Hunters and shooters take their hearing seriously. As a result, they are constantly looking for the best in hearing protection that lets them maintain their hearing while still allowing them to function on the range or in the field.
Peltor has built a reputation for providing outstanding hearing protection for use in some of the most challenging shooting environments through the equipment they have made for Special Operations forces.
They have now brought that technology to the general public through a line of electronic hearing protection that muffles harmful gunshot noises. But, at the same time, it electronically picks up and amplifies ambient noises such as voices.
The result is protection when you need it, but the ability to still hear what’s going on around you when you don’t.
- NRR 21 dB
- For indoor and outdoor shooters and hunters
- 4-hour auto shut-off
Pros
- Electronics Quality: These earmuffs contain outstanding Peltor electronics technology, which means they are going to have some of the best sound quality and noise suppression on the market.
- Great Battery Life: which means they'll keep working for a long time. There is 4 hour auto shut-off feature, to preserve battery life.
- Comfort: These were designed with comfort in mind. A newly redesigned headband with additional padding means these are going to be great for all-day wear.
- Price: The price point is right on these headphones, very budget friendly.
Cons
- NRR: While the NRR of 21 is better than the 19 offered by the previous generation Tactical 6s, it is still low compared to similar offerings from competitors. However, it’s still plenty of protection for outdoor shooting environments.
Why Choose the Peltor RangeGuard?
Let’s look at some of Peltor RangeGuard’s product features, so you can determine if they are the right earmuffs for you. If you want to see some alternatives, you can also check out how Peltor compares against Howard Leight and if Peltor is better than Pro Ears.
Noise Reduction
The primary thing to be concerned about with any hearing protection is just how much protection you need. Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the measure of how effective hearing protection is. NRR tells you how many decibels (dB) the hearing protection lowers the sound reaching your ears.
So, for example, if you are mowing the lawn and the lawnmower sound is 100db, and you are wearing hearing protection with an NRR of 25db, the sound reaching your ears would be 75db.
Any sound over 85db can damage our hearing, so it is important to understand the noise level in your environment to determine how much protection you should purchase.
Most commercial hearing protection ranges between an NRR of 20 and 30. As a general rule for outdoor shooting and hunting, an NRR of 20-25 is acceptable. Indoor range shooting typically requires a higher NRR of 25-30. The Peltor RangeGuard has 21db NRR.
Comfort & Design
The second criterion for any user should always be comfortable. Hearing protection is often worn for extended periods of time, as much as 8 hours or more.
As a result, comfort is key to your overall satisfaction with your purchase. For example, the Peltor RangeGuard has soft, comfortable ear cushions and many reviews mention that they are comfortable to wear.
Sound Quality of the Peltor Range Guard
For electronic hearing protection, in particular, sound quality is a critical concern as well. Poor sound quality can reduce or, in some cases, completely negate the effectiveness of the electronic portion of the hearing protection.
One problem that tends to plague electronic hearing protection, particularly, is wind noise, which can render some electronic hearing protection virtually worthless on a windy day.
Battery Life:
Another aspect for consideration with any electronics is battery life. Short battery life can seriously impact the usability of any electronic hearing protection.
Most hearing protection is now designed to have extended battery life. However, this is still something to be on the lookout for, as you want to minimize having to change batteries in the middle of a day on the range.
Price:
Finally, price is always a consideration that needs to be taken into account. Electronic hearing protection prices can vary dramatically, so getting the right protection at the right price is worth the time spent in a little extra research.
Peltor Rangeguard vs Tactical 100
The Rangeguards are the update to the Tactical 6s earmuffs that were largely panned in the marketplace. Fortunately, Peltor really seems to have hit the mark with the Rangeguards and fixed the problems that consumers reported with the Tactical 6s.
The Rangeguards also fall into the same family at the Peltor Tactical 100 and are generally marketed toward the same consumers. However, when comparing the Peltor Rangeguard vs Tactical 100, we find that while comparable, the Tactical 100 is slightly upgraded with an additional dB of NRR and a bit more padding for comfort.
As of the time of writing, the price difference of the Peltor Range guard vs Tactical 100 on Amazon is minimal, which is about what I would expect given the small design differences.
An NRR of 21 makes the Rangeguards very appropriate for hunting or outdoor range shooting. This is one of several major design improvements that Peltor made over the Tactical 6s, which only had an NRR of 19. Competitors tend to be in the NRR 23-25 range, so it is a bit low by comparison but still good for the intended use.
Comfort is another area that we took into account with the Rangeguards. Peltor redid the headband design with improved padding for all-day comfort. Users report that they are very comfortable for all-day wear as a result.
Peltor has a reputation for excellent sound quality, and these are no exception. One major design improvement to the electronics of the 6s was installing a battery door on the exterior of the earmuffs instead of having to pull the earmuff apart to access the battery compartment.
This, along with extended battery life, has greatly improved the usability of the electronics in this iteration of the earmuffs.
These improvements were made while getting the price point right, retailing on Amazon for a great bargain; this is an outstanding price for a pair of earmuffs of this quality.
Conclusion
Peltor did an outstanding job with the redesign of the Tactical 6s to the RangeGuards. As discussed in this Peltor Range Guard review, there isn’t much not to like in these earmuffs.
As long as you’re purchasing the Peltor Sport RangeGuard with the intent to use it for hunting or use on an outdoor shooting range, you should be very pleased with the performance you’ll receive. Therefore, you should absolutely put these earmuffs on your shortlist of candidates to purchase.
Also, Check Out:
Walker’s Razor Muffs vs Howard Leight Muffs
Peltor Tactical Pro Review
I like Rangeguard more because this pair of headphones is easy to store because it’s foldable. The headband adjusts to find your most comfortable fit. The ear cushions are soft, so your ears won’t get painful after long hours of use. If someone often use shotguns and rifles, it is really a great product.