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According to the CDC, extended exposure to noises over 70dB (decibels) can lead to permanent hearing damage. This includes activities like using a gas-powered lawn mower, or riding on a motorcycle. Noise-reduction ear muffs look like over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, but their ear pads are made out of materials that dampen (the technical word for reduce) the volume of loud sounds before they reach your ears. The noise dampening is built into the headphones, so it doesn’t require a power source to work.
Wearing a pair of noise-reduction ear muffs while you work with power tools, or plan on being in a loud environment won’t totally protect your ears from potential damage, but it will reduce the risk. Our guide will help you find the right ones for you, whether you want to stick with the basics, or prefer having extras, like Bluetooth connectivity for music listening.
The Best Noise-Reduction Ear Muffs
There are many factors to think about when choosing the right noise-reduction ear muffs for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Noise-Reduction Rating: Every pair of noise-reduction ear muffs is assigned an NRR (Noise-Reduction Rating), which approximates how much sound it can keep from reaching your ears. All of our recommendations have an NRR value of 23dB.
For reference, many popular earplugs have an NRR rating of 32dB, and can be worn under your noise-reduction ear muffs for an extra layer of protection.
Weight: You’ll likely be wearing your noise-reduction ear muffs for extended periods of time, so you’ll definitely feel their weight. The materials used in noise-reduction ear muffs is far heavier than the ones used for over-ear headphones, and our picks can weigh almost one pound.
Powered vs. Passive: As we mentioned earlier, the noise-reduction ear muffs work passively, which means their sound-dampening properties are a function of the materials they’re made out of.
Some of our recommendations also have active noise cancellation, which use microphones to cancel out noises at certain frequencies. Active noise cancellation adds a significant amount of weight to the ear muffs, and requires them to be charged.
Audio In: While noise-reduction ear muffs aren’t a replacement for over-ear headphones, some do have built-in speakers, so you can listen to music while you engage in certain activities. Make sure to check local laws before listening to music while riding a motorcycle, or operating heavy machinery.
