Best Electronic Hearing Protection For Shooting: Earmuffs & Earbuds Reviewed By An NRA Instructor

What is actually the best hearing protection for shooting? I tested the most popular options on Amazon, and here’s my ultimate ranking.

FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

Before we dive in, I should mention that many shooters often search for the best shooting ear muffs or the best shooting earbuds when looking to protect their hearing. I'm a certified NRA instructor, and my hands-on guide covers all of them in one place because the real differences come down to fit, comfort, battery life, and, of course, noise reduction. I tested these popular pairs in order to see how well they perform on the range or when out hunting, and help you pick what actually fits your needs.

By the way, for a complete range setup, these are the best shooting glasses I always recommend. And, if you're a gun range officer and you need options for extended wear, Dave McGillivray tested several trucker headsets, which are also popular among shooting instructors who need clear audio for long hours.

With my short introduction complete, we can now dive into my ranking of the best shooting ear protection. Let’s lay them out, starting with the strongest performer.

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1. AXIL GS Extreme 2.0 - 25-Hour Shooting Ear Protection

HIGHLIGHT:

Hang on the ears with hooks.

DESIGN & FIT:

Axil is remaking the way in which Bluetooth hearing protection is made and used. I call them earbuds, but they are not earbuds. Earbuds sit in my ear holes, flop around, and fall out. Axil uses an ear hook that fits over the ear shell and then terminates in the earbud portion. It's a flawless design, which makes it a perfect fit for any ear, and I guess this is why these earbuds are now considered the best in-ear electronic hearing protection for shooting.

MIC PLACEMENT:

The set also has microphones on the lanyard, not on the outside of the ear. The lanyard can fit around the back of the net to let it hang on the chest or under the chin like a boonie hat lanyard, whichever is most comfortable for the shooter.

REMOTE MIC:

This setup will work with Bluetooth, becoming a standard in higher-priced hearing protection options. I have not used Bluetooth with my phone to see if the remote microphones on the lanyard work as a microphone with both the Bluetooth function and talking. That is a thought I will try this weekend when I get to the range for some clay pigeon time. The remote microphones fit on the lanyard and can be moved or covered by the shooter, but they have limits. I tried to put the microphones under my T-shirt to stop the wind noise at the range a while back. Under my shirt, it did not cause feedback, like a drop of water will when it gets in the microphones. Still, I could hear every breath I took when the material moved across the microphones. This was irritating enough that I pulled the lanyard out, let it hang in front of my chest, and turned down the volume.

WIND NOISE TESTING:

I tried to make a last-ditch attempt at removing the wind noise by putting painter's tape on the mics. This was better, but still not a proper fix; it made most incoming sound muffled, but no wind blasting my ear drums. This was not a failure of the hearing protection, but me trying to make the headset do a thing they are not made to do. If I wanted to fix this, I would make a miniature "dead cat" fuzzy thing that I could wrap around the lanyard, but that is more hassle than it's worth; I just turn down the volume and get back to shooting.

LONG WEAR:

When it comes to comfort, the setup is the best. The earbud sections stay in my ears, and the ear loop keeps them secure, not getting walked on or last in the sagebrush. When I wear earmuffs all day, the ear padding will push my ear shell against my glasses frames, and after about an hour, the irritation will end my shooting for that day. With the hearing protection in my ear holes and the loops keeping things secure, nothing is making a hot spot or irritating me. The lanyard keeps the microphones where I want them, usually along my back and neck.

Get it from Amazon now: $148.00 & FREE Returns

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2. Peltor Sport - Smart Shooting Ear Muffs

HIGHLIGHT:

Filters voice from background noise.

INDOOR & OUTDOOR USE:

After I work them over, I spend a lot of time on the range sighting in scope mounts or test-firing customer guns. When the weather is nice, I use the public range down the road. When the weather turns nasty in Utah, I take my hide to the indoor range on the other side of the lake, a long drive for 20 minutes, but I deal with that more than freezing my hide off in a snowstorm. The other time I use the indoor range is when the Utah summer turns everything around here into an oven. You can read more about these muffs in Dave McGillivray's full Peltor Tactical 500 review.

