Top 7 Best Electronic Ear Muffs

Note: If you don’t want to read the whole article, you can review our top picks here: Howard Leight Impact Pro or Walker’s Razor

Hunters and shooters spend a lot of time around guns. As a result, they know just how important it is to protect their hearing.

The average gunshot noise is around 140 decibels (dB). This is well above the 85db safe limit for hearing and into the range where immediate hearing damage can occur. Because of this, if you are going to be around guns, whether shooting or not, hearing protection needs to be a priority.

7 Best Electronic Earmuffs

At the same time, being able to hear sounds around you is also critical while shooting. For example, if you are on a range, you need to hear the voices of those around you to be able to shoot safely. Or, if you are hunting, you need to hear the sound of your prey.

best electronic earmuffs on the market

Electronic hearing protection has evolved to fill this critical need, protecting the shooter’s hearing when they need it while still allowing ambient sounds that won’t harm hearing through.

It works by capturing external noises using microphones and replicating those noises on speakers within the earmuffs. For example, if a gunshot exceeds the safe hearing threshold, it cuts off the amplification or lowers the noise level of the gunshot to a safe level.

Instead of earmuffs to protect from gunshots, you may consider the best shooting earbuds we have featured here.

Other great earmuffs are radio headphones for mowing.

Reviews of the Best Rated Electronic Earmuffs

Electronic Ear Muffs have rapidly become a must-have item among shooters. Let’s take a look at some of the top models in the electronic hearing protection reviews below.

Howard Leight is the major competitor to Peltor in the electronic hearing protection market and makes many high-quality products.

The Impact Pros are their top-of-the-line commercial earmuffs. They offer the highest NRR of all the hearing protection we’ll look at today with an outstanding 30db. This means you’ll be well protected no matter how loud the shooting environment you are in.

Howard Leight uses a clipping technology that shuts off the amplification within milliseconds whenever there is a gunshot. This is generally considered inferior technology to the compression approach taken by Peltor but still works very well in terms of overall protection.

The Impact Pros are very comfortable with large ear cups and plenty of padding. You’ll be able to wear these earmuffs for hours on end with no discomfort.

For all the features the Impact Pros provide, they are the most competitively priced of all the earmuffs we’re looking at today in our electronic hearing protection review.

Pros

Cons

The Peltor Tactical 100s are the top-of-the-line product from Peltor in the slimline earmuff subcategory. Slimline earmuffs have a small physical profile and offer slightly less protection than the professional line earmuffs we just looked at.

The smaller physical profile makes them easier to fit in range bags and won’t interfere with other equipment you may be wearing while shooting.

Slimline earmuffs will only provide in the low 20s dB of protection in terms of NRR, so they are designed primarily for hunting and outdoor shooting. If you want to wear them indoors shooting, expect to double them up with inner ear hearing protection.

The Tactical 100s provide an NRR of 22db and feature recessed microphones that help decrease wind noise. They also include a 3.5mm audio jack and audio mixing that allows you to listen to music or other audio input without losing the ability to hear ambient sounds.

Also look at Peltor Tactical 6S muffs.

Pros

Cons

The Impact Sports are the slimline offering from Howard Leight. These are the top-selling earmuffs in the Hunting and Shooting Earmuffs category on Amazon.

They offer an NRR of 22db, which makes them perfect for outdoor shooting activities. In addition, they feature directional microphones that are recessed and covered with foam to protect them from wind noise.

The Impact Sports have long battery life and should last for over 300 hours on a single set of AAA batteries; they also include an automatic 4 hour shut off if you accidentally leave them on when not in use.

Pros

Cons

The Razor by Walker’s is an outstanding slimline earmuff. Designed from the ground up for the slimmest fit possible, these earmuffs won’t interfere with anything else while you are shooting. Makers of Walker’s Game Ear hunting devices, this brand is made for hunters.

They provide an NRR of 23db, one better than you get with the Impact Sport or Tactical 100s without adding any bulk.

One thing Walker did very well with these earmuffs was focus on style in addition to function. The Razors have a very aggressive profile that appeals to many shooters; they also come in a wide variety of colors to match individual preferences.

If you want to look good while still getting the best electronic hearing protection, look no further than the Razor.  You can read more here about Walker’s vs Howard Leight.

Pros

Cons

​ 

Peltor is the original and still most respected name in electronic hearing protection.  The company built its reputation supplying electronic earmuffs for US Special Operation Command in some very tough environments.

They use a proprietary sound compression technology that is widely seen as the gold standard in the industry.

The Tactical Pros are the top-of-the-line offering from Peltor for the commercial market. They offer a robust NRR of 26db, which offers excellent protection for both indoor and outdoor shooting.

The Tactical Pros are designed for all-day comfort. They are well padded with deep ear cups and feature large ergonomic buttons for easy adjustments while wearing gloves.

These earmuffs are designed to work with radios as well. So if you will be wearing these while using the radio, this is an awesome additional feature. Also, check out Peltor vs Walker Razor.

Pros

Cons

The 3M Worktunes headphones are designed for lawn mowing, snow blowing, doing DIY projects, construction work and other activities that require you to protect your hearing from hazardous noise. They have a high 24dB NRR and simple one-button operation, allowing you to turn them on and off even
when you’re wearing gloves.

One of their best features is the Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect them to your mobile device and stream music and make calls. In addition, there is an integrated microphone so you can accept and make calls without removing the headphones.

These Bluetooth hearing protection headphones have premium gel ear cushions, making them soft and comfortable to wear for a long time. In addition, the 3M Worktunes have an auto shut-off feature and low battery indicator, plus a long battery life of over 30 hours per charge.

Pros

Cons

The Awesafe electronic ear muffs were designed for shooting at the range or in the field. They have a Noise Reduction Rating of 23 decibels and are made of high-quality materials. However, they have a very affordable price tag. 

All you have to do is turn on the volume control button when you want to use them. There is also a volume control button, which lets you adjust the amplification effect. In addition, the built-in directional microphones enhance communication and provide a more natural listening experience.

You can easily fold them and carry them with the rest of your shooting gear. They have an auto shut-off feature after 4 hours, while at the same time, they are energy efficient. The Awesafe electronic ear muffs come with a 2-year guarantee.

You’ll enjoy Peltor Earmuffs vs Pro Ears Gold.

Pros

Cons

Conclusion

We’ve taken a look at a lot of outstanding products today. When trying to determine which of these are the best electronic earmuffs for you, remember to start with protection first.

Purchasing a product that doesn’t provide a high enough NRR will lead to frustration at best and, at worst, may leave your hearing exposed to damaging noise after protection considers other factors that may be important to you, such as style or comfort.

One of the best electronic earmuffs on the market is the Howard Leight Impact Pro. They offer the highest NRR of all the hearing protection on our list, with an outstanding 30 dB. In addition, they have an automatic shut-off feature to preserve battery life and a very long battery life of approximately 350 hours. In addition to this, they have a comfortable and secure fit.

No matter your needs, I think you’ll find that one of the products we’ve looked at today will give you the protection and features you are looking for.

Leave a Comment