Hearing protection ???

[Bill White]

I tried a set of Peltor Muffs today and was inpressed. Any comments from you party animals??
Bill :rolleyes:

[Lee Schierer]

I've used them for many years. They make a variety of styles.

[Augusto Orosco]

These are the Peltor I have (H10A Optime 105). They cost me about $20. I like the fact that I can still hear what happens around me, but at the same time they protect me from the loud noises very well. I was doing some routing yesterday and it was a world of difference compared to the disposable ear plugs I used to wear.

I haven't tried any other models/brands, so I can't compare, though. But I am satisfied with their performance.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4113Z2V0VAL._SL500_AA280_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00009LI4K/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi)

[Michael O'Sullivan]

I got a set of Bose headphones a while back as a present -- I never used them much for their intended purpose, but they work great as hearing protection in the shop.

[Glen Butler]

I am going to start donning a space suit. Then I can rid myself of all the hardware on my face and just work in a glass bubble. Oh, the freedom I will have not have the mask strap interfearing with the safety glasses, and the earmuffs pressing the eyewear stems into the side of my head. And when I am done for the day there won't be any dust on my clothes, so I won't have to shower before the wife and I go to dinner.

[Peter Quinn]

What? What?What?:D Seriously, I use Peltor muffs daily at work, and they work fine. I get hearing tested annually as part of a required work place safety protocol, I work in a very noisy millwork environment, and my hearing has remained at its normal level according to the tests for years. I find them comfortable and they work well with my safety glasses too. They are provided upon request by my employer, but some employees prefer ear plugs to muffs claiming the muffs give them head aches. I suppose it depends on the shape of one's head and ears?

[glenn bradley]

+1. I have two pair of Peltors (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=139864&d=1264543780), one model down (4db less reduction) from the ones Agusto shows. They work over my safety glasses without discomfort. If I had known about the ones Augusto shows at the time I bought mine, I would have gotten them.

[Bob Lloyd]

I have some, I also bought some made by MSA as I had left the Peltors at another job. I find the MSA more comfortable but as Lee said, they make a variety of styles. I prefer those with more padding. I find earplugs never stay in and are never as effective, maybe I have odd ears!!!!

[Jason White]

Yep. I love mine!

Jason



I tried a set of Peltor Muffs today and was inpressed. Any comments from you party animals??
Bill :rolleyes:

[Chris Ricker]

+1 for the Peltor work tunes:)

[John Coloccia]

The most important thing is finding something that is comfortable. Thanks to my music interests (guitar, drums, piano, etc), I have a rather nasty case of tinnitus with hearing loss. Generally my hearing is good, but there are some sharp peak frequencies where I hear practically nothing. Fortunately, I caught it before it devastated my hearing.

I've had to search far and wide to find solutions that protect my hearing for the various things I do, and I have many different solutions depending on what I'm up to. The thing they all have in common is that they're comfortable, and I can wear them all day long. That's key. I went years not wearing protection because I was too cheap to buy something effective and comfortable.

Please please please take it seriously, spend whatever coin is necessary to find the solution that works for you, and don't end up like me. Tinnitus happens very suddenly. One day, the ringing just doesn't go away and that's that.

I have some Peltors and Leight muffs, and some of them are pretty comfortable. Large gun stores usually have a great selection of ear protection and eye protection. Most of my stuff has come from gun stores since I'm an avid shooter as well. Cabellas, if there's one in your area, has a great selection.

[Scott Vantine]

I can't comment on those muffs, but I got a pair of the Ryobi 4V Lithium-Ion powered muffs from HD! I really like the way they feel and, I can hear if someone walks into the room, but yet if it catches the high frequency noise of a saw blade or vacuum, it reduces the imput volume instantly to a safe level until the sound is gone and then returns to normal. It helped that the five piece set that the muffs came in was on holiday clearance for $49 so saved $20 from the cost of the muffs alone, and got some other stuff thrown in!

[Tom Jones III]

The red peltor H10 has the highest protection rating that I could find, OK I did find a pair of the ear muffs used on aircraft carrier flight decks but I was warned that they were very uncomfortable. Ear muffs on the market have an enormous range in protection quality from the great Peltor H10 down to why bother junk. The great thing is the Peltors don't cost very much even though they have the highest rating I could find.

[Craig McCormick]

I also have the Ryobi set and like them very much. I have only worn them for up to 4 hours but they are very comfortable.

Craig

[Matt Winterowd]

I've found that I really like the Zem SensGard hearing protectors, and I don't usually like in-ear protectors. They're small, light, comfortable, and don't give me that "boxed-in" feeling that muffs do.