DESIGN:

This set of hearing protection is over-the-ear or muff style. When things are hot, any muff style will be sweaty. If I read about a non-sweaty earmuff, I will probably buy one to see. I think muffs that don't sweat will also let much noise pass and damage hearing. Peltor is one of the golden standards against which other muffs are measured. Using this maker as a measure for all comers makes sense; they have been here forever and work like champs.

ALL-DAY COMFORT:

The main purchase point for me with Peltor is the comfort level; the noise canceling is pretty much the same, and all electronic muffs are about the same. It is comfortable to wear a pair of muffs for long or even all day for folks who wear them in industrial applications. To make these as comfortable as possible, buy and use the gel pads.

BLUETOOTH SETUP:

When talking about comfort, more than fit and padding on my head is one thing, but the Bluetooth ability to use the phone with muffs on my ears, play a segment of two from Gun Talk, or listen to Chris LeDoux singing old-school cowboy songs for long sessions. I have used a 3.5mm wire to connect these to a walkie-talkie to try and make use of that. It did work, but the need to use one hand to key the mic button on the radio makes this not as awesome as others for that particular use.

PERFORMANCE:

The noise cancellation is one of the best; the Omni directional microphones make hearing things around me easy. There is not much to talk about negatively with this set of muffs. They fit my head tight, but that is my giant helmet-sized noggin; this may not apply to everyone. They weigh the same as most other makers, so they will not make my neck sore after wearing them for hours. Again, the magic maker is to buy and install the gel pads, and you will not miss the money more than enjoy the comfort for long hours on the range.

Get it from Amazon now: $146.87 & FREE Returns

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3. GLORYFIRE - Clear Voice Tracking Ear Plugs for Shooting

HIGHLIGHT:

Optimizes vocal dialogues.

PERSONAL BACKSTORY:

I was very excited to try a new set of earbuds that I could use without having the stock smack the earmuffs when shouldering the gun. Every time, the stock would come to my check, and the earbud would fall out of my ear hole. This may be how my head is made, and it will not happen to others. And it was only shooting long guns; pistols had no problems.

CHARGING CASE SYSTEM:

The Gloryfire earbuds will charge from the case. The case will charge from the wall, then charge the earbuds for up to 12 hours. This built-in case charging function is great for absent-minded folks like me. The case works like most of the phone earbuds on the market. The earbuds load from the tip, open like a cigarette case and drop into the right spot. Take the earbud out, and it is ready to go. When you place the earbuds in your ear, just push the button on the side, turn them on, and you're ready to shoot.

SHOULDERING BENEFIT:

Wearing these earbuds for hearing protection has one big advantage for me: They do not contact the gun stock when bringing it to my shoulder. Hitting the earmuff is one thing, but having the gunstock lift the earmuffs slightly is a bad surprise when you pull the trigger. The earplugs do not have that issue.

FIELD USE LIMITATIONS:

The one con to using earbuds is they can fall out easily, and then you are screwed for hearing protection, and back to using 9mm rounds stuck in the ear hole like we used to do once upon a time. So they work great to stop the noise, but fall out when, for instance, I use them on the trap range. I know some duck hunters who use these earbuds in order to talk in whispers with each other in a duck blind. They use them for that purpose, rather than for keeping the noise from the shotguns out of their ears. There have been times when hunting deer, and I am sure conversation has scared game away, as we get bored waiting and start talking like a bunch of amateurs.

DIRT & DAMAGE RISK:

When the earbud fell out of my ear, it hit the ground. The earbud usually gets packed with dirt and needs some cleaning. My earbuds do not have a way to be secured with a lanyard to keep them out of the dirt. Now, if I did that hunting ducks or geese, the earbud would have been in the water or mud. I will never use them in the field due to the lack of keeping them out of the dirt and muck. I will keep them in the gun bag, probably in the ammo crate, just in case anyone shows up and needs to borrow a set of hearing protection and can't use or does not want to use muffs. I am sure that people will not want to mess up their hair in the shooting world, and the earbud style will work perfectly.

SIZE & PROFILE:

These Gloryfire earbuds are a little larger than I would have thought, as they stick out from the ear a bit more than I would have thought. The design is very similar to the Walker's earbuds. They have a forward arm that will place the weight toward the front of the ear and not hang down the side of the cheeks. With the earbuds that hang down the cheek, the accidental dropping or pushing out of the earbuds is much more possible.

