Need better hearing protection

[Howard1955]

THIS:

NOT THIS:

 

[The Heretic]

I have tried almost every kind.

Foam are ok if you can get them into your canal well, but I have small ear canals and they are shaped in a way that makes it hard to reliably put them in. Also, after a while, some start hurting. The best ones I have used have a smooth surface and the foam does not expand quickly like the ones that have a rough surface and expand faster.

Custom molded plugs were the best in the ear plugs I have used, but eventually they wore out and I did not get more. Wearing plugs inside of muffs (over the ear) does provide significantly more protection, but there are limits:



And remember, even 6db reduction is a reduction of 4 times less power and 2 times less amplitude. So every little bit helps.

I have tried the 'wax' and silicone moldable plugs that do not go into your canal and those ard hard to get a good seal and do not stay put.

I ride motorcycles and that means a helmet so that means in the canal protection devices - wind being the largest contributor to noise. But most of my use of hearing protection needs are either when I am shooting or more usually when I am operating equipment.

Hearing protection muffs are effective if you get good ones, but they must seal well around your ears so the ring seal must be good and it must seal well. I have some that do and some that don't.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Foam inserts work really well. You have to make sure you get them way the f in there though.. if I'm shooting big boomers and or shooting all day where there's a lot of gunfire, I'll wad them up good all pointy like and spit on them (gigity) and then stick them way in there.. they go in way easier. I always double up with some high-end overhead Peltor's to boot too.

This^^^ Most people have no clue how to apply foam plugs! Like deaf says. Roll them really pointy and then screw them in, in the same direction as they are rolled! It's the only way that they can really do their job!


I use EARPRO by surefire, plugs. Rated at NRR 26dB. I don't have to write up their features, it's on the package! I mostly wear them alone, unless there are big boomers or sharp crackers on the line!
A feature that I really like is a rubber plug in the center of the sound dampener. When it's cease fire on the range I can pop the inner plug or plugs out to converse, then easily reinsert them to shoot!
At any kind of loud times I cover the EARPRO's with top of the line Howard Light, electronic sound deadening muffs! It's the best combo I've come up with! I'm not as bad off as Cdeaf, but I do have a lot of damage, artillery, heavy metal, industry. All have taken a toll, so I'm very serious about caring for what I've got left!
OP and all you others, good luck finding a solution that works for you!

 

[The Heretic]

I tried the Surefire Earpro for a while - the only one of those kind that worked ok for me - not good, but okay.



But eventually the outer portion broke off due to wear/use and on got stuck in my ear. I had to go into a clinic to get it removed because I could not get a hold on it. That was not fun as I had to sleep through the night with it in my ear (I didn't want to go to the ER just for that).

Generally, those kind of plugs are too large or too hard for me to use.

 

[The Heretic]

Also, FWIW, I now wear hearing aids - if I want to understand what people are saying anyway.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Reach around the back of your head with your other arm/hand and pull up on your ear as you're putting them in. It helps seat 'em better and people will ask wtf you're doing.
I wear electronic muffs and wonder how I got along without them.

This Too!!! ^^^^

 

[Switchblade666]

I started using the Howard Leight ear pro also. I cant say enough good things about them. I hate not being able to hear chatter going on around me while shooting. It's a paranoia thing and a safety thing too. They work amazingly well!

 

[Certaindeaf]

.I'm not as bad off as Cdeaf,..

I'm not really deaf.. probably well beyond average though.. tinnitus.. everyone's got a story. The "deaf" is a play on words as "death" woulda just been too hardarse.. and dumb.

 

[Tony617]

I have a pair of Howard Leight Impact Pro earmuffs and when I am at the gun range I use earplugs as well. When I am at home, I will just use my earmuffs.

Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification Electronic Earmuff (R-01902) - Hunting Earmuffs - Amazon.com

 

[KKG]

There is a brand of "Wax" type of plugs that are sold under the Kroger name at Fred Meyer and they work Very well, especially if used with the muff type. The Electronic Muffs work great if you get the right brand and you don't need the wax types to go with.

 

[jbett98]

I built a custom home addition for a 65 year old guy that tuned pianos for a living and he wore foam earplugs 24/7 unless he was working on a piano.
He even put on earmuffs over the foam plugs while driving. He did everything possible to keep his hearing intact so he could continue working in his profession, even leaving his house if I was sawing wood and nailing with an air gun.

 

[Ramjet12]

In Ear Speakers, Custom Earplugs and Bluetooth Molds for Jawbone, Plantronics, iPhone in ear speaker- PlugUp.com

 

[titsonritz]

I use these at work.
they are electronic, but oh so comfortable. and you can plug other electronics in to them.

Supreme Pro-X Earmuff in Hearing Protection | MSA - The Safety Company | United States

for $400 they better be comfortable. And they're only rated at -18 db.

You can find Sordins for about $200 if you look around. They are top notch hearing protection.

 

[Capin JRo]

What! I can't hear you!

 

[Flopsweat]

What! I can't hear you!

I SAID...

 

[P7M13]

In high school, my sister's best friend had parents who were both stone deaf. When in company who didn't know sign language, they read lips and talked (albeit funny sounding). So the father says to my dad, "I like the cabinets you have here in the kitchen. Who made them?" And my dad shouts back, "We bought them from Sears Roebuck." My sister and I were too embarrassed to say anything. Her friend Rose was laughing, because it was so typical.

 

[DunRanull]

Also, FWIW, I now wear hearing aids - if I want to understand what people are saying anyway.

Huh? Whut?...