[Darnell Hagen]

+1 for the Peltors, but not the Worktunes. I don't like the way they isolate me, I can't hear if the machine is unhappy. I do listen to podcasts while I work, though.-

http://thewayiwood.blogspot.com/2010/02/shop-tunes.html

I like the Zem's, too, especially when it's hot out, I don't like sweaty ears. They take a little getting used to, you can hear every contact to the headband. They tend to slide apart, I epoxied mine together inside the slider tube. The hinge is a weak point with these too. A strip of tape wrapped tight around the hinge works, but you can't fold them up then. Cheap pairs can be found on Lee Valleys returned/clearance tables, minus one pair of foam cuffs.

[Mike Zilis]

I've been using the Peltor Ultimate-10 model for the last 6 months. Best hearing protection I've ever experienced. The quality of the materials and construction are first rate. They are also very comfortable.

-Mike

[John Sanford]

Disposable foam earplugs for me. I've worn them for 15 hours a day, day after day, and they stay comfortable. I also wear glasses, and have yet to find a pair of over the ear muffs that don't annoy the heck outta me.

[Jim Eller]

These are the Peltor I have (H10A Optime 105). They cost me about $20. I like the fact that I can still hear what happens around me, but at the same time they protect me from the loud noises very well. I was doing some routing yesterday and it was a world of difference compared to the disposable ear plugs I used to wear.

I haven't tried any other models/brands, so I can't compare, though. But I am satisfied with their performance.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4113Z2V0VAL._SL500_AA280_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00009LI4K/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi)

I USE these also. I find them very comfortable. Even with eye protection.

Jim

[ken gibbs]

What? Please speak up. I can't hear you.

[Joe Wood]

Those Peltors sound pretty good, but I don't see any of the ones mentioned, on the Peltor website http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/comm_main.cfm

I'm in the San Diego area, Where are you guys buying them?

[Jim Eller]

Those Peltors sound pretty good, but I don't see any of the ones mentioned, on the Peltor website http://www.peltor.com/peltor.com/comm_main.cfm

I'm in the San Diego area, Where are you guys buying them?

I got mine from Cooper Safety http://www.coopersafety.com/product/peltor-h10a-earmuffs-1229.aspx

Jim

[Skip Camejo]

The most important thing is finding something that is comfortable. Thanks to my music interests (guitar, drums, piano, etc), I have a rather nasty case of tinnitus with hearing loss. Generally my hearing is good, but there are some sharp peak frequencies where I hear practically nothing. Fortunately, I caught it before it devastated my hearing.

I've had to search far and wide to find solutions that protect my hearing for the various things I do, and I have many different solutions depending on what I'm up to. The thing they all have in common is that they're comfortable, and I can wear them all day long. That's key. I went years not wearing protection because I was too cheap to buy something effective and comfortable.

Please please please take it seriously, spend whatever coin is necessary to find the solution that works for you, and don't end up like me. Tinnitus happens very suddenly. One day, the ringing just doesn't go away and that's that.

I have some Peltors and Leight muffs, and some of them are pretty comfortable. Large gun stores usually have a great selection of ear protection and eye protection. Most of my stuff has come from gun stores since I'm an avid shooter as well. Cabellas, if there's one in your area, has a great selection.


I feel your pain John....I've got a high frequency hearing loss along with tinnitus from too much noise too. Combination of too many stock car races and shooting firearms without hearing protection. I've gotten to the point that I use foam plugs and ear muffs when I do any shooting. In the shop the ear muffs go on before the router gets turned on.

For those of you who don't have tinnitus you don't know how lucky you are. Think of a high pitched squealing noise....kind of like a smoke detector...going off 24/7. If anyone can come up with a way to cure tinnitus...or at least stop the noise...they will get rich.

[John Coloccia]

There's some hope. Some recent research suggests that bombarding your ears with the proper frequencies you can alleviate the tinnitus. I'm not up on the latest research so I forget the details, but it seemed promising.

[John Lohmann]

I've found that I really like the Zem SensGard hearing protectors, and I don't usually like in-ear protectors. They're small, light, comfortable, and don't give me that "boxed-in" feeling that muffs do.
I've been using these also for 3+ years I hope they work, but they seem okay.

[brian c miller]

I'd recomend ZEM SensGard... there are amazing!!!

Light (2oz), comfortable, NRR of 26 or 31 dB, and you can still hear normal speach.

[Skip Camejo]

I got mine from Cooper Safety http://www.coopersafety.com/product/peltor-h10a-earmuffs-1229.aspx

Jim

I'm using the AO Worktunes...I can plug in my iPod or listen to the FM tunes while I work. Blocks the noise and gives me something else to listen to. Has a NRR of 22. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416DB-645uL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

My shooting muffs are Leightning's, they have a NRR of 30, that coupled with foam plugs when I'm shooting and I can just about hear the gun go off.

[Chris Friesen]

These are the Peltor I have (H10A Optime 105).
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4113Z2V0VAL._SL500_AA280_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00009LI4K/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi)

Same here. I've also got one step down for guests to use. I have the ZEM ones as well, but don't like them as much. The AirSoft ones are great for extended periods of time but are a bit of a pain to insert/remove frequently.