STRAP UPGRADE:

Gloryfire has taken steps to keep the earbuds on your person, including a silicone strap that connects them behind the head. This will keep them on your body, but maybe out of the ears, depending on how they are knocked from the ear canal.

Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns

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4. Walker's - Firemax Behind the Neck Ear Muffs For Shooting

HIGHLIGHT:

Unique Behind-the-Neck design for maximum support.

BACKGROUND:

I was searching for a better hearing protection set-up when shooting rifles. The standard over-the-ear shooting muffs are great until you put your check to the rifle's buttstock. When getting up close and personal with the rifle, my earmuff often rises off my ear when it contacts the rifle stock. When this happens, I only wear one side of my hearing protection. This is unacceptable as my hearing is getting worse as I get older, and I need to keep what I have working as long as I can. Also, I wanted to alleviate the head squeeze from the standard over-the-top-of-head style like all the regular muffs on the market. So I got these behind-the-neck ear muffs from Walker's.

USB RECHARGING:

The greatest thing about this hearing protection set is the ability to recharge them with a phone charger. The number one thing I have done with them so far is forgetting to plug them into the phone charger. I like that I do not have to change the batteries or go through the hassles of battery doors or twist-on battery covers. The hang-up with a USB rechargeable is the inability to switch out some AAA batteries and go back to shooting. I have learned to keep a battery pack in the Navigator, and then I can just put that in my pocket and hook up the wire to keep the earmuffs working. I need to learn to plug the dang things in on the way home from the range and then bring them in the house to keep them charged.

PROS:

• The sound protection is terrific, like all of the Walker products I have ever used.

• The filters can be changed to hear the sounds you want, which is different from the standard noise cancellation above the safe level. I don't have a lot of value in this personally, but if I needed to listen to buzzers or other alarm sounds, maybe that would be more of a value to me. I am not saying these different filters do not have a lot of value; I do not have a use for them.

• The volume can be adjusted to hear background noise.

CONS:

• I found some things I did not like from behind the headgear. The first thing I wanted is the ability to wear a hat on the range, not bake the rest of the skin off my head, and fry the top of my ears in the sun. So what I didn't like about the setup is the feeling that the headgear is always falling off my head. It is not going to fall off my head.

• The setup has a strap that goes over the top of my noggin, so they are safe and secure, but the weight hanging off the back of my head feels weird.

• This set of earmuffs does not have Bluetooth to keep a person entertained or informed depending on what you listen to on the podcast or music.

OURDOOR USE CASE:

I also used the Walker Firemax set when we took the RZR out for a spin at the cabin. The Firemax made conversation easier and cut the howl noise from the tires down to a comfortable level while being able to hear passengers talking. I have not used the Walker Firemax in the shop when using power equipment yet, as my go-to set of earmuffs is in the designated space, and old habits die hard. I go into more detail in my Walker’s Firemax review, where I share more from my experience with it.

FINAL NOTE:

I have a neighbor who wears a hard hat at work and needs some hearing protection. This setup would work great for that application. I would have given him this set, but I had some sent to me for review that he had already received from the shelf of goodies.

Get it from Amazon now: $199.99 & FREE Returns

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5. ISOtunes Sport Caliber BT - True Wireless Shooting Earbuds

HIGHLIGHT:

Good for the range or the shop.

WORK CREW USE:

I have a buddy who uses the ISOtunes earbuds at work and has equipped his whole crew with them. He does concrete work, and when the workers are cutting or using air tools, the sound protection is great. What he also has figured out is that each person can listen to their tunes and not have a radio blasting music in the customer's backyard that no one else wants to hear.

RECHARGING:

On the range, my buddy swears by these ISOtunes earbuds. He loves the rechargeable feature and no lost time replacing batteries. The case they come in also carries energy to recharge the earbuds, so there is no need to carry the cord with him to the range; the recharge is in his shooting bag, genius.

BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY:

The earbuds will connect via Bluetooth to his and his crew's phones, so music or phone calls are in their ears. This ensures that phone calls from the boss to the crew are not missed and that conversations can be had without shouting around on the job site.

