Hearing Protection - What do you recommend?

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wrjones224

wrjones224

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
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Location
Kentucky
I have started to notice a slight loss in my hearing due to a lot of time in the shop. I want to know what you all use for the best ear protection? I have researched but a lot of the articles seem like they are paid to write about certain products. Open to all suggestions. Really want to start protecting my ears.
 
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The 3M Peltor Optime 105, H10 series are really good. https://www.3mcanada.ca/3M/en_CA/p/d/v000062870/

The Honeywell Howard Leight Leightning L3 are also really good. I have several pairs of each and like them both. https://safetysuppliescanada.com/ma...MI48vKks647wIVwiCtBh1wVgGtEAYYASABEgJLKvD_BwE

Sometimes they are too good and you'll find yourself unable to hear someone shouting at you but if you are working alone there are few better.

There will be the same or similar named for both in the US.
 
Well Worksafe here in BC Canada they recommend custom fitted hearing protection. I have used them for 25 years and love them. I even have a sleeper set for travelling. They are so a bit smaller
Lin.
 
Personally, I use DEWALT Bluetooth Hearing Protector DPG17 so I can listen to music in the shop.
Over the summer I accidentally let them run out of charge. So I borrowed my son's AirPods and wore them inside the dead DeWalts... and it worked really really well.
If I had to do it over again I might buy AirPods and a pair of regular hearing protection earmuffs.
 
My compressor and dust collector are both outside my shop this helps enormously. The only other tools I might need hearing protection are my sanders so I rarely wear ear protection. You might want to consider this if it's possible un your shop. I was lucky as have a two story shop a with studio apartment adove it. My compressor and DC are under the stairs. I'd recommend this to anyone that could do something similar.

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mick said:
My compressor and dust collector are both outside my shop this helps enormously. The only other tools I might need hearing protection are my sanders so I rarely wear ear protection. You might want to consider this if it's possible un your shop. I was lucky as have a two story shop a with studio apartment adove it. My compressor and DC are under the stairs. I'd recommend this to anyone that could do something similar.

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Click to expand...
My compressor is a small Air California that is pretty quiet when it runs, but I do have my DC outside the shop in a separate closet.
Like you I don't use much in the way of ear protection. I spent 11 years working for a major airlines where the noise was really really rough
and even with hearing protection worn when out on the ramp, I still wound up with a ringing in my ears... have had a high pitched squeal for
the last 35-40 years... Dr. said I've lost some hearing at the high and low end of the spectrum.
 
For me it is earplugs only, the orange ones. If you decide to go with earplugs look up how to properly put them in, it makes a world of difference. The NRR of the orange style plugs is usually around 33 dB. My table saw is probably the loudest tool that I have and it runs upwards of 105 dB, so at 33 I'm good but an NRR of 25 only gets me to 80 which can still be damaging to hearing.

My understanding is that earmuffs have been found to be relatively ineffective. I work in manufacturing facilities and most of the plants that I have worked in do not approve earmuffs for hearing protection (unless used over the top of earplugs as "double"). I think that this is largely due to improper use. In particular, glasses can interfere with the seal which limits effectiveness (like the ones shown being worn by the guy in the Dewalt DPG17 advertisement 🤦‍♂️). My anecdotal evidence is that my dad ran heavy equipment for work and religiously wore earmuffs, but he also wore glasses, he has struggled with serious hearing loss starting at about age 50. My recommendation is that if you go with earmuffs be mindful of things that interfere with the seal (glasses, facemask bands, hair, etc).
 
I wear shooting ear muffs in the shop now. Back in my competitive shooting days I wore a fitted ear plug that I had made and a special set of ear muffs over those. The muffs had a speaker and microphone built in so I could hear the commands on the firing line but they would also automatically shut off during firing. Still have them and will use them on occasion like when I'm using my planer. The VA checked my hearing about 6 years ago and told me my hearing was good.
 
I've gone for Peltor brand optime 3 , highest protection and they're good. I have tried auto noise cancelling ones but not good results, sent them back as ineffectual with planer or table saw noise.

Also the plug type foam ones ( little cones of foam you scrunch up and put in your ear ) , these are good but you get sweaty ears ! Excellent for use in air helmet for routing though .
 
Curly said:
Everyone is whispering Mal to keep you from finding out.
Click to expand...
apparently I have husbands hearing ! Things like coffees ready, cakes done, flapjacks made register immediately but other things like lawn needs mowing dont seem to register I am told by SWMBO!
 
Do not be complacent of not wearing something. Tools such as shop vac, planer, router, tablesaw, compressor, dust collectors all can contribute to hearing loss even for short bursts. On the job site I always wore the foam plugs because we got them any time we wanted and and as many as we wanted. But the earmuffs in the shop and the peltor are comfortable and work well. I do not listen to music in the shop because it is a distraction for me. I did not even like it on the job site because nine out of ten times they played head banging stuff. Just like safety glasses, and some sort of dust mask, these should be worn
 
I used to wear earplugs. It caused ear issues, wax blockage, sinus infections. Now I use earmuffs. I always wear ear protection. Helps me concentrate.
 
I find that wearing ear defenders blocks through air ventilation so when my router is screaming it's liver out I simple crank up the radio.🤪
Honestly though, my router really is my only loud machine and I do also wear Pelter defenders.
 
The pelton ones with a velcro band and wire neck band are great as you CAN wear an air helmet with them over the top easily .
 
Dehn0045 said:
For me it is earplugs only, the orange ones. If you decide to go with earplugs look up how to properly put them in, it makes a world of difference. The NRR of the orange style plugs is usually around 33 dB. My table saw is probably the loudest tool that I have and it runs upwards of 105 dB, so at 33 I'm good but an NRR of 25 only gets me to 80 which can still be damaging to hearing.

My understanding is that earmuffs have been found to be relatively ineffective. I work in manufacturing facilities and most of the plants that I have worked in do not approve earmuffs for hearing protection (unless used over the top of earplugs as "double"). I think that this is largely due to improper use. In particular, glasses can interfere with the seal which limits effectiveness (like the ones shown being worn by the guy in the Dewalt DPG17 advertisement 🤦‍♂️). My anecdotal evidence is that my dad ran heavy equipment for work and religiously wore earmuffs, but he also wore glasses, he has struggled with serious hearing loss starting at about age 50. My recommendation is that if you go with earmuffs be mindful of things that interfere with the seal (glasses, facemask bands, hair, etc).
Click to expand...
We were issued ear plugs at the airlines and I also had a set of ear muffs I used over them... the muffs had the radio speaker in one side so I could communicate with the ramp office and other supervisors, but even with the protection, jet engines are LOUD and especially when you have to walk the fuselage between number 3 and the cargo door.... even with all the protection I was afforded, I still wound up with a ringing in my ears.
 
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