3M H10A Peltor Optime 105 Over the Head Earmuff, Ear Protectors, Hearing Protection, NRR 30 dB

We had an older pair of these before they went to the glossy black casing, and have used those for the better part of the last decade or more, and they worked amazing. The reason for getting new ones is heck- after over a decade and just starting to have the surround padding for the ears get a little hard and torn, they are a steal of a deal for the price you pay to protect your hearing. The work we do: Table Saws, Band Saws, Power Sanders, Planers, Leaf Blowers, Chainsaws, Rifle and Shotgun Shooting (more fun, less work...), Lawn Mowers, Jack Hammers. Basically anything construction- these have been used for- even the occasional night when my dad with poor hearing cranks up the tv to hurting volumes to my sensitive hearing- I have nothing to say but good things. They work amazing at deadening outside sound, and for me- I can still hear people talking but the really noise-damaging sounds are drastically cut down. If you want to listen to music with these, I highly recommend a pair of sound-isolating ear buds, and NOT the iPhone/iPod standard ones. When I do this- my volume is nearly kept at the minimum volume for most tasks, and sometimes even that was too loud- so the good news being, you can hear music with a GOOD set of speakers, keep the volume low to avoid hearing loss, and at the same time- get the comfort and added protection from outside sounds with these. The in-ear work better than around the ear, however. I have also used these with (and they recommend) thin-sided glasses, safety or otherwise (I use some Oakley Antix) and (especially on the new pair with newer padding around the ears) they still cut out exterior sound to a really good degree, nearly the same as without the exterior interference. Highly recommended so long as you don't mind keeping a hat off. If you want one- get an oversize hat or a cheapie you don't mind getting bent a little out of shape from the over-head hearing as the wires stick out about a quarter to half-inch from your skin. Also- I have a HUGE head (translation: I wear extra large hats and not all one-size fits all hats fit me.. I think I was 7.25-7.5 on a fitted cap when I played little league baseball...) and very large ears (maybe 3" top to bottom..? they run in the family, oh well..) but these still have expansion space to fit on even larger heads and my ears fit inside the cups PERFECTLY. Unless you are part of the 1% of the population with a freakishly large (no offense) head or ears, they should work perfectly for you, so hopefully that answers that question if you're wondering how they work for larger heads. The only disadvantage I see is with shooting sports, particularly rifle and shotgun. They stick out enough to the point that if you sight down the barrel- they interfere and get pushed out of the way by the rifle/shotgun stock. Would def. recommend a slim set. I went with some Howard Leight ones that work pretty well on battery-operated silencing, however they are not so great if you sweat. These are basically waterproof and don't get sticky like my Howard Leight ones when dry and are easy to maintain. Both are really great quality but bang for the buck... these can not be beat. And now I sound like I work for em. Wish I did- I need to pay off some debt, haha..

Excellent product. This over the ear noise protection device is great. It is not only light weight, but also perfect for concerts, shooting ranges, car races, or other loud environments. They are light enough to wear for hours with no discomfort.

