These earmuffs are absolutely outstanding! The 3M Peltor Optime 105 provides incredible hearing protection with NRR 30 dB. They're super comfortable to wear for extended periods and the padding is excellent. Perfect for shooting ranges, construction sites, and loud environments. The over-the-head design is stable and secure. The noise reduction is impressive - I can work in loud environments without any discomfort. Build quality is exceptional and they're very durable. These are the best earmuffs I've ever used! Read more
We had an older pair of these before they went to the glossy black casing, and have used those for the better part of the last decade or more, and they worked amazing. The reason for getting new ones is heck- after over a decade and just starting to have the surround padding for the ears get a little hard and torn, they are a steal of a deal for the price you pay to protect your hearing. The work we do: Table Saws, Band Saws, Power Sanders, Planers, Leaf Blowers, Chainsaws, Rifle and Shotgun Shooting (more fun, less work...), Lawn Mowers, Jack Hammers. Basically anything construction- these have been used for- even the occasional night when my dad with poor hearing cranks up the tv to hurting volumes to my sensitive hearing- I have nothing to say but good things. They work amazing at deadening outside sound, and for me- I can still hear people talking but the really noise-damaging sounds are drastically cut down. If you want to listen to music with these, I highly recommend a pair of sound-isolating ear buds, and NOT the iPhone/iPod standard ones. When I do this- my volume is nearly kept at the minimum volume for most tasks, and sometimes even that was too loud- so the good news being, you can hear music with a GOOD set of speakers, keep the volume low to avoid hearing loss, and at the same time- get the comfort and added protection from outside sounds with these. The in-ear work better than around the ear, however. I have also used these with (and they recommend) thin-sided glasses, safety or otherwise (I use some Oakley Antix) and (especially on the new pair with newer padding around the ears) they still cut out exterior sound to a really good degree, nearly the same as without the exterior interference. Highly recommended so long as you don't mind keeping a hat off. If you want one- get an oversize hat or a cheapie you don't mind getting bent a little out of shape from the over-head hearing as the wires stick out about a quarter to half-inch from your skin. Also- I have a HUGE head (translation: I wear extra large hats and not all one-size fits all hats fit me.. I think I was 7.25-7.5 on a fitted cap when I played little league baseball...) and very large ears (maybe 3" top to bottom..? they run in the family, oh well..) but these still have expansion space to fit on even larger heads and my ears fit inside the cups PERFECTLY. Unless you are part of the 1% of the population with a freakishly large (no offense) head or ears, they should work perfectly for you, so hopefully that answers that question if you're wondering how they work for larger heads. The only disadvantage I see is with shooting sports, particularly rifle and shotgun. They stick out enough to the point that if you sight down the barrel- they interfere and get pushed out of the way by the rifle/shotgun stock. Would def. recommend a slim set. I went with some Howard Leight ones that work pretty well on battery-operated silencing, however they are not so great if you sweat. These are basically waterproof and don't get sticky like my Howard Leight ones when dry and are easy to maintain. Both are really great quality but bang for the buck... these can not be beat. And now I sound like I work for em. Wish I did- I need to pay off some debt, haha.. Read more
I now own 3 of these that I use while chain sawing, mowing, shooting and using loud tools in my garage. I own several other brands of muffs (5) and these are the best yet. All 3 came from the factory set at the smallest setting available, which would hurt my head if I tried to wear them at that setting. These muffs are adjustable to fit any size head. Each side adjusts 1 3/8 inches. So you have a total range of adjustment of 2 3/4 inches. I have a large head (hat size) and with only using less than half of the available adjustment range, the band does not even TOUCH the top of my head. When adjusted all the way to the largest setting, I can place my hand on top of my head, under the band. The adjustment is located where the wire goes into the plastic sleeves on each ear cup. The wire slides in and out of the plastic sleeve. It is a friction fit and requires a little effort to move. Nothing you can buy (portable and convenient) at any price will totally eliminate all ambient sound. Sound vibrations arrive at the inner ear via 3 general pathways; 1) through the ear canal 2) through bone conduction through the bones of the head 3) through soft tissues from the torso up through the neck. Excessive noise is defined as 85-90 decibels or more over an 8 hour period. These earmuffs REDUCE sound from hearing damaging levels to less damaging/tolerable levels. The NRR of 30 is excellent and about the highest you can buy for muffs. (33 is the highest available for any single ear protector device, plugs or muffs) Effectiveness will vary due to amount of hair, eyeglasses ect.. under the muffs. NRR are based on test subjects in a controlled lab environment Example:A chainsaw produces about 100 dB of sound which will damage your hearing. These muffs (NRR 30) will reduce that sound to about 70 dB, which will not damage your hearing. Normal conversation is about 60 dB. You will still clearly hear the chainsaw run, but it will not damage your hearing. A whisper is about 30 dB, so they might eliminate a whisper... You can wear a combination of ear plugs and muffs for more protection. I often wear Howard Leight MAX1 Earplugs (NRR of 33) under these muffs when shooting or using very loud tools for a long period of time. Even with the combo of muffs (NRR 30) and plugs (NRR 33) the total NRR is only about 36 or maybe 37. I would highly recommend these muffs, both for the NRR of 30 and the comfort, as compared to many other brands of muffs that I own. I only wish I had these 50 years ago when I started doing things that would damage my hearing. Read more