PASSTHROUGH SOUND:

These use passthrough technology, meaning all the sound is reduced to safe levels and is not turned off completely when shooting. If the shooting is slow or we all normally fire at the range, he can carry on a conversation and hear every word. If the gunshots come in rapid fire from our bench or everyone is shooting at once, the earbuds will shut off the noise completely. The earbuds will work like regular foam earplugs when the rapid-fire “mode” is activated. When the noise level drops or the noise activity reduces to slow-paced incoming, they return to pass-through style hearing protection.

BENCH VS FIELD USE:

He will complain about their ability to drop or be knocked out of his ears and then land in the dirt. They do not have a method to lock into the ear or secure to the shooter. When shooting at the bench, the earbuds will stay in place just fine, like all the earbuds that come with phones and things like that.

WATER & DUST PROOF:

The ISOtunes are rated to IP67 waterproof level and are dustproof. So if he uses these when duck hunting and drops one or both in the water, they will be safe if he can find them. When they drop on the job site or range and land in the dirt, all he does is wash them off in the hose or sink, and they are good to go.

Get it from Amazon now: $199.99 & FREE Returns

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6. Sordin - Supreme Pro-X Neckband Electronic Ear Muffs

HIGHLIGHT:

Totally Waterproof.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I had a box of these sent to me to review, and I jumped at the chance to put them through their paces. The first thing I noticed on the box that none of the other boxes have is waterproof. It is not water resistant or able to work in a rainstorm, but it is waterproof and has a submersible rating. I don't know why anyone would wear shooting muffs underwater, but I had to try it. By the way, I also covered this model in my Sordin Supreme Pro X review.

MILITARY WATER USE:

On a serious note, I am sure this is a function of their military rating to go from a submersed soldier coming onto land; I see this as a value for waterfowl hunters. If these fell off the boat and sank to the muddy bottom, will they still work after they are retrieved?

SHOWER TEST EXPERIENCE:

I had to try my hand at pushing this military-rated, waterproof rating to the test. Since it was not raining on the day or the week I reviewed this set of hearing protection, I put them on and got in the shower. And to my happy surprise, they did not even falter.

SHOWER TEST RESULTS:

The one thing I can tell everyone is that a drop of water that gets into the microphones gives a massive amount of feedback. This screaming noise got my attention. After taking this set in the shower, I filled the sink and drowned them for three hours. While underwater, they were still on, just like they would be if they fell off a boat. They still worked when I pulled them out of the sink. The microphones were full of water, and I had to shake the water out, so the feedback screaming stopped. The earphone or speaker, part of the muffs, held water for a long time after the test. This is not a problem for a sink full of clean water, but filled with dirty, mossy water from duck hunting may result in ruined earmuffs from mold. If they get dirty water, I could drop them in a bucket full of bleach water to clean that hazard.

OUTDOOR RANGE USE:

I took this set to an outdoor range for a day's worth of shooting, and they performed noise cancellation like the rest of the world's muffs—they worked perfectly. The microphones picked up everything around me and cut the gunshots out immediately. I did hear a low-level hissing noise, like a background hiss that happens with most of these electronic muffs when turned up; this was in my ears all the time at all sound levels.

INDOOR RANGE USE:

I took the Sordins to an indoor range for a three-hour shooting class I was helping out with, and they are very comfortable to wear; that rating may go hands down to this set. The noise cancellation worked perfectly, as I expected. This set keeps the blasting noise from shooting indoors to a minimum, and the low-level hiss stays even indoors. The box I was sent had three sets, so I tried a different pair to see if the hiss was unique to the original pair. The hiss was present on all three pairs of headphones.

GEL PAD UPGRADE:

The maker does offer a gel pad upgrade. I did not find a need to replace the original pads, but I don't wear them all day long. This setup could be worn all day at a high-noise machine without squeezing my head and giving me a headache.

RADIO UPGRADE:

The headset can be upgraded to a radio setup, which is available for purchase. The radio setup allows for using two different radios for tactical teams or on a work site where I worked with EMS. It would send the security and production traffic to the same set of headphones. I did not get this radio set up and don't have a reason to look into this, but Sordin will answer any questions regarding this option.