I now own 3 of these that I use while chain sawing, mowing, shooting and using loud tools in my garage. I own several other brands of muffs (5) and these are the best yet. All 3 came from the factory set at the smallest setting available, which would hurt my head if I tried to wear them at that setting. These muffs are adjustable to fit any size head. Each side adjusts 1 3/8 inches. So you have a total range of adjustment of 2 3/4 inches. I have a large head (hat size) and with only using less than half of the available adjustment range, the band does not even TOUCH the top of my head. When adjusted all the way to the largest setting, I can place my hand on top of my head, under the band. The adjustment is located where the wire goes into the plastic sleeves on each ear cup. The wire slides in and out of the plastic sleeve. It is a friction fit and requires a little effort to move. Nothing you can buy (portable and convenient) at any price will totally eliminate all ambient sound. Sound vibrations arrive at the inner ear via 3 general pathways; 1) through the ear canal 2) through bone conduction through the bones of the head 3) through soft tissues from the torso up through the neck. Excessive noise is defined as 85-90 decibels or more over an 8 hour period. These earmuffs REDUCE sound from hearing damaging levels to less damaging/tolerable levels. The NRR of 30 is excellent and about the highest you can buy for muffs. (33 is the highest available for any single ear protector device, plugs or muffs) Effectiveness will vary due to amount of hair, eyeglasses ect.. under the muffs. NRR are based on test subjects in a controlled lab environment Example:A chainsaw produces about 100 dB of sound which will damage your hearing. These muffs (NRR 30) will reduce that sound to about 70 dB, which will not damage your hearing. Normal conversation is about 60 dB. You will still clearly hear the chainsaw run, but it will not damage your hearing. A whisper is about 30 dB, so they might eliminate a whisper... You can wear a combination of ear plugs and muffs for more protection. I often wear Howard Leight MAX1 Earplugs (NRR of 33) under these muffs when shooting or using very loud tools for a long period of time. Even with the combo of muffs (NRR 30) and plugs (NRR 33) the total NRR is only about 36 or maybe 37. I would highly recommend these muffs, both for the NRR of 30 and the comfort, as compared to many other brands of muffs that I own. I only wish I had these 50 years ago when I started doing things that would damage my hearing.

Good Value for the price, use them in the Shop, Cutting Firewood, & Running the Log Splitter. Block's out harmful sounds really well. Would also work well for a Gun Range. The Lord Love's You !!! Best, PawPaw C

I'm a little puzzled about the negative reviews listed here. According to the Technical Details: * NRR 28 dB * Twin-Cup neckband * Patented Twin-Cup design * Behind the neck design allows for easy use with hard hats According to the Product Description from the manufacturer: The Peltor Optime 105 Earmuff is recommended for very high noise level environments. Safe, comfortable and economical for all day protection. Note, this is the behind the head model. According to the Product Description: For Extreme Noise Levels Up To 105 Dba. Developed For The Ultimate Protection In The Most Demanding Noise Environments. The Optime 105 Features Added Mass And Volume, Plus A Unique Double Shell" Ear Cup Design (two Cups Connected Via A Foam Inner Layer To Reduce Structural Resonances) To Provide The Maximum In Noise Reduction Throughout The Full Range Of Low And High Frequencies. Ansi S3.19 1974/csa Z94.2.", Nrr 29 Db Uom Each Now I purchased these "behind the head model" for one reason and one reason only: To allow myself to have adequate hearing protection while using the Sperian Protection S8500 Bionic Face Shield for adequate eye protection while using my MS 460 STIHL Magnum(tm) Chain Saw as over the head ear muffs would not even come close to allowing me to wear adequate eye protection. And you know what, the combination of the Peltor H10B Behind-the-Head Earmuff with Neckband (Optime 105) and the Sperian Protection S8500 Bionic Face Shield while workable still came up short. But that was not the fault of the Peltor H10B Behind-the-Head Earmuff with Neckband (Optime 105) . And no I have tried safety glasses with both "over the head" and "behind the head" models and the "over the head" models makes wearing any type of protective eye wear much more difficult. And because I have a tendency to "fog" every conceivable type of eye ware (including anti-fog and scrapping soap on the inside of the lens) I have purchased every conceivable type of protective eye ware and they stay on much better with the "behind the head" models. (I did fix the problem by placing a Velcro scrap at the the bottom of the face shield then fastened the strap behind my neck which held the face shield in place). The Peltor H10B Behind-the-Head Earmuff with Neckband (Optime 105) does everything it is advertised to do and it does it well. Yes there is a Velcro strap that fits on top of your head and this does secure the ear muffs better, but even with my chain saw the ear muffs stayed on without using the Velcro straps. And these are not Tactical Hearing Protectors which block out harmful noise while amplifying low-level sounds and never claim to be. So to get these hearing protectors to "better hear" music or the spoken word makes no sense what so ever. While my personal preference for hearing protection remains "over the head" ear muffs, I doubt you could buy a better "behind the head" ear protection, especially at this price.

