3M PELTOR Hearing Protection Optime 95 Earmuffs, Adjustable Earcups, E-A-Rfit Compatible, Stainless Steel

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Peltor delivers again with a quality product. I am a hobbyist woodworker and metalworker. I chose this style of hearing protection because I needed to wear a face shield and a traditional style ear protection would not work. These fit great and are comfortable. The sound reduction is terrific and makes using a saw or grinder much more enjoyable. I was skeptical about the design but they stay in place with no issues, no sliding off and are comfortable. I’m very pleased and will purchase these again if needed.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I bought these because they're a Peltor design back when Peltor was an independent company. The noise reduction isn't quite as good as the full size or over the head, but it's still very good. These are useful when you need to wear a face shield, welding mask, or helmet that goes over your head. While there are some solutions that have the hearing protection attached to a helmet, I've never seen that as a decent solution. The other alternative is foam or other earplugs, but these are way more comfortable than that.

Well made, comfortable, easy fit on the hard hat, and blocks excess noise very well.

Update (4 months later)I've moved since the last review and these still work great. I use them to study for hours at a time, and they are very comfortable, just make sure your adjust them so they fit correctly. It feels like they don't weigh anything after you've had them on for a few minutes and at times I forget that I'm even wearing them. It'll take a day or two to get use to the pressure though, if you're going to be wearing these for long periods of time.-----This product was great for cancelling out or reducing ambient noise since it only reduces the noise level by 21dB. If you're in a room and no one is next to you holding a conversation, then these are great for studying and cancelling the ticks of the clock, the squeaks of the table or chair, or the shouting from you Italian neighbor yelling at his indolent, defiant son. If your roommate is throwing a party and you have to study, the addition of 32 dB earplugs along with these completely over the ears, earmuff will do wonders in canceling out the noise, but nothing against the rattling of the bass or the urge to sneak out to have a peak.Adjusting the size was difficult at first because the earpieces wouldn't move, but it eventually budged. Not sure how the guy working with airplanes did it, but if you're trying to make your place a more quiet place for studying, then these may come in handy.

I work as an aircraft mechanic in a high-operations tempo environment... meaning I do a lot of running around, a lot of tumbling around, and get a lot of jets fixed to do a lot of flying. I've used numerous other forms of hearing protection: Peltor Shotgunners, Peltor H10 Optime, Bilsom Thunder, from what I can recall.I'll go over the various qualities of this product:-Slim designNot quite as slim as the Shotgunners, but definitely not as obstructive as the H10 Optime or Bilsom Thunder. For my line of work this is very nice, as we often work in tight spaces in or around the jets. Also, when running/tumbling around they aren't as prone to wriggle off your head.-ComfortThese offer a decent amount of comfort. They only started to get painful to wear after about three hours. They don't get to being uncomfortable/annoying until about an hour. The H10 Optime and Thunder has slightly more padding, but because they are bigger and heavier it makes them less comfortable overall to wear and gets irritating to wear very quickly... a general consensus among my workmates who vary by height, build, headshapes, earshapes etc. The Shotgunners have minimal padding... which is a key part of their slim design. Needless to say they aren't very comfortable either.-AffordableLess pricey compared to the Shotgunners, H10 Optime or Thunder. Yet this doesn't sacrifice much (if at all) in build quality or protection.-ProtectionThese offer slightly more protection than the Shotgunners, but not as much as the H10 Optime or Thunder. The difference is noticeable, but for an industrial area where jet engines reach over 100 dB, the protection is good. For this type of environment the Shotgunners provide an acceptable amount of protection.-RuggedI typically see Shotgunners last 6-12 months (they're not meant for this type of work environment anyway). The H10 Optime and Thunder are fairly rugged, but I think they last as long as they do because most of my people try not to wear them unless they really need to. My H6 Optime has lasted me four years, and was a hand-me-down. While they aren't meant to be tossed about or otherwise abused, I'm pleasantly surprised they lasted in my work environment. For folks who work as car mechanics, in woodshops, or otherwise low-operations tempo environments (where you aren't running around like a madman trying to get things done) these will last you at least twice as long.