Get it from Amazon now: $354.00 & FREE Returns

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7. Walker's - Silencer Rechargeable Shooting Earbuds

HIGHLIGHT:

Charge the case to recharge the earbuds.

DESIGN & FIT:

I like to try different earbud-style hearing protection to see which ones don't get moved by the stock when sighting in rifles and shotguns when trap shooting. The Silencer earbuds from Walker's are solid. The difference between these and the cellphone type is that they don't have the long kickstand-looking thing hanging in front of my ears. These have a stabilizing piece that keeps them lined up to fit down the ear hole and stay in place. This set of earbuds is excellent for use on the range of sighting or target shooting. Still, they will fall out of the ears if you do any dramatic movement, like action targets.

EASY CARRY:

The earbuds are lightweight and fit in the pocket of gun range workers, so they do not have to haul around shooting muffs all day or set them down on the other end of the counter.

CHARGING:

So far, these earbuds work great for me, but I do not wear them at work all day for hearing protection, so I don't know how long the batteries will hold charge over a couple of hours. I like to keep mine in the case, as everyone does, and then leave them on the phone charger in the truck the day before shooting and afterward. I did not torture test the battery charge time; I just charged them like my phone, and they work for me.

CASE RECHARGE:

The earbuds charge from the case, so if the case is charged to its max, I can reinsert it, which will charge them if I need them. The earbuds connect to a phone and operate the talk and listen feature for phone use, which is good. I like how the buds Bluetooth to an app on my phone that lets me adjust the features and functions on my phone to affect the buds.

STORAGE:

The case that holds the earbuds and a pretty sweat-cleaning bush so I can keep the earbuds clean and safe to put back in my ears. The case is significant, not a little bigger than others, and is substantial. It is close to the exact size of my glasses case. So that is a thing to think about when making a place to store while hunting, for instance. This case size will not fit well in my pants pockets, so they may have to ride outside my jacket. If that happens, the tiny rubber or silicone ear plug section may get stiff and not fit as well as it should when I get to the "blue rocks" I sit on to hunt mule deer.

MINOR CON:

The only thing I do not like about using earbuds is how they make my earholes itch all day. The Walker's do come with three sizes of foamy inserts to fit nearly everyone's ears. I say that because I know someone will come along with an issue that they do not want. 

Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns

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8. Walker's - Razor Slim Noise Cancelling Ear Muffs For Shooting

HIGHLIGHT:

Walkie Talkie accessory compatible.

PERSONAL BACKSTORY:

A long time ago, when I was a young hunter and shooter, we did not use hearing protection. Then, the magazines (Guns and Ammo) started publishing articles about hearing loss and that ringing in our ears that never seemed to go away. What I know now versus then would make my aging years much easier to hear grandkids. When I teach a class on the range (NRA courses), the communication gets a little muffled. Even using electronic hearing protections can’t fix all of the muffled noises, and the background noises also get in the way.

CLASS COMMUNICATION:

The answer to the communication issues on the range is the Walker Razor Slim. I issued them to all the students, bought the Walkie-Talkie add-on, and fixed all communication issues on the spot. The only place this setup works better than on the outdoor range is the over-loud indoor range. With this option added to amazing shooting muffs, I am talking directly in students' ears. If the student has a question or concern, they push the button and talk directly in my ear and the entire shooting line's ears.

OWNER EXPERIENCE:

I have read reviews of the Walker Razor Slim that say they make a constant noise when worn to the range; all of mine do not have this issue. I don’t know what could cause this noise or feedback, so I can't give any troubleshooting advice here. No student or personal experience gives anything but the highest marks for the Walker Razor Slim hearing protection. With the slim design, shooters do not encounter many displacement issues when shouldering a long gin and having the stock push the earmuff away for the ear.

BATTERY ACCESS:

Batteries (included) are easy to change; the access door is outside the ear fitting and does not require the removal of hearing protection to replace them.

COMFORT VS TIGHTNESS:

The Walker Razor Slim earmuffs and headgear fit very well. The fit is right on the money for tightness on the head “grip,” for lack of a better word. Some hearing protections are very tight, and I feel like they are squeezing my ears together. Wearing the tight-fitting muffs makes wearing glasses, yes, shooting glasses as well, uncomfortable, to say the least. Uncomfortable safety gear will cut your day at the range short and can be miserable in short order.