I actually bit the bullet and got some custom molded silicone earplugs when my wife started snoring during pregnancy. For long noisy sessions they're very effective, but they're not as comfortable as I thought they would be. My ear canal definitely feels very "full" when wearing them.

[Joe Wood]

You guys who wear in-the-ear plugs should be careful. I wore them for quite a number of years and developed a bad case of contact dermatitis in my outer ear canal. Caused a terrible itching that took a long while to go away.

[Douglas Clark]

I'm resurrecting this thread from two months ago just for the sake of providing some info that may be useful to others.

I just recently purchased a set of earmufs at the local blue borg this weekend because I finally got tired of using the standard in-your-ear foam plugs and, consequently, I wasn't wearing ear protection enough anymore. Anyhow, they had these red 3M "tekk protection" for $24.00, which I couldn't find any reviews for, online. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend on unreviewed gear but I realized I needed something, so I took a chance... As it turns, out, the 3Ms are a re-branded set of Peltor H10s. The 3M logo is clearly printed on the side, but what I didn't notice while they were in the packaging is that, the Peltor name is also still molded on the cup. When I later looked up reviews for the Peltors online I realized that my gamble was a lucky one.

Anyhow, further research revealed that 3M purchased the Peltor brand at the end of 2010, so I thought I'd point this out for people who might be looking for quality muffs nearby. You can still get the pre-3M Peltors online for about $6 less online. Or if you don't wanna shop online you can grab them at your local borg for $24. I should also point out, for those who don't know, that 3M also purchased AO Safety, you may soon see some re-badged items there, too. So far the 3M version of the Peltors seem to be the exact same thing, though.

191205

[Chris Tsutsui]

i have a few solutions and found one that works for me.

Walmart was closing out some decent quality firearm/hunting ear muffs. They fold up and look similar to the current styles that they sell. These just blew the AO safety ear muffs I got from the borg out of water in terms of comfort and noise isolation, and portability.

But then I got the 4V lithium Ryobi active noise cancellation headphones. This was a clearance item from Home Depot 2 black friday's ago. With these headphones you can hear all sorts of things, yet the volumes are attenuated so it offers good hearing protection. The pro's of this setup is you can hear your machines operating, and hear if you drop something, or your cell phone, etc...

The only drawback with active noise cancelation headphones is the weight, and the firewarm ear muffs from wal-mart are featherweight and I can wear them all day. The Ryobi's start to bother me after a while.

Then of course I have a box of orange memory foam disposable types. I find these inconvenient to take on and off, so I never use these.

One tip is If i'm in a bind and don't have any ear protection at all, you can take a kleenix or paper towel and tear off a strip, then roll it into a cylinder and insert it in your ears. This will be better for your ears than nothing at all and has come in handy at some gigs where I didn't feel like having my ears ring for an hour after leaving the venue.

[Neil Brooks]

One tip is If i'm in a bind and don't have any ear protection at all, you can take a kleenix or paper towel and tear off a strip, then roll it into a cylinder and insert it in your ears. This will be better for your ears than nothing at all and has come in handy at some gigs where I didn't feel like having my ears ring for an hour after leaving the venue.

The old trick of breaking the filter tip off of a cigarette -- if you happen to have one ;) -- works, too.

NEW filter -- rather than one that's already been smoked through -- is probably preferable :)

[Eric Einsmann]

Mark down another vote for the Peltor H10A. I got them a couple of weeks ago and they work really well.. I just happen to notice a picture of them that was posted and I was like "Hey! those are the same ones I have!"

They're awesome..

[Mike Schuch]

My $120 set of amplified Peltors that I use for shooting look like they literally came out of the same mold as my $15 set of Harbor freight hearing protection. I like and use them both. I use the HF when my 6 yo daughter is in the shop with me since she loves the amplified Peltors.

[Greg Portland]

Why some hearing protection is more expensive -->
1) waterproof design (for hunting or other outdoor use)
2) OSHA & other 3rd party ratings
3) quality of electronics
4) ability to connect a comm set
5) bluetooth & other audio options
6) profile & weight
7) materials quality (how long will the ear pads last, etc.)

[Ed Edwards]

An interesting comparison chart for noise/sound
Ed


Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart
Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources, that help one to understand the volume levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing.


Environmental Noise

Weakest sound heard

0dB

Whisper Quiet Library

30dB

Normal conversation (3-5')

60-70dB

Telephone dial tone

80dB

City Traffic (inside car)

85dB

Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic

90dB

Subway train at 200'

95dB

Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss

90 - 95dB

Power mower at 3'

107dB

Snowmobile, Motorcycle

100dB

Power saw at 3'

110dB

Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert

115dB

Pain begins

125dB

Pneumatic riveter at 4'

125dB

Even short term exposure can cause permanent damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection

140dB

Jet engine at 100', Gun Blast

140dB

Death of hearing tissue

180dB

Loudest sound possible

194dB