These are AWESOME earmuffs! Super comfortable, fantastic noise reduction, and they don't mess up your hair or rub the top of your head. I use them with power tools and at my desk -- indoors, they block most sounds that would distract you, but allow a small amount of noise through so you don't feel deaf. If someone walks up directly behind you and speaks, you can hear them, and if you're using a PC keyboard, you can still hear faint clicking. If you tilt your head ALL the way back, the wire might make contact with your neck, but not in a way that's irritating. These earmuffs DO come with a strap that can be attached over the top of your head if you want to use it while wearing a hardhat (not sure why it's not shown on the product pictures) but it can be removed fairly quickly and easily if you pry off the outermost black ear foam pieces. The design is just about perfect in that the seal around your ears is tight without being TOO tight. The ONLY drawback I'd cite is that if you're working outside in really hot weather, you'll get some sweat build up between the ear cushions and your skin, and that can cause the ear muffs to start to slip down slightly. If you think that will be a problem for you, use the head strap or get the model with the over-the-head wires (I sometimes find that wearing the earmuffs upside down helps with sweat-induced slipping for some unknown reason). And I almost forgot -- I wore these on a recent airplane trip and they were terrific -- I was asleep within 5 minutes of putting them on, I felt a lot smarter and more frugal than people with their big-bucks Bose noise-cancelling headsets, and at the end of the flight, my hair wasn't messed up. :-) Yes, it IS possible to put ear-buds in your ears and then wear these headphones on top of them. Overall, I would buy these again and again.

Having used several variations of 3M's Peltor series of over-the-ear hearing protection devices in the last decade, I can say that their quality is excellent and that they excel at making durable, serviceable equipment for working in high-decibel environments. This is the purpose of the product: to reduce damaging sound levels so that work can be safely performed in high noise environments. They are NOT designed for sleeping, to make quiet environments silent, or to block out annoying conversations and noises around you. They are made to prevent hearing damage and hearing loss, not to dampen down your brother's snoring in another room. Anybody buying them for any other purpose is setting themselves up for disappointment, and setting the product up for failure. Several negative reviews of the product reflect this attitude. So far as durability is concerned, they are all on par with any other similarly designed product that I have encountered. They are not "bomb-proof", so to speak. The ear pads will eventually give up and require replacement. This is normal. 3M sells a "hygiene kit" that replaces the pads and foam specifically to address this. The pads are designed for a good seal to the ears even while wearing glasses, and they accomplish this. They give good service, and I am speaking from the perspective of using them for 8 to 12 hours a day, on a daily basis, in heavy industry. My previous pair has held up for 6 years. The ear pads are starting to tear on the edges, but still provide a great seal. I only bought new so I could switch to a behind-the-head design. I highly recommend the brand and the product. Amazon's rating system for these is less than ideal, as these do not "cancel" noise, but merely attenuate it. Be aware of that when readings reviews. These DO NOT "cancel" noise.

I have tinnitus and needed something for when I mow the grass to protect my ears from future damage. I had a cheaper pair which I used with music earplugs. They worked, however, this by themselves are perfect. I did not know how to make them a bit larger for my mind, however, a couple of questions answered by the good people on Amazon and I had them fitting me perfectly even with a baseball type cap. I was standing about 20 feet away from the heat pump which was on and once these earmuffs surrounded my ears I could not hear it. My ears fit perfectly inside the openings so my ears were surrounded by the soft cushioning they offer. I started to mow and I could hear the mower although muffled. It did not shut out the entire sound of the mower which is good so you know what is occurring as you mow and don't cause anything to happen to you as you use these ear protectors. The fit is good and tight. Yes, you have sweat on them after you carefully take them off. That is easy to remedy by a little cloth or shirt on the moisture. I find them very comfortable to wear. I suggest to take them off carefully so not to bend the wires. I would not put them around your neck as so many do for fear of stretching out the wires too much. You really do need a good seal and want to keep these as tight as when they first arrived. Some sounds are reduced and others sounds are gone completely. It depends on the sound, the pitch and volume. I would highly recommend these ear protectors and the price is right.