EXTENDED USE:

On another note, earmuffs that fit too loosely will flop around and not keep the noise out and may simply fall off with simple movements at the shooting bench. To reiterate, the Walker Razor Slim earmuffs fit perfectly with a “medium squeeze,” making wearing for a whole class easy and comfortable for long periods of use. If you want an even deeper, hands-on look, you can read my dedicated review of these Walker’s Razor Slim Muffs.

Get it from Amazon now: $79.99 & FREE Returns

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9. Caldwell E-MAX Shadows - Electronic Hearing Protection

HIGHLIGHT:

Continuous sound levels.

GENERAL DESIGN:

These earbuds are just like a set I bought for my laptop at work. The only differences are the colors available and the foam earpieces that keep out the shooting range noises. The other thing my work earbuds do not do is listen to the world around me, all my work earbuds do is play music or make phone calls.

FRONT ARM STRUCTURE:

The earbuds have an arm that hangs down the front of the ear, like all the folks wear at the mall. Think about this, I can use these earbuds at the mall, listening to my talk shows or books, and hear if someone is pacing with me or coming up behind me. If I wear these in the shop I can hear the show and the chirping of metal on the lathe or the mill making weird noises that I need to hear before the part is ruined.

TRAP RANGE PROBLEM:

Here is the malfunction I found with the Caldwell earbuds: that arm hanging in front of my ear keeps getting in the way of the stock and knocks the earpiece out of my ear. When shooting on the bench, the earbud knock-out thing is not such a big deal; I just reach up and push it back into place. When shooting trap with the Champion clay launcher, the earpiece is gone, and everyone shoots shotguns close to my unprotected ear.

BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY:

The Bluetooth connectivity is spot-on and quick. When I take them out of the carrier, they will auto-connect to my phone. The E-MAX is designed to shut off at the four-hour mark, keeping the earbud charged; even if the shooter forgets to turn them off, they will do that for ya. The earbuds will connect to deliver music, and then the phone will receive music. At times, the connections will get confused, which is maddening. This requires the shooter to turn off the Bluetooth on the phone and then put both earpieces back in the charger. Everything will return in line after returning to square one and starting over. If all of that does not work, it is a simple factory reset, and you, I am back in business.

RANGE DAY IMPRESSIONS:

Of all the things from Caldwell that I have to the range for a day of shooting or sighting customer funds, this set of earbuds is the only Caldwell item I do not love more than everything else. I'll admit the way they link is great, as there is no left or right side. Either will work in whatever ear you put them in, even two folks listening to the same thing. But the loss of connection and the ability to knock them out of my ear holes and leave my ear open to damage results in my using them when I am at the airport or working around a lot of other people.

Get it from Amazon now: $142.99 & FREE Returns

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10. Howard Leight by Honeywell - Impact Sport Shooting Earmuffs

HIGHLIGHT:

Ear cups are low profile, designed for gun stock clearance.

BACKGROUND:

I bought my first Howard Leight Impact set at a gun store where I worked long ago. We had the only electronic muffs in stock, so I bought them while working on the range. I loved them so much that I bought more for a range of excursions for everyone in the family. I did not know I was buying the "cheap" set of electronic hearing protection; I just knew they worked.

SIZE:

These earmuffs will fold within themselves and take up very little space. I can fit four sets in the top pocket of my shooting bag. I have to push a little more than I should, but I can get four sets in the same place.

RANGE USE:

These hearing protection earmuffs are easy to use when sighting a rifle. The slim profile doesn’t rise off my ears when my check is in stock. On top of fitting well when using the Lead Sled, the Impacts are light, barely noticeable on my head for long-range days. After trying on many different makers and styles, I still reach for the Impacts when I sight in client guns at the range. This may be due to the way they work for me, or I am a creature of habit, probably a little of each. Since I stopped caring what the cool kids wear long ago, I deal more with the best working and functionality than the name brand.

NOISE REDUCTION:

The Howard Leight Impact muffs cut the noise down, even when using them on an indoor range while keeping communication clear and easy. My wife enjoys hers so much she does not even bother trying the more expensive ones. I enjoy the Impacts' ability to turn the sound level to the max, hear weeds blow in the wind, and have zero background noise. The microphones do not make a hissing noise, which is great for hearing coyotes sneaking through the sagebrush if they are close anyway.

