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I need to protect my hearing better. I’ve been using those foam earplugs but I’d like something more effective … any recommendations for a comfortable set of ear muffs?


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I like the 3M ones...

Howard Leight L3 earmuffs. I keep two pair in the shop. Easy on and off, excellent hearing protection.

I also have a pair of the Isotunes earmuffs that have a Bluetooth connection to my iPhone. If I am going to be wearing the earmuffs for an extended period, I like using these, because I can listen to whatever I want and still answer my phone. But most of my work involves wearing the earmuffs for lots of very short periods (on and off, on and off, etc.), rather than long stretches, so these don't see as much use as the L3s.

I have custom fit in-the-ear plugs that my audiologist made for me for motorcycle riding. By far and away the best! Not cheap, but they're great.

Dave

I used the cylindrical yellow ones for almost twenty years in a forging plant! They had tapered ones, but they didn't work. Thousand ton and up presses are pretty loud, you must be making a racket! The smaller version of the yellow ones were too small.

One thing about them is that they always stay on! I can't even get headphones to stay on, they are all too big, and slip off easily.

Good fit would be the most important thing for me if I wanted ear muffs.

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Why be normal?

The best hearing protection is the one you have with you.
If you are the type of person who wears them all day a comfortable pair of over the ear muffs is a good choice. I like the Peltor (3M) brand, but also have a pair of active noise canceling for shooting or cockatoo use.
If you find yourself putting on and taking off your hearing protection then a pair of silicone "in the ear plugs" on a string might be a good option. They weigh nothing, can lay around your neck, and are washable with soap and water. When I did onsite construction checks I kept a pair in a small plastic case in my pocket. They didn't interfere with wearing a hard hat on those occasions it was required.
When I was putting cannons on azimuth and elevation I used both ear plugs and earmuffs, and still I could feel it after a days shooting.
For really loud noises plugs and muffs can be doubled up.
You do have to be careful to maintain some level of hearing. Often it is the sound of the machine that tells us something is not right.

Clay makes a very good point. You definitely don't want to totally eliminate the sound of your machines. Hearing what the machine is doing is a safety net for the machine and yourself.-Bob

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

I have 3M Optime 98, and they're reasonably comfortable. A little tight to begin with, but you can just pull on them until the wires bend a bit. They create an airtight seal, so you have to squash them just the right amount and then slide back over your ears to get the air pressure right. The volume reduction is good for general power tool use. More like being hard of hearing than fully deaf

3M PELTOR X5A

Pat

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Pat

https://www.protectear.com/us/

Pick the most suitable choice from these custom made ones. They are remarkable.

Custom molded ones aren't for everybody. Depends on the shape of your ear. I got them for playing drums, but I've an animated face when I play. As soon as I'd move my jaw, the seal would break rendering them useless...

+1 I have various hearing protectors hanging around the shop and since I got hearing aids, ear plugs are not an option. My 3M Optime 98 are my favorites.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

shooting muffs are what I use very comfortable and do a good job

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

We had several pairs of the Howard Leigh Impact full ear ANR kited out with replacement gel ear pads and QORE head-pad. Very comfortable and about half the cost of the Sordin Supreme Pro ears that we shoot with. I wore the Impacts for most of time in the shop, but finally saved my pennies and got a set of the Sordins... absolutely worth the cost, and the battery life is about 3x the Impacts.

What I like about full ear:

- Best protection and great directional sound (useful in a shop with three other people milling about)
- Quickest to don, and can stay tucked around neck when not needed

What I hate:

- The damage done to hair and (gasp) makeup...

I should mention that I would likely have opted for a set of Impacts (with upgraded QORE ear seals and headband cover) were it not for my shooting hobby. Hopefully WV does what Texas did recently and we get locally made WV-only suppressors...until then, good hearing protection in the shop, on the range, and for bump in the night is a must.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

I have custom 1964 ears. Well I HAD, until the crumbled after 9 years:(. But yea I agree! It’s very frustrating when they aren’t consistent


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Hand tools, !

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Brands will be different compared to the UK but mainly just don't buy cheapos. Mainly because they are so uncomfortable.

Oregon is probably a US brand and they are good. I think the ones that tree fellers use all day are likely to be good quality.

But for sure you must do this. Hearing is going downhill all the time and making a guitar you can't hear properly isn't much fun.


Cheers Dave

The biggest problem I have with earmuff type hearing protectors is having them on at the same time as wearing a full face shield. I tend to wear both and they're not very compatible with one another. That's probably the biggest reason (other than comfort) that I prefer in-ear protectors.

When I'm working outside with chainsaws and the like, I do wear earmuff type protectors, but I only wear safety goggles with them, so it's not a big deal.

Dave

What?

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

The full face shield has a headband that goes around and over my head. The earmuff style hearing protectors have a headband that goes over my head. The headbands don't play well together.

Dave