered buying a set of the custom fit because they aren't as bulky.

The best earmuffs I've ever had are Husqvarna ones. Intended for chainsaw use. They are a good tight fit, meaning the overhead bit hauls the sides in nice and tightly. That combined with high quality ($20) earplugs.

The custom fit set my friend uses is DefendEar. I'll let you know when I hear back from my brother.

I ordered a pair of 3M X4a they have 27DB attenuation, very comfortable and light and work well for chop saw use, I normally leave then on the handle of the saw. They have different levels of attenuation X1 at 22DB to X5 at 31DB.

Howard Leight?

That’s it!

Awesafe is the maker of the set my brother has. As I mentioned, I used them and thought they worked well.

since each 3dB cuts the sound level in half, that's a bunch. And in my experience, the chop/mitre saw and the table saw are the loudest tools in the shop/garage.

My son shoots a lot and he gave me a pair a few years ago for my birthday.

They work very well. I cannot do the in ear plugs...I just don't like the feeling.

Before that I just used ear muffs...the Howard stuff is more better:D

Make sure, and I know you know, to get good eye pro as well.

I have tried the noise-canceling earmuffs at the range. Yeah, they work, but I hate nothing more than relying on batteries for anything around guns. The only time I use those devices is when I'm at the range, which means that's the only time I find out a battery is dead or weak. Cheapo 3M foam earplugs and non-powered earmuffs work 100% of the time.

Go to a hearing aide place and get a set of custom molded ear plugs. It’s like $50 and they are sooo much nicer to wear than cheap plugs or muffs. When I was shooting 3-4 rounds of trap a week I got a set and I loved them. Could shoot all day and never have ringing. I still use them for concerts and loud power tools.

You can get a kit from radians to DIY it at home, and I’ve had decent success with those too, but the ones I had made were by far the nicest.

Ok but that's not entirely true or fair comparrison

Electronic earmuffs work 100% of the time as well, for the noise protection part of it.

the beauty of the electronics, is that you can keep em on all the time , even when nobody is shooting, and you want to talk to somebody.

So from a protection aspect, they are MUCH better because you will/can never forget to put em back on when somebody starts shooting and you didn't see it in time to put em on.

And anybody who's been at a range, has had it happen to him:
Not much people, low volume of fire.. and/or a lul in the shooting
start a conversation, take off muffs because else you can't hear the other person

not pay attention to the shooting line, not hear the call they'll start shooting or shooters simply never gave warning...BLAM: DB overload in yer ears.. ooh chit.. and quickly put the muffs back on

That won't happen with the electronics, that's where they shine : you can wear em to talk, and so you don't have to take off on off on and always on is just better protection.


And when the batteries do run out, the electronic ones simply become identical to the cheap unpowered ones , you do not loose any functionality compared to the unpowered ones at that point.

That's a good point. The Awesafe sets sounded really weird when talking. They worked great when shooting but when talking they sound like you were talking in a tin can. I forgot about that until you mentioned talking while wearing.

So to those with other brands, How are they when talking?

I have 3m Peltor SportTac, to me they are fine
sounds a bit like the person is standing a bit further then he really is, but I generally was fine talking

it beats trying to talk at the firing line, with muffs, on while 20 shooters are going at it with full bore rifles...

I have custom molded hearing plugs. They're like 80 bucks.
But honestly I'll double glove with ear over hearing protection when i shoot.