GEL PAD OPTION:

I can talk all day about how great the Impacts are, and to be honest, they do have one drawback for me: the ear padding wears on my ears, where it is smashed against my glasses. I have read that a gel pad can be purchased to replace the stock pad. I need to get this upgrade and see if that works better.

VALUE:

I am unsure if nostalgia or the price tag nearly everyone can afford keeps me coming back to this set as my favorite. At this time in the world, the price for these is about half of what I paid initially, and they still work and fit the same nearly 12 years later. For more thoughts about these muffs, I reviewed it separately in my Howard Leight Impact Sport article.

Get it from Amazon now: $87.62 & FREE Returns

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11. Walker's Omni-Directional - Earbud-Rope Hearing Enhancer

HIGHLIGHT:

Secured by a tether.

NECK TETHER:

Walker's has designed a tethered set of earbuds, much like the AXIL style. These tethered earbuds do not have super handy ear loops; they are strictly earbuds on a string. When I worked at a smelter, we had earplugs on a hard loop that sat around the neck, and they were convenient. The problem with them was how dirty they got out of my ears. These will hang around my neck, and I tuck them inside my t-shirt to keep them clean.

RANGE USE CASE:

The microphone is located along the lanyard, and the controls are also in this section. I try to minimize wind and background noise by covering them with my shirt. This works well until the omnidirectional microphone rubs against the color of my flannel shirt; then, that is the only thing I can hear. I don’t know which is worse.

NOISE REDUCTION:

The noise reduction is 29 dB, which is OK for an outdoor range, but it will not work for an indoor range. A shooting protection company makes the Walker's, but they seem more fitting for a loud work area. One really good thing about these earbuds is that they allow me to hear with a hard hat, and they do not push my ear shell against my eyeglasses arm. The comfort level of these is amazing, especially if I need to take them on and off all day.

RECHARGING:

They will recharge, so no tiny battery is chasing or changing. If the battery dies, just like the rest of the earbuds on the market, they become earplugs.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

If I shoot on a range that has a lot of ears on and ears off, this setup is a great choice. If I shoot indoors or near a mound of dirt, these go back in the shooting bag, and the Walker's earmuffs go on my head.

Get it from Amazon now: $89.99 & FREE Returns

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12. Awesafe - Electronic Ear Muffs For Shooting

HIGHLIGHT:

Full-year warranty.

VALUE:

The Awesafe Electronic Shooting Muffs are a more affordable option and will take care of your hearing when shooting. They reduce the noise level by 24dB, not as much as most, but still good to keep your hearing safe on the range.

FRAME & FIT:

The heavy wire headset does not squeeze my head, even though I think my set is too small. The ear padding is nice and soft and very comfortable to wear. This hearing protection system will work for budget-minded shooters and will not sacrifice hearing safety.

BLUETOOTH ISSUES:

The Bluetooth in this set of shooting muffs is not worth turning on; there is lots of buzzing and feedback, or it seemed like fed back to me. I could try it with an Apple phone as my Android did not work, and it was not even enough to try a test. After the noise and cluster or racket, I just turned that off.

TETHERED AUDIO USE:

The headset has a 3.5 headphone jack, which works fine if I do not mind a tether. The phone tether is not a problem, but I did not bother after learning it worked.

COLOR OPTIONS:

As mentioned, the noise canceling ability from this set is decent for the price, I can tell you how to get a set of Howard Leights for the same price,. But, if you need to color-coordinate your headset, this pair from Awesafe a better option for you. The ones they sent me were pink. I tried to get my wife to take them, and she pointed a finger at the ceiling, so I think that means no. Luckily, my granddaughter, as of today, loves pink, so someday they may work for her. It's always a good idea to always have a loaner pair handy at the range, and a set of bright pink hearing protection is an excellent way to help folks remember their own.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

This set of muffs only reduces the sound by 24dB. Most of the others reduce in the thirties. This set should be used in outdoor ranges or for lawn mowing, running a saw, etc. They have a yellow set that would look legit if I could get a Dewalt sticker from somewhere.

Get it from Amazon now: $34.99 & FREE Returns