Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff, Med/Large, Black (R-02524)

I am a big fan of Howard Leight. I work in manufacturing and frequently have to talk with people in noisy environments. These allow me to hear and be heard while still protecting my hearing from the loud bangs and pops common in my line of work. Very affordable, comfortable, and well fitting.

EDIT, 2 years of regular use later:(I'm going to leave my original review below. For the most part, it's still accurate. For potential buyers, I want to include new info that only extended experience could have brought to light)I have other ear pro. One 3M Peltor Tactical (mid-range model, I can't recall model#) and one very inexpensive pair of Champion Electronic ear pro.The Champions work but have issues that keep them being any more than backups or for 'ear-less' people who may need to borrow a set.The Peltors are amazing. The sound is better than the Howard Leight's and I have zero complaints about them.But this is about Howard Leight ear pro. Mine are both my oldest pair of electronic ear pro and the ones I use most often - my 'go-to' ears.They're affordable by anybody at ~$50 (sometimes deals make them cheaper yet). They're effective enough to make them a viable competitor w/ higher-end and more expensive ear pro.I've never felt as though I needed to 'double up' and use earplugs underneath because they didn't offer enough noise reduction. Battery life is good. I use mine 2-3x or more per week, for between 1-3hrs/session and I typically need to replace batts once per month.I've never used the Howard Leight's input 3.5mm jack to play audio or phone into my ear pro. When I'm training/shooting targets, I'm training/shooting targets. Nor am I interested in hearing music while shooting - mostly due to safety. Some people may need to stay connected and may find an input jack to be a positive feature - I'm just not one of those people. Free Americans can decide what's most appropriate for themselves w/o advice from me or anybody else.Let's address the biggest, ugliest problem the HL's have, IMO: They will bring the pain when worn w/ eye pro (100% of the time, for me) and/or for extended periods of time. I can usually feel the headache starting after a half-hour to hour into a session. It's a 'surface' headache for me, personally. I'm assuming it's due to constant pressure from the head band piece, pushing against the ear pro.When I first heard of this issue (prior to experiencing it myself), I kind of chuckled to myself and thought perhaps some people were being sensitive (sissies?)...But I was wrong! It's not horrible, unbearable pain - it is difficult to simply ignore after a time, and it's certainly a distraction that nobody needs on the firing line when training or teaching/learning, or trying to shave fractions of a second from a shot timer. It gets old - quickly.There are gel inserts you can buy to replace the stock setup. They will cost you about 60-75% of the total cost of the Howard Leight's, though, unfortunately. To me, it wasn't even a question: I gladly forkes over the cash and my head/ears have thanked me repeatedly.Last, about durability: Internet 'torture testing' can't account for one factor that is difficult to simulate accurately: Durability and function over time. I've probably used and abused Howard Leight's namesake ear pro more than the majority of the target demographic.I'm not an outlier, a pipe hitter, HSLD, or somebody that purposely abuses my gear. But, I am a guy that spends a whole lot of time down on my personal range, shooting steel and consuming a lot of brass, and my gear gets used quite a bit like I said earlier.HL ear pro hasn't broken or let me down since I bought them in 2016. They aren't affected by sweat. Wires haven't split from folding and opening a zillion times. Single potentiometer/power switch is fine and does not crackle.Like most electronic ear pro, very close proximity to microphones will cause squeeling feedback, but it's not overly loud and doesn't occur in normal use; usually only when a hand, etc. comes very close to mic.They are inexpensive and durable. If and when they eventually do wear out, I will absolutely replace them because they are such a good value.Original review (2016)Incredible deal. Perfectly functional and takes a beating.It's difficult to put a price on your hearing...especially as you get older.

I had been searching for a better set of ear protection, wanted something electronic, but did not want to spend a few hundred dollars. Then I found these, and they work great.I have been using them at shooting matches. My older non-electronic hearing protectors were not serving me well. I have a bit of hearing loss, and I have an issue hearing conversation when there is a lot of background noise. At the matches I sometimes had an issue hearing the Range Officers and would sometimes have to lift one side of the hearing protector to hear clearly. Which is a problem because someone on the next stage will be shooting and I get to hear their gunshot at full volume.This set of electronic earmuffs allows me to block out the loud noises (gunshots) while still being able to clearly hear conversation. I can adjust the amplification up or down to the point where I can clearly hear even a whisper at a good distance. This was exactly what I was looking for.I have also tried the audio input connected to my Iphone and was able to block the noise from my lawnmower while I listened to music. That is a very nice feature.The earmuffs fit snugly to my head and offer ample adjustment. They fit my ears a bit more snugly than some of the bigger mickey-mouse type earmuffs. But my ears do lay flat to the side of my head, not like a few of my friends who have ears that stick straight out sideways. Maybe this would be a bit more uncomfortable for them, and they know who I am talking about. ;)I also found another great use for these, listening to TV. You see while I have some hearing loss, if my house is noisy (and with 4 boys it is always noisy) I cannot hear the TV unless I turn it up louder. Which my wife hates. I also have tinnitus, which I just recently found out gets much worse on days when I have sugar. So if I have a soda or ice cream that day, when I get home I need to have the TV turned up louder to overcome the ringing in my ears. Well problem solved, because I can wear these ear muffs and adjust the volume on them so I can clearly hear the TV at a much lower volume. My wife appreciates that feature.

I got a pair in May of 2021 on sale forabout 25-30$ and as of Feb 2025 I only charged them once and they still work great. I have used them on dozens of trips to the range and have others have used my pair and love them. Even if they are turned off the noise reduction is still pretty good. My only real complaint is a common one with over ear protection and that is they can get alittle hot and sweaty from prolonged usage on hot and humid days. I love my head seat and its a great inexpensive peice of kit for the range or even working with loud equipment. They do have omni directional mics that can amplify noises infront of the head set so if some one is speaking to you a ways off you can hear them better which is great while on an active range and do a great job of canceling out things that will cause hearing damage. You can't go wrong with this headset if youre just looking for something simple and effective.

Affordable price range and works just perfectly for me. Love the mic/monitor function. I also wear earbuds underneath for more sound cancelling and listening to music at the range. Get!